Exclusive Interview with Lionize’s Nate Bergman
by Michelle Oberg
We caught up with Nate Bergman while he was grocery shopping at Walmart in Austin, Texas, as Lionize got a last minute call they’d be performing SXSW that night.
RUKUS MAGAZINE: What does the name Lionize mean?
NATE BERGMAN: Pretty much, just out of the dictionary, it means to “celebritize.” So we thought it was kind of funny and ironic, considering the kind of music we bring.
RM: You guys have such a refreshing sound for the rock community. Who are your inspirations?
NB: We listen to a lot of classic rock, like Allman Brothers, Zeppelin, Sabbath, and The Beatles. We also listen to a lot old reggae like Burning Spear and Marley. Our sound just melted together with that; we throw in a little bit of jazz and funk in there too. We play what we listen to. As far as modern music goes, there’s nothing that comes close to the musicianship, song writing, honesty, and even the equipment from our inspiration’s time.
RM: Tell me about the new album.
NB: We just put out Destruction Manual on Feb 8th 2011. We recorded it in Baltimore with J. Robbins — it’s got that real, warm, classic sound.
RM: What is your song writing process like?
NB: It’s pretty organic; there’s no set structure. We just all get into a room together and jam. Maybe someone has an idea for lyrics, or a riff, or a melody with no lyrics and no riff; it just kind of all comes together with everyone in one room. It’s definitely a very equal process. Our vibe is to do everything together. Maybe that’s weird but it’s our style.
RM: I love the song “You’re Trying to Kill Me.” What is the meaning behind it?
NB: There’s really no meaning. We kind of write our songs about stories that aren’t necessarily about anything realistic. We keep our personal connection out of it to avoid emotional ties.
RM: Is there a message behind your music and the stories you tell?
NB: Honestly, not really. We don’t try to put our political views on anyone. I think we just want to get lost in the music and I think people strayed away from that with modern day bands.
RM: For a white guy, you’ve got plenty of soul in your voice. Was this something learned?
NB: I appreciate that. I guess so; I grew up listening to a lot of Motown. My dad was into classic rock and my mom was into Motown. I have always been attracted to singers like Otis Redding, Sam Cooke, Ozzy, and Robert Smith. Something that sounds more from the gut. I just try to sing honestly. Truthfully though, I’m really just trying not to fuck up. I never sang until we started the band together, and I played guitar for 10 years or so, just casually. I had never really set out to do this as a living but look at me now. I’m glad you and other people like my voice but I certainly listen back to the recordings we do live and think I have plenty of work to do still.
RM: What is your travel situation like when you’re touring?
NB: Generally, we’re in a van with a trailer and we drive ourselves around. This summer for Warped Tour we’re going to be on a bus for the first time. But it depends on the tour and what we’re willing to spend not to fall asleep at the wheel.
RM: What is it like being in a van with your bandmates all the time?
NB: Realistically, these guys are my best friends and we’re all respectful of each other. We are all here for the same reasons. Our goal as a band is that we want to be musicians. We’re not here to be famous or to be rich, or the perks I guess being in a band has. We get paid to play our music, yes, but to be able to all stick together in a van and come home with cash and pay our bills and eat like a human-being while you’re on tour is our best perk. We’re just working class dudes (sarcastically), we don’t need nothing fancy; were from Maryland.
RM: What’s in your suitcase at all times?
NB: I’ve learned that when you tour with too many clothes you end up with a huge pile of wet, damp, and molded clothes so now in my suitcase are essentials: two pairs of flannel shirts, two t-shirts, a pair of jeans, Dickies to be specific, and a pair of sandals. My number one thing is a toothbrush but if were going into detail — baby wipes.
RM: What is the first thing you look forward to when you get back from touring?
NB: I look forward to sitting on the couch and eating Thai food. Bong hits and Thai food are my decompression tools, and lots of History and The Sci-fi channel.
RM: Lionize is doing The Warped Tour 2011. Is this your first time doing the tour? What are your expectations from it?
NB: This is our first and we’re doing the entire tour all summer! I don’t think we have any expectations. We’re very excited, being chosen to do the whole tour in the first place is kind of crazy since we don’t have any affiliation in The Warped Tour scene and we never played with any of these bands before. It’s going to be awesome, we just really excited to be there doing what we do. We’re not really competing with anyone else and a lot of times bands sound really similar so there’s a huge competitive factor but we don’t have that problem.
RM: Do you know any of the bands in the TWT line up?
NB: We did a brief stint with a band called Terrible Things and we got along really well with them when we did The Streetlight Manifesto Tour. Other than that, we don’t really know a lot of bands doing the tour to be perfectly honest. We’re a little mellow compared to a lot of bands that will out there. I don’t know how we are going to be embraced by the bands that want to party all night because that’s not our M.O; we’re pot smoking laid-back guys. Personally I feel like you can’t get shit faced every night and then get on stage and do the best that you can do so that’s not my style. Being on tour for 7 years now we’re over the point of getting into trouble. I’m over waking up with mine and possibly someone else’s vomit on my clothing.
RM: Do you have a favorite city or venue to play in?
NB: I’d say the 9:30 Club in DC is hands down the best venue in the country. I’d say my favorite city to play in is New Orleans. People are really cool to us down there. It’s the last city that is unpretentious, and hasn’t been taken over by this new hipster movement where everything has to be “cool.” People in New Orleans don’t give a fuck, they’re blue collar, like us, and they’re just there to have a good time.
RM: What is your drink of choice?
NB: I’ve been on a Stella kick recently. But, I like whisky. Whisky straight-up, or scotch — but that can get out of control pretty quickly.
RM: Who was your first love?
NB: I was in middle school, 6th grade, and she absolutely hated me. She wanted nothing to do with me; in 7th grade she dated older guys, like guys in high school. I thought she was full of awesomeness. Her name was Theresa Wood, and the last day in 8th grade she signed my yearbook, kissed it with lipstick and I still have it. Its ridiculous, but I’m pretty sure she has like 4 kids and lives in a trailer now.
RM: What was the first record you bought with your own money?
NB: Two albums at once actually: I bought Snow 12 Inches of Snow and Led Zeppelin IV.
RM: If you could trade places with any person for a week who would it be?
NB: Our friends Clutch just went on tour with Motorhead and I could definitely play in that band, so I think I’d trade places with Lemmy (Ian Kilmister/vocals). That would be awesome.
RM: Who is on your iPod right now?
NB: I’ve been listening to a lot of Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show…it’s like country, funk, blues; it’s weird but awesome.
RM: Do you have any crazy fan or tour stories?
NB: I really don’t. We have crazy fans and sometimes tours get crazy but nothing that stands out or that I’d care to incriminate myself with. We’ve had no arrests but crossing into the border from Canada can get sticky because we’re a band and that gets weird sometimes but other than that we’re very conscious of keeping ourselves safe. We try to fly under the radar as much as possible. There’s no stickers on our trailer or windows on our van so we swoop in and swoop out as silently and stealthy as possible, like rock and roll spies. We don’t want to get caught by anybody doing anything questionable.
RM: Is there any Lionize news your fans should know that we didn’t talk about?
NB: Yes, I think we can say it now but I’m not 100% sure. We got added to Bonaroo this year so we are going to go down and play in June. Watch out for us.