Pist*On
Number One (Fierce/Mayhem/Atlantic)
An interview with vocalist Henry Font
by Scott Hefflon
You just got back from a tour with Marilyn Manson in Europe, where’d you play and how’d it go?
We did the U.K., Spain, Italy, and France, but didn’t get to do Germany. We’ll be hitting Germany in August. It was a great tour, and they treated us very well. They’re a very scary bunch of individuals, and we really look forward to playing Germany with them.
What was it like opening for a band as over-the-top as Marilyn Manson?
Well, we put on the usual Piston show, which is pretty intense, but it’s not as dramatic as a Manson show. But you don’t want to be just like the band you’re playing with anyway. Actually, I wasn’t much of a fan of them until I saw them live. I was really impressed.
Was this your first time playing Europe?
No, we headlined a tour back in February playing about 45 shows.
I thought you went on tour with Type O Negative?
It’s funny, but despite being produced by Josh (Silver, guitarist of Type O), we’ve only played about three shows in three years with them. It’s mostly been scheduling problems, but we’re hopefully going to be touring with them this year.
With both bands being from Brooklyn, did you guys grow up together?
No, Val (Lum, bassist) and I have been big fans of Type O Negative for years, so I handed Josh one of our demo tapes and he offered to work with us. Seven or eight songs on Number One were released on demo first, so this has been a long process. We actually recorded the album back in August of ’95, but it wasn’t released until ’96. We sat on the album for a year waiting to get the right deal. We wanted to take advantage of Josh having some time available, so we did the album long before we had a deal.
How much of the rich, lush guitar sound was Josh’s input?
When I wrote the songs, they weren’t as heavy as they came out on the album. They were more alternative-sounding. We all agreed the songs should be heavier, and that’s the way Josh produces. We did three rhythm guitar tracks, four or five vocal tracks, and it gave it that big sound. I like big songs like that anyway, big sound, lots of melody.
Vocally, you have a snarling style similar to James Hetfield…
Only on some songs. Josh recommended that I sing like that more, but some songs just don’t call for that aggressive style.
It contrasts nicely with the more atmospheric feeling of the other voices.
I like to consider it like the battle between chicken and fish: chicken is the hard voice, fish is the soft voice.
What are some of your favorite bands, both metal and not?
I’m a huge Maiden fan, and I grew up listening to stuff like Ratt. But then again, I really like bands like the Smiths, U2, and The Cure. I think that’s why people get confused when they hear our album, they’re not quite sure what kind of music we are. I like to combine different things. That way, there are a lot of different directions a song can go. I really like Killing Joke, too. I’ve seen them live a few times, and Jaz Coleman gets into a tirade onstage. He’s like a little Napoleon up there. It was a big inspiration for me to see them after hearing them for so long. They really make you think.
Do you write the lyrics?
Yeah, I just write down stuff as it comes to me. I just invested in one of those little pocket recorders, so now I can get my thoughts on tape instead of losing them.
What was the first single off the album?
“Grey Flap.” But the album is being re-released by Atlantic with all new artwork and stuff, so the first album is now a collectors item.
Was that your choice, or did you get bought when Atlantic moved in?
Atlantic bought a piece of Fierce (now called Mayhem, I guess), and we were part of the deal. So we’re still signed to Fierce, but we’re going through Atlantic’s distribution and have Atlantic’s power on our side. When you see our video, it’ll say Fierce/Atlantic, stuff like that. It’s kinda what every small band hopes for. Except for our ex-bandmates Paul and Danny, of course. They chose a career in selling floor tiles or something. We’ve got two new guys, Burton Gans on lead guitar, and Jeff McManus on drums. Now we can really get out there and play, with lots of dollars backing us up.
You’ve been doing the grass roots thing, and you can keep plodding along, growing slowly…
Yeah, it must be nice to be like Pearl Jam and bitch and complain about the money you’re making, but, whatever. I’ll be honest with you, it’s good to have a bit of money behind you to add a bit of security. If it takes a major label to get the product out to the people that want it, I have no problem with that.
