Wayne from Static-X

I recently caught up with Wayne from Static-X mainly to discuss the upcoming tour in November, any suprises they might have for us, the new album "Cult of Static" and just a general chit-chat with an update as to what's happening with Static-X and the future.

Hey Wayne how you going this is Byron from Voltage Media in Australia.

Wayne: Hi.

We'll be talking about the upcoming tour in November for Australia and the release of the new album "Cult of Static", how did you get the name for the album and why was it chosen?

Wayne: Ahh It's a tribute to our fans we've been around for a decade and It's all due to our loyal fans and there very loyal. They always come out to our show and always buy our record it’s a very tough industry these days and we appreciate it so it’s almost cult-like.

How long did it take you to write and produce Cult of Static?

Wayne: Started writing January 2008 and I guess we started recording somewhere around July and probably finished up around November or something like that and turned it into the label and took them until March to get it out.

Why did Static-X decide to go back to the longer build-ups and breakdowns from the Wisconsin Death Trip days?

Wayne: Well It's an extension of the previous album "Cannibal" I really love that album I love the sound of it I love the raw metal feel of it I just wanted to build upon that but then add some more of the breakdowns and build-ups and that kind of thing. When I write a record I just do what feels right at the time and it seemed like the right thing to do and I was excited about it so that's what I went for.

What was the main thing about the Wisconsin Death Trip that's influencing this new album?

Wayne: I guess you know its part of the way it was written really and I wrote all of Wisconsin Death Trip all by myself at night and was drunk most of the time and pretty much I wrote the new record that way too.

I moved the studio to my house wrote at all hours of the night while my wife was masturbating on the sofa next to me while I was writing and I was drunk most of the time so it was a lot of fun writing the record.

Having the word "Cult" associated with the album have you had much negative publicity or uproar about it due to its name and meaning?

Wayne: No. Everything we do is fun and cheek this is not a serious band you know there's a lot of dark comedy in what we do and I never intended any religious things about it everyone just sees it for what it is, It's just about the fans. It's really a tribute to the fans and they all get that.

Why did you chose to go back to writing longer epic songs then sticking to the normal short ones you've previously written?

Wayne: It's kind of what happened you know when I write songs I don't time them to see how long they are umm I just start writing and when it feels like the song is done then It's done, It just so happened it turned out longer this time and it felt right so that's just the way it was.

What's your favourite track off the album compared to previously written songs you've done so far?

Wayne: My favourite song absolutely off the new album is "Tera-Fied" It's the first song I wrote for the record and It's the most epic song I've ever written It's very hypnotic umm It's great subject matter umm It's about having sex with my wife which is you know, awesome.

It's sort of our cashmere if you will I'm not you know not that I hate to compare myself to someone who's as great as Led Zeppelin but you know I think It's our cashmere It's got the hypnotic vibe to it and I love the dance feel and I think It's a very sexy song and heavy song and brutal at the same time.

With the short term departure of Koichi Fukuda for his girlfriend and other musical opportunities how are you finding him with the return to Static-X?

Wayne: Well It's a very simple return he came back in 2005 while we were working on Start A War he was actually working on programming in the studio at the time when Tripp got arrested so it was a simple matter of asking him if he wanted to start playing guitar again he was ready to and you know he had his break and he was all refreshed and ready to go.

Since then his main duty has been writing guitar solos in his absence I learnt how to play keyboard and really acceled in the programming area so I do all that stuff now and he pretty much handles the guitar solos.

Does he still have much of an influence with the keyboards & programming or help in hand when you get stuck or mainly does he just focus on guitars only?

Wayne: Ah it’s just the guitar solos. I write everything myself I sit alone in a room with a drum machine, guitar and keyboard and I write the complete songs myself and then I leave room for a guitar solo and leave room for bass parts you know that type of thing so that everyone gets to add there little bits to it but umm you know I write 90% of the song on my own.

How do the other band members of Static-X feel about that when you've only left them a little bit to improvise and write their own little section in each song. Are they easy going with that style of writing or have they found much difficulty with it?

Wayne: Well that's the way It's always been in this band you know everyone knows there place everyone is happy with it so umm you know it seems to work and umm It's the only way it works for me and I've never really written with anyone else so umm everyone’s very happy with that.

As long as you're happy I guess everything works out!

Wayne: Uh-huh.

Will Static-X be doing any meet n greets with fans while on the Australian tour?

Wayne: We do allot of that stuff I like it actually I like to meet the fans in a controlled situation you know we're not getting mobbed that type of that but I love to meet the fans and hear what they have to say about things and their opinions on the new stuff and the old stuff and all that... so I hope we get to do some of that usually it’s the record label that sets that kind of stuff up so you know.

Will you be doing any signing days could you tell us any dates?

Wayne: I don't have any of that information available at this time but I'm sure they will be setup usually they tell me last minute about that.

It's been over a decade since Static-X has been formed how's the journey been so far everyone else in the band and your personal experience with it?

Wayne: Well It's been a long journey It's been a very interesting journey ummm I've learnt a lot had a lot of fun and this is actually the last tour for Static-X I'm moving on after tour at end of this year and starting my solo career next year ... I feel like Static-X is pretty much done everything that you set out to do and I feel like It's time to move on start with something fresh.

We're aware you're moving onto a new project called PIGHAMMER and you'll be working more on your own solo career could you elaborate more on this?

Wayne: That's absolutely 100% true I'm moving on to my own solo thing I'll probably write with a few other different people if I feel like it but It's 100% true and I'm not saying Static-X will never return ever but definitely taking a break for an unknown period.

So, what do you think of management finding a replacement front-man for Static-X?

Wayne: Static-X with a different singer, are you kidding me? Hahaha! I write everything I produce everything there's no Static-X without Wayne Static if they want to try and do that you know good luck to them but it'll be a Static-X cover band.

You're talking about a Kiss without a Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons.

You recently played at Download festival how was the experience compared to some of the other festivals over the years?

Wayne: That was definitely highlight it was definitely one of the most memorable shows that tour in our whole career it was great 40,000+ people it was actually the first time we played at Download and it was a blast even though we flew there from I think Ukraine or something some crazy ... it was a ridiculous schedule we played there was no sleep and all that it was an awesome show we'll never forget.

How was the reaction from your fans while at Download?

Wayne: Surprisingly amazing we haven't played in Europe as much we played in US I was very pleasantly surprised how many fans we actually have there and it was very encouraging.

Any old recordings or live works that might get released in the future?

Wayne: Well you know we have a lot of extra stuff that we've compiled over the years that may get released at some point right now I'm just focusing on my solo stuff and plan to have it out and tour for that next summer that's my main focus at this point.

When around next summer do you plan to tour?

Wayne: We're definitely going to tour next summer I'm not sure who the supporting band will be but It's going to be an awesome record I have a big chunk of it written already and I'm very excited about it been wanting to do this for years and everyone else in the band has had time to go off and do their own stuff.

I haven't had time to do anything as I've been writing Static-X records all these years I'm very excited to do my own thing and not bound by the rules of Static-X and pretty much going to do what I want on this thing and It's going to be real cool.

Are you looking to come back to Australia?

Wayne: Absolutely. I love Australia It's my favourite foreign country to tour I absolutely love it there I'll be back there on my solo tour as well.

Thanks for having the time to talk with us Wayne It's much appreciated. Hopefully this won't be the complete end of Static-X and you guys may come back within 5-10 years or the near future with another great release!

Wayne: Absolutely I can't wait to come back I love it there the shows are going to be awesome we've got a great set list put together new stuff old new stuff It's going to be awesome!

Finally. With the solo career that you'll be coming back with next year what's the main influence there what's the sound that you'll be bringing that's different to Static-X what are you doing exactly there?

Wayne: At this point It's a little early to tell since I do all the writing for Static-X It's definitely going to have some of that vibe to it I'm just going to stretch out and explore some different area's but if anyone is a Static-X fan is definitely going to like my solo stuff as well I think it's going to be great I think everyone's going to live it I think It's going to be awesome.

Once again thanks for your time Wayne!

Wayne: Cool.