Knowing Every Time I Die is on its eighth bass player in 10 years brings about an air of Spinal Tap. Sure, it wasn’t the drummer the band kept replacing, but they even had a temporary one of those during their last tour. Finally, however, ETID feels like they’re on the right page, in the right lineup and looking ahead with the right mindset.
“It’s just dealing with douchebags,” says guitarist Andy Williams before soundcheck at a recent tour stop in Albuquerque. “Every dude that’s stepped into that position in the band — they either try to take over the band or stuff like that. We’ve been a band for 10 years and everything’s set. There’s a system for money, a system for writing. They just need to come in and play the bass.”
Williams feels the current bassist, Josh Newton, is the right man for the job. “He’s had a huge impact and we think he’s the dude,” Williams says. “We hope he’s here for the duration of the band. We hoped Steve Micciche was the right guy, but some sour shit happened and he couldn’t not take it on the road.”
After Micciche, the band decided to find people to play tours with them and do the recording themselves until finding Newton. With a lineup now set, the band is currently headlining the seventh annual Take Action Tour with a handful of other metal bands. ETID is no stranger to conglomerate tours such as this. They’ve played Ozzfest in the past and are set to play their second Warped Tour this summer. Williams has no problem with the band’s hectic touring schedule. He’s happiest when he’s on the road. “We’re workaholics,” he says. “I hate being home. I hate Ozzfest, but love Warped Tour. You feel like you’re a part of something and everyone’s good to you.”
It may seem that being on the road so much would take its toll on anyone, especially given the old “sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll” monicker, but some may be surprised to find out that Williams, along with ETID drummer Mike Novak and their tour manager, are straight-edge.
Williams has been straight-edge for 16 years and said it mostly started for personal reasons after dealing with some family issues and it “just seemed like the right thing.” While the straight-edge label is nothing new to a lot of hardcore musicians, he notes that some of his fans find it hard to believe. “There’s nothing worse than the face of a person who wants to buy you a beer and you say, ‘I don’t drink, dude,'” he says. “They think I drink so much and they won’t let it go. You gotta get a little disturbed and it sucks. The look of disappointment is awful.”
The band’s music hangs around the metal side of music, but there are also influences of classic rock. The angered lyrics are also sometimes offset by humorous song titles. “Rebel Without Applause” and “Imitation Is the Sincerest Form of Battery” are just two titles from their latest album, 2007’s The Big Dirty. “We write the songs and then Keith comes in and sings,” Williams says. “We don’t know how anything will sound until we record it.”
For now, Williams is happiest on the road and getting to meet his fans. He posted a blog entry on the band’s MySpace site that said he’d be greeting attendees with free hugs. Of course, it’s really just about talking with the people who love their music.
“I try to be as accessible as possible,” he says. “If a kid wants to talk, a hug, a handshake, a picture, whatever. I’ve always been like that. I don’t know why people would want to alienate someone that believes in you. When I was a kid, if the dude was rad, I’d definitely go see that guy again.”
The Take Action Tour with Every Time I Die, From First to Last, The Bled, August Burns Red and The Human Abstract will stop at Tremont Music Hall on March 14 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $16 in advance and $18 at the door.
This article appears in Mar 12-18, 2008.
