Photo: Greenbelt
'It’s always good to sort of break away from any structure.'

American punk rock trio MxPx made their Greenbelt debut on Monday night, following performances at the Leeds and Reading festivals.

George Luke spoke to bassist/vocalist Mike Herrera, guitarist Tom Wisniewski and drummer Yuri Ruley.

How are you enjoying your first ever Greenbelt?

Mike: Well, we just got here! But it sounds really cool, from the way they were talking it up on the way over. It’s very community-oriented, and it’s been around for a long time. I’m excited to check it out.

Tom: Me too. It’s always good to sort of break away from any structure. So hopefully after this interview we may have dinner and then check out some bands and the rest of the site. We’ve been told there’s a pub on site called the Jesus Arms – we have to check that out! We’re fully enraptured with the Jesus Arms.

You played the Reading festival before coming to Greenbelt. How did that go?

Mike: Reading was fun. We played Reading in 1998. It didn’t seem that different! But it was better than Leeds, which we also played at. I know people say they prefer Leeds because it’s less industry-oriented, but we didn’t get that aspect as much.

In your 16-year career, you’ve been through a number of record labels; in fact, this is the second time that you’ve signed to your current label (Tooth & Nail Records). How exactly would you describe your feelings about record labels?

Tom: It usually changes from minute to minute! (Laughs)

Yuri: You work together, of course – but there’ll be times when you want to do something and they don’t want to and you butt heads. But generally, you work together.

Mike: It’s best to figure out how to make the record label work for you, because the history of record labels has mainly been to screw bands over. If bands can get one over on their labels, then I think that’s a good thing because musicians are usually last on the food chain when it comes to getting paid.

Tom: As for us signing to Tooth & Nail again, it just seemed like a good idea at the time. We’re at the point in our career now where we’re just doing one-record deals with whoever it seems to make the most sense to do a record with. We’re lucky to be in a position where we can decide on our own what’s best for us.

Staying on that subject – do you think new media can help artists move further up the food chain?

Tom: It works both ways, I guess. There’s both a good and a bad side to it. Established artists are probably hurt by downloading and file-sharing but it does help new ones.

Mike: File-sharing definitely hurts our sales. But what can you do? This is one of those dream jobs where we just feel lucky to be able to travel the world and pay the bills at the end of the month. I think it’s a challenge to find new ways to present yourself. Hopefully, if what you do is valuable, you’re going to be paid to do it.

Tom: We’re one of those bands that have always played gigs regularly, and our money comes mostly from our gigs and merchandise sales.

Yuri: If bands only got paid by selling records, there would be no bands! Bands would only play in their home town and occasionally drive somewhere.

Have you any side projects going on?

Mike: Tom has another band he plays with, and Yuri plays in his church band. I do a lot of solo stuff. Yuri also does a lot of art work – a lot of painting.

Is there any truth to the rumour that Christian rock is dead?

Mike: (laughs) They say the same thing about Punk Rock, don’t they? Nothing ever really dies; it’ll rise from the ashes again after laying low for a while.

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