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..:: Mean Street
..:: P.O.D. - Do yo believe in life after death?
..::
November 2003
..:: By David Jenison
“We’ve been putting it
down for a long time, and we’ve taken the staircase to each new level,” says
P.O.D. drummer Wuv about all the hard work necessary to reach their present
state. “This new record is the most honest record we’ve done because it’s four
members actually wanting to be in a band playing this kind of music and
inspired in the same way. We are looking forward to this record coming out, for
sure.”
P.O.D., who have already
sold over five million albums, seem poised for yet another platinum plaque as
their new self-titled disc heats up at radio.
Almost overnight, the
lead single “Will You” became a smash at rock and alternative radio in all the
major markets, including L.A.’s KROQ, NYC’s KROCK, and Chicago’s Q101. For the
band’s four members, the song’s success is encouraging because it represents
several areas of growth for the group.
Regarding the distinct
message of “Will You,” Wuv remarks, “We never really did a love song before.
It’s directed more towards being on the other end, asking for forgiveness. It
touches on the tragic part of a relationship, but it’s something we all go
through.”
As “Alive” did on Satellite,
“Will You” marks a step forward for Sonny Sandoval as a singing vocalist. The
P.O.D. crooner comments, “It’s happened naturally. You mature and want to try
new things. I did take some vocal lessons, but it’s mainly from being inspired
to do new things.”
When the new album
drops, many longtime fans will scurry through the lyrics looking for the
faith-based ideas that permeated past releases. Early in their career, P.O.D.
were forthright about their Christian faith on songs like “Three in the Power
of One,” “Every Knee,” and “Preach,” but as any good artist will do, the band
found more sophisticated ways to express their spiritual side on later albums.
On Payable On Death, only one song addresses spiritual matters in an
overt manner, though it happens to be the opening track, “Wildfire.” Still, the
group says putting the most faith-based song upfront happened for non-spiritual
reasons.
Wuv remarks, “We wanted
to kick the album off with that kind of flavor. If you look at all our
influences, Bad Brains is one of our biggest. We thought this song captures the
new elements of P.O.D. and best shines the new path in which we are headed. As
soon as a kid pops it onto his headphones, it’s the new P.O.D. flavor with the
influences of all the old hardcore bands that we love.”
While Payable On Death
features many artistic firsts, the disc also features an industry first. The
initial one million copies will double as a PlayStation 2 videogame from the
title Amplitude along with the exclusive P.O.D. track “Space” and lots
of behind the scenes documentary material.
Bassist Traa comments,
“We wanted to do something very special for our fans and something that had
never been done before in music. The kids are going to be blown away by the
game, the packaging, and all that comes with this record. The kids know what’s
up, and they know what’s worth buying.”
On a less positive note,
another P.O.D. first is making an album without founding guitarist Marcos
Curiel, who bitterly left the group last February. P.O.D.’s former six-stringer
now pushes his new group, Accident Experiment, and their six-song EP Arena.
Making a dig at Curiel’s former bandmates, the EP features the song “Million
Dollar Hell,” which includes such lyrics as “Tellin’ people what they want
to hear, all your pretty bullshit in their ears you spin and sell,” and “Push
your face into the sand and pull the nail you dug into your hand.”
When asked about the
split, the group’s management responded in an e-mail: “The guys … don’t feel
that they have anything more to contribute to this topic that hasn’t already
been said.”
Though they remained
tightlipped, the continuing members of P.O.D. can claim the good fortune of
having impeccable reputations. It’s unlikely that negative comments from a
former member will stick, especially when Curiel’s mindset reflects a move from
promoting faith-based ideals with P.O.D. to attacking his former bandmates with
the dishonorable usage of crucifixion imagery.
Regardless, Living
Sacrifice alumnus Jason Truby filled the vacant guitar slot, and he made his
official P.O.D. debut last September when the group performed alongside 50 Cent
and Korn at the Mountain Jam in Colorado.
“Truby was the only
consideration,” says Sandoval about finding a new guitarist. “We’ve been
friends with him for a long time and have always been fans of his guitar
playing. We talked for years about making him a second guitar player. His
talent and brotherhood take P.O.D. to a new level.”
The south San
Diego-based group formed in 1992 with Sandoval, Curiel, Wuv (known then as Noah
Bernardo, Jr.) and original bassist Gabriel Portillo.
Recorded at Sounds West
in Miramar, the group’s self-titled debut cassette came out in 1993 and helped
them build a strong local following. Their buzz in the (619) proved undeniable
when the group, scheduled to headline the small stage at local venue Soma, had
to be bumped up to the main stage — an impressive feat considering they had no
CD or radio play at the time. Eventually, Wuv’s dad, Noah Bernardo, Sr.,
started Rescue Records as a side venture to release his son’s music.
“P.O.D. and my dad got
together to do it independently,” recalls Wuv. “We didn’t want to be tied down
to any type of label at that stage. We did it underground and put up the money
ourselves, and he helped us along that path for many years. That’s how Rescue
Records was born.”
P.O.D., now featuring
Traa on bass, took many of the songs from their self-titled bow to make that
debut CD, Snuff The Punk. More independent albums followed, including Brown
And Live At Tomfest for Rescue Records and the Warriors EP for Tooth
and Nail. Midway through their self-releases, however, changes in their
hometown scene necessitated the need to look at larger horizons.
“Right around the time
that Blink-182 got popular in San Diego, the city took a turn for the punk,”
recalls Traa, who isn’t referring to the type of “punk” he wants to “snuff.”
He continues, “The scene
changed, and we got no love. We finally said screw it, and for two or three
years, we started touring all over the country. We would go to Wuv’s house,
load up the back of our busted up van, and head to Florida with just $300 in
our pocket.”
During this time, P.O.D.
secured management with a Christian rock promoter in Oklahoma who clearly
wanted to move their career path toward the general market. After soliciting
record labels and receiving incredible response, P.O.D. set up a showcase in
San Diego.
“We had confirmation
letters from most of the major label executives,” Sandoval recalls, “and our manager
stood out in the parking lot waiting for them to show up. No one did. After the
show, we were like, ‘So who came out?’ and he looked like he was going to cry.”
In retrospect, the flaky
label scouts probably stayed home toying with their new Tivo systems when they
could have been signing the next platinum-selling rock act. Undeterred, P.O.D.
pushed forward and eventually caught the ear of Atlantic Records’ John Rubeli.
As the ink dried on a recording contract, P.O.D. found themselves recording up
in Los Angeles and enjoying several “Hollywood” moments, such as playing a Guns
‘n’ Roses pinball game with former Guns’ drummer Matt Sorum. As fate would have
it, their mainstream bow, The Fundamental Elements Of Southtown, sold
over a million copies, and their 2001 follow-up Satellite sold millions more.
P.O.D. songs have also graced several major movie soundtracks, and last year,
the group collaborated with Santana on the song “America.”
Regarding the Santana
collaboration, Wuv remarks, “We got it on a whim. All those things come last
minute, from soundtracks to working with other artists, because you go through
so much political crap before you get to the end. We had a few days off, and
the opportunity arose to make up a song and send it to him. Once we got the
feedback that he liked it, we were on our way. We never have a problem writing
songs for any kind of situation. That’s what we do. We love to get into a room
and jam together, especially when we have a goal set before us.”
Ultimately, P.O.D. can claim
commercial success and notable artistic growth, but the south San Diego
originals still haven’t abandoned their spiritual roots.
“Anyone who wants to
carry our music is welcome to,” says Sandoval about their albums being sold in
Christian bookstores. “We’d also love to do [Christian music festival]
Cornerstone again. They are beautiful people and supported us in the early days
when few others did.”
As far as the difference
P.O.D. made for faith-based artists crossing into the mainstream, Sandoval concludes,
“Hopefully it means that there will be no more boundaries for those kind of
artists.”
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