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It makes me very happy when art, music, and politics come together. I was first moved by the powerful combination of those elements on the “Let Them Eat Jellybeans” hardcore compilation with music by Black Flag, Bad Brains, The Dead Kennedys, and the Circle Jerks, with art by Winston Smith. The Circle Jerks soon became a favorite of mine and I found out that their vocalist, Keith Morris, had been the first singer of Black Flag. I saw the Circle Jerks many times over the years in S. Carolina, Rhode Island, and LA. A few years ago, Keith formed a new band, OFF! with guys from other bands I like including The Burning Brides, Red Kross, and The Blackheart Procession. OFF! totally rock and have a killer vintage hardcore sound, but they sound fresh. I was incredibly honored that after visiting my studio, Keith and Dimitri from OFF! suggested that we collaborate on a 7″ where they’d write a song inspired by my art. I was blown away by the idea, but instead, they ended up writing the song inspired by the themes in my art first, and then I created the art to fit the song! The result is the Learn To Obey 45 that comes out on Record Store Day. I’m also doing a poster that will come out around the same time. I love the way the music turned out, and I’m proud to have my art associated with OFF!, especially since art genius Raymond Pettibon, one of my favorites, usually does the art for OFF! I kept my approach to the art reverent to Pettibon, but irreverent to greed. Read more and hear the song here.
and don’t miss Record Store Day.
