Big News From Hank III Interviews

For those that missed the Hank III interviews with Outlaw Radio Chicago and Big G of the Real Deal, they are now both archived, HERE and HERE. But for those who are unable or willing to listen to the full interviews, below you will find a summation of the meatier nuggets:

From Outlaw Radio:

Jashie P: The big ol deal going on right now is that this is the last album with Curb.

Hank III: I’m just trying to move on with my career and not having my creativity held back. I’ve got about 5 months to go, and then I’ll be on my own. Then a whole new batch of songs will be getting together, and I’m gonna call in a lot of my friends, and looking for a new breath of fresh air.

Jashie P: You are one of the most talked about artists online. Some people are saying that now that he’s done with Curb there won’t be any more country, no more Damn Band.

Hank III: Naw, I’ll always be doing what I do. As long as I can maintain the show like I want to deliver it, the show will go on. I will always be putting out the country and all kinds of different stuff. This is just the last major label record. There a whole slew of stuff getting ready to come out. Once I get to start writing, that’s the big thing.

Jashie P: You don’t have anything set aside right now for your first independent release?

Hank III: Nothing exists because if I wrote a song right now, who would own it? So I have nothing. My creative freedom has been held back for YEARS. Once my time is done, like I said man it’s gonna be a breath of fresh air for me to hit a stride.

Jashie P: Right out of the gate, in five months what will be your first release?

Hank III: It might be probably both (country and heavy metal) at the same time. I would like within a month to have two releases on both sides of the coin man. There’s also gonna be all kinds of different stuff too, not even, I don’t even know what you’d classify it as.

Jashie P: Give me a little history behind the song “Karmageddon”

Hank III: Warren and Tommy have been friends of mine even since I was 15 years old. I used to live with that family. They are big in the music community. Me and Warren are friends and once in a while will write together. They asked if I was interested in this song, they felt like it was kinda up my alley. Way back a long time ago I recorded some of their stuff before, it just never came out. A lot of that is just the family friendship. You know living with them when I did, goes really deep. A lot of heartfelt words coming out of that from them.

Jashie P: Another track, “Tore Up & Loud,” at the end of the song there’s the little rant about “after 14 years you’re finally free.” How did that slip past Curb?

It never came up in any of the discussions or anything. Since I wasn’t necessarily saying anything about them, it’s just saying something. And I wanted to give a big shout out to Jeff Clayton. On the last album I don’t know how I forgot to put his name in the credits. I messed up and it slipped by me, and I was definitely wanting to pay some respects to him somehow.

Jashie P: You and Joe Buck ever talk any more?

Hank III: He’s just out there doing his own thing man. When he came to me he just wanted to be a bass player. Then he changed his mind. I need guys that, as Jimmy Martin would say “You need to be playing with ME, not playing with THEM.”

Jashie P: The last tour, a lot of people were pretty skeptical when you announced that Kyle Turley was gonna be your opening act. How do you think he went over with your crowd?

Hank III: I mean, no more different then bringing someone like Izzy (Cox) on this next tour. I don’t even know what people will classify her as. And its no more different than bringing a death metal act with us. We don’t get pigeon holed into one style of music. And the way I look at Kyle, his heart, you know he’s been suffering seizures, and the doctor’s are telling him not to be around a bunch of stress. What does he want to do? Go out on the road and do music because that’s what makes him happy. Most people would be tucking their tail and heading the other way. He’s always loved music, and I don’t look at it as what style he’s playing. I just know what he’s up against and how much heart he’s putting into it, and that’s why.

Jashie P: Also with that same tour, there was a lot of word that Lucky Tubb was supposed to come out with you and a lot of speculation.

Hank III: He was never asked from anyone in my crew, or myself. If you’re going to speak for me, well, that’s what happens. You’ve gotta learn from your mistakes on that. I ask people to go on the road with me. I don’t be told who I’m bringing on the road with me.

Jashie P: You’ve had your past with Shooter Jennings. Have you had a chance to listen to his new album by chance?

Hank III: Naw man, I haven’t kept up with any of that really. My 8-10 year run of talking shit I’m sure is close to being over. He’s not as green as he was. It’s just one of those things man.

From The Real Deal:

Hank III: Something that I’m doing right now is I’m limiting myself on having to stay in smaller clubs. Nowadays if you want to book me, you don’t get my merch. Clubs taking band’s merch came into play about 10 years ago. They don’t deserve it. I don’t know how that fad started. But starting off on this next tour, if you want to book me, you’re not getting 20% of my merch. I’m not asking 20% of your bar. I sell some of them guys $30,000 in alcohol a night. It’s going to hurt me at first, because I’m gonna have to play smaller places, but its a new revolution we’re gonna try to start for the bands out there. The musicians are the ones that’s driving, paying their dues, and showing up at the club. They don’t deserve that merch money man. So people can look at some of the new clubs we’re playing and keep that in mind.

Big G: Ever since the first time I heard you I thought “this is so cool.” And I’m so glad that you’re doing . . .like Frank Sinatra, doing it your way.

Hank III: There’s a lot of rumors of people think I’m gonna stop doing the country records. That ain’t true. It’s just the last record with Curb. It’s a brand new beginning. I ain’t hanging nothing up. We’ve got a long ways to go.

Big G: We’re you affected personally (by the Nashville flooding)?

Hank III: I always rent on a hill. I’ve just always done that. We had about 250 buckets of water I had to get out of my basement, but that was nothing compared to what happened. I prepared the room downstairs because I knew it was coming. We were fine. Everybody in my crew made it through all right.

On our website here in about 2 or 4 weeks we’re going to have a T Shirt for sale, and were going to be donating all the money from that T Shirt to some charities around town, helping out the people that got hurt real bad. That’s something that some of the fans can look for.