Whitfield Crane - Ugly Kid Joe
Questions: Karen Lowe
California’s Ugly Kid Joe formed in 1990 and quickly gained the public’s attention with their debut single Everything About You from the As Ugly as They Wanna Be EP. More hits followed then they disbanded in 1997. 2010 saw the band reform, with more touring and releases to follow. You may know Whitfield Crane as that guy on the beach that hates everything but what you may not know is that Ugly Kid Joe will be bringing America's Least Wanted down under to celebrate its 25th Anniversary.
Caught in the Mosh spoke to Crane about the tour, what's next for Ugly Kid Joe and another of his ventures, Mass Mental.
First up, you guys are bringing America's Least Wanted 25th Anniversary tour down under in December. Are you excited to be touring the album for the first time? And what made you decide to start the tour in Australia?
Well yes, we're excited to do that. It's such a weird thing that it's twenty-five years since we made it, you know? When we first made that record and toured around the world we were kids, so what a great experience. To have all of us still on the earth and still love each other and be able to go do that again... And one of the cool things about it is we're not chasing anything, we're not trying to prove anything at all. It just feels natural and good.
It's a celebration of the 25th anniversary of the release of the record. The reason that I would pick - I've been spending a lot of time in Australia and I love Australia, I consider it my second home.
Ugly Kid Joe was last here with Skid Row in 2014. What are some of your favourite memories from that tour?
I really liked playing... Well, it's kind of two-tiered. We played... I forgot which part of the tour it was, but we played The Palace Theatre in Melbourne and it was a really, really beautiful room, like one of my favourite rooms I have played and I said that after the show and someone that knew what was going on said, 'oh, you guys will be the last rock band to play here', because they tore it down to make apartment buildings or whatever. So I don't know if it's my favourite memory but I felt really honoured. I think we all did that we were able to play in the room and be the last rock band. I don't know if it's my favourite, but we felt honoured to do that.
When Ugly Kid Joe first reformed in 2010, did you think that it would be as well received as it was?
No, I didn't. I've gotta say that I think I was apprehensive and probably scared about that, you know, because it had been a long time. It had been over fifteen years and... Of course. it was fun to make music with the guys again but you know, would anybody go to the shows? Does anybody care? It had been a long time. So yeah, we were pleasantly surprised.
We've been touring since 2012 because our first gig was 6th June 2012 in London at a club called The Underworld and we were like 'oh shit, it's on!'. So we've been able to tour since then, you know, big shows, small shows, festival shows – all around the world. That doesn't always work, I've got plenty of my friends' bands that it just doesn't work, so I think we have a lot to be grateful for, but if anything, I was scared. I'm really stoked that it's working.
A lot of bands from the 90s are doing reunion tours these days. Why do you think there is still so much love for the 90s?
I don't know the answer. I would think objectively, with music or the 90's or anything, everything is singular, so like – a remake of a movie. I just went and saw IT. The reason you can make IT again is because there's a whole brand new generation of kids that are like, 'I wanna go see IT ', because they weren't around for the first IT.
So, you know that rock 'n' roll spirit, that Chuck Berry swing, that Little Richard... hat pulsating thing. Chuck Berry and Little Richard, they're never gonna die.
Rock 'n' Roll is always just an extension of those two guys, so you know, that spirit of rock 'n' roll – and as they say, you know, rock 'n' roll will never die – sometimes it fades away a little bit but then it pops right back. So, I don't know the answer to the question but I feel like there's always a new generation that's like 'I like these sounds' it touched me, so why wouldn't it touch somebody else? I don't know the answer.
You would have seen a lot of changes within the music industry. What are the worst changes? And how has it changed for the better?
The main thing is that it's just changing, everything is changing. It's always gonna change. I believe personally that it's important to pick change before it picks you. In this case, change picked the artist, which is frustrating.
If you look at it from a commerce standpoint... If you're working at a restaurant as a bartender or you're building a house, you would hope that you get paid so that you could buy a sandwich and pay your rent. As an artist who is making songs, making music, no one's ever gonna buy your songs again because it'll just get stolen off the computer. So on that side of the coin, it's hard to be an artist. That kind of change is hard because it's harder to subsidise your life through music.
The other side of it which is kinda cool, it's the same action. It’s that music can get anywhere it wants to now. You and I could go make a band tonight, in your kitchen if you know how to use a studio and somebody in Istanbul, Turkey could love the song we made. Music is free; it's escaped the machine; it's not tethered any more. That's great in its own sense but I don't know if it's good or bad, it's just duality. It is what it is.
You would have seen a lot of crazy things happening on tour. What are some of the crazier things that you have seen? Or indeed, done?
I don't know, that's a loaded question. I'll just let you use your imagination! (laughs)
If you could collaborate with anyone in the music world, who would you want to work with? Whether in the rock genre or something completely random?
I'd love to sing with Kate Bush. I'd love to sing with Ozzy Osbourne. I'd love to be in AC/DC but I would love to sing the Bon Scott songs.
You are also in another band, Mass Mental that also reformed in 2014. What's happening with that? Will we be seeing new music soon or even a tour at some stage?
Mass Mental is like a collective. It has Armand Sabal-Lecco, he plays with guys like Seal, Paul Simon and Sting. He plays a tenor bass. It has Robert Trujillo in it, he plays with a band called Metallica. It has kaleidoscopic drummers, like the best drummers in the world. It has Benji Webbe from Skindred. It has me. Sometimes there'll be a guitar player in it. They keep me around because the music's so evolved that it's past my skill set – but they like me around so they'll play Black Sabbath songs. So usually Mass Mental is purely a bass band. It has Robert, you know, rocking it down Venice Beach style. It has Armand playing a tenor bass, Cameroon, Africa style. It's insane! Armand is the closest thing I'll be next to... He's the closest thing to Jimi Hendrix I'll ever be near. He's a fuckin'... He's brilliant. He's a brilliant philosopher and a brilliant, brilliant player, a really special person.
So that band exists when everybody's not doing their day jobs. It's a labour of love – we did a song... Robert did a... He really put five years into this movie about his hero, Jaco Pastorius. That got finished, it's a top film. If any of your listeners are interested in Jaco, you should go check that out, it's pretty cool.
We tracked a song called Come On, Come Over which is a song Jaco played on back in the day and there I was. It's me and Benji singing going back and forth. It's got Armand on it, it's got Robert on it, it's got Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers on it and you can listen to it on the computer. So you'd put like Jaco – what would you put? I guess you'd put Mass Mental Come On, Come Over Album Version and you can hear it and it's really – it has the drummer from Jane's Addiction. It's pretty cool.
Caught in the Mosh spoke to Crane about the tour, what's next for Ugly Kid Joe and another of his ventures, Mass Mental.
First up, you guys are bringing America's Least Wanted 25th Anniversary tour down under in December. Are you excited to be touring the album for the first time? And what made you decide to start the tour in Australia?
Well yes, we're excited to do that. It's such a weird thing that it's twenty-five years since we made it, you know? When we first made that record and toured around the world we were kids, so what a great experience. To have all of us still on the earth and still love each other and be able to go do that again... And one of the cool things about it is we're not chasing anything, we're not trying to prove anything at all. It just feels natural and good.
It's a celebration of the 25th anniversary of the release of the record. The reason that I would pick - I've been spending a lot of time in Australia and I love Australia, I consider it my second home.
Ugly Kid Joe was last here with Skid Row in 2014. What are some of your favourite memories from that tour?
I really liked playing... Well, it's kind of two-tiered. We played... I forgot which part of the tour it was, but we played The Palace Theatre in Melbourne and it was a really, really beautiful room, like one of my favourite rooms I have played and I said that after the show and someone that knew what was going on said, 'oh, you guys will be the last rock band to play here', because they tore it down to make apartment buildings or whatever. So I don't know if it's my favourite memory but I felt really honoured. I think we all did that we were able to play in the room and be the last rock band. I don't know if it's my favourite, but we felt honoured to do that.
When Ugly Kid Joe first reformed in 2010, did you think that it would be as well received as it was?
No, I didn't. I've gotta say that I think I was apprehensive and probably scared about that, you know, because it had been a long time. It had been over fifteen years and... Of course. it was fun to make music with the guys again but you know, would anybody go to the shows? Does anybody care? It had been a long time. So yeah, we were pleasantly surprised.
We've been touring since 2012 because our first gig was 6th June 2012 in London at a club called The Underworld and we were like 'oh shit, it's on!'. So we've been able to tour since then, you know, big shows, small shows, festival shows – all around the world. That doesn't always work, I've got plenty of my friends' bands that it just doesn't work, so I think we have a lot to be grateful for, but if anything, I was scared. I'm really stoked that it's working.
A lot of bands from the 90s are doing reunion tours these days. Why do you think there is still so much love for the 90s?
I don't know the answer. I would think objectively, with music or the 90's or anything, everything is singular, so like – a remake of a movie. I just went and saw IT. The reason you can make IT again is because there's a whole brand new generation of kids that are like, 'I wanna go see IT ', because they weren't around for the first IT.
So, you know that rock 'n' roll spirit, that Chuck Berry swing, that Little Richard... hat pulsating thing. Chuck Berry and Little Richard, they're never gonna die.
Rock 'n' Roll is always just an extension of those two guys, so you know, that spirit of rock 'n' roll – and as they say, you know, rock 'n' roll will never die – sometimes it fades away a little bit but then it pops right back. So, I don't know the answer to the question but I feel like there's always a new generation that's like 'I like these sounds' it touched me, so why wouldn't it touch somebody else? I don't know the answer.
You would have seen a lot of changes within the music industry. What are the worst changes? And how has it changed for the better?
The main thing is that it's just changing, everything is changing. It's always gonna change. I believe personally that it's important to pick change before it picks you. In this case, change picked the artist, which is frustrating.
If you look at it from a commerce standpoint... If you're working at a restaurant as a bartender or you're building a house, you would hope that you get paid so that you could buy a sandwich and pay your rent. As an artist who is making songs, making music, no one's ever gonna buy your songs again because it'll just get stolen off the computer. So on that side of the coin, it's hard to be an artist. That kind of change is hard because it's harder to subsidise your life through music.
The other side of it which is kinda cool, it's the same action. It’s that music can get anywhere it wants to now. You and I could go make a band tonight, in your kitchen if you know how to use a studio and somebody in Istanbul, Turkey could love the song we made. Music is free; it's escaped the machine; it's not tethered any more. That's great in its own sense but I don't know if it's good or bad, it's just duality. It is what it is.
You would have seen a lot of crazy things happening on tour. What are some of the crazier things that you have seen? Or indeed, done?
I don't know, that's a loaded question. I'll just let you use your imagination! (laughs)
If you could collaborate with anyone in the music world, who would you want to work with? Whether in the rock genre or something completely random?
I'd love to sing with Kate Bush. I'd love to sing with Ozzy Osbourne. I'd love to be in AC/DC but I would love to sing the Bon Scott songs.
You are also in another band, Mass Mental that also reformed in 2014. What's happening with that? Will we be seeing new music soon or even a tour at some stage?
Mass Mental is like a collective. It has Armand Sabal-Lecco, he plays with guys like Seal, Paul Simon and Sting. He plays a tenor bass. It has Robert Trujillo in it, he plays with a band called Metallica. It has kaleidoscopic drummers, like the best drummers in the world. It has Benji Webbe from Skindred. It has me. Sometimes there'll be a guitar player in it. They keep me around because the music's so evolved that it's past my skill set – but they like me around so they'll play Black Sabbath songs. So usually Mass Mental is purely a bass band. It has Robert, you know, rocking it down Venice Beach style. It has Armand playing a tenor bass, Cameroon, Africa style. It's insane! Armand is the closest thing I'll be next to... He's the closest thing to Jimi Hendrix I'll ever be near. He's a fuckin'... He's brilliant. He's a brilliant philosopher and a brilliant, brilliant player, a really special person.
So that band exists when everybody's not doing their day jobs. It's a labour of love – we did a song... Robert did a... He really put five years into this movie about his hero, Jaco Pastorius. That got finished, it's a top film. If any of your listeners are interested in Jaco, you should go check that out, it's pretty cool.
We tracked a song called Come On, Come Over which is a song Jaco played on back in the day and there I was. It's me and Benji singing going back and forth. It's got Armand on it, it's got Robert on it, it's got Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers on it and you can listen to it on the computer. So you'd put like Jaco – what would you put? I guess you'd put Mass Mental Come On, Come Over Album Version and you can hear it and it's really – it has the drummer from Jane's Addiction. It's pretty cool.
Do you go out and actively seek out new music? And is there any genre that you just can't get into?
I kind of let music come over me. When I was a kid, I was really judgemental and only liked Black Sabbath and Priest – that was it. I'm only gonna listen to that. fuck everything. That's what like, between the ages of 14 and 22 you're like that.
Now I'm totally wide open. I love Al Green, Otis Reading and Eek A Mouse (the great reggae superstar). I'll go out and I'll listen to stuff I like or stuff that other people like. People I like or love usually have great taste in music so I'm like 'what's this?' or 'show me that?' and now I am way more open.
As for music that I can't stand, it's electronica. I don't get it. I've tried to get it like rave music – I don't understand it. I'm not against it and I would love to get it. I've tried to get it and I've tried to dance with my glow stick but I just can't get it. It's impossible. For me.
What have been some of your biggest challenges? And how did you overcome them?
I guess, challenges huh? That's a deep question. I guess in music it's just keep on keeping on. There's many years there... And I believe that I have the skill set to do but there was no outlet for it. That was challenging but to keep optimistic; to keep positive, keep patient and to take the hit and feel the sting of not having an outlet for your craft. Well that's a tough gig for anyone. That was tough but somehow it's had a miraculous renaissance so that's worked out for me.
If you had your time over, is there anything that you would do different?
(laughs) That's a loaded question too because the answer's no because it will never happen so no.
What's next for Ugly Kid Joe? Are you guys writing/recording?
We'll do this tour in Australia starting 3rd December in Sydney and ending in Melbourne on the 9th December. We have Dallas Frasca with us and Tim McMillan and then the tour will end and I'm sure we will spend some time in Australia after that.
Then we will bring this circus to Europe in April but we're always writing. Always writing. We will go into the studio whenever the time is right. The bass player is a big time producer so he's a busy guy. He'll say 'hey man, I have this much time, can everybody do that?' Everybody has their lives. People have wives and kids and all that shit.
I pretty much have a backpack and I float around the earth so I can go any day. So as they say, I guess, when the stars align, for sure we will do it. 100%.
What was the best advice that you were given when you first started out? And what advice would you give to someone who was starting out now?
Be yourself.
It's important to try on a bunch of different hats because what do you know? Any form of confidence is so attractive that you want to mirror that and I get that but in the end, you'll go 'I'm inspired by this or that or these sounds; this taste' and you put a little part of yourself in there and then that's you.
Have you encountered any crazy or strange fans over your time?
Yes but no stories that I could share. (laughs) Some crazy shit for sure.
Anything else that you would like to add?
Just that we are really excited to come to Australia. I guess it's our favourite place in the world to play. It'll be a kick arse rock n roll show. Dallas Frasca, Tim Mcmillan; Ugly Kid Joe. In full effect.
I kind of let music come over me. When I was a kid, I was really judgemental and only liked Black Sabbath and Priest – that was it. I'm only gonna listen to that. fuck everything. That's what like, between the ages of 14 and 22 you're like that.
Now I'm totally wide open. I love Al Green, Otis Reading and Eek A Mouse (the great reggae superstar). I'll go out and I'll listen to stuff I like or stuff that other people like. People I like or love usually have great taste in music so I'm like 'what's this?' or 'show me that?' and now I am way more open.
As for music that I can't stand, it's electronica. I don't get it. I've tried to get it like rave music – I don't understand it. I'm not against it and I would love to get it. I've tried to get it and I've tried to dance with my glow stick but I just can't get it. It's impossible. For me.
What have been some of your biggest challenges? And how did you overcome them?
I guess, challenges huh? That's a deep question. I guess in music it's just keep on keeping on. There's many years there... And I believe that I have the skill set to do but there was no outlet for it. That was challenging but to keep optimistic; to keep positive, keep patient and to take the hit and feel the sting of not having an outlet for your craft. Well that's a tough gig for anyone. That was tough but somehow it's had a miraculous renaissance so that's worked out for me.
If you had your time over, is there anything that you would do different?
(laughs) That's a loaded question too because the answer's no because it will never happen so no.
What's next for Ugly Kid Joe? Are you guys writing/recording?
We'll do this tour in Australia starting 3rd December in Sydney and ending in Melbourne on the 9th December. We have Dallas Frasca with us and Tim McMillan and then the tour will end and I'm sure we will spend some time in Australia after that.
Then we will bring this circus to Europe in April but we're always writing. Always writing. We will go into the studio whenever the time is right. The bass player is a big time producer so he's a busy guy. He'll say 'hey man, I have this much time, can everybody do that?' Everybody has their lives. People have wives and kids and all that shit.
I pretty much have a backpack and I float around the earth so I can go any day. So as they say, I guess, when the stars align, for sure we will do it. 100%.
What was the best advice that you were given when you first started out? And what advice would you give to someone who was starting out now?
Be yourself.
It's important to try on a bunch of different hats because what do you know? Any form of confidence is so attractive that you want to mirror that and I get that but in the end, you'll go 'I'm inspired by this or that or these sounds; this taste' and you put a little part of yourself in there and then that's you.
Have you encountered any crazy or strange fans over your time?
Yes but no stories that I could share. (laughs) Some crazy shit for sure.
Anything else that you would like to add?
Just that we are really excited to come to Australia. I guess it's our favourite place in the world to play. It'll be a kick arse rock n roll show. Dallas Frasca, Tim Mcmillan; Ugly Kid Joe. In full effect.
America's Least Wanted tour tickets on sale now
Sun 3rd Dec - Sydney, Manning Bar - tickets from Oztix
Monday 4th Dec - Brisbane, The Zoo - tickets from Oztix
Wednesday 6th Dec - Perth, Capitol - tickets from Oztix
Thu 7th Dec - Adelaide, Fowlers - tickets from Oztix
Sat 9th Dec - Melbourne, Croxton Bandroom - tickets from Oztix
Sun 3rd Dec - Sydney, Manning Bar - tickets from Oztix
Monday 4th Dec - Brisbane, The Zoo - tickets from Oztix
Wednesday 6th Dec - Perth, Capitol - tickets from Oztix
Thu 7th Dec - Adelaide, Fowlers - tickets from Oztix
Sat 9th Dec - Melbourne, Croxton Bandroom - tickets from Oztix
