The photographer snaps his final picture and almost immediately the unassuming Seattle quintet the Blood Brothers have lined-up single file to shake his hand. It is nearly impossible to believe that these five modest fellows are the masterminds behind some of the most abrasive and frantic avante-hardcore, and nightmarish musical characters in recent memory.

On stage, it is apparent that these guys are teeming with sinister visions, and that they are unwilling to rest until their audience is frothing and resonating with anger at a world driven by abuses like fame and fortune, or until this smoky club is littered with sweaty bodies. Ballistic and sassy dueling vocals narrowly avoid collision, while bruising rhythms and tweaked, spiky guitar work twist and drive the exuberant stage show. Brothers and sisters, The Blood Brothers have started a revolution, and it is a dichotomy of rabid, primal energy and progressive, post-modern concepts..did I mention you can dance to it?

Singer Jordan Blile took a few minutes to talk with Bettawreckonize about modern music and media, contentions that the band has "married to the vultures" by teaming with Ross Robinson and ARTISTdirect Records, their upcoming full-length, and the fans who embraced and eviscerated them.

Interview conducted in person by Tim Anderl. Photographs by Jason Laveris and Anne Anderl.

Name: Jordan Blile (vocals)
Band: The Blood Brothers

Bettawreckonize: Can we put an end to speculation about how signing to a major label (IAM/Artist Direct) will affect the Blood Brothers. How did this come about? What was Ross Robinson's role in all of this?

Jordan: We just got an e-mail in our Hotmail account and it was from Ross' manager saying that he'd heard us. A friend gave him a CD of ours and he was interested in working with us, or at least meeting with us and talking to us. I gave him a call and we talked a few times, and I felt him out. We were very skeptical about the whole thing because he has an ugly track record. I think that after talking to him we decided that his heart was in the right place and he had nothing but the best intentions for us.
So he came to a couple of our shows in Seattle and LA and after talking some more we decided that we wanted to work with him. He brought us to Artist Direct and they assured us that we'd be able to continue doing everything that we'd been doing prior. They were filling to give us complete freedom and really let us do whatever we wanted. They aren't going to tell us to create more of "X" kind of song, or to cut out parts or to censor ourselves, and that has been our experience with them thus far.
We just finished our latest record and we think it is just as crazy as the last record, and just as fucked up lyrically and musically. We will pick ever song that goes on the record. Ross had suggestions about where he wanted things to go, but we were always given the opportunity to accept or reject them. A lot of his suggestion were good, a lot were bad, but we didn't feel any pressure to accept them.
We are very satisfied with the way things turned out and are very happy with the position that we are in right now.

BW: Is that kind of relationship, where the producer is making suggestion, pretty standard? What was Robinson's role in this? Did he just record it, was he the producer…

J: He was definitely the producer. He had a certain sound….I mean, not musically a certain sound, but he wanted a certain sound from some of the instruments. Like with the drums, he wanted us to get the best drum sound we could possibly get. This time around we had the budget and the time to get to do whatever we wanted. We had time to really play around with ideas. It wasn't like they threw us in the studio, he'd turn some knobs, and let us go free, there was a certain amount of structure. But, the atmosphere was still very loose and open to whatever we wanted to do. With that we were open to his suggestions. He would maybe offer up something that the five of us together had never thought of. We'd either tell him that the idea was stupid, or say, "Yeah, let's try that and see if it works."

BW: How long did you spend recording the next album?

J: Two months.

BW: How long did you spend recording This Adultery Is Ripe and March on Electric Children?

J: We recorded This Adultery Is Ripe in a weekend and we recorded March on Electric Children in a week. This was unlike anything we had done before. I had no idea how we were going to fill two months of time, but we were working every day for ten hours a day. It started out that we'd work six days and have a Saturday off, but towards the end we were working non-stop. At times it was tough and stressful because of the workload. Sometimes I'd be out the night before and didn't really feel like screaming for a few hours, but it was worth it. We are all super happy with how it turned out.

BW: Why do you guys write music?

J: I've been in a band now for so long that I can't even imagine doing anything else with my time. We are all reasonably creative people and there is a certain drive for us to express ourselves and get our ideas across.
Music seems like such an appropriate way to share something with people. You create something with four of your best friends and present it to people and maybe they get something out of it that you hadn't intended or anticipated.
Every time we play Seattle or every time we go on tour we learn something new or experience something new. It is one of the most incredible things someone can do. I really can't imagine what I would do without the band.

BW: Most of you guys started writing music pretty early….

J: Yes.

BW: So you had all been in bands before The Blood Brothers?

J: I started playing music with Johnny, our other singer, and Mark, our drummer, and some other people who have gone on to be in other bands, when I was 15. The Blood Brothers started when I was 16. Cody was 15. I was a junior in high school and Cody was a sophomore. We did our first tour right after Cody graduated from high school. I think it will be five years that we've been doing this in August.

BW: You been putting out records pretty frequently, with more towards the end of the five years, and have been pretty proactive about recording music. How long into the band did you first start recording music?

J: We started in 1997 and our first seven inch was out in 1998. It was pretty quick. All of our early stuff is pretty embarrassing to us right now, but I still look back at that time and look back on it as a very fun and valuable time in my life and the life of the band. It is interesting to see how things have progressed from a $200 recording in a basement when we were still in high school and my voice hadn't changed yet to what we are doing now.

BW: How would you say that March On Electric Children, or even the new record, differs lyrically from This Adultery Is Ripe? March On Electric Children is very different from any other record out there right now. There are just such strong characters in those. I'd really like to know what the themes of those records are.

J: Johnny does a lot more of the writing than I do. But, March On Electric Children as compared to This Adultery Is Ripe….March On Electric Children was a more focused effort on both of our parts to create a storyline and a short story that had themes and characters that repeated throughout the entire record and give it a very specific feel. Basically what we had in mind was that we wanted to focus on what happens when a person lives a life devoid of any real meaning. These are people that lead a very empty superficial existence where motives are completely selfish and empty, and what happens as a result of that choice. It is about what influences someone to become that way and what happens to them when they make that choice.

BW: It seems like within the record that there are a lot of villain characters and not a lot of good guy characters….

J: No.

BW: ….but, there are a lot of victims in the record….

J: Yeah.

BW: Do you believe that there are good guy characters in real life? Will there ever be a hero or good guy in a Blood Brothers song?

J: We tend to focus on the bleak aspects of life. Take Mr. Electric Ocean. That was a character that Johnny created that was the personification of the media and exploitation and superficiality. That is the person that influences the protagonist during the entire record. The Skin Army is a representation of our culture as completely superficial and concerned with the exterior, skin, and what is on the outside.
I don't know. I don't believe that the entire world is completely terrible. I meet amazing people every day, we are on tour with amazing people now, we all have an amazing support system in our friends and each other. We will leave sing about that stuff to other bands. Look at pop radio, it is all puppy dogs and ice cream cones. Someone has to point out what is going wrong with the world.

BW: Does it seem weird to be a band in the punk rock genre, where right now everything is sort of a gray area?

J: I don't even know what punk rock is anymore. If Blink-182 is a punk rock band then I don't even know what punk rock is.

BW: Right. You hear so many bands, even within on record label, every single band will sound different and it just seems like punk rock is such a gray area now. It seems like the punk rock culture is driven by media, who's in what magazines, what records you are buying, and it is also driven by aesthetics. Do you think today's punk rock might be a microcosm of the world you've created on your record?

J: That hasn't really occurred to me. When you come from an environment that considers itself a sub-culture, or considers itself against everything that is wrong with society….do you know what I mean? When you open up a Heartattack zine or whatever and they are preaching about this and that, and you compare that to MTV where they are preaching about whatever, when you really examine it, one is just as fickle or self-righteous as the other. To me it just gets so muddled that I don't even want to think about it. I'd rather just play music and focus on being happy for my own sake. I'm very disappointed in many ways with that….I don't even know where I'm going with this…

BW: There's no use harping on it. What is with all the drug imagery in the songs? Is that something that goes along with the themes of the record as something that drives and motivates the "evil" in the world. What is your take on that?

J: I'm not going to preach to anyone that they should stay in school or not do drugs because I've done neither. But, if your whole existence depends on getting wasted, you are leading a pretty empty life. That doesn't mean that I can't see the value in having a good time for good times sake. I enjoy getting plastered every once in a while or smoking a bowl. God, that is going to sound so retarded. I want that to be bolded in the article (laughter). I think there is a big difference between substance abuse and recreational use of alcohol and drugs.

BW: Do you think that is where the Blood Brothers O.D.ed in L.A. rumor came from?

J: I really have no idea where that rumor came from. I really liked that rumor a whole lot more than some of the other ones that I've heard.

BW: What is the worst one that you've heard?

J: I'm trying to think of our message board. I think they are all pretty much on the same level of everyone thinking they know what's best for how we live our lives. Everyone seems to think, "Here I am. I'm in eighth grade. I'm in my parents' house, on their computer and fuck the Blood Brothers. They aren't living the life that I think they should live."
I've also heard that we've signed to about every major label that I can think of like Arista, Virgin, Warner Brothers, Atlantic. That is always kind of amusing. I'm trying to think of some Ross related rumors that I've heard. There hasn't been anything too outrageous, nothing that would shock or amaze really. Just stupid shit. I wish there was something more outrageous.

BW: I'll start one that I came to interview you and you beat me up in my van?

J: You should say that I refused to do the interview on account that you weren't a major publication. If it's not Spin, I don't talk. (laughter)

BW: Probably the most diverse track on the last record is "American Vultures." You probably get asked a lot of questions about that one because it is totally different. There is just this stark difference. There is this deep south spiritual meets Rogers and Hammerstein musical theater thing going for it. Where did that come from?

J: We wanted to end our record on a weird, fucked up note and that just seemed to be the most logical way to do it. Doing something stripped down and so unlike anything we've ever done before was a good way to wrap up the storyline. If you read the lyrics, it is the conclusion to everything we spoke about in the previous nine songs on the album. I just thought that as far as where the characters went and ending something, we'll not me personally, but all of us agreed that it would be a good way to finish it off.

BW: Do you think anyone will adapt it to a musical play? In the record you say "Short story and music by The Blood Brothers" and it almost has as strong a storyline and characters as "Chess" or something like that?

J: I think it could be adapted if someone could figure out what we were talking about, but I don't think anyone cares about us enough to do it. A lot of people have been more baffled by the whole thing than anything else. My discussions with people have definitely been more explanatory than any sort of running dialogue about the characters. That isn't to say that we are above….I mean I don't want to come across as being like "We've written something so avante garde that it will take a literary genius to understand it." Our writing style is just so fucked up and imagery laden. It's just not as cohesive as you'd want a real storyline to go.

BW: Are comparisons between Drive Like Jehu, Antioch Arrow and the Crimson Curse warranted? Do you think that it is possible to write a song that is devoid of influence be music that you've listened to or heard? Or, is there anything that you guys have done that you don't think sounds like anyone else at all?

J: I can't think of any bands that sound anything like what we did on March On Electric Children. I mean it isn't completely revolutionary or without it's influences….I think when a band starts out, and they are like 15 or 16, they draw a lot from who they look up to or what they've grown up listening to. I think you can hear our influences a lot more in our first few releases, our first seven inches. I think there comes a point when you've played together for long enough, you get very bored with rehashing anything that you've done before. I think that we've come to the point now where we are pretty unique to ourselves. I can't think of many bands who sound like us.
But, I have no problem saying that we are influenced by Drive Like Jehu. Cody first heard them when he was in sixth or seventh grade and they've influenced his guitar style. Antioch Arrow, I resent that one a little bit simply because none of us own any Antioch Arrow records. I couldn't tell you one Antioch Arrow song. That one seems to be a little more mean-spirited than anything else. Whenever someone compares us to Antioch Arrow….

BW: They are saying you are just doing what Antioch Arrow did?

J: Yeah. I've heard them, but I just don't think we sound anything like them. I was influenced by Angel Hair and VSS, but the only thing I listen to now is like classic rock. You aren't going to hear any Neil Young influences in our songs. I think we just draw off each other more than what we listen to because what we listen to now sounds nothing like the music that we play.

BW: Do you guys have plans to stay in Seattle?

J: The long I live there, the less I think it has offer me. Seattle is a very small city as far as major cities go. All of my friends are moving away this year. We are very lucky to have gotten the response that we have from the people in Seattle, and we are very greatful for that. As far as continuing to live there, I'm sure we will all still stick around there. I would really like to live in L.A. and I know Morgan and Cody would like to move to New York. I don't know if you could get us to move anywhere together, collectively as a band, though. There are just too many places that we'd like to end up individually.

BW: Do you think the Blood Brothers would work if you lived in different cities? I think Pleasure Forever lived in different cities for a while.

J: They just moved to Portland I think. I think Josh is living in Portland.

BW: Would living in different cities work for you guys?

J: Seeing as we are on this whirlwind schedule of taking four or five months to write a record, recording it for a few months and touring, I could see everyone living in separate cities and coming together to write a record and tour and maybe doing our own thing for a month or two.
We are so different. We love each other and there is no one that I'd rather play music with, but honestly, we don't hang out together when we are at home. We just have very separate lives. And I think that has worked well for us so far because it allows us a little space and time to grow individually. I think you get what I'm saying.

BW: So you appreciate each other a whole lot more when you are on the road together again?

J: Despite missing girlfriends or friends, I think touring is one of the best things that we do together because we get to play shows every night, meet new people every day, hang out together and eat at the same place and sleep in the same room. It can get taxing at times but it has been a whole lot better now that we finally have a van with air conditioning. The air conditioning is really what has kept us together. We can tolerate each other again.

BW: Are you guys full-time musicians now?

J: Yes.

BW: What are your plans for the next six months? When will the newest record come out and what happens after that?

J: The record comes out in January. We are going to do a couple U.S. tours between now and when the record comes out and when the record comes out we will do more U.S. touring, a Europe tour and hopefully Japan. I'd really like to go to Europe. I've never been before. I hadn't ever even been around the U.S. before we did our first tour. I think it is the most amazing way to travel. You get to do what you love doing.

BW: I just remembered another rumor that I heard. Are you guys going to be touring with System of A Down? Is there any truth to that?

J: It was an idea that our label had. I think they are still kind of baffled, and we are too, about who we are supposed to be touring with if they want us to get bigger or whatever. It's like we aren't going to tour with fucking Slipknot, or Korn, or Limp Bizcuit or whatever. So they label was like, "System of a Down is pretty fucked up, and they are doing something pretty original, why don't you go on tour with them."

BW: Were you guys into that?

J: I think we all just kind of laughed at it to tell you the truth. I do give them credit for sounding a bit different than everything else that is out there, but it is a little to goofy for my taste. I mean "Chop Suey?" Come on man…

BW: You guys could grow some sweet facial hair while you are out with those guys though?

J: I can't grow facial hair, but if I could maybe I would. Cody could learn the mysterious, scary stage presence where you roll your eyes back in your head and have your guitar vertical.

BW: Their guitar player is the scariest guy I've seen in my life.

J: I think he looks so contrived though. He wears a hockey jersey.

BW: It is enough to give me nightmares though….on a couple of levels. What is the strangest thing that has happened to you on or off stage?

J: This isn't really weird, but one of the nicest things that has ever happened to us was when we were playing four or five shows with Rye Coalition from Seattle to L.A. and they continued with their tour and we stopped there to record. When we played San Francisco this girl named Yolonda brought us cake that she had made earlier that day. That was really nice and was something that had never happened before.
I'm still shocked that we get free beer every night. What is weird….one time we played a Halloween show and this kid pulled me aside and said, "I came as you." It was really sweet.

BW: Who are the bands that you've been out with?

J: We played five or six shows with the Lack last summer. That was great becausewe'd never heard them or heard of them before. We had a great time. Pretty Girls Make Graves are great. We've known them for a while and have been out with them before. True North. I hadn't heard them before, I had just heard that they were the new Palatka/Asshole Parade band. In the summer of 2000 we met them in Pittsburg and played one of the worst shows we've ever played. We played to them basically. We did a week with them down the East Coast and they were mind blowing as far as people and the spirit behind their music. They booked that whole thing so last summer we booked the whole West Coast for us to go down. It was us and them and Red Light Sting from Vancouver. They are like family almost. They are just great people. Who else? I had fun doing the tour with Orchid and Red Scare. They were cool. It was our first U.S. tour and I felt like we were stepping up from the little league. We were out with bands that had toured the country three times and that made us feel a little bit out of our element, but that was still cool. Song of Zarathrustra are great people. We haven't toured with The Faint, but we've done several shows with them and they've always been really nice to us.

BW: You guys were with them the last time you were here (Columbus, Ohio).

J: Yeah, and what a response we got.

BW: I didn't understand that at all. Are there parts of the country that just don't get you guys at all?

J: I don't know what Columbus is like, but there are just parts of the country were kids that go to shows don't really dance or go crazy. I guess it is just the nature of the city. I don't know….I guess I would rather go on believing that than that the kids just wouldn't dance to us. It baffles me how you could get 200 people, pack them into a room, they are obviously there to see your band, but they just stand there with their arms crossed. It is like when are you going to loosen up and just live life? I leave shows where we get a response like that so bummed out. It just bums me out, but I guess there is only so much complaining you can do when you just get to play shows all the time and just hang out.