Since forming in 1996, Canadian band Sum 41 have earned themselves a dominant role in the punk rock industry. But as drummer Steve Jocz tells Ashleigh Gray, they’re not as punk as they seem.
So what’s it like to be playing with Pennywise and The Vandals? Have those been a major influence on Sum 41?
Well yeah, originally we grew up listening to them. And then we met them on tour in 2001. It’s cool, you know. I mean it’s going to be fun to just hang out again, really. We get along really well and they’re good friends so it’s going to be fun.
Do you remember what your very first gig as Sum 41 was like?
I don’t really remember. I mean, it was a long time ago. It was probably in somebody’s basement. That’s how most of our shows were; guys in bands did shows in their basement and their friends would come. That’s sort of where it all started. I mean, where we grew up there wasn’t really anywhere to play, so we’d just play there.
How do you think your sound has progressed over the years?
It’s changed a bit. Originally it was just pretty much us trying to emulate NOFX, kind of, in the beginning and then as time went on it sort of developed. I mean, now we like trying all sorts of stuff, you know, all kinds of different music. I dunno, I think as time goes on we’re getting better at what we do.
You guys were part of the Punk’s Not Dead documentary of 2007. Have you seen the finished product? Are you happy with how you were portrayed?
Ah, I haven’t seen it [yet] so I don’t know how we were portrayed.
Was it a good experience for you guys to be on that documentary with other well known punk bands?
Yeah I guess. I mean we don’t really think of ourselves as a punk band to be honest…or ourselves as ‘punk’ (laughs). We kind of get classified as that but, I mean, when I think of myself I don’t think I’m “a punk”, you know! (laughs). Our whole opinion, I think, of punk music or of the punk culture is, we don’t really have one. I mean I couldn’t tell you if it was dead or not. I don’t know if it isn’t, just that it was. That’s kind of what we were saying in that documentary. But it is fun to do.
So you said you don’t actually classify yourself as punk. What would you classify Sum 41 as?
I think we’re probably most comfortable in the broadest sense of just a rock band. I can understand why people classify it as punk. When we say we’re not a punk band, I think the whole association with the culture and lifestyle and mentality is not necessarily something that we associate with ourselves. I guess the style of music is really influenced by a lot of punk rock music but not necessarily early punk rock stuff; it’s more the so-called punk rock from the 90s that, you know, is what we like. So that is like the foundation, and then we like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones and Elvis Costello and all this other stuff and we try to take influences from that also.
So as a band, do you feel your most recent album, Underclass Heroes, was a success? Did it turn out how you hoped it would?
Yeah, I mean it’s doing well and we’re happy with the way it turned out. It was fun to do in the studio and we enjoyed the making of it and everything. So, yeah it’s been good.
Is there a place/town on this tour that you’re particularly looking forward to playing in?
I like Luna Park. The venue looks good. And you know Melbourne’s always good. The last time we only played Melbourne and Sydney so it’ll be good to go other places. We’ve never been to Perth before; it’ll be interesting to go there. But you know anywhere’s fine for us!
The first Australian show’s sold out so that must be a good sign?
Yeah! Yeah it should be good.
Do you guys try to set an example for the younger fans/followers?
No! (laughs). Not really. But we are sort of advocates for just trying to do what you want to do. The message, I guess, that we try and get across is that people should just have fun.
If we can make somebody think a certain way and if it’s positive, you know, change their opinion and the way they look at life in a positive way, I guess that would be the best thing.
So what made you want to start playing? Was it a particular artist that influenced you?
Not really. I just sort of thought they were cool, you know, and started playing drums ‘cus I liked them not because I wanted to be like anybody else or anything. I guess once we started playing with real drummers and I became a professional musician (by accident!) I was sort of meeting real professional drummers. Like the drummer for The Vandals [is] f*cking rad and does it for a living. I mean those are the kind of guys you really learn from because they’re really, really good. So I think when I’m meeting guys like that or encountering guys like that is when I, you know, try and emulate how good they were and try to bring it over to what I do.
I know in a lot of bands the drummer doesn’t get much creative input in a band. Is that the case with you?
Not really. The song writing stuff is usually Derek although I’ll help lyrically sometimes, and I’ve written some songs. And I’ve directed a few of our videos and I do a lot of the interviews. A lot of the other media-type stuff [that] we do I do more, I guess, than the other guys. But everybody sort of has their own role.
Where do you see the band going in the future? Do you think you’ll be together for a few more years?
I dunno, I would like to think so. I mean as long as it’s fun and as long as we have fans, we’ll keep doing it I guess. Unless we get arthritis or something, which isn’t too far off! (laughs). We’ve had a good run and we’d like to keep it going. It’s definitely an interesting and fun life to live.
Are there any bands that you’ve seen coming up through your local scene that are really good that you’d consider ‘taking under your wing’?
Not by me. I think that’s something Cone, our bass player, is more interested in. I think he does stuff like that. I don’t really do that! (laughs). I think the last wing that a band would like to be under is mine, so I think I’ll do them a favour and just let them find some other wing! (laughs). My wing’s no good! (laughs).