Saliva Interview

Salivab3.jpg (17776 bytes) VOX: Let's start with the origins of Saliva…

Josey Scott: We were in different bands here in town, and we had always wanted to play together. Chris and I had played together for a while, but we hadn't had the opportunity to play with the other guys. Then the opportunity presented itself when the other bands broke up. [Guitarist] Wayne [Swinny] and I got the same room and jammed and knew it was special.

VOX: What was the music scene like for you guys growing up?

JS: Obviously, in Memphis you get lots of Country and Gospel artists. It's easy to get pigeonholed here - you can fall in line with what's here or you can try and do your own thing. I was in the church choir, too, but decided that I wanted to do something different.

VOX: Where do you see rock music heading?

JS: It's a real roller coaster. It's on its way back up now. After grunge died in '96 and '97, the media had pretty much pronounced rock dead. It's on the rebound now, though.

Salivab4.jpg (20837 bytes) VOX: Where does your musical inspiration come from?

JS: I'm like a sponge - I absorb whatever is out there. I've listened to A Perfect Circle a lot, and Staind, too. Any music with integrity - if it's beautiful and artistic, deep and well thought out, which is pretty much everything…country, pop, hard rock…whatever.

VOX: With Every Six Seconds, was there something you guys were after, specifically?

JS: No, not really. We wanted to capture our sound, what we do. We're not a rock/rap band - we're a good southern rock and roll band, I think. We're melodic with a hip-hop side, with rap used for spice.

VOX: What is the next step for Saliva?

JS: We'll be touring here at the beginning of 2001, supporting someone, possibly Staind or Godsmack. We'll have the video out there soon for "Your Disease." David Meyer worked with us on it. He's such a great guy, so laid back. He's not like the rest of the music industry - he's an artist and he heavily influenced us on how to make a video.

VOX: What can we expect from the Saliva live show?

JS: Their money's worth. It's our secret weapon, man. We want to give fans their due. I'm so tired of bands who half-ass it. I want people to come away saying "Damn! That was worth my $7.00!" Or $15 or $20 or whatever. I remember going to see Alice In Chains and Layne would be so fucked up, and it would really bum me out, especially since I loved their music. I want to give them a live show that sounds a lot like the record as well. I hate going to shows and the band plays some way-out version of their hits, when what you want is a really good rockin' version of what's on the album! With Saliva, that's what they'll get.