Never Gonna Sell Out
Unwritten Law Have Always Stayed True to Fans

>> Scott Russo at The Palace in Hollywood. >>

Every fan loves to say, "Yeah, but I was into them back when…"  

We love to talk about the time we saw our favorite band a few years back, before there was a bandwagon to jump on.  Sometimes it's maddening when the band we've followed for so long is now popular and everyone thinks they're cool.  It's just not fair.  We were here first.

Case in point: Unwritten Law.   These guys are an institution in the San Diego punk scene and have had some of the most die-hard fans for years, but the moment they started to get some big-time notoriety, many of those fans flipped.  As soon as "Seeing Red" flew to, and stayed, at the top of the charts, those same die-hard fans couldn't believe what was going on with their favorite band.  The concept that Unwritten Law could be on TRL was enough to make their heads explode.

Many of those hardcore fans let their feelings be known on the Unwritten Law bulletin boards in no uncertain terms.   Was the band that had maintained the respect of their fans suddenly about to lose all their cred?  Had they, God forbid, sold out?

The answer to both questions is a resounding "No."

While UL are enjoying the taste of fame, it's obvious they have no interest in sacrificing those core fans for cash and they haven't lost touch with their punk roots.  They have the same burning intensity on stage they've always had and their music hasn't veered very far from what they've been doing for nearly ten years.  What has happened is that musical tastes have changed towards them, not them changing to satisfy the masses.

>> Scott is never short on passion. >>

Through the hard work of bands like Green Day & blink-182 and the trailblazers that came before them, punk and what it's become is no longer so far out there.  The minds of the listening public have expanded and punk has merged with pop to give bands like Unwritten Law a chance to make a real living at what they do.

Those die-hard fans can rest easy knowing the band they love is still the same set of guys with the same passion they've always had.  We wanted to know how the band has been able to keep it going for so long, and we figured who better to ask than drummer Rob Brewer, one of the members who has been there since the band started?  

VOX: Who, or what, is Elva, and who are Nick and Phil?
Rob Brewer: Elva is no one, really.  It's sort of a combination of people, I think, but it's not meant to represent anybody in particular, I guess.

Phil is one of the guys from Grinspoon and Nick is from Arnette, the sunglass company.  They're Aussies.  That whole thing [“Nick & Phil” from Elva] is a message that was left on Scott's answering machine.

VOX: You guys have a major hit with "Seein' Red," but you've been able to maintain your street cred and come across as an underground band.  How have you been able to do that?
Rob: I have no idea.  I think some people would disagree with you - there's been some stuff on the message board lately and some of the fans are fucking furious!  Stuff like, "You can't be on TRL!  It makes me sick!"  Stuff like that…I hope that we're able to maintain our core audience and that the people who write that stuff realize that we haven't changed anything and that this is just part of the whole thing.

>> Scott gives opening band Sugarcult a shout out. >>

VOX: Why such a long period between records?
RB: It just wasn't right.  We've been working on this stuff since '99, but the production and…it just wasn't the best fit.  The material was done more than once, but we didn't feel it was the best recording we could do and we weren't comfortable with the arrangements and production.  So, we took our time and waited until we were satisfied with it.

VOX: What's the first thing you like to do when you get home?
RB: I've got two dogs and a wife, so see them, spend time with my wife, hope my dogs remember me.  [Laughs]  Not a lot, though.   Lay around on the couch and recover.
VOX: Where is home now?
RB: Still San Diego, Pacific Beach.
VOX: Do you surf?
RB: No, I don't - I tried when I was younger, but it's not my thing.  I grew up for the most part in Phoenix, so I like 85-degree pool water, not a 59-degree ocean.

VOX: Tell me about "Actress, Model…"
RB: [Chuckles] That's one of those…it was a collaboration between Scott and somebody else.  The other person, I think, had a different idea of what it's all about, but for Scott I think it's about Hollywood and the attitude, the vibe.  Kinda about his time in Hollywood, but not really in a bad way.  He lived there for something like three months, and everybody asks you the same question; "What do you do?"  It's not who you are, but what you do, and everybody has a similar answer - "I'm a model" or, "I'm an actress."  If it's not one of those, everybody has a screenplay ready.

VOX: How about "Mean Girl?"
RB: I think it sorta speaks for itself.  Guys understand it.

VOX: When will the next single come out and what's it going to be?
RB: We're still trying to decide when and what it will be.  The current single still keeps getting added, so we're going to give it some time.

>> Everyone was 'Seein' Red' at The Palace. >>

VOX: This tour takes you into the summer, thru mid-June.  What's up for you after that?
RB: We're going to Europe.  Our record is going to be released over there for the first time - none of the old ones have ever been released over there.  We'll do some shows over there with No Doubt, I think.

VOX: One last thing - if the band ended today, what would you do tomorrow?
RB: Go to bed for a month. [Laughs] It's hard to say…I don't know…I went to college for a while, so I would probably go back and finish, but you know, I've been doing this for eight years, so you sort of get used to it, living out of a bag, not recalling where you're going next or where you were three days ago.  I think that I've been around this long enough that if the band ended I would probably do something in music - tour manager or something like that.  I know that side of things, so it would be an easier.  But I don't plan on that happening.