The Sweet Side Of Superjoint – A Conversation With The Enigmatic Kevin Bond

It’s no secret that in the past everyone had their own demons that kind of made Superjoint (Ritual) end. I don’t think any of us wanted it to end,...
Photo Credit: Danin Drahos

Photo Credit: Danin Drahos

 

Interview by Marianne Jacobsen

 

 

Trying to find any information on Kevin Bond, guitarist and former bass player for Superjoint was pretty much impossible. Which to me I always consider a challenge.

Keeping that in mind when interviews were offered to promote Caught Up In the Gears Of Application – Due out November 11, 2016, on Housecore Records – I asked for Mr. Bond and luckily enough he took some time out of his day to chat with me.

As Grace, the loveable secretary from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off says, “He’s a righteous dude.” I agree.

 

 

 

MGM: How did you get involved with Superjoint/Ritual? How do you know these guys?

KB: Oh my God! Um…I have known Philip and Jimmy for 20 plus years now probably. And I just got into this by hanging out with everybody. I think the band really started with Jimmy and Joe who actually started Superjoint and then shortly after, Philp got involved and then…. I’d just been hanging out with everybody, we were all just friends for a long time before that and they were like, “Hey we need a bass player – jump on bass!”.

MGM: Yeah that’s actually my next question. You were previously on bass in SJR – how did you graduate to guitar and are you happy with that move?

KB: I am a guitar player first. Philip always wanted to play guitar and he never did really want to sing when we first started. So Jimmy and PHA were playing guitar and I was playing bass. Then when we decided Philip should sing, I just went back to guitar that I had always played. I just picked up the bass because we needed a bass player.

MGM: Right! So what I have been noticing is that there are similarities in you and Walter IV (PHA and the Illegals) who is also a guitar player, however, is playing bass in the Illegals. I think it’s really cool that you guys don’t really look elsewhere or very far from the flock for your creative endeavors. I love it.

KB: That’s right. Keep it all in the family.

MGM: EW!

(Laughter)

MGM: When SJR took their hiatus what did you do during with your time?

KB: Um, I actually went back to college and got a degree.

MGM: In?

KB: In Pastry Arts!

MGM: What’s your specialty?

KB: I don’t know if I really have a specialty. I like to make fresh rustic homemade bread. And I can make some pretty good cake.

(MGM LOVES CAKE!!!!)

KB: I make a pretty good red velvet cheesecake.

MGM: OMG! I’m in! Can you bring that to Toronto with you when you tour or I can set up a place for you to make it and I’ll bake cookies! We will get it in your tour rider that you need a kitchen and all the ingredients! Again, more similarities with the foodies! Walter IV and Mike DeLeon (PHA and the Illegals) are both chef/cooks and now you!

KB: We could do a cooking show!

MGM: Whoo yeah! MJ’s Bitchin Kitchen!!!

KB: There you go! I like that!

(laughter)

MGM: When you were approached to reunite Superjoint (Ritual) what was different? What made you say yes?

KB: I think that a lot of time had passed. A lot of emotions and feelings that were there had now passed. It was always something I had always wanted to do. Even when we were in the midst of everybody just not wanting to do it. It’s no secret that in the past everyone had their own demons that kind of made Superjoint (Ritual) end. I don’t think any of us wanted it to end, it was just that time in life that it kind of had to.

MGM: As I call it, “Creative Crossroads”.

KB: Yeah, yeah. For a while there though I said I would never do it, I don’t want to do it, I’m done with that, I’m sick of it – blah blah blah. And then as time slowly passed I was kind of like, “You know, why are we not doing this?”
It’s a really funny story because I was just getting off work one day and I got this text message and it said: “Hey man feel like playing a show for Halloween?” And I texted back, “Who is this?” because I didn’t have anybody’s phone number anymore. Like I hadn’t talked to Jimmy in years. He texts back “Hey dude its Jimmy asshole!” I then asked him “What band?”

I thought about it for maybe half a millisecond and I was like “Yeah man absolutely!” So the circumstances were right and the timing was right and everybody else was into it so….

MGM: What was it like working with your old bandmates again? Because I know when I spoke to Jimmy Bower and what I have also read in the promotions leading up to the release of this album that you guys are way more cognitive. You seem way more connected and you are remembering things more and finding more creativity out of being around each other again. Is that true?

KB: Oh yeah, absolutely! I couldn’t put it any better than that.

MGM: This is actually my FIRST Superjoint album. I haven’t listened to any of the older material. I thought I would just start with the new album. I have to say I love this album. I have 4 or 5 favorite songs already after only listening to it twice. Sociopathic Herd Delusion and Receiving No Answer to the Knock are sick! The tones and tempos are insane on those songs! What is your favorite song off the new album?

KB: Oh wow, you know, I don’t know if I really have a favorite song. I just like, I mean, I like all of them. So I can’t really pick one. I like them all.

MGM: Kinda like having to choose a favorite child?

KB: Yeah! I mean you can but you’ll be asking for problems later on.

MGM: Yeah, later on, you’ll be stuck with abandonment issues from the other ones!

(Laughter)

MGM: Is Superjoint planning a tour?

KB: We are, we are. We are doing our record release show on November 12, 2016, in Dallas (Tickets are $10 each go if you are in the area – mj) Then I am pretty sure that a tour is in the works starting sometime in mid-January we are supposed to be going out. I don’t know where we are going, I don’t know any dates, I haven’t heard anything about that yet but do know in January.

MGM: Well that’s perfect its right around my birthday – you guys can come to Toronto and you can make me a birthday cheesecake!

KB: Perfect!

MGM: When I interviewed Blue (Joey Gonzalaz – drummer for Superjoint/Warbeast/PHA and the Illegals) he called the new Superjoint album (which has been completed since October 2015) “prophetic” and Jimmy Bower called it a “car wreck” what do you call Caught in the Gears of Application?

KB: HAHAHAHA! A prophetic car wreck!

(laughter)

MGM: I did notice a lot of prophecy in songs like Clickbait and Sociopathic Herd Delusion I described it to Blue when I heard it that it has the similarities of being thrown in the trunk of a car and driven at high speeds to your own Mafia hit.

KB: Right! That’s perfect! The whole record is really prophetic. Philip has always been up with the times and up with what is going on in society and the world and he just likes letting people know what he is thinking.

Photo Credit: Jody Dorignac

Photo Credit: Jody Dorignac

MGM: Do you find that by the creation of such powerful lyrics you are able to be a more powerful musician and more creative?

KB: Oh definitely, I think all of us are.

MGM: Mike DeLeon from the Illegals said that it was a dream come true to have you in attendance as he recorded his parts for their new album. You also have a signature guitar (that Mike DeLeon plays). Have you ever thought of yourself as a hero or a mentor to other musicians and what would you say to them?

KB: I don’t ever really think of myself like that. If someone ever comes up to me and tell me that I’ve been an inspiration or they love how I play and stuff, I just always think, “Man that’s really awesome!” The only thing I can say to them is to keep doing what you are doing. Keep playing, don’t ever stop playing. Don’t ever stop trying to obtain what you want to get – don’t listen to anybody. Please, yourself.

Like I said Marianne, I don’t really think of myself that way ever. Like Mike DeLeon came up to me and was like, “Dude I’ve got your guitar!” And I’m like “That’s great! I don’t even have one of my own guitars!”

MGM: Trade it for some cheesecake!

(laughter)

MGM: What would you tell the fan that has never seen Superjoint live to expect?

KB: Man! Just fucking tie your shoelaces – make sure your shoes are on tight and get ready to go! Doesn’t matter what kind of shoe…just get ready. Get ready to have a good time and just let loose. AND KEEP YOUR CELL PHONES IN YOUR FUCKING POCKET!!!

MGM: I don’t have a cell phone!

KB: Perfect! I understand how the world is working these days. But I come from a time (same time as MGM) when you went to a show, you went to look at a show! How can you enjoy something when you are holding a phone up looking through the phone when the show is right in front of your face? Like what the fuck are yall doing? It’s ridiculous.

MGM: I am of the school of thought that fans should take their pictures in the same amount of time as the press photographers – which is the first 3 songs no flash. I think it’s a good policy and is more respectful to the performers. How can you have a collective soul of band and fan when there is a camera in between that communion? Throwing off a band during their performance is totally disrespectful and complete bullshit. (whew rant)

KB: I don’t mind if someone wants to take a couple of pictures to say, “Hey I got a couple shots from the show”. But when someone is in front of your face THE WHOLE SHOW and all you see is their phone, it’s like, “Why’d you even buy a ticket?”

MGM: What are you grateful for – right in this moment?

KB: Oh man, what am I grateful for? That I still have the ability to get out of bed and put my feet on the ground and walk!

MGM: And red velvet cheesecake?

KB: Yeah and red velvet cheesecake and all the other stuff like my family and my girlfriend. I’m grateful for everything – my friends. The ability to still play and be able to play with my friends.

MGM: What is your favorite Halloween candy?

KB: Oh man, Reece’s Peanut Butter Cups – that used to be my favorite one to get on Halloween! I’m addicted to sugar so bad it’s crazy. I really need to put a lasso on all the sugar – I have a bad sugar habit and it got worse when I went to pastry school, so you get there at 7am and by 8am you are eating cake. Gotta tastes it!!!

superjoint_cover

Caught in the Gears of Application – the newest Superjoint album with Kevin Bond and Jimmy Bower on guitar will be available in stores and online on November 11, 2016.

 

http://www.thehousecorerecords.com/

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