The Worst Humans – We’re On Drugs

By starrymag | April 4, 2018

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

 

Q) How would you describe your sound?

 

A) Um, well, if you’ve listened to the songs we have up then you can find a place to put it. Maybe it’s grunge. I’ve been told that because of how I sing. But I don’t think I ever had that in mind when writing the material. So maybe it’s a blend of folk, rock and metal? That would be my best guess.

 

Q) Who are some of your musical influences?

 

A) Bob Dylan.

 

Q) Talk about the story behind your new song “We’re on Drugs.”

 

A) In the press release, I remember it saying that I came up with the idea when I was out and about in New York over the last decade, talking and learning about people’s personal lives. That’s true. I went to college here and I had a journalism job here so I’ve been around the boroughs taking mental notes of things I heard and witnessed. It was probably the common thread that these people would do illicit drugs (moms, dads, brothers, pastors, shaman, etc.) and take prescription psychotropic medication yet preach how being clean and having your life together is the only way. This was usually between doing lines in the bathroom. So, I said fuck it, I’m gonna write an anthem for those who do drugs and don’t think they’re bad people because of it. Because they aren’t.

 

Q) What do you think it is about the song that fans connect to?

 

A) I don’t know. It’s one of those songs I’ve rewritten 10,000 times because I didn’t know how I wanted it to be consumed by an audience. This latest version, the final version (I imagine) grips people (if any) because of the super pro production done by our great friend Rob Guariglia. The 808s, snaps and driving guitars play into the musical trend that’s happening right now. But if anyone goes deeper then I think it’s a ballad for the underdog in some way. I mean, it’s about drug users and how they’re demonized. I’m pretty sure you can pivot that idea wherever you want.

 

Q) How does the video for the track play into the message behind it?

 

A) [laughs] I was worried it may not be understood. Well, our friend Piera Lolandes (the girl with the ski mask on, who’s the focal point of the video) is masked because she wants to remain anonymous and not be flagged for being in a video “about drugs.” The band, too, is seen in ski masks at some points because we want to hide behind a façade. We hold up signs with various drugs like gabapentin, LSD, lithium (which is basically gabapentin), etc. to show the drugs that we do and how we could very well lose our day job and the like if they found out about it.

 

Q) What is your song writing process? Do you need music before you can create lyrics?

A) Nah. It comes from the “Notes” app in my phone. Usually, I’ll get an idea and write it down in my phone and then go from there. I’ve about three thousand notes as of late.

 

Q) How much of a hand do you have in the production of your music?

 

A) I am the hand. (Along with Rob Guariglia, too.)

 

Q) What can fans expect from a live The Worst Humans performance?

 

A) I’m going to quote Bob Dylan on this one, “Okay, you hear and see it and it’s going to happen fast. Now, you’re not going to get it all, and you might hear the wrong words, and then afterwards, see I can’t… I won’t be able to talk to you afterwards. I got nothing to say about these things I write, I mean, I just write them.” (Horace Hudson Interview, 1965)

 

Q) Will a full EP or album be coming soon?

 

A) Nope.

 

Q) Where are some of your favorite places to perform and what makes those locations so significant to you?

 

A) So far we’ve only performed in NYC. Any venue in NYC is my favorite venue. The city is and always will be my playground and I can’t conceive living anywhere else.

 

Q) Who would you most like to collaborate with on a song in the future?

 

A) This is a good question. I don’t know exactly. Maybe Alex Turner from Arctic Monkeys. Or maybe Kristian Matsson (The Tallest Man on Earth). Bob Dylan is still alive, so it might be him. It would’ve been Tom Petty had he’d not kicked the bucket.

 

Q) What album/band are you currently listening to and why do you dig them?

 

A) I’ve been heavily into the album New Brigade from Iceage. But don’t let that fool you, I’m really a folk-based musician. The last album I remember really taking me was Dark Bird is Home from The Tallest Man on Earth. I’ve also been on a big James Taylor kick, too. They’re great songs to learn and play on acoustic. Folk is honest (it’s an institution in and of itself however) and its language is universal. Americana shaped what we listen to today. Don’t forget that.

 

Q) You are a part of social media. Why is that such an important way for you to connect with your fans?

 

A) I rarely concern myself with social media. I know that sounds like a farce or that I’m trying to act cool, but I rarely interact with it. I get it. It’s essential to establishing your brand, to connect with your fans blah blah blah. But it’s really just a nuisance that has now affected something far beyond what we could conceive and it’s only becoming more of a problem. Whatever I post is usually a lie or something I think will make a person laugh. Sometimes I post other people’s lyrics, but don’t quote or link back to them. I hope that people look it up and maybe pick up on something they haven’t heard before. Good luck sifting to find what’s true, though. [laughs]

 

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

 

A) Brilliant. No one has bothered to ask me this and I thank you for putting that in here. I’d like to say to anyone who listens and who supports us that they mean the world to me. Anyone who’s found something in common with our music or with what I’ve had to say are people that I want to meet and talk to. I want to know everything about them and what bonds them to our tunes. I was a kid at one point, obsessing over music and bands and wanting to get out of New Jersey and do something about it. I had to prove it to myself and to everyone that this was what I needed to do to survive and be happy. That’s all that matters. Nothing else. Be the best janitor you can be or the best politician you can be. Whatever makes you feel good about yourself is exactly what you should do. Within reason I suppose.

 

 

 

All Questions Answered By Ian Holubiak, Guitarist and Lead Vocalist