Nick Hexum: 311, Opening for Fugazi, Bad Brains Influence & Selling 10+ Million Albums
3/12/20262 hr 1 min
Happy 311 Day to all who observe... We're joined by 311 co-founder and vocalist Nick Hexum at his home studio, deep in the old Topanga Canyon.
We break down his roots growing up punk and listening to funk in Omaha, Nebraska, 311's formation taking place just to open for Fugazi, the whole band moving to Van Nuys to try to get a record deal, the breakout success of "Down" and the whole self-titled record, the even bigger success of "Amber" and the 50 First Dates soundtrack, and thoroughly breakdown how bands like Bad Brains & Helmet influenced them from the beginning.
A truly great conversation and we thank Nick for having us, and for joining us.
Brought to you by BRAIN DEAD, check out their new collaboration with Cannibal Corpse and to see what's playing at the iconic Brain Dread Studios this month!
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00:00:00 - Start
00:00:54 - Nick Hexum
00:02:19 - Omaha, Nebraska & 311's First Show Opening for Fugazi
00:06:34 - Grew Up Punk, Listening to Funk & The Rumor About Their Name
00:11:39 - The Ed's: Meeting the Rest of 311
00:16:20 - DAMMIT & UNITY... LA to Omaha to Van Nuys, What Have You Records
00:21:42 - MUSIC & GRASSROOTS... SA Joins, "Do You Right," First Radio Play
00:26:49 - Dynamic in 311 Today, the RV Fire
00:31:25 - SELF-TITLED... Ron St. Jermaine (I Against I), Helmet Influence, The Success of "Down"
00:45:43 - Pardon This Interruption...
00:47:02 - Touring On The Self Titled And Europe For the First Time
00:49:01 - TRANSISTOR... "Beautiful Disaster," NOFX Influence, Making An Affordable 2xLP
00:59:45 - SOUNDSYSTEM... "Come Original," Focusing on Heavy Riffs, Hugh Padgham
01:07:18 - Learning to Tune Out Critics
01:09:27 - Opening The Hive
01:11:22 - FROM CHAOS... The Iconic Neve Board, Referencing I & I Survive in "I'll Be Here a While"
01:18:53 - "Amber"
01:23:51 - "Lovesong," Adam Sandler & The 50 First Dates Soundtrack
01:28:25 - EVOLVER & GREATEST HITS... Beatles Influence, Musical Catharsis, Keeping Expectations Low
01:35:06 - DON'T TREAD ON ME... Ska, Doomsday Prepping for the State of Music in 2005
01:38:20 - UPLIFTER, UNIVERSAL PULSE... Bob Rock, Some Kind of Monster, "Sunset in July"
01:43:12 - STEREOLITHIC, MOSAIC, VOYAGER & The Post-Pandemic Boom
01:48:18 - FULL BLOOM, SKP & What Nick is Yet to Achieve
01:52:50 - Nick is So Vascular & Jacked (And Eats Good)
01:58:02 - Top 4 Punk/Hardcore Records
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Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsBo Lueders· Host0:00
I'll be here a while.
Colin Young· Host0:02
I'll be here a while.
Bo Lueders· Host0:05
You just sang a Bra- Bad Brains part- Yeah ... at the end of the song. And this is- It's from I and I Survive.
Nick Hexum· Guest0:11
I wanted to do an ad lib, and nobody's better at ad libbing than HR.
Bo Lueders· Host0:16
This is the connection that people might wonder.
Nick Hexum· Guest0:19
I, I, I remember a guy on a message board saying, "I hate that song I'll Be Here A While because he rips off Bad Brains." I was like, "No, I was giving it props."
Bo Lueders· Host0:25
Yes. I- Like, if, if you're a punk rocker, you knew where that came from- It's an homage ...
Nick Hexum· Guest0:29
and that's like you're... It's an homage. [rock music] Hardcore, coming to town. Hardcore, coming to town.
Colin Young· Host0:52
Hello, welcome. It's Hardlore time. How you doing, Bo?
Bo Lueders· Host0:57
I'm doing really good. Where are we?
Colin Young· Host1:00
Deep in the Valley, as we should be, as I w- always like to be. Uh, we're here for a very special reason, a very special occasion, on a very special day.
Bo Lueders· Host1:10
Mm-hmm. Well said.
Colin Young· Host1:11
As it is March 11th, or March 12th- [laughs] ... or wherever you're, whenever you're watching this. We've got an unbelievable guest on this show today, everyone. We've got the highest grossing artist we've ever had on this show. [laughs] It's a fact. Alternative rock pioneer, genuine household