Interview: Nausea
It's a beautiful feeling that over 30 years after these came out it still makes an impact on the current younger punk world.
From the gritty and dangerous streets of the Lower Side in New York, crust punk legends Nausea were extremely influential with their formidable brand of forward thinking music until they unfortunately split up in 1992. The band’s legacy lived on though and Nausea have recently brought out a remastered version of their first album Extinction, which sounds even more as fiery and progressive today. Gavin Brown had the pleasure of talking to Nausea bassist and founder John John Jesse to talk about the re-release of Extinction and the history of Nausea as well as New York and punk, his art and exciting news about his new role playing bass in the reunited Kylesa.
E&D: Nausea have just re-released a remastered version of your debut album Extinction. What led to the album being remastered?
John John: It’s funny, because the original release of Extinction in 1990 went right to press after mixing without mastering, We didn’t know that at the time and we were never happy about how it sounded.
E&D: What has the reaction to it been like and how was the album received when it first came out?
John John: It’s been pretty big to our surprise, like the Cybergod remaster too. It’s a beautiful feeling that over 30 years after these came out it still makes an impact on the current younger punk world.
E&D: What are your main memories of making the album?
John John: Just being a little nervous because we never recorded an album before. We had limited time and little money. But we were well rehearsed and tight so it was no problem and we were pretty close as a unit at that point that it was a fun experience.
E&D: How do you feel when you look at the prophetic lyrical content that the album contains?
John John: I think the future isn’t too hard to predict. Movies do it all time telling tales of dystopian futures and it seems to always come close to reality many years later minus the flying vehicles.
E&D: There is a big reggae vibe in the album track ‘Sacrifice’, was it a big melting pot of sounds that wanted to reflect at the time?
John John: Like any musicians we like a lot of stuff not just punk and hardcore. Victor wrote that reggae part just to tell the tale of Peter Tosh. I love that song but we were never planning on adding any more reggae to the set.
E&D: Who were the biggest influences on the music and the outlook of Nausea?
John John: Punk. It’s all about punk and its years of subversiveness. There’s too many bands to mention and we never tried to sound like any single one of them but were inspired by their spirit, passion and aggression.
E&D: You have also re-released remastered versions of the Cybergod and Lie Cycle EPs. How was it revising that material as well?
John John: It’s probably our favourite as most of us in the band could agree. Its unique sounding and was an indicator of what alot of our newer material would have been like if we didn’t disband.
E&D: What are your recollections of the creation of those 7”s?
John John: I only really remember recording the Lie Cycle 7″ at Fun City in NYC. because it was a really tense day since we were not getting along well at all anymore. Amy had left soon before that and we were on the edge of breaking up at any moment.
E&D: What were some of the greatest live shows that Nausea ever played?
John John: So many good shows but the ones in Squats were always a big party.
E&D: Is there a chance that Nausea will do anything again in the future, even a one off live show?
John John: Not sure but never say never. At this point we have no plans.
E&D: How did you discover punk rock in the first place?
John John: I grew up in the Lower East Side and as a little kid I remember vividly seeing punks in the very late 1970s walking around. To me they looked cool. I remember Sid Vicious being on the news. Fast forward a few years later buying a Sex Pistols record changed everything for me forever. An immediate spark happened to me. I would never turn back.
E&D: How much of an influence was New York City on yourself and on Nausea?
John John: It’s everything. It was filthy. dangerous and everytime you went out there was this lingering element of danger in the air, Homeless everywhere, Junkies nodded out on every corner, Burning oil drums keeping the freezing street people warm, Trash and needles on the sidewalk at every step. It was crazy. It was also awesome. Now its completely gentrified and kinda sterile.
E&D: Do you have good memories of playing in NY venues like ABC No Rio?
John John: We didn’t play so many times there, maybe 3 times. It was a cool place to have and super DIY but there are other bands I would call “ABC” bands. We played CBGBs way more and were often just on tour.
E&D: What were your favourite record shops, music related places, bars and clubs, in New York and the Lower East Side both past and present?
John John: Venus records had a lot of used punk, Sounds and of course Free Being records which closed in 1985 I think. The Aztec Lounge was a prime punk, hardcore and deathrock bar in the mid to late 80s. It was always fun. It was on 9th Street between Ave A and 1st Ave.
E&D: Have you ever had any thoughts of writing a memoir about your life in music and the LES?
John John: Seems like everyone from those punk and hardcore days has a book out now. I think it’s cool but I don’t think I am famous enough to get enough people to read my life story!
E&D: What is life like in NYC today?
John John: Well my Mom still resides in my childhood apartment. She’s an elderly artefact living amongst all the new young people there who are 90% not from New York. It’s just completely different and clean and expensive. When you show someone pictures of what it looked like in the 1980s they don’t believe its the same place. All traces of us being there are erased.
E&D: Who are the essential New York bands and albums for you?
John John: I’ll just make a small list. Not in order, I also didn’t include the Bad Brains or the Dead Boys cuz they weren’t officially from NYC.
1. Johnny Thunders and the Heartbreakers – LAMF.
2. All Ramones
3. Agnostic Front – Victim in Pain
4. Cro Mags Demo Tape
5. Warzone – Lower East Side Crew 7″
6. Sacrilege (NYC) Demo
7. Antidote – Thou Shalt Not Kill 7″
There are a few others but I can’t remember.
E&D: Can you tell us about your artwork and the highlights of your career as an artist?
John John: There’s soo many ups and downs as an artist. Being world known in awesome. But sometimes you’re rich and sometimes you’re poor. But it’s the work and lifestyle I chose and I love it.
E&D: Are you working on anything at the moment that you can tell us about?
John John: Well, Supreme New York are releasing some of my artworks on a couple of skateboard decks which should be out any minute. Also me and my bestie Roy Mayorga from Nausea are going to be the rhythm section for Kylesa on their festival and club reunion dates which we are very psyched about. We are doing Hellfest, Wacken and Roadburn festivals in Europe which should be so much fun. I am also writing a heavy sounding solo LP currently but more info on that at a later time.
