Arthur Shepherd dürften insbesondere diejenigen unter uns kennen, die sich dem Hardcore der frühen Neunziger Jahre verschrieben hatten, eine Zeit, in der Bands wie YUPPICIDE, MIND OVER MATTER und BAD TRIP das Sagen hatten. Letztgenannte Formationen haben übrigens eines gemeinsam: Arthur Shepherd nämlich, der nach der Auflösung jener Legenden erstmalig seine eigene Band ERRORTYPE: 11 gründete. Und auch GOD FIRES MAN, seine aktuelle Band, veröffentlichten mit 'A Billion Balconies Facing The Sun' bereits ein erstes Album, dies erschien offiziell jedoch nie in hiesigen Gefilden. Dank des Hamburger Arctic Rodeo-Labels wird deren Zweitwerk 'Life Like' jedoch nun auch in unseren Breiten veröffentlicht werden. Wir sprachen bereits im Vorfeld der Veröffentlichung von 'Life Like' mit Arthur Shepherd von GOD FIRES MAN:


b>SJM: Hi Arthur, what are you doing in days like these when God Fires Man's sophomore full length record "Life Like" is about to be released worldwide? Are you already busy with promoting this record?

Arthur Shepherd / God Fires Man: The record is coming out in Europe and the uk first. We’ve been playing locally and doing what we do best, writing. We are looking forward to coming over to Europe to promote the record.

SJM: You grew up in the New York hardcore scene amongst bands like Yuppicide, Die 116, Stillsuit, Mind Over Matter, producer Don Fury, and a label like WreckAge with its typical sound. Could you please tell us what became of this particular scene. Are you still in touch with the people you once grew up with?

Arthur Shepherd / God Fires Man: I still hang with many of the people from the scene. Jesise from yuppicide dj’s at my bar sometimes. Julian from stillsuit has given me jobs, gavin from die 116 teaches many of my friends muy tai fighting and mind over matter still does reunion shows every few years. We’ve stayed very close and supportive of each other.

SJM: I´m talking to a lot of bands and most of them claim to not be interested in the hardcore and punkrock scene as such anymore. Do you still stick to that scene? Regarding all those stupid trends and the fact, that hardcore and punk has become some kind of a stylish scene, is it hard to still believe in the things you once did?

Arthur Shepherd / God Fires Man: I never really bought into the whole “ideology” or the fashion of it. I was more interested in the progression of the genre, which was misguided at best. Also, I was much more involved in the long island scene that was much different from nyc. We weren’t interested in tough guy shit. There hasn’t been a “scene” in years anyway.

SJM: Just a question I am personally interested in: What became of the members of Mind Over Matter after having recorded their final album "Automanipulation", I would consider as the most important album for me? Do they still play music or what are they up to nowadays?

Arthur Shepherd / God Fires Man: That record is very special to me. It has become a bit of an iconic record on long island. The guy who produced it, martin bisi, did such an amazing job and the band was very musically ambitious at that time. most of the mom guys still play music. George, the singer is in a band called revenge of the dragon, john the drummer is in death cycle, and scott is a teacher and dad.

SJM: From what I know, you never stopped to write songs and were always included in new projects, e.g. Instruction and Gay For Johnny Depp. What makes you stick to this particular post hardcore sound?

Arthur Shepherd / God Fires Man: I live to write. I don’t consider what I do to be any particular genre. Gay for Johnny depp was almost a reaction to the major label experience of instruction. Instruction was a big american rock band. I definitely don’t think about any particular sound. It’s just what happens with Gibson guitars and marshall amps.

SJM: In the 1990s you played in bands that have been one of the most influential hardcore bands of that time. From my point of view the scene as such, its spirit and philosophy of the scene has changed drastically. From your point of view – has it changed for good? How would you rate the current 'scene' as such or aren't you interested in things like that anymore?

Arthur Shepherd / God Fires Man: Again, I don’t think there is a scene anymore, at least not in nyc. If there is, it’s very youth oriented (as it always was) and in the suburbs. I still hold close to my heart the idea that music can change the world and help people live a better life. The thing that has plagued punk/hardcore since the early nineties was the possibility of making money. Before nirvana, it wasn’t an option. To me that is the deep rooted thing that changed the philosophy and goal.

SJM: Apart from the "Dark"-EP, you released God Fires Man's debut full length "A Billion Balconies Facing The Sun" in March 2008. What kind of feedback did you receive with a band that quite sounds like your older Band Errortype: Eleven?

Arthur Shepherd / God Fires Man: I stopped worrying about sounding like my older bands and just wrote. I felt like et11 was a little ahead of the curve. The thing about et11 was that they had great songs. God fires man is that idea but much better and more focused.

SJM: Please tell me if I'm wrong, but Errortype: Eleven and now God Fires Man have always been bands that played for old school hardcore crowd (I just mean people who grew up in the late eighties and early nineties) who also listened to bands like Mind Over Matter, Bad Trip and stuff like that. Let's just think about a 'target audience' for you – are you also interested in what younger people think about your band or is the older audience more important for you as a band?

Arthur Shepherd / God Fires Man: If you like it, you like it. I don’t care how old you are. I’ve always gone into making records like I wanted to be able to put them on in twenty years and it would still sound current because good song writing never goes out of style. If we play to an older crowd now it’s because we play in nyc and there’s no place to play that isn’t 21 and over. I have no doubt that anyone of any age will find the new god fires man record to be a quality record.

SJM: What do the God Fires Man members do in their private life? Is God Fires Man a full time-band in these days? What do you do in your spare time when you are not busy with the band?

Arthur Shepherd / God Fires Man: Well, we all live in nyc, so we work a lot. We’re all in the alcohol business.

SJM: Comparing "A Billion Balconies Facing The Sun" to your new record "Life Like", I'd say that "Life Like" sounds stripped down and kinda like straightened up. From my point of view, the songs are less complex and sound a lot focused than the ones on your debut full elngth. Would you agree to this? Was it a conscious decision to let them sound that straightened up?

Arthur Shepherd / God Fires Man: It is way more focused because it is the same four members involved for the whole time. the first record was a revolving cast of characters and recorded over 2 years. The way the band sounds now was natural. Alex Newport definitely helped to strip back our ideas.in the mix.

SJM: You recorded your new album "Life Like" with producer Alex Newport. How about your experience with him? Was he and were you even able to surprise yourself in the studio while recording the new songs?

Arthur Shepherd / God Fires Man: Yeah, alex was amazing. He was the perfect person to do our record. He made us focus and he smoked a lot of cigarettes.

SJM: What was more important while recording new songs after such a long time: the fun or the will to adress personal topics in order to cope with life and clearing things up in your mind by singing about that?

Arthur Shepherd / God Fires Man: I did write some very personal lyrics. Much morethan the past few records. I was having trouble writing and decided that I would just write about my surroundings, my job, nyc. It worked. It’s always fun to write.

SJM: From my point of view "Life Like" has got two major faces: There´s an optimistic view on the world and the need to become active and there´s a plain melancholic viewpoint on things we've got to deal with. Do you think I´m partially right with this? What would you retort to this?

Arthur Shepherd / God Fires Man: That’s just my personality. I’m very melancholic but I think it’s boring to be like that so I’ll follow it up with some optimism.

SJM: Is there anything you´d like to add or just say that hasn't been said before? Please feel free to do so:

Arthur Shepherd / God Fires Man: Stay rock!

(Dennis Grenzel)