The last time I talked with Josh Todd, lead singer of Buckcherry, was in 2006. We had a raucous conversation about, among other things, overeager groupies and extra-large panties. Back then, he was coming off of a Buckcherry hiatus and a band member overhaul, and was clearly ready to fight to the death for 15, the band's first album in years.
Lo and behold, 15 became a platinum and Grammy-nominated smash, thanks in part to stripper favorite "Crazy Bitch." Don't worry, Todd still brings the raunch. Case in point: His new album's first single "Too Drunk..." includes the lyrics, "got so many women coming after me I put some pussy on layaway." But underneath that dirty-boy, tattooed exterior is a guy who's all business and rightly so. Black Butterfly came out September 16, and became the band's first Billboard Top 10 album when it debuted at number eight on the charts.
Auren Suicide: What's up? Where are you?
Josh Todd: I'm in South Dakota. Sioux Falls.
AS: Wow. Uh, that's hot. Are you on tour?
JT: We sure are.
AS: So, we talked right before Buckcherry's last album15 came out and I think we'd both agree you were in a different place in your career. Last time you were set on putting out that record, working it hard and just sort of doing it your way. You guys really put your heart into something and it paid off.
JT: For sure!
AS: It must feel amazing so see the benefits of that labor.
JT: I'm just really grateful and satisfied We worked hard for it. We toured for over three years, and we played over 300 shows [to promote 15]. It finally turned out the way we wanted. We showed what were capable of, which is awesome.
AS: What else do you attribute it to?
JT: We finally got promoted the right way. Our other records, when it came down to it, never got exploited in the right way. We've always had songs and ballads on our records that could have gone to radio. I mean, we had a big hit on the first record [1999's self-titled debut Buckcherry] with "Lit Up," and then unfortunately [2001's follow-up] Time Bomb was not promoted at all. Time Bomb basically got three weeks at rock radio with one single. We had all this great stuff on that record, but it got lost. It's kind of our long lost record at this point.
AS: And then...
JT: And then finally [in 2006] we got to 15. Five singles, all that...we just finally did something we always knew we were capable of.
AS: Well congratulations It's a big deal. And congratulations on the new record. What's your favorite song?
JT: Well, you know, it's always changing. But my favorite rock song right now is "Too Drunk..."
AS: What else?
JT: My favorite slower song would be "Rose."
AS: You're pretty open about the fact that two songs on your record, "Child Called It" and "Rescue Me," are about child abuse, based on Dave Pelzer's memoir, A Child Called "It." What made you pick up that book in the first place?
JT: My daughter was reading it for extra credit. I needed a book and we were on vacation and I asked her about it. There were times that I had to actually put the book down, it was so horrifying what this little boy had to go through at the hands of his mother. I felt like the book found me, and I was really compelled to write a song about it. It happened really quickly. I was very passionate about that song being on the record.
AS: So Buckcherry songwriting has been you and founding member and guitarist Keith Nelson for a long time. You know, when we talked a couple of years ago, the other guys in the band (drummer Xavier Muriel, bassist Jimmy Ashhurst and guitarist Stevie D.) were pretty new. How was it doing a record now that they're not so new anymore?
JT: It was great. We basically all contributed to the arrangements on this record and on the last record so nothing really changed in that way. It's just that now the band is a lot tighter. The band has been through a lot together and now this band has actually been together for longer than the first incarnation! This is the band that we've always wanted it to be. And we're just really happy.
AS: For a band, this has to be the coolest thing ever. You're successful, you're touring, you are the band you've always wanted to be. What's your next goal? I mean, shit you're platinum.
JT: Well, platinum was a huge one. [laughs]
AS: Yeah, duh!
JT: Now we want to be an arena rock band. You know? On our own, headlining. I think that's a goal which is definitely indicative of these times. People aren't selling the amount of records that they did back in the day. But it takes a lot of work. We're slowly getting there.
AS: And a Grammy?
JT: We've been nominated for two Grammys. I'd like to take home one.
AS: It doesn't seem far off.
JT: We want to be a worldwide act as well. We're working hard on building our worldwide market and, I guess, doing multi-platinum records. So those are some goals.
AS: Those are some good ones. I think that's what's interesting about you guys is the role the internet has played for you in the re-emergence of the band. A lot of people are quick to say that the internet has killed the music industry, but I think a lot of your success is due to the fact that people have had the control to decide for themselves that the like your band. I mean, "Crazy Bitch" was viral video at its finest. It's a new method of success. You've blazed trails in that way.
JT: Wow, thanks so much.
AS: You're welcome. Do you want to say anything else to SuicideGirls?
JT: I want to encourage everyone to go get Black Butterfly. It is on the streets right now and it's amazing and very special. We took a long time writing it and I just hope everyone gets it. And come out to the shows when we roll into your town...come to a rock show. We'll bring the thunder.
AS: By the way, you should go back and read our first SuicideGirls interview. I read it last night and I was dying. I'm not sure why we were talking about this, but you told me you didn't like girls with big underwear or dirty bathrooms! It's really funny.
JT: Man, I'll check it out. I remember reading it back in the day!
AS: It is really hilarious.
JT: Yeah!
AS: Anyway, have fun on tour.
JT: You know it.
Black Butterfly is in stores now, but you can still visit Buckcherry.com to stream the album and check out exclusives like Josh Todd's very own road blog. Tour dates and all the rest can be found on the band's MySpace page.
Lo and behold, 15 became a platinum and Grammy-nominated smash, thanks in part to stripper favorite "Crazy Bitch." Don't worry, Todd still brings the raunch. Case in point: His new album's first single "Too Drunk..." includes the lyrics, "got so many women coming after me I put some pussy on layaway." But underneath that dirty-boy, tattooed exterior is a guy who's all business and rightly so. Black Butterfly came out September 16, and became the band's first Billboard Top 10 album when it debuted at number eight on the charts.
Auren Suicide: What's up? Where are you?
Josh Todd: I'm in South Dakota. Sioux Falls.
AS: Wow. Uh, that's hot. Are you on tour?
JT: We sure are.
AS: So, we talked right before Buckcherry's last album15 came out and I think we'd both agree you were in a different place in your career. Last time you were set on putting out that record, working it hard and just sort of doing it your way. You guys really put your heart into something and it paid off.
JT: For sure!
AS: It must feel amazing so see the benefits of that labor.
JT: I'm just really grateful and satisfied We worked hard for it. We toured for over three years, and we played over 300 shows [to promote 15]. It finally turned out the way we wanted. We showed what were capable of, which is awesome.
AS: What else do you attribute it to?
JT: We finally got promoted the right way. Our other records, when it came down to it, never got exploited in the right way. We've always had songs and ballads on our records that could have gone to radio. I mean, we had a big hit on the first record [1999's self-titled debut Buckcherry] with "Lit Up," and then unfortunately [2001's follow-up] Time Bomb was not promoted at all. Time Bomb basically got three weeks at rock radio with one single. We had all this great stuff on that record, but it got lost. It's kind of our long lost record at this point.
AS: And then...
JT: And then finally [in 2006] we got to 15. Five singles, all that...we just finally did something we always knew we were capable of.
AS: Well congratulations It's a big deal. And congratulations on the new record. What's your favorite song?
JT: Well, you know, it's always changing. But my favorite rock song right now is "Too Drunk..."
AS: What else?
JT: My favorite slower song would be "Rose."
AS: You're pretty open about the fact that two songs on your record, "Child Called It" and "Rescue Me," are about child abuse, based on Dave Pelzer's memoir, A Child Called "It." What made you pick up that book in the first place?
JT: My daughter was reading it for extra credit. I needed a book and we were on vacation and I asked her about it. There were times that I had to actually put the book down, it was so horrifying what this little boy had to go through at the hands of his mother. I felt like the book found me, and I was really compelled to write a song about it. It happened really quickly. I was very passionate about that song being on the record.
AS: So Buckcherry songwriting has been you and founding member and guitarist Keith Nelson for a long time. You know, when we talked a couple of years ago, the other guys in the band (drummer Xavier Muriel, bassist Jimmy Ashhurst and guitarist Stevie D.) were pretty new. How was it doing a record now that they're not so new anymore?
JT: It was great. We basically all contributed to the arrangements on this record and on the last record so nothing really changed in that way. It's just that now the band is a lot tighter. The band has been through a lot together and now this band has actually been together for longer than the first incarnation! This is the band that we've always wanted it to be. And we're just really happy.
AS: For a band, this has to be the coolest thing ever. You're successful, you're touring, you are the band you've always wanted to be. What's your next goal? I mean, shit you're platinum.
JT: Well, platinum was a huge one. [laughs]
AS: Yeah, duh!
JT: Now we want to be an arena rock band. You know? On our own, headlining. I think that's a goal which is definitely indicative of these times. People aren't selling the amount of records that they did back in the day. But it takes a lot of work. We're slowly getting there.
AS: And a Grammy?
JT: We've been nominated for two Grammys. I'd like to take home one.
AS: It doesn't seem far off.
JT: We want to be a worldwide act as well. We're working hard on building our worldwide market and, I guess, doing multi-platinum records. So those are some goals.
AS: Those are some good ones. I think that's what's interesting about you guys is the role the internet has played for you in the re-emergence of the band. A lot of people are quick to say that the internet has killed the music industry, but I think a lot of your success is due to the fact that people have had the control to decide for themselves that the like your band. I mean, "Crazy Bitch" was viral video at its finest. It's a new method of success. You've blazed trails in that way.
JT: Wow, thanks so much.
AS: You're welcome. Do you want to say anything else to SuicideGirls?
JT: I want to encourage everyone to go get Black Butterfly. It is on the streets right now and it's amazing and very special. We took a long time writing it and I just hope everyone gets it. And come out to the shows when we roll into your town...come to a rock show. We'll bring the thunder.
AS: By the way, you should go back and read our first SuicideGirls interview. I read it last night and I was dying. I'm not sure why we were talking about this, but you told me you didn't like girls with big underwear or dirty bathrooms! It's really funny.
JT: Man, I'll check it out. I remember reading it back in the day!
AS: It is really hilarious.
JT: Yeah!
AS: Anyway, have fun on tour.
JT: You know it.
Black Butterfly is in stores now, but you can still visit Buckcherry.com to stream the album and check out exclusives like Josh Todd's very own road blog. Tour dates and all the rest can be found on the band's MySpace page.
nicole_powers:
The last time I talked with Josh Todd, lead singer of Buckcherry, was in 2006. We had a raucous conversation about, among other things, overeager groupies and extra-large panties. Back then, he was coming off of a Buckcherry hiatus and a band...
melx:
Great interview. Love this band.