A conversation with JAMIE MADROX (Spaniolo) and MONOXIDE (Paul Methric), aka TWIZTID. The Demented Duo from Detroit’s new rock-heavy album, welcome to your funeral , was produced by Zeuss (Rob Zombie, Demon Hunter, Queensrÿche) and will be released on February 14th on Majik Ninja Entertainment.
RYAN J. DOWNEY: HOW DID YOU GET INTO ROCK MUSIC?
JAMIE MADROX: The first record my parents let me choose was KISS’ Rock And Roll Over (1976). I loved how they were like comic book characters. That’s what drew me in.
ONE CAN SEE THE THROUGH LINE FROM KISS TO TWIZTID.
MADROX: From there, I went through many hair metal bands, like Twisted Sister and Cinderella.
MONOXIDE: My cousin, who babysat us, was probably ten years older and owned one rock record I loved, ‘The Cover of the Rolling Stone’ [by Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show]. It didn’t sound like anything else. But I was not interested in rock music. I didn’t care about music until I discovered hip-hop. After hearing [Shawn Brown’s 1984 hit] ‘Rappin’ Duke,’ I started listening to Rakim, Big Daddy Kane, Run-D.M.C., and N.W.A. I have a history with hip-hop that I don’t have with any other genre.
MADROX: It wasn’t till I met Bryan [Jones, aka The R.O.C.] and Paul that I got into hip-hop. They showed me Fat Boys, Run-D.M.C., and Public Enemy. I would show them W.A.S.P. and Ratt.
MONOXIDE: Jamie would play me Guns N’ Roses, and I’d be like, ‘Who is going to listen to this crap?’ I was harsh. I didn’t explore anything beyond rap until my early twenties, and then I started gravitating toward classic rock.
I completely fell in love with Led Zeppelin and Queen. I like ELO.
I BET YOU ENJOY THE ZEPPELIN-STYLE RIFFS IN RAGE.
MONOXIDE: I love Rage Against The Machine! I used to watch videos of [Zack de la Rocha] rocking the crowd in Europe in front of 300,000 people before I went onstage. That was my pre-show inspiration for years. The band name, the attitude, the skillset, and just some dudes beating the shit out of it. It’s not overproduced. ‘Put our backdrop up, turn the mic on, let’s go.’
ROCK ELMENTS AREN’T NEW FOR TWIZTID.
MADROX: We come from the rap world, but if you listen to an album like Mutant [2005], you can hear it. Our execution maybe wasn’t so good, but there’s a clear intent. Now, you get it fully executed.
WHAT WAS THE MAIN MOTIVATION BEHIND WELCOME TO YOUR FUNERAL?
MONOXIDE: For me personally, I wanted to show motherfuckers that we belong. We can do a full-on rock record. We’re not poseurs. We’re just as good, if not better, than many. We may not be the best, but we’re not the worst [laughs].
We are two-sport athletes. We want to plant our flag in the rock world.
AS RAPPERS YOU ARE KNOWN BOTH FOR ‘THE WICKED SHIT’ AND THE MORE EMOTIONAL SIDE. WITH THIS ALBUM, WHAT WAS YOUR FOCUS LYRICALLY?
MADROX: Speaking for myself, my lyrics on this album are more in the ‘mental health’ vein. Part of it was about the new reality where people are quick to endorse or debunk something and fight and debate about even the simplest things. There’s a new level of craziness to the world.
HOW WILL YOU INCORPORATE THESE NEW SONGS INTO YOUR LIVE SHOW?
MADROX: When I see my favorite bands, I don’t want them to focus solely on new material, so I try to keep that in mind. It’s exciting because you want to play all the new stuff, as that’s where your head is. However, fans expect you to perform X, Y, and Z, which you must consider. It’s a good problem to have. We try to balance it carefully.
CREATIVE PARTNERSHIPS ARE HARD. HOW HAVE YOU TWO MADE IT LAST?
MADROX: It’s rooted in trust, first and foremost. You figure out what each other is good at, and once they assume that ‘role,’ you just do it. It’s cool to be able to rely on somebody to pull their weight.
MONOXIDE: I’ve been fucking with this dude for 35 years, musically, and even longer as friends. Through the years, you learn to respect what each other is good at doing and stay in your lane. I don’t have to see him every day to know that he has my back in anything I want to do and that I’m the same with him.
MADROX: We’re still blessed to be doing this, and I understand that and know how hard it is for others in this industry. It’s cool to be still able to do what we do, how we do it, and for as long as we’ve done it.
YOU’VE CREATED AN ECOSYSTEM WITH YOUR FANS. IT’S WHAT EVERY BAND WISHES THEY HAD HONESTLY: PASSIONATE SUPPORTERS WHO ALLOW YOU TO DO WHAT YOU DO.
MADROX: This has been brought to my attention several times over the years, and I’m just trying to continue to be thankful. I might not have everything I want, but I’m okay with what I have.
MONOXIDE: That’s a huge difference between us and many bands in the rock world – their fans don’t show up like ours do. Even if the band playing before us has three times the social media following, a Juggalo-dominated crowd will still be there for us.
MADROX: As I said, trust is the basis of our partnership, and that trust extends to the people around us. One of my favorite things about making welcome to your funeral was our willingness to trust. I’ve learned that the more I listen to the people who genuinely have my back, the more I excel. There is no finish line. Everything we do is about keeping it moving and keeping it going upwards.#
