Garza Podcast - 95 - (HED) P.E. | Jahred Gomes: Nu-Metal, Million-Dollar Record Deal & Psychedelics

Episode Date: September 11, 2023

Garza sits down in-person with Jahred Gomes. Vocalist of Huntington Beach, California's (Hed) P.E. Their new single DETOX is out now! https://www.hedpe.ffm.to/detoxsingle SPONSORS: Click this link to purchase from Sweetwater & help support the podcast: imp.i114863.net/rnrmVB CHAPTERS: 00:00 - Conspiracy Theories 04:32 - On Being Considered Nu Metal  06:57 - Being Prolific & Consistent Throughout the Years 10:07 - Upbringing & Moving to California 11:57 - Hed P.E. / Orange County Origin Story 14:06 - Struggling to Fit In With the Rock Scene 15:20 - Hed P.E. / Orange County Origin Story (continued) 16:14 - Lit / Razzle  18:11 - Playing with Chad & Wes  19:22 - First Live Hed P.E. Shows 20:38 - Seeing Korn for the First Time & Being Blown Away 22:47 - Seeing Rage Against the Machine, Beastie Boys & X at Cal State Dominguez Hills 26:28 - First Writing Sessions with the Band 29:05 - Creative Process & Influences 31:17 - Early Writing Sessions (continued) 34:18 - Band Name Origin, Legal Issues & The Pleiadians 37:36 - Being the Eldest in the Band 38:16 - Touring for Broke Documentary 41:43 - Broke Album Era, Recording w Machine 46:16 - “Bartender”  47:56 - Second-Guessing During Writing 51:16 - Addiction, Substance Abuse & Sobriety  58:29 - Psychedelics  01:00:01 - Addiction, Substance Abuse (continued) 01:02:27 - Strait Up (Lynn Strait Tribute Album) 01:03:11 - Fighting w Major Label (Jive) 01:08:09 - Meeting Conor McGregor 01:10:48 - Higher Intelligence, Creativity, Consciousness & Beyond

And I'm telling the story because I rarely do podcasts anyway. But I'm telling you why I was salty at the time. Because I had these people like Jonathan Davis and Chester telling me, you should be much bigger, you know. So, of course, I'm like, yeah, yeah, you're right. You know what I mean? Whenever I need music gear, I always go to sweetwater.com. If it's mics, headphones, or studio and recording gear, Sweetwater has you covered.

Next time you need any music gear, support the podcast by using the link in the description and comment section below the more you know the more you don't know hasn't that's so true that that that's fucked up huh it's like I say right when you think you know something you actually I don't know anything at all you know you know I reached the point in my life yeah where I'm not I'm willing I won't like really be too firm on anything it's like uh maybe maybe not you know especially in these days of like there's just a conspiracy around every corner these days and I'm like I'm not willing to buy into everyone. Yeah. It's hard to, when you go into like the, which I'm sure you have, when you go into like the conspiracy rabbit hole.

Yeah. That's a never, that's a never ending infinite like realm. Totally. And that's a lot of people's reality. Right. Right. You have to be careful with it. Totally. A gun in my head with conspiracies, I want to say. 70% are true. Right.

You know, I always like to say all conspiracies are not created equal, you know? Totally. Because I'm one of these guys who's like definitely believes the pyramids were, are a mystery and made by some unknown technology by perhaps off-world intelligence. Yeah. You know, and then at the same time, you know, with the whole COVID thing and all this and that and this and that and the Q and on, it's like I'm not buying into much of the. that.

No. No. I'm just like, really, really? I don't think so. But, you know, I'm also into like, you know,

the ET reality and, and all the things that are kind of coming out now in the halls of Congress, right? Yeah. That's turning out to just be all true. You know,

all the retrieval of craft and all that, that for, you know, decades where people like me are like, is that what's going on here with, like, Roswell and Robert Lazare and all that,

you know. Totally. It's all coming out. Yeah. Yeah. A bit of vindication for some of us, you know, tinfoil hat wearing people. A lot of people have a lot of time on the hands and are very creative. You know how you're obsessive and creative with your music?

Well, people could take that same energy into creating, you know, a story. Right. Right. And then when you think that there might be like even state agencies, whether they be Russian or whatever, that are actually actively online creating folklore and conspiracies for people to get attached to. Sure. You know. Dude, I definitely, if gun in the head, I believe that because, well, I mean, it's come out.

It's very obvious. Like, I mean, there's like, I guess you could say troll farms. There's people actually like, sometimes I read comments. I'm like, is that even a real person? Right. Is this even a real person? I try not to be like, I try not to like burst people's bubbles. but when I get sent memes,

I want to love them. But knowing where memes come from, a lot of them, they're like, this was made for a specific purpose in a different country for us to react to it. Totally.

It's like, you don't want to be a party pooper, you know? You want to be like, yeah, that's a cool meme, but you don't, I don't know who made it. Right.

And you know what? It's an extension of what we used to call propaganda. I'm an old guy. So like, you know, back in the day, the propaganda, right, that like either Russia or our country or whatever country would put out, it was more like, you know, on the face of it, easier to see, you know, they're trying to disparage another country in a movie or a cartoon or whatever, you know. Now it's just, it's modernized and updated to be, you know, online for people to grasp in that way.

But it's the same kind of mind game. Yeah. Well, Jared, I just want to say I appreciate your time. and you being here, if you're not aware of me and the guys are a big fan of HeadPE, you know. That's amazing. Yeah, it's crazy. Cheers, man.

Cheers, bro. Thanks for having me, man. Anytime. I don't know if you're aware, but a lot of artists in my realm, I guess you say world, bands style, love your band. No, I'm not aware. That's great. I got to tell you, from where I sit and head PE now, sign the record,

deal in 96, and so now it's 20, 23. You know, it seems like I exist on an island a lot, you know, as a band where that short, you know, we were a part of this sort of movement. And of course, you never know, when you're just making music, you're just making it. You know, nobody, none of us realize it would be called new metal or whatever it ended up being called or whatever. So it is a trip where, you know, a. scene kind of comes and goes really quick.

But as a guy like me, it's like, well, I'm not, maybe my scene's gone, but I'm certainly not done creating and doing my thing, you know. Yeah. And, you know, a lot of times, New Metal, I think it's a, uh, the name itself definitely gets a bad rap. Um, I heard the bro from, uh, Avenge sevenfold. Mm-hmm. Right.

Is that, it was, uh, or someone that says something, uh, he was, he was saying, he was saying, he was saying that like, you know, new metal when we came up was like a bad word. Okay. You know? So, um, but at the same time, he was gracious about head PE, you know what I mean? Mm-hmm. So it's, it's, it's interesting

reflecting on a career and and then, you know, you were plugged into a scene that you didn't intend on and I don't know, it's just a trip. It's crazy how you didn't intend on it. You're just creating music that you do, oh, you know, this is what we want to play. Right. Right. Right. And, and,

And for people I don't know, HEPI.E has been very consistent and persistent. I mean, I look back on your whole catalog. I'm like, oh, they didn't plan our records every two years until, even with the Pandy still. Yeah, dude. That's when I really dug in. Like, Jared, you never stopped.

Well, you know, it's out of necessity, too, right, to pay these bills. Yeah. You know, I wonder, because I always think to myself if I was sitting on a mountain of cash, then what would I really be doing? You know? Sure. How many songs? Because I, you know, I've written like close to 200 songs at this point, published.

And then it's like, if I was on like a mountain of cash, that number would be way smaller. And the amount of time I'd spent on the road touring would be much less. Really? Yeah. Well, especially now because I have, you know, a two-year-old daughter, 15-year-old son. It's like, I would like to spend a little more time at home, you know.

But I'm stoked. I have a way to make some money, you know. It's not the worst way to make a living. No. Like, you're part of a small handful of people that I can say for 20 years, I made a career out of making music. Not that people can say that, man. Right.

And like we were talking about, it's a constant grind. I'm not sure, you know, what your year looks like and how much time you spend on the road, you know. But for me, it's like out of necessity because, you know, 80% of my income's coming from that touring, you know. Still. Yeah. Holy crap. So I know.

I just can't figure out a way to make other money. I got to do it, though. But from the outside, it seems like it seems like you're living a dream because I just saw that you just took out your son for two weeks. Like that's like, see, that's something that I look forward to. You know, how do I, how do I, how do I be able to go on tour by can still bring out? Because I'm thinking like, you know, future family, future kids coming up. It's like, man, he did it. Yeah.

Well, that is amazing. That's one of the good, that's one of the joys, definitely. Because he's got the bug, you know, he plays guitar and he loved being on tour. And he grew up literally on tour, you know, learn to crawl on a tour bus or whatever, you know, that type of shit. Yeah. So, but yeah, having him on the road, that was amazing, bro. How is it? What, so he's how?

15. 15. 15. Okay. Be 16 next month. Okay. So what, then what year was he born? That would be. Gosh, you know, I'm embarrassed.

There is right there. Look at him. I don't know. Let's see. If we're in 20, 23. 2008? Boom. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. Wow. It's so great. That's the true joy. Like we're talking about how. motivations change like for sure you know getting into a band as a teenager uh in the 80s was definitely only to like get girls and stuff like that you know yeah um but then as it grows you're like oh wow

i really want to express myself and but even after getting signed you know it was a lot of partying a lot of chasing skirts you know and then now it's just all about fueling the family you know yeah you're like you're you're a full on dad now yeah yeah and a proper husband and all that, you know, so trying to keep it all together, you know. So you're, you were born in Southern California? I was born in Fort Worth, Texas, in 1964. Really? Yeah.

So when did you make the move there to California? Okay, so my dad was, um, he was going to college and got like degrees in theology and stuff. He's a pastor, a Baptist pastor. So after he graduated and got some other masters or whatever from Columbia University, we moved to New York, then New Jersey. Then I went to seventh grade in Sarasota, Florida. Then I moved to Cali in eighth grade. You were all over. Yeah.

Yeah, because your parents are originally from Brazil. Yes, sir. So how did they move here? Okay, so they're both like going to college. My mom was teaching English in Brazil. So they both came here to go to go to Columbia University. Yeah. Wow.

Yeah. Yeah, because your mom comes from the indigenous side, right? Well, I'd say both, like, my dad's definitely the darker guy, you know, but I'm sure that my mom has some. Well, look, when I got my DNA done, it kind of represents what Brazil is. It was like 65% Portuguese, you know, 20, you know. 20, you know, 25% African and then 15% indigenous, like, you know, natives. Well, that definitely explains your music. Your music is all over the place, dude.

Yeah, it's a blessing and a curse. It is. It's like, I would describe it. It's like a, it's like schizophrenic, new metal. I always use the word schizophrenic for it too, yeah. It's like, so, I mean, you, Jared, you came up in a very insane special time. Like you're talking, so at what point were you in Huntington Beach?

Huntington. Let's see here. I must have got to Huntington about 1990-ish. Okay. Yeah. Which is basically like the prime of. Oh, it was really popping off when I got there. Because, you know, I've had a problem with drug addiction my whole lot.

you know and the reason I bring it up is because I lived all over Cali right in one year I may have lived in six different apartments or whatever just just living that really kind of grimy dirty lifestyle but um finally around the 90s you know I just moved from Santa Ana somewhere down the street here and then move to Huntington Beach um and yeah and that's where head PE kind of like did its whole thing and we were all like roommates living together you know that that whole type of cliche of a band just living together. The three of us, me and the two guitar players in Huntington Beach right down the street from the coast, really. And yeah, the rest is kind of like history. So you met West First and you... Yeah, well, what was going on was there was a metal club called Jezebel's. I believe it was in Anaheim.

And I had a band called Live Urban Sex Tri. And he had a band too that was called My goodness. Or liquid tree or something. What are you guys doing? Dude, it was the late 80s, early 90s. So, you know, it was like red hot chili peppers inspired name, right? Four words for one band type of thing.

I was a huge chili peppers fan at the time. And music was just was kind of changing. you know, the lines were getting more blurred. Because, you know, I was a kid who would, like, go to trial for metal bands in Cali and get there, and dudes would have their long flowing hair, and I would have my nappy afro, and these guys would be so honest to be like, wow, what a great voice you have, but that is not the look we're going for. Really?

Yeah, yeah, several times. So then it seemed to kind of start changing a little, you know, when grunge and that movement came out, it seemed like more of a blending, you know, of the styles where it kind of been purists for such a long time, I felt like, you know, growing up definitely in the late 70s and 80s, hard rock always felt like more of a wasp, white Anglo-Saxon Protestant type of thing, right?

Sure. At least from where I was, from my perspective. and I think the research would bear that out, right? You weren't see many people of color. See, of course, Hispanics in different metal bands, right? Because they had the hair to match, but you wouldn't see many people of color really in metal bands. Once in a while I see a black bass player or something.

But anyway, I digress. We're playing at Jezebel's, and I had a band, and Wes had a band. And then we're just, I don't know how, but we were just kind of, we should kind of bring our bands together. You know, so I brought my bass player and he brought his drummer, which was B.C.

And then we got this guy, Chad, who was in the band, Razzle, which ended up being that band, what's it called? Razzle, but it ended up being that band that lit. You know that band lit? Of course. Okay, well, I used to watch those kids

when they were like a glam band called Razzle. And they were all like teenagers and they were huge. Like their whole high school would go to Ghazaris on the strip and just sell that place out. Anyway, so then we grabbed one of the kids in that band

into head PE, Chad. But then they went on to be lit, very successful. I was roommates with Litt's drummer Rest in Peace, Alan, who died of some brain cancer or something.

Oh yeah, there they are, dude, what a trip. Razzle. Dude, there's Alan. Well, you're freaking me out. There's Alan on the right there. That was my roommate in Huntington. Well, I think that was actually a seal beach. And then the guy on the far right,

oh, wow, I just, oh, my God, I'm tripping out. Chad on the far right, I just saw his mom last night. and I hadn't seen her in 13 years. We gave the biggest hugs. And, um, wow. Yeah. Yeah.

So, so they, they look glam. But like, but, but, but different though. Um, yeah, that picture's a bit different when you'd go, but when you'd go to the shit. Look at that cover. Yeah. That brings me way back. That's sick. What year is this?

That's got to be like 88th or something. But don't quote me on these dates. Yeah. And when did when did Chad come in? Chad came in the band. He was one of the original members. We grabbed him immediately. I'm not sure why he left that

band or why, you know. Party spelled it. Who knows? Yeah. I mean in Litt, like the two guys or brother is the singer and the guitar player. Yeah, what a... Dude, I'm just having all these memories right now. 88, huh?

Oh, I was right. Yeah, you're right. Fuck yeah, dude. Your brain's working, dude. My goodness. Excuse me. And what was, so, the dynamic between

Chad and West is so, what was so unique. Like, it's still, like, it hasn't really been done at all. Like, like, Chad has, like, he had, like, this fender-strat tone Yeah. And you're playing heavy riffs, and then you come in with just the gangster rap flows, also screaming.

Obviously, reggae fused in there somewhere. Like, what? Well, I was kind of a latecomer to the reggae vibe, you know. I remember when I was like in high school, my friend would be like, you got to check out this pub, Marley and all this. And I was only into metal. And I kind of regret that I didn't grasp onto it the first time it was shown to me, you know? Yeah.

It wasn't till years later where DJ Product kind of introduced me in a big way to proper reggae and all that, you know. And then I was like, it liberated me like in a religious way, you know, so I tried to put it in the music. Mm-hmm. So what years, okay, so, so you, so you combine the bands and you did the poaching, you know. Yeah, yeah. I get it.

I get it. And then, so what year did you start playing shows? I think we started playing shows about 92. And then we got our deal by 96. Yeah, yeah. It happened really quickly, I'd say. Around Huntington Beach? Yeah.

The band formed, well, like I say, we all moved in together. must have been around 92 in Huntington. But we were all SoCal, you know, Orange County guys, you know. So it didn't take much to just kind of move down the street. You know, and I grew up in Fullerton and went to Buena Park High School. And whenever we went to the beach, us Buena Parkians, we'd go to Huntington. So I don't know. It's just because it's just right down Beach Boulevard, right?

Bam. You're just there. Yeah. So, and there's a pier and everything. So it was the place to be. And Huntington Beach during that time was, that was like such a crazy time for music. Insane, because I know the corn guys were there around the same time. Yeah, so, so like, well, seeing corn really changed my whole perspective on music, right?

So, um, Wes told me, he goes, I really, we need to go, I need to take you to a corn show, right? And so first time I went, I couldn't get in, it was sold out. Next time we went, yeah, it was like corn, the deftones, a 3-11 fucking sugar rate, all on the same bill. Nobody signed yet, you know. $2 tickets. Yeah, just completely sold out, nobody signed yet. And it was a big scene, though. It was a very interesting because between the metal bands, they would play only like 70s funk and disco, which I still do to this day when it's my show, because I love it.

love that and um it was such a scene in huntington bro very very drug fueled you know yeah um everybody was kind of doing the same thing but um and then i saw corn and i i do admit like that really made me go whoa you know in the same way that nirvana did or whatever just kind of made me rethink heavy music you know really because you know i grew up in the hair metal day so when i was teenager. I just love, you know, Motley Crew, Rat, you know, Queens-Rike, you know, all those Iron Maiden,

you know, foreigner, you know, pre-MTV fucking metal, you know. And so, but, you know, I was always one, though, to kind of evolve with wherever metal was going next. And I'd have friends that would be like, didn't like the new thing, whatever that was, right? Because

hair metal itself was such a long window there where it was the thing. And then, you know, the grunge came in with the, you know, Pearl Jam and Nirvana and fucking all that shit, which kind of like got rid of hair metal, you know, or whatever, whatever you want to call it, you know. But that seemed to be like my opening was coming when, you know, you had like red hot chili peppers doing their thing, right? And they were like getting produced by Rick Rubin.

and Rick Ruben's down with this. So on mushrooms, I went to a fucking show with Wes where I saw, Rage Against the Machine was headlining, and it was Rage, Beastie Boys, Cypress Hill, and X, which is an L.A. punk band, right? X-Ean. And that just made me go, oh,

this is what I want to do. This, meaning all of this. You know, I want to rock like rage. I want to rap like fucking. cypress i want to get down like the bc's and be punk like x i was just like i want all of it yeah kind of especially i can only imagine like you're like that how you're taking in music when you're on mushrooms yeah i can't do them at all anymore you know but as a teenager i dabbled in it you know or i wasn't a teenager then but definitely during that time of my life i was would

experiment with psychedelics you know i will say that that night is unforgettable to this day you know to this day wow isn't it kind of a trip what a massive influence that rage camp machine whoa he just had the flyer up for that damn show

is this it that's the show dude this is the show that you're on mushrooms on dude look beasties ex cypress hill rage that's what I said

that was a show dude it was so amazing dude what was the venue I was in the pit it was like out it was outdoors outdoors yeah the velodrome

Velladron, what's that? This is the outdoor part of... That was the one and only time I went to that, to that venue. It was outdoors. It was amazing. It seems like rage was big right out of the gates. Am I wrong? Dude, I just remember the first time...

I mean, I was like going to a show of my own, like at the whiskey or the Roxy, and I fucking, excuse me, I heard rage on the radio and immediately was like, whoa, what is that? That sounds amazing. Like, yeah, so, you know, they did a major label thing. I'm sure they did good whenever they started in their hood, you know. I'm not a proper historian on the beginnings, but, well, there's the venue right there. Yeah. So good. But it seemed like it to me, like they came out and were just immediately huge.

Right. I mean, there's nothing like it. Still, I mean, bands still, I guess you say, either are inspired by them or imitate it, Still, dude. That's a god band, right? That's a great way to put it. They are a god band. Yeah.

It's like, that's like, that's like the North Star. You know, you look up like, I could try to do that. Right. I'm on mushrooms right now, but I'll try it. Is this it? Shit. Let's see. April 29th, 1994.

Wow. Beastie boys. Holy shit Are they wearing like UPS? Because when I saw them Yeah there you are Look like wearing like UPS Outfits all brown dickies and shit

That's sick Dude that is the shit You guys are Your guys are on top of their shit dude They are Wow Great team here Yeah

What was Beastie Boys like life Amazing Like we have no idea man I had no idea Like of course You know As old as I am When a license to ill came out, I fucking loved it.

Yeah. I listened to it all the time. But then flashback, you know, 15 years later, I'm finally seeing them live and was so impressed by it. Mm-hmm. It was just so good. So you see the show, you're coming down from the mushrooms. So at what point you actually start, okay, like now you, now the five of you or six are, now we're going to get into a room. What a good question.

That must have sounded terrible because you put so many things. in it once. What a good question. And you're a brand new band. Well, I'll tell you, the way that the band worked wasn't like a jam band, like, oh, let's jam and see what works. It was more like Wes writing songs. Oh. And then on then when we were living together, he would be more like, listen to this riff.

And then I'd be like, oh, but we'd collab on a riff that he was doing, let's say, you know, I'd be like, well, drop that. know and repeat it here and some of the riffs we came up with in that way you know where i would just hear a riff and go what if you played it like this you know just back and forth but and then we would kind of have like a four track and create whole songs and then bring them to the fellas you know so it wasn't just chaos in a room with everybody just that yeah no it was west and i writing songs and then bringing them to the fellas you know interesting yeah so he's so you're telling him hey play this rip more, take out this note. And then what, so then you put,

so what were you putting on the four track? Okay, well, we would like, use a drum machine on one track. A drum machine? Yeah, dude. Just to kind of get it down. But then again, you know, we do real drums and have it on an eight track,

you know. Yeah. But at the very beginning would be like drum machine, bass, uh, guitar and then a vocal, a scratch vocal or whatever. you remember those old four tracks that ran with a cassette? Oh yeah.

I don't know if you do. We were the last generation that had, I'm sorry, an abandoned child in one. We were the last, I think, kind of, oh yeah, let's get a four track, I mean, recorded demo. So I get it. There it is. Wow. Yeah, that is the one I have. It's a four track, dude.

Oh, my God, dude. The way artists record. MOST's days, you'll, you'll, it's just, it's crazy. The power is really in the artist's hand now more than ever. You can do everything, well, you can do so much yourself. That looks like the one right there. That did it? Yeah, yeah.

That really looks like it, dude. That might be the actual one. Yeah, the FOS-Tex. But coming from someone like you, Jared, that has experience and lived, uh, writing your own music and making a career out of it and it's different in your own Do you find that like when you take away things that actually makes you more creative? And when you say take away things, do you mean gear? So you have a four track and that's how we're going to write songs.

We don't have a laptop and like, you know, 20 tracks. I'm going to, you know. Well, here's a thing. It's interesting. It might be not the answer to your exact question. But okay, so like when head PE started out, it was very like lots of shit going on, you know, like, Wes is doing one thing Chad's doing another thing

The DJ's doing another thing And it was cool We called it trip hop And at the time it was good But after a while I really just wanted something That was more kind of straight ahead And simplified and just bare bones

songwriting with like You know like I don't know When I just started more getting into punk And The Clash and Minor Threat After our first three albums came out I was like I want more stripped down stuff

You know Yeah But in terms of like what you're saying is like, you know, technology can be like a blessing and a curse, right? Because if you're just using it to do too much, then it's too much, right? I'm really a believer in like it's the notes you don't play, you know, and it's the space you leave. And as an artist, you have to know when to be done with a piece and stop adding to it. Because I've seen artists who are like, their piece looks great, but then they just keep adding. Keep on out of it.

I'm like, oh, I liked it a couple days ago. You know, so I find the same thing can be true with music, with my music. So allowing some space. Yeah, and some simplicity there. It's funny because your brain always wants to put more. He's always like, it comes in and it fucks it up, you know. Doesn't it? But, oh, man, it's a lifelong journey.

It's telling their brain to shut up still. So, dude. It's a lifelong, you know. Okay, okay, so, so, okay, so, so, okay, so now you have 10 songs on your four track. So, so there, so you have like introses, uh, verses, choruses in the, the drum machine, the scratch vocal and you're just bringing it to the band. And then, and then you're jamming it live. Right.

In like, in like a shitty garage, I imagine. Right. You know, back then we'd had a rehearsal studio. And, um, you know, we bring it to. the band and then then it takes on its own sort of life as well, right? Of course. Of course. After you bring them a demo and the band's

actually playing it, it does its own thing. And then, were you letting other members kind of have some kind of say? Like, you know, Chad comes, hey, maybe don't do that way. We have a ripped out of that. Was it like what this is? Definitely musically. Lyrically

and melodically, I would say it would be the, I never I didn't get much input for that. Although when we first started, I worked with Wes a lot on theories of writing, you know, and vocals.

And he taught me a lot about that, like, make your silly shit, right? Like, that sounds silly now. Like, your second verse should sound like the first. You know,

where I'd just be all chaotic, like coming in with a second verse that doesn't really reflect the first. you know yeah so like i remember him kind of telling me that i was like oh yeah you're right you know i was not dude i'll tell you what like some guys are just naturally good songwriters i wish i would have went to school or something but i i don't uh very chaotic songwriting for my first few records i just didn't know what i was doing um in terms of like verse chorus verse chorus bridge blah blah blah you know it's just all just like wah you know for for being the kind of

band that you were like this part of just out of control out of the gates you there were still like some discipline there that's kind of kind of insane i guess if you say so because when i hear it it kind of makes me cringe like whoa what were you doing does it yeah a little bit the early stuff it just sounds so chaotic to me um but hey if people like it that's the last word on it you know man so it may oh that's so that's so bizarre to here huh i'll i'll expect maybe i shouldn't But, yeah, I'm proud of those records. They sound good. They were great.

I'm one of these self-loathing artists. Where just like, don't get me wrong. Every once in a while, I'll create something and be like, it'll bring me to tears because it'll tap into some true emotion that I have or something. But most of the time, I'm like, oh, what was I thinking when I wrote that? What was I thinking when I performed when I recorded that? You know, just that's just me. Oh, where, since when did the legal issue come up with the band name?

Like, how did that even come up? Oh, just dude, right after we signed the first, right after we signed that first record deal where we were just head, the legal department was like, can't be head. There's already a head. And we tried to buy the name and we can't. And so then we added PE because of some books and shit that I was reading at the time. And what, real quick, what were you reading? Planet Earth, okay. Okay.

The original PE stood for planetary evolution. Okay. Right. So I was reading channeled books from the Pleadians. Excuse me? Can we somehow get that on the screen? Okay, so. I don't even know what you just said.

Okay, there it is right now, too. What is, yeah, so just to really, what is this? Well, the Pleiadians are some off-world, you know, intelligent. Barbara Marcinniac, oh my God, I read all of her books. Really? Okay. Wow. It's kind of weird for me to because I'm really not that, I'm not a mystical guy anymore. Sure. It's not that I don't believe that crazy shit goes on in the world, but there was a time in my life where everything was a conspiracy and, you know, everything was super magical. I'm super jaded now to where I just, I don't believe like that anymore. Sure. But, you know, so the earth, you see that?

book Earth there with the egg and the earth in it. That's the book that that brought around the PE. Earth? And it's planetary evolution, which means the planet is a living being and she evolves.

And we as the children on the planet have no choice but to kind of evolve with her. That was just the kind of the grand scheme of what they were talking about. And that's where planetary evolution came from. You know, we're evolving as a planet.

You know, less slavery, less war, less violence, less hatred, moving towards a better destination. Man, this is a very well-thought-this is by far the most well-thought-out ban name I've ever heard. Well, the original name, Head, was from a song I wrote called Heavy Head, where, because I battle with depression and a lot of this goes on right so it's like west used to see me and it's like it just looks like your head is so heavy and he's like that's good name for the bad heavy head then he's like how about just head and then that was that yeah are you serious yeah that is insane yeah because i i heard that it was stand for a higher education no that's something someone made up after the fact yeah of course it's not true no it's just a funny joke

And then you reading some insane books. Yeah, dude. I mean, yeah, your this is, let's say, 93-ish. I mean, you're, what, early 20s? Reading this shit? Oh, you know, when the band got signed, I was 32. Oh, really? Yeah, yeah.

So, like, the band got together, I was, like, 29 or something. Wow, really? I didn't know that. My guys, though, were all, like, in their mid-20s and early 20s, the rest of the band. Yeah, I was an old guy in the band. And you were still a maniac. I'm still doing my thing, you know. Like in my band now, all my guys are like,

they're all turning 40. I'm turning 60s, so, but this is what I do, you know. This is your life, man. I rock. I'm ready to rock. I was watching, I was watching the Going for Broke, Doc, that Chad and you helped put together.

And I don't think people realize how insane your band was. You were on complete fucking fire. I was just watching, like, at the live shows, getting goosebumps in my bed. He was watching, I'm like, damn, these guys were going nuts. I see this understanding, like, the dynamics between personalities

with band members, I could assume, like, okay, Jared's probably out of his fucking mind. Chad, for sure, is out of his fucking mind. He's a rhythm guitar player. And he's playing a strat and drop A. Yeah, he's fucking crazy. And then, uh,

and West, like those extreme personalities, but man, this made like the sickest tunes. And live it is, it's a, it's a very rare dynamic that you don't see much today. So it's really cool to see it. And but, but, but Jared, you, you lived it. Oh, dude. As you're talking about it, I'm like, yeah, yeah.

Because I don't think about it much. I'm not sure if you relate to it, but when you're just constantly grinding, there's not much time for reflection, you know. Mm-hmm. and so cool that Chad kept all his footage he's kept all the footage

years later yeah because I'm the there's Chester I'm the opposite of that right like that is Chester huh I was like is that Chester yeah because this is footage from us on tour with them

my goodness who's playing guitar here I wasn't really sure who that guy was it's like the bass player I don't think that's my guy I look like the bass player for a little

Chad, I didn't even realize Who is that guy, Jared? Chad was filming back in the day. No? No, so like when I see all this, it's so great because I didn't even realize he was like, had a camera with him. It's so rare that a band has a camera.

Right. Now it's not rare at all, though, is it? No. But back then, yeah. Genius, dude. Did some of the guys get pissed off? Why did he have this fucking camera, dude?

Get it out of my face. I don't remember ever getting pissed. Really? No. Chad was so cool, dude. I don't remember ever really getting pissed at Chad, dude. So your relationship was pretty sick. Yeah, he and I just always got along, dude.

Just your music chemistry. You guys are on fire, dude. Jesus. Yeah, yeah. The heyday. This looks like, uh, this looks like I got dates right here. This was like a 98. Yeah, yeah

Those 98 tour buses Are different build Man Damn, dude Yeah That guy looks out of his mind The memories The trip watching it

So it looks like you had a I mean obviously A crazy tour cycle What Like when did you get together Okay Now we're going to write our second record broke.

What was that process like? Yeah. So, you know, Broke was produced by Machine who went on to like do all Lamb of God's records, right? So that was interesting because that was our first time working in the digital world.

You know, where before everything was tape, you know? And Machine, like, he came from the hip-hop world and then entered into the rock world. But what he would do was we would create loops with Machine, you know, know, that was the first record where, dude, we would just take a chorus and then we would find the most tightest loop of the chorus and then that would be the chorus and just copy it. That was the first time we ever did that shit, you know, or here's a dope verse, copy it.

Not like, hey, let's play all through the song, like a real band. You know what I mean? Like, Machine brought that to us where it was like cut in pace. and that really but that really gave like a in my opinion a hypnotic effect to the loops and stuff

because they were just like dance music you know just always the same just hitting you constantly right on point but yeah so you know broke

we did the first record and it was five years between the first and second record we were kind of all salty about it and we were broke you know we signed a million dollar record deal and the money had run out

And so here we are back in Huntington and working on some new shit. Of course, in those days, I used to write a lot of lyrics on the road, too. How did you find time for that? I don't know, dude. I would just come up. I would just come up with shit. At the same time, when I'm thinking it broke, there was a lot of instances where I would write the song the night before.

Really? Yeah, so it was like, but there was some shit I had from the road. and then, but when I hear how they crafted the track, then sometimes I'd have to do a rewrite and I would just like sit in the hotel in Jersey, which is where we recorded Broke, and just write the song the night before I was going to record, you know, because I had the freshest music of what was done, you know,

and just vibe to that. Was there any pressure with that at all? There was no pressure on Broke. The pressure came on the next record, which were we all kind of fell apart. Because the label, the guy who signed us left, and so my new ANR guy, I didn't get along with him at all.

I don't think he even liked Ted P.E. And so he would come to my hotel room every night and go over word for word what my lyrics were and be like, I don't get this. This doesn't make sense. Oh, no. Yeah, dude. It was hideous.

Oh, that's nightmare. Right. So that was the third record. and then, you know, we left that label. So it sounds like you guys were all in, like, a good headspace. With broke, yeah. That was kind of before, you know, obviously, or not so obvious. I had a falling out with Wes after broke.

And then I guess that turned into a falling out with the drummer as well. They're kind of connected, but not really, but kind of a, yeah, you know, it's that same old cliched story of. a band that somehow doesn't get along, you know, on the right path, you know. What were the similarities between you and Wes with the four track and then to the second record? Are you guys still making full and then...

Okay. Yeah, we were still working really tight on the second record. Just like, oh, man, we were like, we were working, we had come up, right? The label had bought us like a digital multi-recorder. I think it was like 16 track. 16 tracks, oh. Yeah, bro.

You guys made it. We would hang out all the time, and that's what broke together. In contrast to after that, then I couldn't get him in the room with me at all. He was having problems, whatever. We were both having problems. So for the third record, it's like we were never in the same room at the same time. It was gnarly, dude, yeah It's always unfortunate, man

Yeah, it is, but So what were you thinking Like when you hear that the riff For like Bartender or like Killing Time Live? What were you feeling you thinking? Okay, well, Bartender is like

That one, you know, there's a kid, A guy by the name of Brian who was in a band With Jonathan Davis Before Corn And it was called like sex art, sex art cultors. Sex art.

Sex art, yeah. And so this kid was, his name was Brian. Or no, was it Dennis the Menace? That was his name, Dennis. Okay, so he was a bass player with Jonathan Davis. When I was writing bartender, Dennis would come down to the studio, and he gave me some really good tips. Really?

Yeah, yeah, he'd be like, you need to get into the hook quick. or your verse is too long or do this here. So I just bring that up because it's like yesterday when I remember Bartender was done musically and I'm just sitting in the studio working on the vocals. And you know what? It was kind of effortless, you know, in terms of just kind of came out and had a certain vibe.

And, you know, it was just a song about me clubbing, which is what I was doing at the time, you know. And so that whole record, just came together pretty effortlessly in my opinion you know me and west working on tracks getting a whole demo then going to jersey recording those demos with the band doing the vocals just no no worries you sound like a a dude that this doesn't second guess himself me yeah oh dude i'm the opposite man like i will have like five different versions of vocals to the same song Really?

Yes. I will, like, do three versions and trash them all because I'm like, don't like. I think they're great when I go to sleep and wake up and go, what? What the fuck? Oh, shoot. So maybe like a, so let's resample like a bartender that you're writing and that be a four. That could be like a four or five. No, okay.

So, okay, I take it back, though. In those days, I didn't do that. In those days, I kind of went with the first thing. Okay. that I'm a geeseer, I'm like constantly questioning everything I do, you know. Isn't that weird with age you get older? And even though you have success in your past, you second catch yourself more when you're older.

Why is that? I can only think that's because you know more and so, well, you know more and so you're holding yourself to a higher standard. Yeah. It's so fucked up. And your standards change too, right? like there's things I've said on past records that are popular that make me go oh my god how could you say that shit you know but I was a younger and different time of my life you know

that is bizarre it's this weird like it's it's a magic and just not knowing you know do you ever like look back because I I personally do this and I correct me if I'm wrong but I'm like you my man how how did how did I do that how do I get back to that doing that like that first thing of flows out. You're not thinking. You're like, that's sick. It's done. It's on a record.

The whole world can hear it. And then now when you're older, I consciously try to sit there, dude, and do that. And I can't. Well, how do, is, that's a great question. And, like, for me,

there's, like, parts of my vocal cords that don't even, I can't even do what I did. Like, because it's just from so many shows, my voice doesn't even work that way. Like, some kind of, like, a Getty Lee, clean, high voice. I can't,

do that anymore. Yeah. My voice is like fucking Rod Stewart now. Yeah. You know. But I prefer what I do now to what I did back then. As lyrically, vocally, just, I just prefer the vibes that I'm catching on the mic now beyond back then, even though, obviously, my fans love the early shit, you know. Mm-hmm.

But that may be, you know, because the new shit doesn't. doesn't have all the money behind it that the old shit had, you know, in terms of getting it out in front of people and making it popular. But, um, I don't know, man. I was listening to it to detox. It's pretty sick. It felt like, I felt like as a fan. They're like, they're like, it's like, it sounds like them. It's awesome.

Yeah. And I would agree on that, like, the label that I work with, they haven't, they're, they said the same thing. They haven't said that in like, you know, 12 years. That's great. Let's see what happens. it sounds like you were struggling from the bottle of wine at night during COVID I think

I think we all were okay good that makes me feel better no dude there's like some deep addictions that came back or like not addictions but like the years of torn full time years because there's a point of 27

I cut back on the blackout drunk stuff but COVID happened 35 and the thoughts came back it was so a year I felt good. And for some, the thoughts came back. Oh, it's Monday.

I should have, have some drinks. Tuesday. I was like, it doesn't go away, dude. I thought I had this shit on lock. No. You're so right. It's fucked up. You're so right.

It's a slippery slope. It just does not go away. Yeah. So like I said, lifelong battles with substance abuse. We're at my age, you know, I'm doing good and have been. a while. But, man, especially through the early touring days, it was gnarly. And I'm still recovering from COVID in terms of my business and my music business. It really hurt us. But at the same time, it was COVID that allowed me to be home for a while and conceive my new daughter, you know. So there's

this weird dichotomy of, oh, it was hideous and yet the greatest thing ever, you know, because I have my little princess now so congrats man thank you and so it so literally it was a detox quite quite literally dude i went straight edge for a while there

because um when i was trying to finish the record i just fucking couldn't i i you know dude i i i am I'm reluctant to talk about some things because now i have a teenager right and him and his friends

they'll find my uh they'll find my interviews and whatever. So I can't be 100% candid. But I can say that there was things going on during COVID chemically and mentally for me where I couldn't finish the record. So I had to go straight edge and just dry up.

And then bam, I was just killing it. You know. Is there something to that? Because I always kind of always struggled to realize because I look back. Let's say, for example, like your first record or broke, like I'm always curious on there's only things that we see

we see the outside okay they're a band fucking their party and they're writing records they're living a dream but I'm like but wait what's the order are they fucking chilling at home sober for an hour to finish the song and then when they're done their song then they fucking rage

that's very interesting or are they actually getting a fucked up during their like the songwriting process Well, dude, well, here's the thing, and I haven't thought about this in years, but during the broke years and all that, it was partying and creating at the same time. Really? Yeah. Partying hard on substances and just living your life that way. And so if that's how it is every day, all day, then the music is right with it, you know.

I mean, you started, I mean, you started drinking when you were 15, correct? Yes, I got drunk the first time at 15. 15. Wow. Throwing up drunk, yeah. Whoa. What was your first drink? A bunch of beers and tequila.

You went straight in him. A bunch of beers and tequila. It's funny because I had an older friend who just kind of let me do my thing that night. And man, yeah. Wow. Because, I mean, Jared, I mean, you come from a different era. I don't think, because we're kind of like the era after. If not, you can even say it after.

after. When I meet people like you, it's just like, we're just, it's just, you were in such a different playing field. It's not, it's not in the same sport. I remember I was, I won't say it was band because I feel, I felt, I feel Goddy for saying saying his name, but I was hanging out with a, a band member that I've admired my whole life. I love him. We're getting drunk and, and then got, he got up, hungover. He was, he was fine. And I go over to his band and then the drummer says to me, oh yeah, this was like 90s. you will be, you will be missing. And it was a joke,

but I, you know what, I cannot hang on you guys. And I know, like, there's a different time where to me, to me, partying was a certain thing,

but, like, your air was like, man, but it had to help create that, that music that, so many people love. You know, who,

you have to be right. It was just part of the, part of the recipe. It was one of the ingredients. You know. It's like you kind of have to be out of control. And then you write like the no rules music that really resonates to people. I just don't think people realize that.

It takes like personalities to write the music that you love. So when you're so when you're at home and you're fucking bummed out, you put on, you know, bartender and you feel good. You need those like over-the-top personalities to do it, you know? Such a different era like you're saying, dude. yeah i mean god dude even like technology wise like where everything was with tape and you know it's almost unrecognizable you know what's going on now with music like when we first did that record broke they had to you know rent a box truck to get all the tape to get it to mix right now you put your master in your backpack you know wait you got a box truck to take the tape yeah

all the tape, just three inch tape and you're running like, you know, what was it? A couple machines, 48 tracks, is that what it is? I don't know, but it's just a room full of tape to represent the record, yeah. Are you serious? Yes. You got a box truck to take the record somewhere to get mixed. I don't think people can even fathom that. I remember looking at it, yeah.

Oh, my, oh, you. So it's this a, a top. kind of tape and then yeah and that i don't know why that i thought of that because we were talking about drugs and all that but i'm just like everything is just so different you know what at time but you know what this sounds way more fun yeah but then again like look at these rappers um like and they're like doing the lean or whatever that is and look at how like how many have died like little peep and juice world and uh you know you know what i mean so they're These kids are into their own abuse, you know.

Yeah, I was just talking to a neighbor here. Like, he's, he's older. It's like, man, you're back in the 90s. When you walk around SoCal, if you found a baggie in 90s, you could pick it up and do it. And you're fine. Today you cannot do that. It's like, if people are like, am I, I will never understand that. Never.

Well, dude, yeah, you brought that up. But, dude, going on sunset strip in the hair metal days was, you would just have somebody walk in by going, acid, acid, acid, like the whole sunset strip was just whatever you wanted it to be. You know, everything you wanted was just right there. I never done acid, but it's on my to-do list. Yeah, you know, as a kid, I did so much of the psychedelics, but I could never do it now.

It would put me in the looney bin. Really? Yeah, dude, it's too much. The thing that about psychedelics that kind of made, oh, I'm like, okay, oh, shit. Is there like, I just don't know, I know there's a line that you can't cross. So you can't do it too much, but, but, or too little because you, because you want the experience, but you don't want to lose yourself. And you see it in people that did too much of it.

And it's weird. Oh, yeah, I've seen it. I mean, in the 80s, I had a friend in high school who went to see Black Sabbath on acid and was never the same. He never came back. He never came back. Never came back. And I have another friend, too, who did DMT too much, and he's also different forever.

I've seen several friends who, because of drugs, are not who they used to be. You know, and that's the thing with acid, dude, it's such a commitment. Like, dude, I'm going to be high now for 18 hours. No, thank you. It's a big commitment. That is a big commitment. Jeez, mawees, dude. Wow.

Well, I mean, given the life that you lived, it's just bizarre that you're fine. It's just so weird how you can live a certain life, you're fine. But you're hanging out with, you know, Lynn Straight and he gets in a car accident. You know, it's just like, it just makes you think like, why? Yeah, like, even from my area, you've got Lynch straight. You've got Dave from Drowningpool. Who else? Like, I had a friend named Chinstrap who died.

Like, I feel like, yeah, there's people who just. just didn't make it through. And what my feeling is that a lot of these people, they OD by mistake. Because, you know, I've been there where you're like, you know, you've taken some pills and you forgot you took them. So you take more. And then next thing you know, you're dead.

So it's just like, it's sad and it's dangerous. Well, man, like, what do you call that luck? Dude, for me, like a lot of times I think I'm lucky. I'm not in prison. I never go. Yeah, I never go to them. I'm lucky I'm not dead, but really I am that too, you know. Yeah, you didn't lose your mind.

Right. And it's so easy too. So easy. You just make a mistake by taking too much of something. Boom. My goodness. Dude, yeah, I was watching some true crime thing on some guy who took too much mushrooms and then goes out and murders his dad and stepmom.

And it's like, then he's going to come down and be like, uh-oh, you know. But anyway, that's an extreme, you know, situation. But, dude, drugs. It's dark as fuck. I would think, like, mushrooms would make you like, you know what? I love my mom and dad. Holy fun.

Right. But, dude, it's that notorious bad trip. That, I mean, having the bad trips, like, and I've had them where it's all rainbows and unicorns for a couple hours. And then all of a sudden, it's what you're saying. Like, the sun gets covered by clouds. And then you're just. Every bad thing in the world is all you can think of.

That's it. And you're just, you're just there. You know. A trip, yeah. Do you think a bad trip is, is you not letting go with something? Huh. Maybe. You know, because that's why I, like I said, I can't trip anymore because I've got too many things worrying me, you know.

Especially now when we have two kids, I go imagine, dude. Yeah, dude. What was it like doing? that straight-up record. Huh. That was interesting. Did you get a phone call or what? Well, you know, I was kind of tight with the snot guys,

and then I got the call from Mikey Dolan to do it, a product and I. So then we just went down to a studio in L.A. And blasted it out in one night, the vocals and the DJ. But it was at a time where I was a, bit salty about my career. I do remember that. Really? Yeah, I was I was not happy with the label because dude, you got to understand like after broke came out, the general consensus from like, um, okay, so, you know, Chester from Lincoln Park was like, your fucking label sucks. You guys should

be way more successful. I want you to come to my label and, and I'm going to make sure that this happens, right? So my label was like, fuck you, Chester. We're going to keep pet P.E. I get a phone call from Jonathan Davis. Hey, man, we really want to help you guys. I really want to help you guys, man. I just really feel like, quote unquote, you guys should be big like Limp Biscuit right now. He probably said bigger.

And I'm telling the story because I rarely do podcasts anyway. But I'm telling you why I was salty at the time. Because I had these people like Jonathan Davis and Chester telling me, you should be much bigger, you know. So, of course, I'm like, yeah, yeah, you're right. You know what I mean? And so then I'm like mad at my label because they won't let me leave

and go with the rock stars. You know, guys who are fucking selling millions who want to help me and they won't let them do that. So man, I was in a bad place around that straight up time right then because of all of that that was going on. Yeah, because people don't realize that,

you know, maybe, I mean, you could maybe, correct me wrong, but it sounds like that was the biggest mistake of your career where you sign to a record label that really just there's just too much money involved it was their, we were their

first rock band though. It was Jive Records. They had Britney Spears and the Backstreet Boys and Spice One who was, you know, they had some gangster and two short, you know, that was their biggest they had no rock experience at all so they were cutting their teeth with head P.E.

You know, and we had offers from Sony and Columbia and Warner Brothers, you know, that would have been a better fit, but um, jive our manager at the time, rest in peace, just took whoever offered the most money.

Mm-hmm. Which was jive. So it was a mistake. Oh my goodness. It was a mistake. Yeah. A lot of those times it's like when like the bigger money offer is actually the worst one. And that was the case. Oh. Jerry, I'm so sorry, dude. I know because it really, it really

wrote the history. It'd be like a, um, a really good quarter going to a team that and there's nothing there to support him there's no line for blocking and no good receivers and all of a sudden this really good quarterback is just oh no that's the that's the metaphor i like to use and then that that part causes like a like a lot of friction between you and west and then chad's like fuck this i'm gone sure and just ruins like yeah the morale is low right morale is low and it's almost impossible to get out of that hole emotionally, especially

like talking different human beings with their own lives and their own thoughts and feelings. You know? Well, Wes is going to his own shit, Chad's going to his own thing, you're going to your own thing, trying to deal with what you guys are going through.

That sucks, dude. Yeah, it was a low time. It was very low. You know, it was, it was, I was kind of silly about it to the point where when I got off the label, I was salty about my hits. I was like, wanted to

recreate some kind of, career that didn't depend on radio or something. I don't know. I was in the weirdest part of my professional life when I left after the third record. But, you know, full circle. Now I look back and I'm grateful regardless because, you know, Jive records may have not blown me up to superstar status, but they still planted some seeds and I was still able to go to.

Japan, Europe, Australia, or whatever. So just try to look at the brighter side of things, you know. Yeah. I mean, you did come out of the other side. Yeah. Just, I mean, with you, I mean, just brute force. Right. Just never stopping, really.

He just never stopped. Yeah. Like, what was going on in your mind where, like, man, the shit's going, not going well? And you just kept going. Wow. Well, because I found a way to make money with music. And like we were talking about earlier, it's like, I'm still struggling to find another revenue stream that isn't music related. And so that's really been what has just pushed me the whole time is like trying to make money with what I love doing, which is writing and performing.

There's no righteous motivation behind it besides that. Yeah. Well, Jerry, it's a miracle that you guys are still here, you know. Yeah, dude, you know. What was it like for you meeting Connor McGregor? That was great, dude. We were on tour with Alien Amp Farm. And I had watched Connor McGregor come up, you know, from his first fight in the UFC.

Another trippy thing was when I went to buy some like Connor McGregor murder, from dethroned. I got a letter from a guy who was like, oh, I know you. My brother worked as an engineer recording you guys and he sent me like a box of like tons of Connor

gear. That's sick. That was like my whole wardrobe for five years. But anyway, so like when we were out there with Alien Amp Farm, I was like oh I'm gonna, I made my driver drive to the fucking gym Connor's gym. Because you guys were in Ireland. Yeah, we're

in Ireland in Dublin, have a show that night in Dublin. So we drove there and I was in there just hanging out. Met tons of people that I idolized. But the one guy said, no, Conner's not coming in today. But I just hung around. And sure enough, I looked over and there he was, dude. And so I just waited, waited, waited. And then met him out in the back in the alley and took a picture and he was super cool.

That's dope. Yeah, yeah, dude. He was very cool. Very rare do you get to meet someone you idolize like. that right yeah what's that's that's a sick picture that was right before the floyd mayweather and all that yes because i think i try to look at the timeline i think he he just fought nate dyes for a second time and a month later after this picture i think he was about to fight eddie abrez and become double champion no i think you're right dude either that or was right before the second dia's fight

one or the other yeah yeah it's like man he was a superstar already ready. Oh yeah. It's crazy. And that's that's funny, dude. Look at you, dude. My goodness. That's funny. That's fucking sick. You know what? Obviously, he gets a lot of flack, but he seems like a cool guy.

This is a dude that says followed his dreams. He gets flak, but, I mean, not to make excuses for him, but can you imagine you're like 26 and worth half a billion? No. I would fail. I might self-destruct if it was me, you know. Same. At that age, because I was like,

out of control at 26. Totally. The little income we got when we were in early 20 is like, we fucking failed, man. Universe knows when we can't handle something. It knows. No, apparently, apparently. It'll give you like a little test and like,

are you fumble it? Like, well, you're not ready. I just saw some content on that. Instead of the universe, they put in the word God. It was like, God gives you what you can handle and denies you the things you will not be able to handle.

is kind of what you're saying, you know. Yeah. Although I'm not a, I'm more of an atheist type of guy. Yeah, so you are, you are more like a tort, towards that right? I'm, I'm an atheist.

Okay. I don't believe in some, I believe that the world's a magical place and that because of like, looking at like, geometry and sacred geometry, there's some real intelligence woven into the fabric of the universe,

you know? I just don't believe in like, like, some being that's kind of, overlooking shit, you know. Got it. Yeah. So, actually, Jared, you are the perfect person to ask this. And this would be one of my last questions.

But, okay. So you are, you're in a band. You have created. Okay. So for someone that leans towards the atheist side, where do you think that comes from? Well, creation, music creation, where does that come from?

Yes. Huh. Well. Those, those worries that like kind of, you know when this kind of comes out of nowhere? Yeah. I think it's one of two things. Either it's just chemicals bouncing around in your brain that just bring about creativity. Yeah.

Or there may be some higher mind at work that we tap into and then the brain's like an antenna, you know? So it's coming from the ethers, meaning from something more mystical that science is yet to kind of um uh to kind of figure out you know okay so it's one of those two things either it's just purely chemical reactions in your brain or there's some higher things going on that we're yet to kind of uh scientifically identify kind of like an avatar like you just you kind of plug in i just don't know you know it's it really comes down to consciousness right like um are we swimming in a sea of consciousness that science is yet to really go look, you know. Got it.

That we're in a sea of consciousness, you know, and am I pulling, are we pulling our creativity from that sea? Don't know. Maybe it is, I have no idea. It's one of those things I think we'll never know until it's, we're fucking dead. Well, yeah. Or, you know, maybe science will figure it out.

And I never thought about that way. In a hundred years. or 200. I have no idea, but I like to put my faith in science, um, uh, figuring out the things that to us are more just mystical, you know. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Let me throw one thing at you. So I, I believe that, uh, when, I believe that we, we channel dead people. What kind of people? Dead people. Okay. So I think, like, let's say, like, you're a singer.

So a singer before you that's passed away that's done some cool shit when I think I also tied it in to people that take risks. I think the energy only helps people that are like the outer control taking the risk. And they'll come in at the right moment and then. Okay. Well, that's kind of like the 11th monkey thing where like a monkey on one side of the island and figures out how to crack a coconut. And then on the other side of the island,

with them never seeing each other, the other monkey starts doing that shit too. So that's like sea of consciousness, but also channeling maybe too. Like I told you, I was really into the channelings of Barbara Marcinniac, right? And she's channeling, you know, higher knowledge from a different civilization.

So, um, which would be dead people. It's kind of what you're saying, right? You know, so again, like I told you, I'll believe anything and nothing, you know, do you know what I mean? So I'm fully open to what you're saying could totally be true. I wonder. You know what it would suck if we die and we just never know. It would be like one of those things like, man, like what? Where did I come from?

And the thing is, is like, when you die, is it just fade to black and poof, nothing? Or do you die and wake up and go, oh, wow, oh, that was a trip? And then I have, you know what I mean? Like, that's the fear. That's the fear of death. I was having this conversation recently. Like, what, what are people afraid of? Are they afraid of it going black?

Are they afraid of the active life? Are they afraid of actual hell? I mean, what is it that we want and what is it that we're afraid of, you know? Right. Like, for me, I don't fear the. death and I don't fear even if it's just like nothing after I die like absolutely nothing this was it boom I'm more fear like not leaving my family with enough resources of course that's the fear I will call that it's funny uh I call that hell it's like if you let's say if god forbids

something happens to you like you where you go before you were supposed to go and I think when you have your last thoughts I'm like shit I didn't leave for I want to leave behind. And I believe, like, the thoughts you have will part are insane. Like, oh, like, I'm dead. I can't do anything. That, to me, sounds like a hell. That sounds like a hell.

Yeah, I don't need any of that. Yeah. Jesus. Because then all of a sudden, you're dead and it's too late to do anything. Exactly. Well, I think that kind of subconsciously drives us to, like, we're just working our asses off, grinding no matter what, no matter how much do you owe to label or drive records? You just keep fucking.

There's something that drives you This complete insane to work your ass off Because you don't, you kind of just don't want to leave behind You don't, you don't want to go and have these like, like regrets. Well, you know, hey, hey, my, my, my, my family is fine. Right. They're, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my son, they're fine. I did it.

Right, that's where I'm at. And I got it to tell you, growing, growing up, I was never, um, I know, I know, I never imagined to be a homeowner and a husband and a father. You know, I always just kind of saw my life as kind of like, what's that famous drunk who wrote books, really good books, the famous drunk, and I'm sorry, excuse me. Say it again? Lukowski.

Yes. Boom. Yes. Like that guy, I always thought I'd live a life like him, just like be, just be satisfied with just getting fucked, you know, know, wasted and living in a little apartment in Long Beach or Venice and never having kids and just being like Bukowski. But then, you know, I met my wife.

And then now it's this whole other thing, you know, where I'm like worried because she's much younger than me. And so I've got this young family. And I, the biggest fear like we were talking about is leaving the planet without setting them up with something. But, you know, let's just say I dropped dead right. now and and I don't leave them enough. You know what? They'll be fine. Mm-hmm. Yeah. It's a weird. It's a deep, deep, some conscious drive. Yeah. And I don't think it'll be like songwriting. I don't think we'll ever

understand, you know. No, dude. Well, uh, Jared, I know you got you got to take off. I, are we, I have a show tonight. Yeah. Yeah. I would catch you for 60 minutes longer than than we should have. Dude, thank you so much for even bringing me out here. I'm humbled and what a great conversation. you obviously are good at what you do because this was comfortable yeah appreciate that just thank you for your time and again like you know we're we're big fans and people in in this chair i'm telling you people in my scene like the death metal death core hardcore scene talk about he that's that's cool man it's cool man i'm telling you makes me smile it really does yeah man uh so just always you know keep us i just want to you know you to leave with that you know you

have support places that you may not have thought you have support. Right on, dude. I appreciate that. I'll leave with some good vibes from that, knowing that. Well, last, where could people find you? Well, you know, we're on the Facebook, Head PE, and the Facebook and Instagram at the real Head PE. And that's about it.

Cool. New song detox, three songs out now. Yeah, we got a single. The whole record should be out by the end of the year. Nice. And I'm sure it'll be out on all the platforms. Boom. Thank you, brother.

Appreciate you, brother. Thank you so much. All right, everyone, that's it. Later.