Posted on February 3, 2010 - by Editor

Thinking Back & Looking Forward: Tony Sly

Tony Sly © Kristen Wright

All Words by Steve

Photo by Kristen Wright

Tony Sly is the frontman of No Use For A Name and releases his solo Debut “12 Song Program” on Fat Wreck Chords on February 16th.

Steve: There has been an increase in the number of artists performing/releasing solo material currently, why do you think that is?

Tony: I think it’s as band guys get a little older and want to do their own thing. But for me it’s something I should have done like ten years ago, I just never felt like I had the time. I wanted to but No Use always had a busy schedule. Rory, No Use drummer, owns and operates his own business in the winter to the spring so it’s hard to line things up for No Use. But I feel like a musician; like I always need to be connected to music, money or not. It’s my job and I love doing this solo thing so far, it’s been nothing but an enlightening experience for me. I had a lot of songs that I wrote over a month that just sounded so far removed from the whole punk thing, so I recorded it.

Steve: Your first solo record is out on Feb, and you’re heading over with Joey and Jon, what are you expecting for the tour? How different do you think it will be to the band tour experience with NUFAN?

Tony: Well for once, I might not be the biggest drinker. I think I can be drank under the table on this tour and that sounds frightening to me. I have known those guys for a while, we go way back and have a lot of the same interests and those guys have a great sense of humour. Plus the format of the show is amazing, it’s like a carousel set, people just keep jumping in and out of each other’s sets and it looks like one big set, we’re drinking and singing, the crowd is drinking and singing, what more could you ask for? I’m sure it will be all the same smells as a No Use tour.

Steve: I heard you performed on Chucks (Ragan) Revival tour last year; how much would like to be involved again?

Tony: That was Joey actually. But I would LOVE to be on Chuck’s tour in 2010. It sounds so cool. And I heard everyone is really down to earth on that tour. Nothing but good things.

Steve: Do you have any other solo tours lined up for 2010?

Tony: They’re pouring in like crazy and I didn’t really even ask. Things are shaping up to be more busy than a No Use touring schedule. But that’s also because I don’t have to check with like 10 other people first before I say yes. I keep saying “yes” to everything. It’ll be good having a new record and all.

Steve: For fans of NUFAN- when will you head back to writing new material with the band and what is their status?

Tony: I am going to write No Use songs whenever I can. I was messing around the other day with some riffs and some melodies. At some point all this melllow stuff will suppress my inner punk to the point where I will probably explode with punk songs. We have a new guitar player from Lag Wagon, Chris, which was so great to have him on our last tour. He’s a rad dude, great player. We might do some summer stuff. Maybe European festivals? I’m working on that right now too.

Steve: What major shifts have you seen in music industry over past decade?

Tony: File sharing and the decline of record sales was the most major, then the influx if new bands from the internet, so many bands, too many bands. I guess all in all this last decade has been like poison for music. At least in the sense that the definition of music as art has been shit on. But a lot of good stuff came out in the 00’s too, some really good records. But over-all, a shitty decade for music.

Steve: With the end of the decade, which bands have you been most impressed with in the past ten years?

Tony: The Killers, DCFC, Rise Against and many, many more. NOFX for making it through like 4 decades and touring more than before.

Steve: What 5 words would you use to describe your feeling about performing solo and your new record?

Tony: Nervous, drunk, good, folky, and fun.

Steve: What were your favourite records of 2009?

Tony: Teenage Bottlerocket, Pour Habit, DCFC, The Weakerthans…you know what? I’m terrible with years and titles.

Steve: What bands are you excited by at the moment?

Tony: Teenage Bottlerocket.

Tony Sly is on tour in Europe and the UK soon with Joey Cape and Jon Snodgrass

We will soon be releasing details of our competition in which you can win a pair of tickets to one of the shows and copies of Tony’s new record “12 Song Program”.