![](\"\/images\/ironlunglive.jpg\")
<\/p>\nIf you’re into hardcore at all, Iron Lung require the same detailed introduction
\nas Infest or Youth Of Today – either you know what they’re all about at
\nthis point or there’s simply no hope for you. I respect that not all readers
\nof this site are hardcore fanatics though, so let me break it down like this:
\nif there is a hardcore band to define the ’00s (in the best way possible),
\nIron Lung are a strong candidate. They’ve done their share of split 7″s with
\nsmall-time grindcore groups, they’ve played Chaos In Tejas more times than
\nmost punks have attended (including a breakfast show!), and they’ve put out
\nsome crushing, meticulously-detailed albums that stand the test of time in
\nan era of good-yet-disposable hardcore. It will be a sad day that Iron Lung
\ncalls it quits, but I’m convinced it will take the death of one of their members
\nfor that ever to be a reality (and who really knows what future technology
\nholds – maybe Jon Kortland could get Kranged after his body fails him?). <\/p>\n
So you just wrapped up a mammoth tour in support of your new album, White Glove Test<\/i>. How’d it go? Is
\nit as brutal on your mental and physical well-being as I’d imagine a two-month tour would be?<\/b>
\nJensen (drums\/vocals)<\/I>: Now that we’ve been home a couple days I can definitely feel the mileage.
\nThere is a thing that happens to the body on tour that is somewhat remarkable in that you
\nreally only feel a physical change in the first and last week of any tour. The middle, no
\nmatter how long it may be is mechanical and consistent; dependable. I suppose the same could
\nbe said for the the mental side of all that too. Jon and I have been doing this for long
\nenough to be able to anticipate any odd behaviors and adjust for them accordingly. Also we
\nlike pretty much the same stuff so there is hardly ever any trouble. I’ve seen a lot bands
\ncompletely implode just because one guy wants this amazing canned hummus across town or
\nsomeone else hates record shopping when there is free time for it. People have their wants
\nbut mistake them for needs far too often. The group mentality needs to have a little elasticity
\nto it. As for the trip itself, it was a weird great one. Tulsa, OK was cantankerous, Jackson,
\nMS was not. Portland, ME punks do it in the ice, Newark, DE’s do it in the dirt. We tried to
\nhit all the states we’ve never played before. Unfortunately because of bad weather we had to
\ncancel the Wyoming show which only leaves Alaska and Wyoming left for us to play in the US.
\nJon (guitar\/vocals)<\/i>: I’d almost say it is more brutal on my mental state when a tour is over. When
\nthe constant movement and rhythm of tour ends, it can be difficult to adjust to the stagnation
\nof everyday life. A tour sets up a routine, but then there are always these unpredictable
\nvariables. “Will the gear work tonight? Will the crowd break our gear tonight? Will this be the
\nworst night or the best night of my life?” All that being said, I was really happy that we
\nwere able to do a full US tour by getting in a van and doing it the old fashioned way. <\/p>\n
In your experience, is there anything that pretty much every American town has in common when it
\ncomes to shows? Like, is there always one guy in a Void shirt, or Motorhead patch? Does the pit
\nalways rotate counter-clockwise?<\/b>
\nJon<\/i>: Now, thanks to the internet, there are several people wearing a Void shirt and\/or a Motorhead
\npatch in every American town. As far as the pit goes, I didn’t see much actual rotation. Mostly
\njust back and forth or lunging forward or no movement at all. On a more positive note, I will
\nsay that every town we went to had someone who was willing and motivated enough to make a show
\nhappen and we all know that is a thankless labor of love.<\/p>\n
For as much as I know you guys embrace technology (Bandcamps and Instagrams and all that), it
\nseems like your tour was booked the old fashioned way, just getting in touch with punks in
\nsmall towns and mapping it all out. Do you feel like you’re one of the few hardcore bands still
\ntouring the way you just did?<\/b>
\nJon<\/i>: I wouldn’t necessarily say we fully embrace technology. On one hand, we have a Bandcamp, and
\nwe are both on Instagram, but on the other hand, we don’t have a Facebook or whatever the
\nnew social network thing is. I guess you could say we are selective about the ways we communicate
\nin this modern world. The way this tour was booked was actually not that much different from
\nthe way we booked tours when we were just starting out. Some of the same people even booked
\nour shows or are still involved. We also had to track down contacts for places we had never
\nbeen, much the same way we did years ago.
\nIt seems like over the last few years most bands stopped touring North America the way we just
\ndid. The economy of doing a lengthy tour just does not make sense, which is a real shame. The
\ncoastal tour trend has left so many people out, and so many of these forgotten places deserve
\nmore attention. This tour was a bit of an experiment to see if it can still be done, and it can,
\nbut it’s not easy.<\/p>\n
After all your years of touring… do you feel like the “old guy” band at this point? Like besides Dropdead,
\nwho don’t really seem to do a lot of recording and new records, Iron Lung seems to me like the
\nlast group to come out of the ’90s power-violence \/ hardcore-grind scene that is still relevant
\nand putting out killer records. Was there a point where you were like “oh crap, most of the crowd
\nwas being born when I was at shows moshing” or anything like that? Or do you feel as youthful as
\never and I am totally wrong.<\/b>
\nJensen<\/i>: I would say that we are on the older end of the age spectrum at most shows, but I prefer not
\nto think about our mortality in that way. On this tour there were several people that came up to
\nus saying they had been waiting “forever” to see us, citing that they were 12 when they first heard Sexless<\/i>
\n or something. In that way, to these kids, we are a band that has just always been around. In my mind
\n it has only been a few months since the last tour. The last Spazz show (our second show ever) was
\njust a couple years back. We do talk about our age a little more these days but only as a side note.
\nFunny how that happens.
\nI have always looked to older folks in the scene for inspiration to keep going, and definitely look
\nto the younger people for the energy needed to carry out whatever ridiculous plans we may hatch. We
\nare in the perfect middle area for achieving anything we want to do. I also feel that people,
\nregardless of what interest area, should continue doing the things they love until they are physically
\n unable to do them anymore. You wanna lipslide the ten-stair handrail? If your knees will sustain you,
\nrip it! You wanna climb a mountain? You don’t even need legs for that. What are you waiting for?
\nJon<\/i>: Generally, I am the oldest person at any given punk show. This happens a bit less in the Bay Area where
\nthere are a good amount of older punks still actively going to shows, making music, etc. We have been
\nconsistently playing in bands, touring, putting out records, so maybe we sometimes forget about the
\nfact that we are physically growing older. At this point, I have been doing these things for way more
\nof my life than not. I will continue to make music as long as I am physically able. I think we both
\nagree that there would be no need to continue playing in Iron Lung if we were to run out of ideas. I’m
\nsure there are some that would disagree, but after all these years, I feel like we still have way
\n more life left as a band.<\/p>\n
Regarding that “perfect middle area”…. it seems like Iron Lung can always sell new records, or get
\nat least 50-100 punks to show up in any town you play. You’re undoubtedly a successful
\nhardcore band, so do you ever think about getting “bigger”? As a hardcore band that stays DIY,
\n is it even possible in 2013 to become more popular and bigger than where you’re currently at,
\n without sacrificing the integrity somehow?<\/b>
\nJon<\/i>: I think a lot of that has to do with longevity and consistency. I don’t really have any interest in
\n getting “bigger.” I am concerned with making the kind of music I would want to hear and to play
\nwith bands I want to see. So, I guess that alone would stop any band from becoming a part of
\n“mainstream culture.” I’m sure there are people who think that putting out a demo or playing a
\nshow out of town is somehow unpunk or some form of selling out. We make music and put out records
\nfor other people to hear and hopefully enjoy. If someone does, great. If someone doesn’t, we don’t
\nreally care. We will continue to do things our way whether anyone else likes it our not.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Going back a bit… how did Iron Lung get started? I know you were both playing in other bands… was the
\nintention to be a duo from the start, or did it just kind of wind up that way? And how’d you
\nmanage to play Spazz’s last show? That’s like going straight from high school to the major leagues.<\/b>
\nJon<\/i>: I had been playing in a band called Gob for many years, and around the time that folded, Jensen and I
\nstarted playing together. We worked on a project called Kralizec which was basically proto-Iron
\nLung with a vocalist. All of the songs were based on Frank Herbert’s Dune<\/i> series and the 7″
\nincluded long sampled segments from the film. We wanted to continue making music, but without
\nthe limitations of such a rigid theme. Iron Lung has always been the two of us, but there have
\nbeen a few guest vocalists along the way. One of them was Mike Cheese from Gehenna who played
\nthe last Spazz show with us.
\nI toured the US with Spazz in 1997 and we had been friends for years before that. Chris had
\nheard a recording we did and I guess he liked it enough to ask us to play. There was talk of us
\ndoing an LP on Slap A Ham before he stopped doing the label and Max put out three of our records
\n on 625. It was pretty crazy playing that show, especially with Cheese in the mix. That was our
\nsecond show and it was in front of around 700 Spazz fans packed into Gilman with no ins or outs.
\nIt was more like taking the SATs without any pants.<\/p>\n
Are you just as psyched on hardcore in 2013 as you were in 1997? If so, what’s your secret?<\/b>
\nJon<\/i>: Good question. It’s really hard to gauge the enthusiasm I had 16 years ago against how I feel now.
\nI will say that I definitely love music, whether it be hardcore, noise, chamber music,
\nwhatever, just as much, if not more, than I did back then.
\nI hear a lot of people, young and old, informed and misinformed, talking about how there are no
\nnew hardcore bands that are any good. Well, the same could be said for 1997 or 1987 for that
\nmatter. I feel like I have consistently found new bands that interest or even inspire me over
\n the years, so I guess that would be my secret.
\nJensen<\/i>: I am definitely as stoked on hardcore now as I was back then. There is a different breed now but
\nit still excites me. Luckily there are so many other musical styles to delve into when hardcore
\nhits a stale point. I have just discovered trap-rap and it is ruling my speakers for now. There
\nis just as much energy and culture to that as punk, but it offers a completely different and
\nrefreshing balance to my palette. I see people burn out of punk-life all the time and I really
\n put that down to them just not being creative or motivated enough to explore new things.<\/p>\n
I never understood that, people who get super into hardcore, but carve themselves into such a specific niche
\nof the records and bands they enjoy that they eventually buy them all up, then just stop caring
\nor following hardcore. Do you think that this is kind of a side effect of people who get really
\ninto the “historical re-enactment” style of hardcore, if you know what I mean?<\/b>
\nJensen<\/i>: Absolutely. The civil war already happened. Let it go. People get stuck on this trip that no new
\nmusical idea is any good. Tried and tested is so safe… and boring<\/i>. Hardcore is not about playing it safe
\nanyway. Every other time we play, some joker yells “Crossed Out cover!”, which is just as clever
\nas “Freebird” these days. My reply has become almost automatic to this stating that “they broke up
\n and we are here now… and write better songs.” I love the response that gets from people. It’s
\nan equal mix of enthusiasm and skepticism. And that is exactly what I want from a crowd. Maybe if
\nwe play a horse race in San Diego, Dallas and I can have a real conversation about song structure
\nand effect. Ha!
\nJon<\/i>: Also, it seems like a side effect of people who got into hardcore for all the wrong reasons. It’s no
\nlonger limited to people who feel alienated. Now there is all this acceptance with being punk, and
\nall the information is at everyone’s fingertips. <\/p>\n
You mention noise, which I know has always played a role in your label (Satan’s Pimp), other projects, and Iron
\nLung too, most prominently with the extra noise LP to be played alongside White Glove Test<\/i>. Do you view noise
\n as sort of an extension of hardcore, as far as intensity and ugliness is concerned, or is it
\nsomething completely separate?<\/b>
\nJon<\/i>: For me noise was and is the natural progression from hardcore. It must be the addictive properties of
\ndistortion. I am always intrigued by the endless possibilities of sound. There is nothing more
\n perfect than how a certain sound can elicit an emotional response. <\/p>\n
You’re definitely known for your crowd banter \/ heckling responses. Was this something you slowly developed
\n over the years, or were you always down to break the invisible wall between band and audience
\nand get right into it? Why do you think more hardcore\/punk bands don’t<\/i> banter\/joke with the crowd between songs?<\/b>
\nJon<\/i>: The banter has always been there. I used to say more, but now I just leave it to Jensen. <\/p>\n
To the rest of the world, the Pacific Northwest usually isn’t looked upon as a hub for hardcore punk. Are we
\n just missing out on some great bands, or has it really just been mostly metal-core and straight-
\nedge hardcore for the past couple decades?<\/b>
\nJon<\/i>: Within the last few years the northwest has spawned some really excellent bands. Seattle has had
\na pretty dismal legacy to live down, but as far as bands and shows recently, I would put it up
\n against any town in North America and it would probably win.
\nJensen<\/i>: It is sort of a buzz how many great bands there are in the Northwest right now. I think Seattle
\n has always had interesting bands, but the people in those bands have never been very outgoing or
\neven interested in letting the rest of the world know about their existence. There are flashes
\nof coverage. Then there was grunge and all that it contained. I think once that happened, the
\npeople that were not in the big bands excused themselves from the light even further. A truly
\nunderground scene in many respects. I can definitely get with that mindset sometimes. With that
\nbeing said, I refuse to ignore the talent here and take strides to make sure other people can’t
\nignore it either. <\/p>\n
Your graphic design is pretty distinct, from the hand-drawn art and imagery to the fonts that repeatedly
\nappear on your records. I’ve definitely seen some other bands doing an eerily similar thing…
\nhave you noticed other punk bands kind of copping your artistic style? Is it annoying when that happens?<\/b>
\nJon<\/i>: Thanks. That is a very important element of the band in my opinion. I’ve seen some blatant rip-offs
\nof what we do. Some would say this is just the nature of punk. Some would say imitation is the
\nhighest form of flattery. I feel like we are trying to create an identity for what we do and by
\nno means is what we do without influence. I am informed by what I see in the world and what other
\npeople do. I’d like to think that these influencing ideas go through our filter before the rest
\nof the world gets to see them though.
\nJensen<\/i>: The art has always been there. I used to draw more, but now I just leave it up Jon.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
If you’re into hardcore at all, Iron Lung require the same detailed introduction as Infest or Youth Of Today – either you know what they’re all about at this point or there’s simply no hope for you. I respect that not all readers of this site are hardcore fanatics though, so let me break it […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6662","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-interviews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.yellowgreenred.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6662","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.yellowgreenred.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.yellowgreenred.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.yellowgreenred.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.yellowgreenred.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6662"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.yellowgreenred.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6662\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6676,"href":"https:\/\/www.yellowgreenred.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6662\/revisions\/6676"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.yellowgreenred.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6662"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.yellowgreenred.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6662"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.yellowgreenred.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6662"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}