“What the hell does Wolfbiker mean?” I ask Josh James, guitarist for the Jacksonville
metal band, Evergreen Terrace. “Well a wolf is pretty badass and what’s more
badass than a biker?” James asks as he gives me a long stare as if I had asked the
dumbest question in the world, and perhaps I had. “I mean if you combine them you
have the ultimate badass.” James continues. Wolfbiker is the title for Evergreen
Terrace’s new record with the label Metal Blade. One might ask how exactly a band
like Evergreen gets on a label like Metal Blade, but not them, they just roll with the
punches. “It’s just someone that goes against the grain, someone that thinks for
themselves.” Andrew Carrey, vocalist, adds. “It’s just about creating your own
density.” James says about Wolfbiker. With that in mind it’s really no wonder that
Evergreen Terrace is on Metal Blade Records. It’s not like they haven’t paid nearly
10 years worth of dues by hammering it out in the Jacksonville music scene. Now,
they’ve made the greatest record of their career. “It’s the record that we have
always been trying to write.” James confesses, “It is the definition of Evergreen
Terrace.” He adds.
So what changed? That would be the addition of new drummer, Kyle Mims from
Nashville, Tennessee. “He brings a lot of new ideas to the table.” James says of
Mims. Recently, they have managed to share the stage with bands like Rise Against,
Throwdown and Hatebreed. In November, Evergreen will be joining Hatebreed for
yet another tour through Europe. “As long as you tell Hatebreed fans to fuck
something up or to destroy something then they’ll smash bottles and rip their shirts
off or any quote from Gladiator.” James says.
I have been a lot of unsavory places in my life. I have ridden the subway through
Brooklyn at 4 AM. I have been through a McDonald’s drive through in inner city
Rochester, New York where I was unable to get my beloved cancer-laced Egg
McMuffin because a mere 10 minutes before, some psycho had climbed through the
drive through window and stab the employee because he wanted another hash
brown. Hell, I have been stabbed by my own girlfriend before and not to mention
shot at, but St. Petersburg has some fucked up people, and I fucking love it!
St. Petersburg is a Mecca for all the shrieking lunatics of the world. They have more
Schitzos, Bi-polars, and just plain old-fashioned drug addicts per capita than
Milwaukee has beer cans. I meet someone new every time I come to St. Pete, so
why should tonight be any different? I stand behind the State Theatre with Josh
James, Jason Southwell (Bassist), as well as Andrew Carrey, discussing their love
for cover songs when I notice James pass the outside of my right shoulder.
“And what do you do?” He asks. “I’m a schizophrenic.” A voice says. I quickly turn
around, as do Carrey and Southwell towards the self-proclaimed Schizophrenic. “I’
m a schizophrenic person, not married, not divorced, never.” She says. “Yeah, who
wants that?” James asks. For the next few moments the three of us have to look
down and try not to laugh as James humors the six-foot-one Black female
schizophrenic, who goes by Ebonie Katrina, and for quality purposes, she makes me
write it down correctly, “That’s E-b-o-n-i-e, not E-b-o-n-y, and my middle name is
Katrina spelled K-a-t-r-i- n-a.” She pauses long enough just to catch her breath as
she crosses her arms for a brief moment.
“My middle name is Smith. Isn’t that a weird middle name?” James asks calmly.
She finally gets to her point, “I need some gas.” James opens up his wallet and gives
her 5 dollars. “Are you guys in a band?” She asks. “Yeah we are.” James answers.
“What band?” Without hesitation and a straight face, James says “Strung Out, have
you heard of us?” She looks puzzled for a moment, “I’m going to check you guys
out, are you guys looking for a singer?” James pauses. “Now don’t lie to me.” She
continues. “I’m not; give us something; a little audition.” James says. “No, I’m no
singer. I can’t, I’m no male.” Ebonie explains. “Did you say you’re a male?”
“No, no.” Ebonie screeches then pulls down her spandex pants and dances around
in a circle pulls her pants back up, and begins to walk away. “Strung Out, I’m
going to check you guys out, I don’t have a dick.” She hollers from across the
parking lot. “Yeah I know, I saw that.” James hollers back. “WOW!” he exclaims.
“I love the fact that she pulled her pants down and twirled around like a ballerina and
going on. Everything started off with a we are the only four out here that saw that.”
metal band, Evergreen Terrace. “Well a wolf is pretty badass and what’s more
badass than a biker?” James asks as he gives me a long stare as if I had asked the
dumbest question in the world, and perhaps I had. “I mean if you combine them you
have the ultimate badass.” James continues. Wolfbiker is the title for Evergreen
Terrace’s new record with the label Metal Blade. One might ask how exactly a band
like Evergreen gets on a label like Metal Blade, but not them, they just roll with the
punches. “It’s just someone that goes against the grain, someone that thinks for
themselves.” Andrew Carrey, vocalist, adds. “It’s just about creating your own
density.” James says about Wolfbiker. With that in mind it’s really no wonder that
Evergreen Terrace is on Metal Blade Records. It’s not like they haven’t paid nearly
10 years worth of dues by hammering it out in the Jacksonville music scene. Now,
they’ve made the greatest record of their career. “It’s the record that we have
always been trying to write.” James confesses, “It is the definition of Evergreen
Terrace.” He adds.
So what changed? That would be the addition of new drummer, Kyle Mims from
Nashville, Tennessee. “He brings a lot of new ideas to the table.” James says of
Mims. Recently, they have managed to share the stage with bands like Rise Against,
Throwdown and Hatebreed. In November, Evergreen will be joining Hatebreed for
yet another tour through Europe. “As long as you tell Hatebreed fans to fuck
something up or to destroy something then they’ll smash bottles and rip their shirts
off or any quote from Gladiator.” James says.
I have been a lot of unsavory places in my life. I have ridden the subway through
Brooklyn at 4 AM. I have been through a McDonald’s drive through in inner city
Rochester, New York where I was unable to get my beloved cancer-laced Egg
McMuffin because a mere 10 minutes before, some psycho had climbed through the
drive through window and stab the employee because he wanted another hash
brown. Hell, I have been stabbed by my own girlfriend before and not to mention
shot at, but St. Petersburg has some fucked up people, and I fucking love it!
St. Petersburg is a Mecca for all the shrieking lunatics of the world. They have more
Schitzos, Bi-polars, and just plain old-fashioned drug addicts per capita than
Milwaukee has beer cans. I meet someone new every time I come to St. Pete, so
why should tonight be any different? I stand behind the State Theatre with Josh
James, Jason Southwell (Bassist), as well as Andrew Carrey, discussing their love
for cover songs when I notice James pass the outside of my right shoulder.
“And what do you do?” He asks. “I’m a schizophrenic.” A voice says. I quickly turn
around, as do Carrey and Southwell towards the self-proclaimed Schizophrenic. “I’
m a schizophrenic person, not married, not divorced, never.” She says. “Yeah, who
wants that?” James asks. For the next few moments the three of us have to look
down and try not to laugh as James humors the six-foot-one Black female
schizophrenic, who goes by Ebonie Katrina, and for quality purposes, she makes me
write it down correctly, “That’s E-b-o-n-i-e, not E-b-o-n-y, and my middle name is
Katrina spelled K-a-t-r-i- n-a.” She pauses long enough just to catch her breath as
she crosses her arms for a brief moment.
“My middle name is Smith. Isn’t that a weird middle name?” James asks calmly.
She finally gets to her point, “I need some gas.” James opens up his wallet and gives
her 5 dollars. “Are you guys in a band?” She asks. “Yeah we are.” James answers.
“What band?” Without hesitation and a straight face, James says “Strung Out, have
you heard of us?” She looks puzzled for a moment, “I’m going to check you guys
out, are you guys looking for a singer?” James pauses. “Now don’t lie to me.” She
continues. “I’m not; give us something; a little audition.” James says. “No, I’m no
singer. I can’t, I’m no male.” Ebonie explains. “Did you say you’re a male?”
“No, no.” Ebonie screeches then pulls down her spandex pants and dances around
in a circle pulls her pants back up, and begins to walk away. “Strung Out, I’m
going to check you guys out, I don’t have a dick.” She hollers from across the
parking lot. “Yeah I know, I saw that.” James hollers back. “WOW!” he exclaims.
“I love the fact that she pulled her pants down and twirled around like a ballerina and
going on. Everything started off with a we are the only four out here that saw that.”
Over the years, one thing that these Jacksonville natives never lost is their sense of
humor. “There’s never been a strong seriousness in Jacksonville.” James explains,
“There was always a fun vibe going on. Everything started off with a punk scene [in
Jacksonville], then hardcore branched out of it, and now it’s mostly metal. But that
idea of having fun at a show never got lost.” He adds. A good sense of humor is an
important quality for these guys to posses, considering that they have been at this
game for nearly 10 years now. When you start taking yourself too seriously is when
everything falls apart. You can see in their faces that the interview is just one running
joke and that they’re trying to make each other laugh at any cost.
“Why do you think that the music scene in Florida is booming all of a sudden?” I
inquire. “The sun, the weather, the babes.” Southwell says with a laugh. “I’d say
Limp Bizkit.” James offers. “Yes! They have a lot to offer!” adds Carrey. They all
laugh. When you look into their young vibrant faces, they look a bit more like
fraternity brothers rather than late 20-something-yeard old band mates. “There are
obviously other things that I want to accomplish in my life, but you only live once.
I’m only going to be physically capable to do this one time,” Carrey says, “We know
that change is inevitable. There are people in the band that do want to get married and
have kids and there’s people in the band that fucking want to be homeless and ride the
trains for the rest of their lives.” James says. I bet you can guess who the ones that
want to be homeless and ride the trains are. [Justin@Nyghtscene.com]
humor. “There’s never been a strong seriousness in Jacksonville.” James explains,
“There was always a fun vibe going on. Everything started off with a punk scene [in
Jacksonville], then hardcore branched out of it, and now it’s mostly metal. But that
idea of having fun at a show never got lost.” He adds. A good sense of humor is an
important quality for these guys to posses, considering that they have been at this
game for nearly 10 years now. When you start taking yourself too seriously is when
everything falls apart. You can see in their faces that the interview is just one running
joke and that they’re trying to make each other laugh at any cost.
“Why do you think that the music scene in Florida is booming all of a sudden?” I
inquire. “The sun, the weather, the babes.” Southwell says with a laugh. “I’d say
Limp Bizkit.” James offers. “Yes! They have a lot to offer!” adds Carrey. They all
laugh. When you look into their young vibrant faces, they look a bit more like
fraternity brothers rather than late 20-something-yeard old band mates. “There are
obviously other things that I want to accomplish in my life, but you only live once.
I’m only going to be physically capable to do this one time,” Carrey says, “We know
that change is inevitable. There are people in the band that do want to get married and
have kids and there’s people in the band that fucking want to be homeless and ride the
trains for the rest of their lives.” James says. I bet you can guess who the ones that
want to be homeless and ride the trains are. [Justin@Nyghtscene.com]
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