I recently ran into jade in the official AFI chat. I showed him dream of waking and was kind enough to allow me to interview him over the phone. He is a really cool guy and this is what he had to say.
Jade Puget Interview
J= Jade E= me
E-Why don't you start by introducing yourself.
J- I'm Jade I play guitar
E- so when does the new album come out?
J-Sept 26th
E-What is different about this album than say, black sails or all hallows.
J-It sounds a bit different, every album sounds a bit different. You know we didn't want to make another black sails. It's just natural progression.
E-Did you have a good time in the studio making this album, and were there times when you just said "lets finish this song, I want go home"
J-Well uh sometimes you get frustrated and tired, but I like it in the studio. You know fantasy is a rad studio and they have a pinball machine and a foosball machine. Over all I had a good time making this album.
E-what is your favorite track on the new record?
J-Its hard to choose, I like them all.
E- There has been some pretty heavy boot legging of this album on the net. What is your take on that?
J-I don't know, I mean if somebody downloads it on napster but they have every intention of buying it that's ok, but the people who download it without buying it, that fucking sucks. They don't realize that there hurting the small bands like us and other bands.
E- What would you say or do to someone who you knew bootlegged the album off the net and never bought it when it came out.
J-I wouldn't do anything to it, but I mean fuck. People are gonna put small bands like us out of business. So someday all people will be able to listen to is Brittany Spears and stuff like that. People really want to get music for free, but they don't realize that they hurt small bands.
E-So you guys just came off the warp tour awhile back. How was the tour, and were there any bands you would like to give a good or bad mention about?
J-Warp tour was awesome, all the bands really supported us. Like Green day and poppa roach. Whenever we were on they told them to go see us. We got to hang out with a lot of friends and the people there were pretty cool.
E- why didn't you guys appear at the West Coast warp tour dates?
J-Cause they only offered us the East Coast dates. And you can only really do what they offer.
E- Most of us know that you were in Redemption 87 before you joined AFI. How did you end up hooking up with AFI and becoming their guitarist?
J-I have known Adam and Dave since high school, I have known them forever. Dave and me have always wanted to be in a band. And when they kicked mark out I was the only real person to choose. They wanted me in the band.
E- how do you like it with AFI, is it better than redemption 87?
J-Two different things, different music different people, I had a good time in redemption 87, but that was then this is now.
E- do you see your new album getting some widespread radio play?
J-I don't know, radio is weird. Im not worried about it. Its not like Im gonna cross my fingers and hope for radio play. A lot of its behind the scenes and you have to be on a big label. And that's why so much crappy music gets on the radio. A lot of the radio stations up here play us and we've been number 1 for awhile.
E- what do you think of the expansion in your fan base lately.
J- Yeah I don't know if there has been, if there has been we don't really see it, maybe its because we haven't head lined our own tour in awhile. We've been with bands like sick of it all for like the past year or so. Were even gonna be with rancid this tour and its gonna be like a year before we do another head lining tour.
E-There has been a debate between fans and non-fans alike over the meaning of the use of pentagrams and 666's on your shirts. I have heard that the pentagram and the 666 are symbols for change when not used in the satanic sense. Is this the context you use the pentagram and 666 in?
J-Well I think its been pretty much established that were not Satanists. People keep bringing that up that were Satanists but they bring it up because its conversation. I can't speak up for dave. He might think its change. But its shocking, punk is shocking. I always have seen punk as something that goes against the mainstream.
E- One more thing about the shirts, I noticed when the cat shirt first came out there was a 666 under it, but I saw a new version at a store without the 666. Why was it removed?
J-I don't know, I know that as far as the stickers go I have started seeing the cats without the 666. What happened is a Christian company started making it and they wouldn't make it with the 666. Im not worried about not having the 666 there, I mean the shirt isnt gonna be any less shocking or its not like its gonna suck without the 666.
E-I saw on an Invasion flyer that you guys will be playing Invasion. How did you hook up with invasion?
J-I don't know they just asked us to play it. And we had nothing to do. And it really sucks in January and those months and its like too cold to play in Canada and the states. So we decided to play it.
E-Will the invasion snowboarders get to see you and the rest of AFI busting out their crazy snowboarding skills?
J-I think, I might suck and put my fake cast on my leg stay in the lodge and drink Hot Co Co
E- I have taken notice that the covers of the last 3 AFI releases seem to paint a story. A journey if you will. Is there some journey you are taking us on?
J-Yeah umm I don't think that was intentional but it can be interpreted that way
E- So, what is gonna be different about this tour with rancid than with your other tours?
J-Umm its gonna be probably pretty big, rancids big, but rancids punk those guys are real about so its not gonna be some big retarded production. Its gonna be pretty down to earth.
E-Any plans for a tour by yourselves after your done with this tour?
J-yeah were trying to do something overseas, go to Japan Europe New Zealand, we might do snow jam. What sucks it'll be a while before we can go on a head line tour.
E- can we look forward to another EP or another full length anytime soon?
J-Umm well you know I think were gonna try to do another EP eventually, Like I thought all hallows was cool I liked it. Like theres always a big gap before we can get new music out. Like we started writing Art Of Drowning nine months ago and its only coming out now.
E-What do you think of people comparing you to the misfits, Like sites like buddyhead.com have reviewed pretty much all your albums from A Fire Inside up. It seems that with every CD they review you just get compared to the misfits more and more, and they really really blast you guys for it.
J-Well the thing about buddy head is those guys are dicks to begin with. And their thing is to be dicks. They pretty much only like at the drive in and stuff like that. They hate California punk rock I was surprised that they gave Art Of Drowning such a good review, But there gonna talk shit no matter what. A funny thing is that awhile back they wanted to interview us, and this was when black sails came out. Which they totally blasted and gave the worst review. Dave was just like "screw you guys, you insult our album like that and expect us to give you an interview". Yeah…what was the question again (laughs)
Anyway, I understand that. people shouldn't use them as a base to compare us to though. Dave's more into them than me. I'm influenced by a lot of things. We may be influenced a little by them but were not ripping them off. I mean listen to a misfit's record then listen to black sails. Do they sound a like?
E-So who does more back vocals.
J-Well I do, because I sing higher than hunter.
E- any last words?
J- thanks for doing the interview, lemme know when ya post it.
E- No. thank you, ill let you know when its up. Ill be sure to catch you on tour with rancid.