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An exclusive interview with Crazy Town

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[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap”]A[/dropcap]fter making it through years of tabloid headlines and reality television shows sensationalizing their drug- and alcohol-fueled antics, rock bottom and roof-top addiction, and finally recovery and sobriety; Crazy Town has now settled into a routine that is well, a little less crazy. They still operate at a steady pace, but now the only fuel thrown on the fire is hard work and love of music. Driven by a decade of living in the aftermath of their mega hit “Butterfly,” founding members Seth “Shifty” Binzer and Bret “Epic” Mazur are back and delivering exactly what their fans want: The melding of hardcore and melodic sounds that beckons girls and guys alike to the dance floor. It is guaranteed that while listening to their new record, The Brimstone Sluggers, a good time will be had by all.

 

Let’s start from the very beginning. Your original band name was The Brimstone Sluggers, and now this new release is also called The Brimstone Sluggers. Was that your way of telling the world that you have come full circle as artists?

Epic: That is kind of the approach to this record, which is taking it back to our roots with a more hip-hop punk rock mentality. It’s like me and Shifty against the world (when we’re) in the studio. And it’s kind of the 2nd record we never got to make. Dark Horse was officially the second record, but this is more of a follow up to our first album, The Gift of Game, than Dark Horse was.

 

Speaking of The Gift of Game, does The Brimstone Sluggers have a similar sound?

Shifty: I definitely think that people who like the first album will love the new record. I also think it’s a little more well-rounded. We have two sides to Crazy Town. There’s the heavy side, and there’s the melodic side. On this record, there is a good amount of melodic stuff. People who loved “Butterfly” are gonna love this record.

 

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Everybody knows Crazy Town due to the HUGE success of “Butterfly” on The Gift of Game. What CULTURE would like to know is, who is Crazy Town today, and where do you want to be in the future?

Epic: Appreciating that it’s a gift to be able to pursue something that is our passion—music. We appreciate the opportunity.

Shifty: Yeah. Crazy Town now is, I guess you would say, we’re a little more seasoned. We’ve grown up a lot. We’re approaching it more as not only what we love to do, but as a business. We’re just trying to get out there and do what we love for the next five to 10 years, and make music. I think we’ve matured a lot, which was necessary for us to stay alive.

 

Do you feel the pressure of living up to your past success? 

Shifty: It would be impossible to do what we did with The Gift of Game. People just aren’t selling that many records unless you’re Katy Perry or Beyoncé. We just want to do what we love. We’re ready to work hard. It would be good to have our fans, people who loved us then, rediscover us.

Epic: Sustainable success would be good.

 

The song “Born To Raise Hell” features DJ AM, who was a part of Crazy Town from the beginning. Was it hard, after his passing, to hear his work? Or did you approach it as a tribute?

Epic: It was a little difficult. He was such a bright light, always really positive, and always had funny shit to say. We’re honored his mom gave us her blessing to use his scratches. Yeah, it’s definitely a tribute.

Shifty: I love to hear his work. It’s like having him in the studio with us. It’s actually the coolest thing in the world that we’re able to take the scratching he did and make it part of what we’re doing. He was part of it from the beginning.

 

How do you guys feel about cannabis? 

Epic: I support it.

Shifty: I’m all for it.

Epic: As far as giving our nod of approval, it’s 100 percent yes. If the world would stop drinking, and just smoke weed . . .

Shifty: It would be a much better place.

 

Did your struggles with addiction influence your opinion of cannabis?

Shifty: Not at all. I’ve seen it work really well for a lot of people. I think it’s about how you incorporate it into your life. I think there are endless positive effects it has.

Epic: At the end of the day, it’s a personal choice, a personal decision.

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