Interview With Pnut from 311

Sofa King Cool caught up with Pnut from 311 and we discussed the new album Voyager, How the writing process has evolved over 30 years, the bands longevity, how they get along after being around each other for 30 years, their fan base, achieving fame, touring, picking a set list, and his preferred method of smoking

311 was formed in 1990 in Omaha, Nebraska, by singer/guitarist Nick Hexum, singer S.A. Martinez, guitarist Tim Mahoney, drummer Chad Sexton and bassist P-Nut.  The quintet, who now reside in Southern California, mix rock, rap, reggae and funk into their own unique hybrid sound and have developed a reputation as one of the world’s most entertaining & dynamic live bands. 2019 will mark 20 consecutive summers that 311 have toured the States on a headline run. 311’s celebratory live shows & nonstop touring schedule have earned them a massive grassroots following. Over the course of their career, the band has sold over nine million albums in the U.S. alone. Their last 10 consecutive albums reached the Top 10 on The Billboard 200 and they’ve had nine Top 10 radio hits, including three #1’s. Their list of hits includes “Down,” “All Mixed Up,” “Amber,” “Love Song,” “Come Original,” “Beautiful Disaster,” “Don’t Tread on Me,” “Hey You” and “Sunset in July.”

Along with a setlist packed with classic hits and fan favorites, 311 will be playing select tracks from the new album on their upcoming Summer Tour 2019, a 34-date amphitheater tour that will feature Dirty Heads and special guests The Interrupters, Dreamers and Bikini Trill. All shows are now on sale. $1 from every ticket sold will go towards two charity organizations:  VH1 Save The Music Foundation helping kids, schools, and communities realize their full potential through the power of making music and NRDC and their work to safeguard the earth – its people, its plants and animals, and the natural systems on which all life depends.www.savethemusic.org / www.nrdc.org / www.plus1.org

Don’t miss your chance to see 311 live – tour dates are as follows:

311 SUMMER TOUR 2019

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www.311.com

VOYAGER is 311’s 13th studio album and features (appropriately enough) 13 new songs – four of which were recorded with Grammy-nominated producer John Feldmann (Blink-182, Panic! At the Disco) and nine of which were recorded with Scotch Ralston, who produced 311 albums Transistor, Soundsystem and Stereolithic.

The new album was mixed by Grammy winner Neal Avron (Weezer, Twenty One Pilots, Linkin Park) and the track listing is as follows:

(1) Crossfire

(2) Don’t You Worry

(3) Stainless

(4) Space and Time

(5) Dream State

(6) Good Feeling

(7) What The?!

(8) Better Space

(9) Dodging Raindrops

(10) Rolling Through

(11) Born to Live

(12) Charge It Up

(13) Lucid Dreams

Regarding the album title, Nick Hexum says…
“Our albums have become almost like a captain’s log documenting our band’s ongoing voyage through musical styles, while also capturing our feelings and life experiences. With each album, 311 continues to voyage, explore and push our musicality into new dimensions.”

Song Descriptions:
Don’t You Worry
Nick Hexum says, “We all go though highs and lows. And lows can often lead to confusion, despair and loneliness. Don’t You Worry is about how a friend should react when we sense someone is going though a hard time. As in, “Don’t You Worry, you can count on me to help you through your dark hours.” It’s a song validating personal connection and leaning on one another to turn things for the better.”

Good Feeling
Nick Hexum says, “The song title says it all, being about the best stuff in life; celebrating joy with loved ones. This song is an antidote to all the fear, anger, and division so prevalent in our society today. Musically the song is equally influenced by the pounding rhythms that SA and I discovered when exploring the dancehall street scenes in Jamaica, as well as Paul Simon’s world beat records like Graceland and Rhythm of the Saints. This song is a three minute party jam meant to feel like a vacation.”

Crossfire
Nick Hexum says, “Crossfire is a rager. It’s gonna be blast to play live. The working title was “I Know Your Password” which is the lyric that opens the song. I love that lyric because today, people are very worried about their passwords getting out. But then it also means “I’ve got your number” or “I know what makes you tick.” The key line of the chorus is “caught in the crossfire, you really gotta keep your head.” It’s about keeping your cool and remaining calm in tough times. This songs travels across lot of genres. The opening is a thrash-rock groove with me rapping over it. Then it goes into a long tense yet melodic build that leads into what Scotch called the “krunk rap chorus”. Then it goes back to the build again this time with SA rapping his outer space stylings. After that it’s pedal-to-the-metal double-time drum and bass raging. Can’t wait to rip this on summer tour!”

What The?!
Nick Hexum says, “What The?! is 311 in full jam band mode. This one is super fun to play live with lots of tasty riffs from the mind of Tim Mahoney. He does some ripping soloing in this one. Lyrically, it’s a grab bag of random stream-of-conscience mostly from SA. It’s about navigating life’s travails to find the sweet stuff. Looking forward to playing this one under the stars!”

The Making of VOYAGER
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CNN visits 311’s Hive Studio:

Lyric Videos:
Don’t You Worry

Good Feeling

Crossfire

What The?!