Wax Mekanix is an American musician, songwriter, performer, producer, and founding member of American cult rockers Nitro. Wax’s vetted perspective and tested work can best be described as raw, bold, uncompromising, authentic, and disconcerting. “Mobocracy” is Wax’s new release with Philadelphia based record label, Electric Talon Records.
Out of a radically transformed America comes a statement from a veteran artist that’s of and for its time. A focused collection of strident, aggressive, snarling, howling songs that draws on Wax’s decades of experience and influences. So, why an album now about a convulsing America? “History shows us that artists will not let this kind of tectonic shift in American life pass without comment. I’m just commenting now,” says Wax.
In this interview spotlight, I chat with Wax Mekanix about the new release, challenges, technology and more.
Full Q&A along with links and music below.
Where are you from and what style of music do you create? (In your own words, not necessarily in marketing terms or by popular genre classifications.)
I’m a proud American man. I was born in an idyllic small town in central Pennsylvania and now call the Philadelphia area home.
In general, my recent work is considered heavy rock exhibiting some contemporary and some classic qualities. Specifically, I create, what I like to call, high-velocity folk music. This does not necessarily mean it’s acoustic. My new album from Electric Talon Records is called “Mobocracy”. It’s a focused, strident, snarling, slamming, howling stew of guitars, bass, drums, and vocals that’s being described as edgy, atypical, 3-dimensional, groovy, literate, and of and for its time.
I was trying to create a set of contemporary songs with connective tissue made of my decades of history, experience, and influences. My open-minded, brave, and adventurous audience knows to be prepared for some sonic and thematic swerves, depending on what is influencing me when I make records. So, although “Mobocracy” sounds like it does, my next record is shaping up to sound unlike it. This is exciting for me and keeps me creatively healthy, inspired, and looking toward the musical horizon. In the final analysis, I trust my instincts that this is what anyone wants from me that is interested in what I do.
What led you down this path of music and what motivates you to keep going?
Although my life is made up of a wide set of interests and activities, I can’t remember a time when I was not compelled to be creative or artistic. It’s a governing center to who I am. My earliest memories are peppered with prototypical flashes of sparks to make the ordinary extraordinary or the extraordinary ordinary. Describing this to someone that is not chasing art is impossible, but those who are cut from that cloth know exactly what I’m talking about.
Regarding music that led me to want to try my hand at it; like so many others of my generation, KISS was huge for me. I simultaneously added “Alive” and “Destroyer” to my collection in 1976 and was playing them both front to back constantly. KISS was so different from the AOR FM college radio that was all around me. “Alive” was dark, edgy, sexy, raw, trashy, and spoke to my primal rock instincts. It was a perfect soundtrack for a guy like me, where I was. The other side of that was the polish and layered pop structure of “Destroyer”. It really opened my eyes to the possibilities of blending heavy rock with commercial sensibilities. It sparked me to start thinking about songwriting. These two albums felt like one musical statement and are inseparable for me.
My motivation to keep going on my musical path is simple. For me, there is a cathartic joy that I get as a byproduct of creating something out of nothing. Like any other passion anyone has, the reward is in the work itself. Honestly, it’s a singularly unique payoff that I get from songwriting, recording, and performing that I can only enjoy by doing this specific thing the way I do it.
How is this new release different than previous ones? Were you trying to accomplish anything specific?
I basically do two different things musically.
On one hand I’m a founding member of American cult rock quartet, Nitro. Not the LA glam hairband that graced the MTV airwaves in the late 80s. Dana, John, Brad, and I formed Nitro in 1980.
By deliberate design, the scope of all of the Nitro records (Lethal, Lethal + II, Volatile Activity, etc) is sonically and thematically concentrated to result in high intensity, aggressive, loud, shameless songs that take in our four different sets of skill and influences. We then filter it through those personal lenses and throw it back and forth at each other with the tools we each are expected to swing. When we do that, rinse, and repeat enough times, we hit an equilibrium that our four very different perspectives agree on. It really does feel a lot like trying to break a horse by democracy.
Although I’m a bit puzzled by it, I’m grateful that our cult-like records are held in such high regard. At the risk of making more out of it than it really is, we have a unique, modest pedigree because of the fact that Nitro was on the tip of the spear as part of America’s answer to the first cries of the new wave of British heavy metal. So I’m thankful for that.
On the other hand, when I work on solo stuff like “Mobocracy”, it’s more of a dictatorship. The huge difference is that I don’t have to be diplomatic or forge some kind of sympathetic compromise to get to where I’m going with my records.
When I step outside of Nitro, I don’t have a static lineup to my band, so it depends on what/where I’m playing. There are so many inspiring creative people in the world to discover, so this is the appeal of flying solo in the way that I do it.
The goal of “Mobocracy” was directly tied to the times I found myself in when I was writing the songs. America was radically transforming right before my eyes. History shows us that artists will not let this kind of tectonic shift in American life pass without comment. I’m just commenting now. I wanted to design something that felt and read like the aggression, anger, and dark turmoil that most of America, and probably the world, was feeling.
Name one or two challenges you face as an indie musician in this over saturated, digital music age? How has technology helped you (since we know it does help)?
Two important challenges in asking prospective listeners to “drink from the firehose” that is indie music in our social media-driven world, is to stay honest and true to the core tenants of the original reasons that I make music. It’s relatively easy to resist taking the path of least resistance, pandering, and any form of watering-down of the work if I do a gut-check from time to time. Specifically, I remember that I’m here for the reward of doing the work itself. I’m not interested in conquering the world or chasing some obvious predictable juvenile notion of fame and fortune. Once I revisit that, I’m good to go.
Second, is the challenge to resist disappointment, erosion of my spirit, or my commitment to follow whatever inspiration I’m chasing. It’s easy to just throw your hands up and say, “What am I doing this for? To what end?”. We all know that every day there are hundreds of excellent pieces of music released around the world. Most are worthy of an audience. I think it’s healthy for every artist to look in the mirror regularly and say, “I’m accepting that I will probably toil away in obscurity, and that’s OK, so let’s go to work.”
What was the last song you listened to?
Believe it or not, at this moment, I’m cranking “Mob Rules” by Black Sabbath featuring the amazing Ronnie James Dio. It’s glorious!
Which do you prefer? Vinyl? CDs? MP3s?
For convenience, MP3s for sure. I can listen to anything anywhere and that’s cool. For calm deliberate listening enjoyment, it’s certainly vinyl. I’m a product of my place in time, so there is a warm rounded quality to being enveloped by loud music coming off of vinyl.
How about this one…. Do you prefer Spotify? Apple Music? Bandcamp? Or something else? Why?
Although I have many reasons to debate the impact and methods of Spotify, it’s de rigueur, isn’t it? My reaction is to say, necessary evil because they are not protecting the proverbial geese laying the golden eggs, are they? I am thinking that they may be the new “record labels” that did not care properly for the wellsprings of the music? Someone is making a lot of money and it is well-known that it is not the music creators. So, time will tell.
I think Bandcamp has provided independent artists the opportunity to take control of their own financial destiny if they want to. I’m convinced that really good quality music that is supported by related swag/products will enable exceptional talent to be sustainable. All of this can be independent of chasing the elusive and mythical record deal.
Where is the best place to connect with you online and discover more music?
https://waxmekanix.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/WaximMekanix
https://talonrecordsusa.bandcamp.com/album/wax-mekanix-mobocracy
Anything else before we sign off?
Most important is, thank you for inviting me to talk with your audience. Asking them to consider me and my work while drinking from the firehose is very generous of you and I really appreciate it. Also, for any one that sees this…these times we are in now are really difficult, so let’s be kind to each other and take a moment to tell someone you love, that you love them.
