BURNT BRIDGES RECORDS interview

"ok so here it is. after a few failed attempts, due to a criminal lifestyle and alcoholic/addict insanity,and a comicly tragic ending to the last effort(buy the, the maelstrom "to the blood of my enemie's"ep on red vinyl, it's a limited edition) .this label is by no means a money making venture(as anyone who's ever been involved in any aspect of d.i.y. music knows. have you stopped laughing yet,can i move on?).It's kinda like i told an ex-girlfriend,we're to stupid to know anything different, and to old to still believe that we can change the world through any of this shit we do.we do it cause we have a passion for this music and the lifesyle that goes along with it. So if by doing this label i've helped some really awsome people get music they live for out , and a few people who have the same passion for collecting it get it . this label is a success!"

..when I had read this text above for the first time from Burnt Bridges my space page I knew: this is something true and sincere! then I chat a little with Chad who is standing behind this d.i.y. record label and realize that he is great guy, so here is interview with him as consequence of all that.. just to spread the word about his work..

c.f.: please introduce yourself to the readers of the blog..
BBR: Hey, I'm Chad and I "run" (if you can call it that) Burnt Bridges with the help of quite a few others. Jayme C. sorts out numbers, tells me how much money I'm losing and generally questions my sanity; Lori S. does website and other computer crap; Caleb P. writes music descriptions for website and reassures me that I am crazy for doing this but that it's o.k.

c.f.: tell us something about beginnings of Burnt Bridges Records..from where you get idea to start with it?

BBR: Actually Burnt Bridges started out as a completely different label called Austin Extreme Records which was Caleb Pruitt, Westbrook Johnson and myself. We wanted to focus on a lot of the really great hardcore/grind/metal etc. happening in Austin,TX. We put out one release and had a couple others planned but I think our organization and communication was a problem and it seemed that each individual had different levels of commitment.. Then I managed to sever the partnership with one crazy drunken night... all damages totaled: a bunch of pissed of friends, about 300 destroyed records, and one girlfriend scared shitless. So I was sent packing to Nashville,TN. Shortly after that I started Burnt Bridges. Thank DOG I didn't sever the friendships. My friends rule!!!!!

c.f.: what have you released so far?
BBR: So far we've put out Condemned unit "s/t" 7", Warvictims/Till Death 10", Doom Siren "Tyranny ep" 7"

c.f.: how it comes to that cooperations with those bands? Describe us, in short, how all that is going to release one record?
BBR: Typically I deal with friends of mine in that are in bands I like and think others should have the opportunity to hear. Man, it's been my experience that so far each release takes on its own path to existence. In short, it usually starts with either me approaching a band asking if they want to do a release or vice versa, getting all the music and artwork together, taking what little bit of money that comes back from the distributors, then working a shit load of overtime, or getting a second job to make it happen. Finally it's sitting back and seeing where in the process there's going to be a fuck up.

c.f.: I have downloaded your release warvictims/till death split from some blog on the net.. I know that isn't 100% right because of your effort and money putted in.. what is your opinion about that?
BBR: My team of high priced lawyers will be contacting you about the music you've pirated off of the net soon!(ha,ha)

c.f.: are you against downloading from the net or you think it's okay to do that if you can't afforded to buy the record or pay expensive shiping costs?

BBR: No bro, I have no problem with kids(especially overseas) getting the records that the label releases off of the internet. I remember when i was a kid, a friend had a copy of the Dead Kennedy's "In God we trust inc.." - on the B-side of the cassette it said something like "home recording is killing the big business music companies, so we left this side you blank so you can help" and that attitude really made an impression on me. Here was a really great band that I totally identified with, that felt that it was more important to get their music and ideas out to the people that appreciate them, than it was to make a profit. So if the only way that someone in Croatia, or any other country for that matter, may come in contact with the music and the ideas behind the music is the internet then down load away. Please!

Especially younger kids who might be inspired to get involved in groups or organizations that take a lot of the ideas expressed in the lyrical content and convert it into to direct action... then by all means download and redistribute, PLEASE!!!

c.f.: do you like to trade your stuff for some other records?
BBR:YES!!!!! I've been turned on to some great music overseas because of trades!!!! Hell yes!!!!!

c.f.: And do you have any contacts with people/labels outside of the states?
BBR: I have some because of friends of ours that have made it over to europe/asia/australia already with their bands, as well as friends I've made through the internet/ trade's etc. Could never hurt to have more though, so hit me up !!!!

c.f.: what else do you do,besides the label? I know you was active in organizing some festival, anything else?

BBR: Yeah, myself and two other friends put on a 3 day Festival in Austin, TX called "The A.T.X.D.I.Y.FEST!!!!", it went great, several hundred kids showed up and raged for three days straight - it ruled!!! I also live in the Food Not Bombs Nashville House and am an active participant in doing our best on a weekly basis to end hunger (in a country where it is completely absurd for anyone to be hungry) by staging a culinary protest with food that otherwise would be wasted by a culture that has little to no regard for the individuals and environment it has trampled and destroyed for it to be in place. I have also recently begun to be an active member of a community-based collective that offers an all ages venue for music/art/ and many other D.I.Y. skill-sharing/educational opportunities that encourage members of the community to participate in their own lives, consider different perspectives and take a part in shaping the world they live in... hopefully in direction away from the wasteful, consumer-based reality that the so-called experts have got us stuck in.

c.f.: what are future plans with your label?
BBR: I have an Abrupt 7"(members of Born Dead,Desolation,Scurvy Dogs) coming out soon. Also Till Death is recording as I type this so their should be two different split 7"s that come out of that, and a Deadly Reign split 12"(members of Till Death, World Burns to Death ) possibly with Warvictims. I have quit a few other things in the works as far as releases are concerned. I'd really like to work on stuff like giving bands tour support etc., so I'm looking into getting a van to start with(thank DOG Gus is a mechanic). We are also planning a Till Death tour in Europe in 2011.

c.f.: thanks on this interview, anything for the end?
BBR: Yeah Bro, thanks so much for asking me to do this. It was cool - I enjoyed it! I guess I just want to say that as much as punk rock/hardcore has affected and shaped my life, it opened the doors to a culture that finally made sense to a kid that spent most of his youth feeling like he didn't fit in the world he lived in... that the music scene is just that, music. If each one of us in our own lives doesn't implement the ideas in our actions or take the time to get involved in groups and causes doing the real work to create (even just a little corner of) the world for people like us to live in, then all the bands, and labels and distros etc.. are a waste of our time and money!!!
STAY PUNK! STAY ACTIVE!

contact: web page
             my space