Frontman Chats about Songwriting, the Clash, and Why People Should Stop Requesting Sublime Covers

After hearing Sounding a Mosaic I got hooked on this group.  And that CD stayed in my CD players for a whole year without being replaced.  The three-piece band writes honest, self-confessing anthems with reggae/dub/soul sound, which is directly influenced by bands I listen to and enjoy.  I think this year's follow up release, Street Gospels, is even better.  The band has reached a level that places them at the top for having an original sound and strong lyrics.  I was really excited that I was getting a chance to see them perform live for the first time in mid-October at the Ram's Head Live! in Baltimore.  I was even more excited before their set, because I got to chat with Jay Malinowski, the frontman of the group, about all sorts of topics.  And I learned to never mess with his salad.   

Jay reminds me of some friends of mine.  He was very warm and inviting from the get-go of the interview.  He was very real and a lot of musicians spend too much time working on an image, but Jay just said what was on his mind about any topics I brought up.   After the interview, we were by the merch table and a kid asked him if they were playing "Waiting For My Ruca" tonight.   It was a song they recorded for a Sublime tribute album.  Jay said very nicely how they do not play that song in their live set it was just a one off for the album.  Jay told me how at least three or four people in every town come up to them requesting that song.  But I am sure after their intense set, the kid requesting the Sublime song realized Bedouin Soundclash doesn't need to play it.  The band has a loud punky-reggae sound that had everyone take notice.  They even stole the show from the headlining Hot Hot Heat (who's singer looked more like Napolean Dynamite than a rock n roll singer).  

Bob Bobson - Can you introduce yourself?
Jay Malinowski - Hello! My name is Jay Malinowski.  I play guitar and sing in Bedouin Soundclash.   

BB - How about you tell us how the band formed?
JM - Eon [bass player] and I met at the University.  At the time, it was six years ago at the University of Chester;first week of school we both had similar tastes in past records.  One day we started talking about dub music and we both had the same albums.  I was more into the punk side of things like the Clash.  They were a band that really affected me from a musical standpoint.  Also I enjoyed bands like Asian Dub Foundation and any other bands that were influenced by punk and reggae.  Eon was more into the soul side of things and he was more into dancehall.  So we came together and started writing songs.  Pat [drummer] came down, heard what we were playing, and convinced us to let him play with us.  And than all of a sudden we became a band.  

BB - Was this the first band you played in?
JM - Yes!  This is all our first band.  

BB -  How has the band sound changed?
JM – At this point, I think we are in a really great position. With this album we took a lot of the music we found more edgier and just put it out there.  With the last album [Sounding a Mosaic], it was more groove oriented.  On that album, there was more of an electronic influence like jungle, drum and bass, etc.  With this album we took a lot of the music we found more edgier and just put it out there.  We wanted to prove a point that Canadians could do this just as well as everyone else.  Jerk off stole my fucking salad.  Doug!

BB - We can stop for a second.
JM - No its cool.  (yells to the other room) Yo! Someone stole my chicken Caesar!  I just saw him lift it.

BB- Oh ok!
JM - Sorry back to my point we came at [Street Gospels] more from the heart.  From a writing perspective, I wanted to write something that was more timeless with its content.  For example, a song like "Rudeboy Don't Cry" I liked as a song, but when certain things happen in your life you end up wring a song like "Bells of '59."  The lyrics in that song are about people passing away in your life.  To be truthful doesn't mean you are not concerned with how it sounds.  We wanted to make a real songwriter's record, which is what Street Gospels represents.

BB -  Well previously you mentioned some of your influences in the formation of the group.  In a review I wrote, I compared your band to the Clash in the way you play and bring a lot of different types of music together.  How would you describe the sound of the group?
JM - We don't try to be anything.  I love punk music; I love the ethic.  We have the ethics/ideals of a punk band.  We do not have a scene.  We do a mix of reggae, punk, soul, pop music.  But we play reggae without distortion unlike bands like Sublime or Reel Big Fish.  I think we would compare ourselves more to a band like the Slackers.  They are not just a ska band.  They are just the Slackers.

BB - Like how they have their own sound?
JM - To me, it is like soul music.  It's like Motown.  Totally!

BB – What are some modern bands you listen to?
JM - I like the Black Lips.  I like the tone and the way they play.  That is as scenster as I get.  I like Jamie T's record; I think its pretty cool.  To be honest, I just listen to a lot more older bands.  Like I said earlier, I would mention the Slackers.  The Aggrolites are pretty awesome.
  
BB - What about Canadian bands?

BB – Who are some of your favorite Jamaican artists?
JM – Ken Lazarus, Toots, Desmond Decker, Wailers, I like anything with some soul into it.  I wasn't a big fan of the dread / Jah Rastafari thing.  The soul sounding reggae always reminded me of Motown.   I find Rastafarism as very limiting type of communication.  I respect the people who do believe in it.  

BB – On the past two albums, you actually worked with a Jamaican artist, Vernon Buckley from the Maytones.  How did you come to work together with him?
JM – We met Vernon through our old manager.  We played "Money Worries" and the opportunity came up with Vernon to play with us.  Just from meeting him and being around him, it was very positive relationship.  We all want to be around him.  He is very pure.  In some ways a lot of people are not just about the music.  He still plays with us from time to time.  

BB - How is the reggae scene in Canada?
JM – There is in some places, but not so much in the cities.  I think it's the same as it is in the States.  But Toronto has a huge West Indian population in the same way New York does.  So I think it goes deeper than that in Toronto.  That's what we vibe from.
  
BB – Have you heard of the label Light in the Attic?  It is a Canadian label that reissues music from Jamaican bands/singers that immigrated to Toronto.
JM - It is actually based in Toronto.  We were planning on taking the Jamaican-to-Canada band with us on tour. But it didn't work out that way.  I think it's a great thing.  Labels like that are inspiration to us because we have formed on our own label called Pirate's Blend.  And with that, we hope to bring music out that is not being heard.  People don't know that Jackie Mittoo recorded in Canada.  

BB - Tell me about the songwriting process in the band?
JM – I write the music and words.  For the last album, I would write the songs and we would work on the arrangements, then we would change stuff around.  Basically it starts with me coming up with an idea.  I'll share the lyrics and the music I have and then we work on arrangements.  These guys are tight and can find the groove.
 
BB - I have noticed your lyrics are very personal, but at the same time universal.  What do you try to achieve when you are writing lyrics?
JM - I always feel the simplest things that happen in your life have just as much meaning as to what is going on in the world.  The cliché that the microcosm reflects macrocosm.  For example "Gunships" is a song about a relationship that is falling apart--two people that love each other they are fighting for what they see as their own cause.  And no one wins in the end.  I think when you look at the world you see people fighting for self interest that many times common interest is lost.  Look at our environmental problems we are having in trying to change people's opinion.  We are all fighting for the same thing.  For some reason we will be dragged to the end of the cliff when it's too late or when the instinct for self preservation kicks in.  In the end we are the ones who lose.  I like the type of songs where you can tie certain larger issues into them.
   
BB - How about the song "Nico on the Night Train", what are the lyrics about?
JM – The song is about a friend of mine who was on tour with us.  He was our old merch guy.  Before he left for our first tour, he found out that his girlfriend was possibly working at a strip club.  He thought he saw her at the club, but he wasn't sure it was her.  He left to go on tour and told us about it.    On tour we started talking about and wondered if she was stripping.  And she was a really good girl and she just really needed money.

BB – Was it written from her perspective?
JM – I have no comment on what she does it for.  The whole thing is like she can make a stand if she really wants to.  I realize there is a line between exploitation and self empowerment when you are doing those kinds of things.  I don't judge anyone who does decide to work in the sex industry.  I think they have to be really careful.  

BB – Is there a central theme to Street Gospels?
JM – All the songs are supposed to be somewhat spiritual.  We mean "gospels" as in stories. We wanted it to be from the street.  Things that happen to you in your daily life for example–-you have a fight with your girlfriend, someone close to you passes away, or you find out your girlfriend is a stripper.  Something everyday that is secular.  A lot of people believe in something.  I think religion/spirituality is something people have in their lives.  I think organized religion is part of the problem in this country.  Religion has played a role in conflict throughout the history of this country.

BB- Well religion has been in many conflicts before this country was founded.
JM – But this country is founded on being the land of the free.  There is no separation of church and state and it is the same way in Canada.  I think a lot of bands are coming out with spiritual albums right now, because you can get through to someone and change their views coming from an angle like that.  You cannot change people and their politics, but on a spiritual level you can reach people.          

BB – Let's change the direction a bit, for two albums now you have worked with Darryl Jenifer from Bad Brains.  How is the relationship with him and the studio?
JM - He is of course from Bad Brains, so he brings that in with him.  He is also a good friend of ours and that is important to us.  He has a good perspective, because he knows us well.  He also can diffuse any fights we have with each other.  Or sometimes gets into fights with us if that is what is needed.  We just feel comfortable with him.  I think we don't have the idea with our success we should work with bigger producers, when we are perfectly comfortable with Darryl.  I think we still have some more music to create with him.  

BB – What are your current tour plans?
JM – We are going to the UK to do a headlining tour, then to Canada to headline another tour, and then come back to the States to headline another tour around March.

BB – Any crazy tour stories?
JM – I always feel like I tell the same stories every interview I give.

BB - Well OK, anything crazy or weird happen in the past few days?
JM – Yes, some strange stuff, but I can't say it out loud.  Haha!  Tour is a weird place; we have been some weird some places.  I am trying to think of something funny, but PC too.  We were once in Alberta, we were driving through the prairies it was really late at night.  We were going to stop, we were driving back 31 hours.  We stopped around 4am around this nothing town.  They had these two street lights, so I stopped because of the lights.  I was going out the van.  I see something coming out of the ditch.  It was an old man crawling out of the ditch.  He raises his wrinkled hand.  The man starts crawling out.  The man starts going toward the van.  He almost gets into the van, we just kept driving.  And in another half-hour we look at each other and start saying, "Can you believe that shit?"   We are not sure if it was just because we were both incredibly tired or if the old man was really there.

BB – It sounds like something out of a horror movie.   Have you been to Jamaica?  Any plans to record there?
JM – Yes we have!  We are supposed to go there in January to record.  We were there last January to just check it out.   We would like to collaborate with Buju Banton when we are down there.  We have been talking to him.
 
BB – Any other collaborations or people you would like to work with?
JM -  I would like to do something with [the Clash's] Paul Simonon.  I just think that guy is pretty interesting.

BB – I think it's pretty cool he decided to pick up playing music again, since he took some time off to become a painter.
JM – I like that... he is a real rude boy.  His paintings are not what you expect.  They are like very intense landscapes and nature.  I dig it.

BB – When do you plan on recording new material?
JM – We will be doing a new record that I would like to get out in the next year.  I think we took too long to put out Street Gospels.   This last one, everyone wanted it to sound perfect.  I am all about just saying, "hey let's just make music."
  
BB – Any possibilities of doing a full dub album?
JM – I would love to do that one day.  We could do a double disc.

BB – Also wanted to chat about your US label, Side One Dummy.   How did you sign to that label?
JM – This is our last album with them, because we signed a two-album contract. We may re-sign, but I don't really care about what label we are on.  I like all the people at Side One Dummy and hope we can stick with them.

BB – Final comments?
JM – Thanks for taking the time to do this.

 Videos from the show:

"When the Night Feels My Song"

"Walls Fall Down"