After 5 years, Blaqk Audio finally managed to release their sophomore album, Bright Black Heaven. The electro-project features AFI's, Davey Havok and Jade Puget. Given Scene Point Blank's history of being born out of AFI's message board, it was a nice treat to sit down and talk with the guys on the first night of their tour up and down the West Coast in San Diego, where we discussed writing for Blaqk Audio, The Beatles, Jurassic Park, and so much more.
Scene Point Blank: So, first night of the tour, are you guys nervous? Sounds like [Jade's] nervous.
Davey Havok: I'm not nervous at all, but I don't think Jade's nervous per-se. [Laughs]
Jade Puget: Nah. I'm getting sick, but I'm not nervous.
Scene Point Blank: Oh, alright. Yeah, something's been going around. Now, are you guys hoping to see more dancing or singing tonight?
Jade Puget: We hope that it would be both.
Davey Havok: Yeah. That would be nice. I can dance and sing at the same time.However people are enjoying it is fine as long as they're enjoying it.
Scene Point Blank: I feel like since [Jade] writes the music, [he's] more excited to see how the fans react to the beats and all that.
Jade Puget: Yeah, but he has to be closer. Like, I'm back there doing my stuff, whereas he's actually interacting right there. So it's equally important for both of us.
Scene Point Blank: Since the new album's not quite out yet, are you guys kind of nervous that when you play a new song that nobody knows yet, they're just gonna focus on taking pictures or videos rather than actually dancing?
Jade Puget: Well, people might be doing that anyway. [Laughs] That's just the way people are at shows now.
Davey Havok: Yeah.
Jade Puget: I think a lot of the songs we play have leaked--like live versions or whatever--to some degree.
Scene Point Blank: Does it frustrate you when fansites or youtube users post videos-- like when you were in Australia and played new songs there--the fans filmed the new songs, and put it up. They're like, "oh, look a new Blaqk Audio song,"--does it frustrate you when the album actually comes out and you're worried the fans will be like, "eh, I've kind of heard this song already."
Jade Puget: In a way it is.
Davey Havok: Yeah. I mean it's unideal. It's unfortunate, but there's absolutely--
Scene Point Blank: You don't mind the exposure?
Davey Havok: Well, it's not preferable, but there's absolutely no--
Jade Puget: It's like being mad if the sun comes up in the morning. It just happens you know.
Davey Havok: Yeah, you can't dedicate energy to being mad at that because it's just a fact of life.
Scene Point Blank: How would you describe the band to fan relationship now as opposed to the past? Do you feel like fans do focus more on taking pictures than actually enjoying the show?
Davey Havok: It's hard to say because we haven't played very much in the past few years.
Scene Point Blank: Not even just for you guys, but if you're at a different show.
Jade Puget: Oh yeah! People didn't have camera phones then. Every single person in the crowd has a camera, which is simply the case now, and you know fifty-percent of the people are going to be taking pictures.
Davey Havok: At least.
Jade Puget: Yeah, at least.
Scene Point Blank: Now, you guys have a lot of fans devoted--I mean, you have people flying in from across the world who are coming to see these shows.
Davey Havok: Oh, wow!
Scene Point Blank: Was there ever a time when you were younger that you were That devoted to a band? Where you'd follow them around and maybe see all their shows on a tour? Anything like that?
Jade Puget: I couldn't afford to do that. I couldn't afford to fly anywhere to see a band, but we were very devoted to music.
Davey Havok: Yeah.
Jade Puget: I mean, even back as far as when The Faint--when Danse Macabre first came out--he and I had a day off on a tour--we flew to a different state to see them play. When was that, 2002? 1?
Scene Point Blank: Yeah, if the 10-year anniversary [of Danse Macabre] is coming up, it had to be around 2002/2003.
Davey Havok: Yeah. Oh yeah, 3. 2003.
Jade Puget: And so, you know, we were that dedicated enough to do that on a day off. We had one day off. We did that so...
Davey Havok: Yeah. For sure.
Scene Point Blank: I mean, that takes a lot. Not just money-wise, but that's just tiring. You're going on a 17-hour flight if you're going across the world.
Davey Havok: Yeah. Absolutely.
Scene Point Blank: When you guys start a Blaqk Audio cycle, does it kind of bother you when people bring up AFI more? You're trying to get into Blaqk Audio mode and you just have more people focusing on--"when's AFI coming back?"
Davey Havok: It really only comes up in interviews, and I mean, it's expected. People are gonna ask about other things we do.
Jade Puget: There's not really rules. Obviously we wanna focus on Blaqk Audio since we're out here, but some expect some people to know some unspoken rule like, "You're not supposed to talk about that 'cause we're doing this." It's not a big deal.
Davey Havok: I mean when we do AFI interviews, people ask about Blaqk Audio too. It's just something that happens. I think people know what we do.
Scene Point Blank: Plus, you guys have a lot of other projects going on: acting, clothing...
Davey Havok: Right.
Jade Puget: Yeah, so if people we asking about acting and I got all burned on it, that'd be stupid. [Laughs]
Davey Havok: [Laughs] RIght, right.
Scene Point Blank: [At Jade] You never thought about acting?
Jade Puget: Man, I had to act in the "SIlver & Cold" video and...
Davey Havok: [Laughs] You did quite well.
Scene Point Blank: [Laughs] You did, but we still don't know what you said.
Jade Puget: Thank you, but...yeah, I don't even remember what I said. It was like--it's weird to act to me. I don't think I would ever do it. I'll stick to acting in videos.
Scene Point Blank: Alright. [At Davey] Speaking of which, when's the Knife Fight movie supposed to be coming out?
Davey Havok: Um, I believe January or February. February I believe.
Scene Point Blank: Is it supposed to be a wide release or more of an independent--
Davey Havok: Well, it just got major distribution. I believe it will be in Art Houses. I don't think it'll be in mainstream theaters, but it did just get distribution, so it will come out early next year. Yeah.
Scene Point Blank: That's good news. We're waitin' on that one too.
Davey Havok: Thanks! I look like Smith [Puget] in the film. In fact I'm wearing his clothes. Literally. I like borrowed a ton of his clothes.
Scene Point Blank: Ok Jade, this one's more for you. When you're writing the music, do you kind of feed off your own emotions? Like if you're writing a more sad sounding song, and then Davey throws more sexually charged lyrics, does it kind of throw you off? Especially with Cex Cells because that was the first album--did you expect the strong sexual--
Jade Puget: Nah, I had no idea what it was gonna be you know, because we don't write it together like that. Once I write something, the music is what it is, because once he puts his vocal on it I don't change the music. So it kind of doesn't--one doesn't effect the other. Although, I guess what he does doesn't effect me, because I do what I do first. So, if that makes any sense...
Scene Point Blank: You never write songs hoping he'll have the same mindset that you have, lyrically, going into it?
Jade Puget: You know, I guess I don't really have a mindset, lyrically, going into anything.
Scene Point Blank: [At Davey] What about you? When you get the songs, are you hoping you get like a more slow song that you have lyrics written out for like, "Ok, this is going to be for a more powerful, slower song, or upbeat song." Are you hoping for a certain kind--
Davey Havok: I'm never really hoping for one thing.
Scene Point Blank: You just kind of fit it into whatever you've got?
Davey Havok: Yeah. Very typically, the music inspires me in one direction or another, lyrically speaking. Sometimes it will inspire me to go back to some note that I've had--that pre-exists--that I feel is appropriate to the tone of the music. It'll immediately trigger a memory of something I had written. Then I'll write based on that sentiment, or that concept, or that line. And other times, often, what Jade writes will inspire me immediately in a lyrical direction that is fresh based on the body of music. It usually goes one way or another. I never--I learned probably over 21 years ago that there's no future in writing entire groups--entire songs- worth of lyrics, because if you're not writing the top line and the music along with that, they never fit within a structure. It's a very difficult thing to do, so I don't have entire songs written out until the body of music is created to direct me.
Scene Point Blank: You spent a lot of time looking for a new label. Now that you're on a smaller label, do you feel like there's less pressure to get music out than from a major label?
Jade Puget:The pressure was always: Must. We're always pressuring ourselves and everyone else to get it out. Really, if the label is pressuring us to get music out, we'd be happy, because that's what we want.
Davey Havok: Yeah, it'd be great. [Laughs]
Jade Puget: We have so much music, we want it to get out there.
Scene Point Blank: Since you have so many songs written already, did you think about doing a double album or even a triple like Green Day's doing?
Jade Puget: Nah, we would love to get the third Blaqk Audio record out by--in a year or less than a year from this one, but I've never believed in the double album. It's just not for us.
Davey Havok: We agree, Jade and I.
Jade Puget: We never even talked about it.
Davey Havok: The double album is something that really is kind of foreign to us. [To Jade] I mean, did you ever own a double album? I never did.
Jade Puget: The Beatles' White Album.
Davey Havok: Yeah, and I don't own that.
Scene Point Blank: You don't like The Beatles?
Davey Havok: Nah, I don't like that.
Scene Point Blank: Really?
Davey Havok: Yeah.
Scene Point Blank: [Jade] and I could go on all day.
Jade Puget: Yeah [Laughs].
Davey Havok: You guys both like The Beatles?
Scene Point Blank: Absolutely.
Davey Havok: Wow, that's weird.
Scene Point Blank: It's one of those things where when I was growing up, it was the record my dad gave me. That red collection [directed at Jade].
Jade Puget: Yeah.
Davey Havok: Don't get me wrong: I don't dislike The Beatles. I enjoy The Beatles, but I've never owned a Beatles record. Though, I did watch the cartoons like crazy when I was a kid, and I could probably sing to you many Beatles songs as much as the world could--
Scene Point Blank: I think you should give Revolver another try.
Davey Havok: I didn't even give it a first try, huh? I'm sure I would enjoy it. [Laughs]
Scene Point Blank: [At Jade] What's your favorite Beatles record?
Jade Puget: Probably Rubber Soul.
Scene Point Blank: Yeah? Kind of the same as Revolver.
Jade Puget: Well, no-no. I'll say Revolver. I mean, Revolver and Rubber Soul are so similar, but maybe Revolver. That's kind of like a double album right there.
Scene Point Blank: Yeah.
Jade Puget: They used to put records out like every 6 or 7 months.
Scene Point Blank: Yeah, they'd do a movie, then they'd do a record. Well, since you didn't think about doing a double album--you were going to do individual singles--
Davey Havok: OH YEAH!
Scene Point Blank: What happened, did that just kind of fall through?
Davey Havok: How'd you know that? DId we publicly say that?
Scene Point Blank: You said it I think in some interview you did at Shoreline.
Davey Havok: Oh, ok.
Jade Puget: You know, we had a lot of plans...
Davey Havok: [Laughs] Yeah, we had a lot of ideas.
Jade Puget: [Laughs] I made the mistake of thinking something was gonna happen like, "the record's gonna come out this year or that..." and I realized I shouldn't say that stuff because it never works out the way you think it's gonna work out.
Scene Point Blank: You just get so anxious though. You want it all.
Jade Puget: Oh yeah. I mean, I wanted this record out in 2009.
Davey Havok: Yeah, we really did.
Jade Puget: We almost put it out in 2009, so I've been waiting a long time to put this record out.
Davey Havok: Yeah, exactly.
Scene Point Blank: So maybe the next one?
Jade Puget: If the next record doesn't come out in a goddamn year, I'm gonna be pissed. You can quote me on that.
Davey Havok: Yeah-yeah. We at least are in an infrastructure right now that seemingly wants to put out our music--and it is a lot of music--hopefully that will result in our music coming out in a more frequent fashion. You know, Jade is constantly-constantly writing and has so much great music. We are able to be quite prolific with Blaqk Audio, so on our end we should be able to fulfill a creation.
Scene Point Blank: You've probably already got like, another 4th album--5th album.
Davey Havok: {Laughs] I mean, there are tracks that we already have recorded, that aren't on Bright Black Heaven that I think we both like, and that we would like to have released and there's other stuff. Then I'm positive Jade has other stuff that I haven't even heard.
Scene Point Blank: Jade used to go on turntable[.fm] and share Blaqk Audio stuff.
Jade Puget: I played a couple clips, yeah. I played a couple things that we didn't even put on Bright Black Heaven, so you know, there's tons of stuff. That's not the problem. The problem is us getting it out there.
Scene Point Blank: Alright, we're gonna do some lightning round questions.
Davey Havok: Alright. How're we supposed to do this? Are we supposed to do back and forth? Do we both--
Scene Point Blank: Both of you.
Davey Havok: Alright.
Scene Point Blank: If you were on death row, what would you final meal be?
Davey Havok: Oh wow!
Jade Puget: Probably Chipotle. [Laughs] Black beans and rice and cheese.
Davey Havok: The first thing that springs to mind is the Seitan Piccata from Candle 79, but with quinoa instead of the--nevermind I'm on a diet, that's not it. I'll take it--
Scene Point Blank: Why are you on a diet?
Davey Havok: I'm on death row. You started it.
Jade Puget: Death row's the last time you wanna be on a diet. [Laughs]
Davey Havok: Oh-oh, I thought you said "why're you gonna die" Oh yeah, I don't wanna diet, I would just hate it. I'll have everything straight up. I know what I want for dessert. [Laughs]
Scene Point Blank: Alright, what song is currently stuck in your head?
Jade Puget: Probably the Swedish House Mafia song that they were just playing. Our friends did it playing before us so...
Davey Havok: [Laughs] Yeah. I'm still listening to--I've been back on that Pendulum song, uh...
Jade Puget: "The Island?"
Davey Havok: "The Island." God, what a great fucking track.
Jade Puget: That's a good song.
Davey Havok: What a great track. And I listened to 1 and 2 in a row over and over and over again.
Scene Point Blank: There's one track I heard earlier--it's not in my head now, but it was bugging me all day. Then I heard that other song. I don't know the lyrics [I begin to hum the chorus to Alex Clare's "Too Close," which I didn't know was the name and artist at the time].
Davey Havok: By who?
Scene Point Blank: I don't know who does the song.
Davey Havok: [Repeats my poorly hummed chorus]
Jade Puget: That sounds familiar.
Scene Point Blank: [Singing the lyrics] "...got to be true to myself."
Davey Havok: OH-OH! I know what you're doing. What year is it? That from the 90s?
Scene Point Blank: No, it's a new.
Davey Havok: Oh, now, and it's a dance song? Uh...ah, now that's gonna be bugging me, right there. I don't have it.
Jade Puget: It's just gonna be your version bugging him.[Laughs]
Davey Havok: Yeah, I don't have the other version. [Laughs]
Scene Point Blank: What was your most recent, regrettable purchase?
Davey Havok: Regrettable?
Jade Puget: Recent regrettable purchase. Um, I just picked up some pants the other day, but they're Levi's, and I haven't gotten Levi's in probably like 16 years. I'm like, "I want some Levi's," and I put them on--they were this weird--they just don't fit my body. I don't know what Levi's is doing over there in Levi Headquarters, but they're not making pants for people like me.
Scene Point Blank: You need to write a strongly worded letter: "You need to make pants specifically for me. The Jade style."
Jade Puget: I do! They look like some Abraham Lincoln shit going on. Who looks like Abraham Lincoln?
Scene Point Blank: Apparently Daniel Day Lewis right now.
Davey Havok: Oh man, I had a terrible regrettable purchase that was an art commission gone awry. That was my most regrettable purchase. I thought I was doing it for an outstanding human being, but in fact, I was not. [Laughs] That was my regrettable purchase.
Jade Puget: The painting's right behind you right there. [He points to a painting of The Last Supper behind me.] He just donated it to the club cause he hated it so much.
Davey Havok: [Laughs] Yeah.
Scene Point Blank: Ok, last one. If you were a dinosaur, what kind of dinosaur would you be?
Davey Havok: I always liked pterodactyls.
Scene Point Blank: Because they could fly?
[Davey nods.]
Jade Puget: I always liked triceratops. And there was a hardcore band called Triceratops too.
Davey Havok: Yes, our friend was in it. [Laughs]
Scene Point Blank: Were you guys a fan of Jurassic Park? [If I have an excuse, I will always bring up Jurassic Park]
Davey Havok: The film?
Jade Puget: Everyone was I think, right?
Davey Havok: I saw it. I liked it, yeah.
Jade Puget: If anyone said, "I hate Jurassic Park," that'd be a shitty move.
Scene Point Blank: Apparently, they're working on a fourth one.
Davey Havok: I see Jeff Goldblum all the time.
Scene Point Blank: Do you really?
Davey Havok: Yeah, all the time. We go to the same gym.
Jade Puget: I don't want to see the fourth one, but the first one was killer.
Scene Point Blank: I thought the third one wasn't that bad compared to the second one.
Jade Puget: The second one was with Vince Vaughn right?
Scene Point Blank: Have you read the book?
Davey Havok: Nah.
Jade Puget: No.
Scene Point Blank: The books are good.
Davey Havok: The books are pretty cool?
Scene Point Blank: Yeah, but sometimes they're--like the scene in Jurassic Park when they're stuck in the kitchen with the raptors--I think that's probably one of the most suspenseful scenes I've ever seen--
Davey Havok: In a film?
Scene Point Blank: Yeah, and in the book, it's just not quite as good.
Jade Puget: I read all the other Michael Crichton books, besides those.
Scene Point Blank: Which one's your favorite?
Jade Puget: Probably Sphere.
Scene Point Blank: What's that one about?
Jade Puget: Scientists go down to this sphere--to the bottom of the ocean. 'cause something's happening down there.
Scene Point Blank: Sounds like The Abyss
Davey Havok: Yeah.
Jade Puget: I read it like, 15 years ago, so I don't really remember what happens in it, but then they made a movie out of that one too with Dustin Hoffman.
Scene Point Blank: Alright, well that's it.
Davey Havok: Ok. That was fun!
Jade Puget: Alright.
Scene Point Blank: Yeah, it just kind of ends.
[Laughs]
--
I'd like to thank Ashley for the help setting this up as well as Davey and Jade for their time.
Check our earlier interview with Jade about Blaqk Audio here!
