Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, The Goddamn Rights formed out of the ashes of two other Lincoln bands, Project:Wet and Somatyk a little over a year ago. I chatted with Tex to find out what's up with The Goddamn Rights.

SCS: How and when did The Goddamn Rights form as a band?

Tex: We formed in September/October of 2004. Diz and I had played in Project:Wet before, and our bassist Fu and I had just come off of being together in Somatyk. Diz and I had talked about doing something a lot more staight-forward and power-pop than P:Wet, and I knew that I wanted to play again w/ Fu, so it all kind of fell into place.

SCS: How would you define your band or your sound to someone who’s never seen you

Tex: Superdrag and Foo Fighters meet The Supersuckers and Social D, fall in love, have a great big orgy w/ Butch Walker/Marvelous 3, w/ the end result being us.

SCS: How would you describe a Goddamn Rights show? -- If people come to see you live, what can they expect?

Tex: No-frills, balls-out rock and fucking roll the way it was meant to be played, but w/ a sensitive side.

SCS: What types of music and which musicians/groups influenced the band members?

Tex: Oh, wow. Where do I start? Cheap Trick (my favorite band EVER), and as I've already stated, Superdrag, Butch Walker/Marvelous 3, Supersuckers, Social D, Motley Crue. But also Hank Sr., Johnny Cash, George Jones- you know, a little rough-around-the-edges, fuck you-type of twang.

SCS: What are your goals for this band, touring, just playing around town?

Tex: TRL, baby! I only half-joke when I say that. I feel that this band has the right chemistry and sound to take us places. I don't mean to come off sounding egotistical when I say this, just confident in what we're doing and where we are musically.

SCS: What experience did you have in bands before The Goddamn Rights got togetherr?

Tex: Well like I said, Diz and I were in P:Wet and Fu and I were in Somatyk. But I was also in one of the 300 or so incarnations of The Fonzarellies and back home where I'm from in Knoxville, TN, I was in a band, Boy Genius, that was signed to a major label, albeit briefly.

SCS:Now that it’s been done for a while, are there parts you’d like to go back and change?

Tex: There's tons of harmonies we've thought up since then that we'd like to put in. Every CD we've done we've wanted to add more stuff but it's hard to do when you only have 8 days to record. I'm pretty happy with the way it came out.

SCS: How have you grown, musically and creatively, since the band first started?

Tex: I think when we first started- even though we were comfortable with each other's playing, having all known one another for a while- we weren't precisely sure where this was going, musically speaking, and it was an effort to get songs written to everyone's satisfaction. But now it seems as though we're writing some of our best material, and it's taking remarkably little time, because we're all on the same creative page.

SCS: Who writes the songs and how do you work them from the idea stage to the finished product?

Tex: Usually Diz or myself will come in w/ an idea or ideas, and we'll connect them into what we call our "song-formula template", which is to say verse, bridge, half-chorus, verse, bridge, chorus, etc. Sometimes things work, sometimes they don't, sometimes an idea will pop up in a different song altogether, whether planned or not.

SCS: When and where was your first local show, and how did it go

Tex: The Ranch Bowl (RIP), March of 2005, opening for Sponge. It went surprisingly well, the crowd dug us, and the band did, too. After the show, Vinnie, Sponge's singer, said to me, "You guys have a great sound, but I worry how far your band's name will take you. Of course I said the same thing about The Fags, and they just got a $2 million record deal from Sire, so what do I know?". Things like that kind of make your night.

SCS: What was your most memorable live performance and what made it that?

Tex: Probably either a.) opening for Seven Mary Three and playing for 200 crazy mofos that were into our tunes, or b.) playing a drunken, drunken show at a tiny club in Omaha where Fu played the entire set in his tighty-whities, Flea-style. I had to include both; they're each memorable in their own way.

SCS: What do you like and dislike about the music scene in Lincoln?

Tex: My likes: the unity as opposed to the petty shit-talking that goes on in a lot of scenes.
My dislikes: how there's not enough diversity in a typical show. For example, on any given night back home, I could see a punk band, a revved-up country band, an acoustic act, and maybe even some hip-hop on the same bill. You just don't see that around here. I think more people than myself have diverse musical tastes, and would love to see shows that reflect that diversity. Plus, shows like that would probably draw bigger crowds, too.

SCS: Have you learned anything in your experiences in a band that you feel newer local bands could learn from, or made any mistakes they should avoid?

Tex: As cliche' as it sounds, just be yourself. Don't try and compete or keep up w/ the latest "it thing", whatever that is. Play what you're passionate about, because other people will feel your passion and a connection is made.

SCS: Who are some local bands or musicians that you admire or feel should be recognized?

Tex: There's a band out of Omaha, Red #9, who will blow up around here in the next year or so. Their singer/drummer, Roselle, is already a fucking rock star onstage. It'll just take a while for everyone else to catch up w/ her.

SCS: Who’s your favorite local band to play with?

Tex: Not really local, but our really good friends from Kansas City, National Fire Theory, are an amazing band that people need to check out. We always have a great time together whether it's here or in KC. We're actually recording our next EP at their home studio early next year.

SCS:Do you think living in Lincoln influences your music in any way?

Tex: There's so much great music going on in the Lincoln/Omaha area, it really gives you incentive to get your creative juices flowing.

SCS: If you could wipe any two bands off the face of the planet, who would they be?

Tex: I don't really want to say "wipe off the planet", but I will say that the 5 worst bands in history are as follows: Creed, Nickelback, Evanescence, Staind, and Godsmack. In the words of David Cross, "I'd rather hear the death rattle of my only child" than to listen to these mind-numbing douchebags.

SCS: Was there one defining moment which led you to a life of rock and roll

Tex: Getting my very first LP, "KISS Alive", which I wore out on my Donnie and Marie record player! I used to air-drum the whole Peter Criss drum solo! That, as well as Animal from The Muppets, made me realize that I wanted to beat the shit out of drums for a living.

SCS: What song would you like to cover the most?

Tex: Well, we already do a rockabilly-esque cover of Nine Inch Nails' "Closer", which came to me in a dream to do it that way- seriously! We all dig that one. Next, we want to do a classic country song and rev it up- my idea is Hank, Sr.'s "Honky Tonk Blues" done almost Ramones-style.

SCS: If you could tour with any band in history, who would be your dream band to tour with?

Tex: Cheap Trick, just because they're the best at the power-pop we're trying to perfect. But Zeppelin would have to be awesome just for the groupie adventures!

SCS: So you mentioned that Kiss Alive was the first album/CD you bought...?

Tex: Yeah, I got "KISS Alive" as a gift. But the first album I ever actually bought was probably one of those cheesy K-Tel collections, kind of like our generation's version of those "NOW" CD's that they advertise today- all of the top songs of that week, all on one disc!

SCS: Your dating yourself by even mentioning K-Tel! What was the most recent disk you bought?

Tex: Wow, I typically download a lot of my stuff now- legally of course. But, I recently got the new Butch Walker EP, "Cover Me Badd"- all cover tunes, get it? And, I've been on a 90's power-pop kick- greatest-hits collections from bands like The Posies, Gin Blossoms, and Teenage Fanclub.

SCS: What other bands would you recommend people check out?

Tex: There's an awesome band that not many people know about, and unfortunately they're no longer together, so no one ever will- Protein. If you get a chance, check them out, they'll change your life. They had 2 albums out in the late 90's, that went completely under the radar. They put power-pop, country, metal, and blugrass all in the same song!.

SCS: List off your top five albums of all time.

Tex: Hardest question ever! OK, here goes...(Not necessarily in order) .