We're Bill Marcks and Jeremy Wood, orginal members of Authority Zero, ask us anything!

Ive been a fan of authority zero since i was 6 years old and have seen many transitions from you two leaving the band and others joining.... In your words what has been the biggest change in the band and has it been positive or negative?

Well, Jason is still going strong and I respect that. It has evolved into something different, that's for sure. Dalley, Dan and Spero are great players.

Recently saw them in Denver and Jason had the same energy and power as 10 years ago.... He may he approaching 40, but hes still kicking as much ass as a 30 year old

eh 40s not that old (i say to stave off the crippling depression)

XD

The dude is immortal! haha

Whats your favorite modern reggae/rock band? (mine is slightly stoopid)

I'm a big fan of The Expendables.

Right there with ya. In fact the expendables were one of the first bands to introduce me to that scene. Imo Raul is the best guitarist in the greater reggae/rock scene. His solos in burning up and sacrifice are pure gold

He's a beast, and a genuinely good guy.

Best story with them???

Hmmm, some stuff just stays on the road. Sorry. XD

What defines a sandwich? Is a hot dog a kind of sandwich?

hmmm... a question for the ages. Let's see:

sand·wich ˈsanˌ(d)wiCH/Submit noun 1. an item of food consisting of two pieces of bread with meat, cheese, or other filling between them, eaten as a light meal. "a ham sandwich" verb 1. insert or squeeze (someone or something) between two other people or things, typically in a restricted space or so as to be uncomfortable. "the girl was sandwiched between two burly men in the back of the car"

I refuse to live in a world where a hotdog is by definition a sandwich.

Google Says!

What about this album will appeal to Authority Zero fans?

It's going to bring them back to the root of Authority Zero. Jeremy and I always brought that little weird factor. His brain and mine are goofballs, so they come up with some odd shit together, musically.

I've never heard over you, do you have a song recommendation?

We're brand new! We'll have an album out soon. You can see us jamming a new song here.

Not too bad. It'll be interesting to see how you further your group

This was Sho's (drummer) first jam with us. Check back in later. It's gunna be sick!

From my understanding, bill left the band to spend more time with your family, why did Jeremy leave?

I'll relay that to him now. Sec...

"Same. Family to many sacrifices. To hard to pay bills and everyone home seemed miserable It was important to recognize things weren't growing the way I wanted on the road. It seemed our crowds were getting smaller and I was very needed at home" -Jeremy

What made you decide to hook back up with Jeremy and make music again?

It was like a force of nature. I've been chillen with that dude and playing music with him since I was 15. I'm 39 now. It just called to both of us. We are glued by soul.

Nice! Any chance you get the rest of AZ to come do some stuff on the next album?

Somewhere down the road, I'm sure. Jim is like a DJ in CO and Jason is still doing AZ. We'll see what the future holds!

Bill I heard you a huge iPhone fan. Are there any apps you recommend?

hahahaha I recommend throwing those in the trash.

What was it like being contacted for "Everyday" to be in a Tony Hawk game? Did it feel surreal to hear it in the game? And lastly, if you had to pick a different song to be featured in the game, what would it be?

That was rad! Gratis, but rad. It was weird to hear our music on a video game. Hmmm...I think "No Regrets" would have been rad on T.H.U.G.

When will you suck it up and just play a shitty paying gig like a real band?

Shit, I got my stripes did that for over a decade haha!! This is my hobby now.

Do you guys remember the first time you heard Ska music? If so, what is the story? What Ska bands have you liked and or played with over the years. How do you feel about Ska today?

Mine would have to be Skankin' Pickle in 1996. It was some weird shit, but I loved it. We played with the Supervillains, 2Tone Lizard Kings and Jackmove. Ska bands are super technical. I love watching them play. They're usually all classically trained musicians. I still like Ska.

Thank you for the response!

My pleasure. Check those bands out!

your guys' cover of Mexican Radio is my favorite :-) and i'm from Arizona myself! don't have any music related questions, but what's your favorite kind of candy?

I'm a big fan of Skittles lately.

Do you guys remember playing a show at Zia Records on the east side of Tucson back in like 2004? I had a broken ankle w/ a boot on at the time and was gimping in the pit, you guys told me to be careful haha that little show was one of the most fun shows of all time

Hell yeah I remember that! Good times, man, good times.

Thanks for making some great music, been a big fan since 03-04. Unfortunately never got to see the original Authority Zero lineup live. Are there any currently touring bands that you are excited to see play for the first time?

I kinda wanna see 21 Pilots. Don't know why. lol

Thanks for the support!

I adore instrumentals especially Indian ones. Who's your inspiration?

Dick Dale, Gogol Bordello hmmm Manu Chao. More...depends on the day.

Hey, if I give you my personal cell #, can you leave me a voice mail telling my dude named Ted how much of a badass mofo he is? He puts "One More Minute" on blast in our machine shop every day. He's a huge fan but doesn't have reddit.

Of course!

OP delivered.

Got your message. Holy shit you are the man, thanks for the chat and the message. That made my dudes day! Mine as well!

You're welcome! Thanks for the support!

So why no vocals?

We just wanted to write an album that let the music speak for itself. We wanted the music to tell the story. Vox are cool, and we have an idea for those down the line, but we're not feeling have vox on this album.

I see you on the AZ Punk Scene FB page. Looking for a drummer and/possibly a bass player. Do you know any that will have us?

I'll repost this there, we'll see what the community says!

Thanks!

done

Who were some of your favorite musicians/bands that inspired you both to pursue music/form your bands? What/who have you really enjoyed listening to currently?

I will definitely give the kickstarter a look.

Cheers for that! I loved Nirvana growing up and Metallica. Guitar was my Ritalin. Frusciante was my brand. Currently I'm listening to FoL, Skull Drug and other rad local bands. I listen to everything.

Random question, why did you decide to work for godaddy besides teaching Spanish?

I was working as a sub teacher, then in the summer I was busting my ass in a warehouse. My father saw an opening for a bilingual position at GD. I applied and got it. It was just going to be a job, but turned into a career. I've learned so much there! I'm trying to get into communications there now.

I was handed a single by one of you in 1999?. It was in a paper sleeve and your band name was written on the CD with a sharpie. Must have been at the Nile Theater in Mesa maybe? Anyway, it was a great single and I bought the full album from you when you released it. I'm glad you are still enjoying making music.

Hell yeah! That was the "Ghetto E.P." I think I still have a copy somewhere. Good memory, thanks.

Hey man, huge fan of your music!! Authority Zero was the first band I ever saw live, at Edgefest in like late 2000s I think, 2008 maybe? Were you in the band still?

I left in 2008 and Jeremy left in 2013. Thank you!

Oh wow, I love you guys. It seems like every show I went to in my late teens/ early 20s (early 2000's) you guys were there. I still have playlists and picks from shows at the Tabernacle in ATL (RIP). I'm 33 still working at making it and traveling with my band (The Wolves of Chernobyl) on a hope and a dream. Any advice for an aging aspiring rocker?

Social media is where it's at these days. Make sure you backlink it all. Most importantly, make sure to play unique music. Don't ever sound like anyone else!

P.S.I love your band name!

You guys still hear from Jerry? What happened to Nixon? FYI, I miss the old old message board. I made a lot of good friends through it.

Yeah! Jerry most likely is gunna play on the album. Nixon is fine and lives in CO now. Jeremy and I may make a forum on the site like back in the day!

So what's different about the creative process now that you two are Old Zeros?

We're much more relaxed. When we were kids we had to get everything done NOW!!! Now we take our time, tweak the music. Finesse it. We're just chillen and making a great sound together.

Big fan of you guys, thanks for the awesome music! Solitude off of Andiamo is one of the craziest guitar solos on that record. What were your favorite songs or days in the studio while in Authority Zero?

Solitude was a ton of fun. A Thousand Years of War was also a blast to write.

One of my favorite AZ songs is "Chile Con Crudo", any of the new instrumental music going to have a similar surf rock vibe that you've dabbled in AZ from time to time?

Oh hell yeah!!! Here's us messing around with La Surf 2017.

Fuck yeah, good to hear. You damn well know La Surf is one of my favs. In general I'm a huge surf guitar fan and it's one of my biggest influences as a musician myself.

I'm stoked for the new project. Thanks for the support!! We won't let you down.

I found ¡CRUDO! too!!

Nice! I actually forgot about this, but sometimes I used the guitar riff as my sound check when I played in a band a while back.

Rad!

Will you write one song with a violin part so my son can be a guest musician for you? 😀

Shoot, we already have a ballad that's perfect for that. I'm going to have my wife play cello on it too!

What is Authority Zero?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Authority_Zero

Gringo and Jeremy,

If this takes off, do you guys plan on leaving your day jobs to play music full-time again, or do you see this as more of a hobby that everyone can enjoy with you both?

We're pretty comfy just being at home, sleeping in our beds and being with our family. We're going to focus on the digital market and music libraries for scores and placement. We did say we'd play locally for $5K and $10K for flight dates. haha We're not too worried about tourin'.

How did you come up with the name Cero Viejo?

In just means "Old Zero" in Spanish. Seemed fitting. lol I ended up also buying http://oldzeros.com so people could remeber how to get to our site more easily.

What made you want to start writing music again after such a long hiatus?

I love a steady job but am going nuts without music. Jeremy and I can't kick our habit.

Hey guys! Love the whole getting the old back together. So what's the current gear rundown? What rigs are you guys using? Picks on down to amp cabs.

I'm using an American Fat Strat, Krank Rev 1 head and Mesa Boog cab. I'll hit up Jeremy for his gear. Sec...

Jeremy: "Peavey cirrus bass swr900 for my amp Big mix of cabinets

But right now I'm playing on my kick around ibanez bass ."

Single coils? Any customizations?

I'm using humbuckers, SD Invaders. Ryan Greene turned me on to them.

Pick: Dunlop 44R1.0 Nylon Standard 1.0mm Black Guitar Pick!!

Are you guys in touch with the members of Authority Zero? And despite them being one of my favorite bands, I don't really keep up on who works on what album, so when did you guys leave?

Yeah, I still speak with Jason here and there. Jim is in CO. Check out this rad pic.

I left in 2008 and Jeremy in 2013.

How much money did you take from Fat Mike playing poker on the punk voter tour?

haha shit! We didn't play poker. We just pretty much got wasted the whole tour. Jello told me, "I like you guys. You're not punk. You're...something...but you're not punk." I hesitantly thanked him. He was even more punk than me!

You mentioned potentially adding VOX in the future you got any one in mind for that?

Jeremy and I have an idea that would allow anyone to be vox. We're going to have a completely instrumental album, but have a forum where anyone can come up with lyrics, sing them and record them. It's just a concept for now. Potentially we'll have hundreds of singers.

That's actually a cool idea man. Have random guest vocals on songs.

Cheers!

Will Gregg Ziemba be involved?

If he flies in from CO!!! Hell yeah! lol

What do you think about Dan's style as an addition to AZ?

He's great! He's definitely overcome adversity. I met him once and he's really nice.

Hey Jeremy! Not sure if you remember me from your shows. I'm from St Louis and I'd bring a bottle of Red Stag or Revel Stoke and we'd slam back a few shots before the show. I was also the guy who sliced his finger open at a venue (Firebird) and sprayed your banner/sign and gear with blood before I left to get stitched up, missing VGS play.

My question is: considering this band has no intentions on including vocals do you still plan on touring again? I know that touring was a big reason for you to leave Authority Zero because of the time commitments.

You guys were great and miss seeing you come through town. Hope all has been well since you left AZ.

Hope you make it back through STL again some day and I'll bring another bottle to the show!

Just relayed this to Jeremy...just a moment, please.

Jeremy: "Hey, yea I totally remember you. HOW COULD I FORGET hahaha. The thing that I miss the most about not touring is all you guys, friends that I would get to see and hang out with. my friend network out there was like a family. SO MANY PEOPLE THAT WERE A PART OF SO MANY STORIES. it sucks i will probably not ever hear from so many of them again. so thanks for putting crazy events back in my world and sharing here. About more touring. It would take very special circumstances. I love making music, I love performing music. This album feels like a great way to share some new stories without words. But who know what the future holds?"

Thanks for taking the time to respond! Lots of great stories and still have my "One More Minute" tattoo on my arm. Even without the touring, if you guys find yourself in the neighborhood, first round is on me! Also, usually have a couch or a spare room available if you guys need a place to crash.

Looking forward to supporting the kickstarter and seeing where things lead for you all!

Thank you so much!

Hey guys! Sorry I'm late to the game.

I'm not sure if you remember playing at Tricky Falls in El Paso 2 years ago on the night that The Offspring was playing in town, but I had a blast at your show! There weren't many of us there, but the time you guys spent hanging out while playing and after was fucking awesome. I heard that the follow day your van was stolen with all of your equipment in San Antonio or something... Did you guys ever get your stuff back?

Jeremy and I had already left the band by then. That sucked to hear about those thieves.

My bad man. I didn't do my research before commenting.

All good!

how much was your guitar?

It was free at the time, I was sponsored by Fender. :)

SOUNDS GOOD

Thanks!

I've never heard of Authority Zero, but you guys are answering like every question and that's awesome, so I'll ask something.

How do you suppose shampoo is made?

Ty

Human fat, like Fight Club?

I wonder if that exists. I'd try it. Sounds greasy but fun. Kind of like me.

Thanks for responding 🎩

XD De nada.

Are you guys based in Mesa, Az? If so, where can i see you guys play locally and when? (I'm in N Phoenix)

We're outta Mesa. We're not playing out yet. We're still putting the album together. Please get on our email list here:

https://ceroviejo.com

Pineapple on pizza or no?

Yes. I like it.I guess it's super hated these days. XD

Was there a time when it wasn't? ^/s

haha it's pretty en vogue these days.

Whos your up and coming punk bands to look out for?

First or Last, Fare Game, Skull Drug and C:28. Straight outta AZ!

Well, Fare Game is outta Hollyweird.

Thanks, I'll check em out. I hope ya'll can make your way up to Detroit.

Also, huge Authority Zero fan.

Cheers! See ya at St. Andrews!

What are your thoughts on student loans?

They're costly. Still paying on mine.

Hey Bill, long time listener, first time caller.

Do you put beans in your chili? Why or why not?

Hell yeah I do, 'cause chilli is not chilli without beans. Period.

You. I like you.

XD

Oh man, I am making chilli right now and it has beans in it. I've been a fan since 2002, I did not expect chilli with beans to be my contribution to this AMA.

XD! It's friggin good.

My brothers band used to play at Club Red pretty regularly. Don't you guys partially own that?

We don't own that club. Jason's wife used to run it.

Thanks for responding!

De nada!