Does the Canadian press still love to hate no-frills rocker Danko Jones?
"We may have been angry about it five years ago but it worked in our favour," Jones shrugs as Exclaim! asks about the combative relationship he's had with Canuck journalists.
He's got a point. While we sit here and speculate, Jones has just wrapped up a tour with seminal rockers Guns N' Roses and legendary groove metal outfit Clutch. He's infamous across the globe and we just sit here thinking of new ways to antagonize him.
You see, over the past dozen years, the relationship between us pen-wielding journalists and the axe-slinging hard rocker and his band hasn't exactly found us as brothers-in-arms. Is it our responsibility for ignoring Jones, forcing the trio, also called Danko Jones, to find fame/fortune elsewhere?
Years back, a few frustratingly ignorant interviews and general lack of attention, despite making serious waves in Europe and the U.S., left Jones feeling exiled from his homeland and he was vocal about it. The sentiment wasn't quick to be cast off and unfortunately found him painted as confrontational and combative.
Discussing fifth full-length Below the Belt, due out on Tuesday (May 11) on Aquarius Records, however, Jones is way beyond the simple grudge we continually nail him for and somewhat expect.
"You're kind of opening a Pandora's Box in a way," Jones says. "Over a period of years, I've gotten tagged as someone who hates the press but it's not like that at all. It was a bit of growing up on my part because in the beginning, I got insulted when people didn't know our band in interviews. I thought they should have done their research. At the same time, I realized that it's a chance to inform someone who doesn't know about the band. That was a maturing/learning period."
Sadly, though, because we're always on the hunt for juicy headlines (case in point: you're reading it now), we writers haven't moved on as readily, despite Jones having a greater understanding of our craft. Jones now writes a number of regular columns for music publications, though he strangely refrains from interviewing bands.
"[The negative impression] stuck in a way and I haven't been able to shake it. I don't mind because I write for magazines myself. I know how it is writing about music. I'm not doing interviews with bands because I think I'd put my head through a wall trying to talk to some of these people, but I understand deadlines and the whole process. If you're writing about music, it's cool."
Jones goes on to note that his issues don't entirely lie with writers interested in their craft. These days, he holds a bigger beef with any music business folk who treat it as a disposable commodity, not the blood, sweat and tears of a dedicated artist.
"The only thing that bugs me is when people who don't know about music write about it," he says. "It's like people who don't know about music running labels. They could be selling cars or chairs for all they care. It bugs me because I want the music industry to be filled with people who love music but that's the idealist in me. It is a business and shit happens."
All in all, though, Jones says he deeply adores the Great White North and would love to spend more time here. Unfortunately, with a musical climate that prefers pre-packed pop to percussive rock, the band have few alternatives.
"We're still here and I'd love the landscape of Canadian music to reflect a harder feel: more rock'n'roll and metal than it does these days but it doesn't. That's too bad. It's a harder kind of music to play than what gets the spotlight but that doesn't really reflect on popularity. There are other places to play in the world where they love rock and they put it in the forefront of the musical landscapes. That's fine with us because we get to go there and thankfully they support us."
Danko Jones have already announced a string of Canadian dates in support of Below the Belt, and you can view those here.
Also, head here for Exclaim!'s entire Danko Jones interview.
"We may have been angry about it five years ago but it worked in our favour," Jones shrugs as Exclaim! asks about the combative relationship he's had with Canuck journalists.
He's got a point. While we sit here and speculate, Jones has just wrapped up a tour with seminal rockers Guns N' Roses and legendary groove metal outfit Clutch. He's infamous across the globe and we just sit here thinking of new ways to antagonize him.
You see, over the past dozen years, the relationship between us pen-wielding journalists and the axe-slinging hard rocker and his band hasn't exactly found us as brothers-in-arms. Is it our responsibility for ignoring Jones, forcing the trio, also called Danko Jones, to find fame/fortune elsewhere?
Years back, a few frustratingly ignorant interviews and general lack of attention, despite making serious waves in Europe and the U.S., left Jones feeling exiled from his homeland and he was vocal about it. The sentiment wasn't quick to be cast off and unfortunately found him painted as confrontational and combative.
Discussing fifth full-length Below the Belt, due out on Tuesday (May 11) on Aquarius Records, however, Jones is way beyond the simple grudge we continually nail him for and somewhat expect.
"You're kind of opening a Pandora's Box in a way," Jones says. "Over a period of years, I've gotten tagged as someone who hates the press but it's not like that at all. It was a bit of growing up on my part because in the beginning, I got insulted when people didn't know our band in interviews. I thought they should have done their research. At the same time, I realized that it's a chance to inform someone who doesn't know about the band. That was a maturing/learning period."
Sadly, though, because we're always on the hunt for juicy headlines (case in point: you're reading it now), we writers haven't moved on as readily, despite Jones having a greater understanding of our craft. Jones now writes a number of regular columns for music publications, though he strangely refrains from interviewing bands.
"[The negative impression] stuck in a way and I haven't been able to shake it. I don't mind because I write for magazines myself. I know how it is writing about music. I'm not doing interviews with bands because I think I'd put my head through a wall trying to talk to some of these people, but I understand deadlines and the whole process. If you're writing about music, it's cool."
Jones goes on to note that his issues don't entirely lie with writers interested in their craft. These days, he holds a bigger beef with any music business folk who treat it as a disposable commodity, not the blood, sweat and tears of a dedicated artist.
"The only thing that bugs me is when people who don't know about music write about it," he says. "It's like people who don't know about music running labels. They could be selling cars or chairs for all they care. It bugs me because I want the music industry to be filled with people who love music but that's the idealist in me. It is a business and shit happens."
All in all, though, Jones says he deeply adores the Great White North and would love to spend more time here. Unfortunately, with a musical climate that prefers pre-packed pop to percussive rock, the band have few alternatives.
"We're still here and I'd love the landscape of Canadian music to reflect a harder feel: more rock'n'roll and metal than it does these days but it doesn't. That's too bad. It's a harder kind of music to play than what gets the spotlight but that doesn't really reflect on popularity. There are other places to play in the world where they love rock and they put it in the forefront of the musical landscapes. That's fine with us because we get to go there and thankfully they support us."
Danko Jones have already announced a string of Canadian dates in support of Below the Belt, and you can view those here.
Also, head here for Exclaim!'s entire Danko Jones interview.