The Used are celebrating their 15th anniversary as a band are touring the world playing their first two albums in full. Ending 2016 with a tour of Australia. We caught up with vocalist Bert McCracken as he shares his love of Australia and some memories of self titled and In Love and Death.

SCENEzine
How’s 2016 been for you?

Bert McCracken
I’d say overall one of the best years of my life. It’s been a great year with the band and my family an incredible year. There’s been a lot of devastating events for the planet but we’ll keep it positive.

SCENEzine
Is it a good feeling being an honorary Australian with all of the craziness and uncertainty going on in America at the moment?

Bert McCracken
Well we are all in this sinking ship together what happens on an American level effects the world on a global level absolutely. No one is safe from white nationalism and the horrible epidemic that is this message that is spreading across the world. I think it’s time right now to stand up and make some moves in a serious way.

SCENEzine
Is it an odd feeling to be touring earlier material right now when your probably keen to be writing for your next album?

Bert McCracken
We’ve been working on new music for a little while so yes and no. I think that there’s a time and a place for everything. I think to reflect back is always a healthy and positive thing. A rock show can be a amazing and totally healthy escape unlike a lot of the escapes we know exist. So in that way we can all feel like kids again to experience that youthful energy that is unbridled where we are not afraid that anybody is going to judge us about what we love.

SCENEzine
Back when you recorded the self titled album did you guys have a feeling you had something special?

Bert McCracken
It kind of felt that way when we met John Feldmann and it all turned into this whirlwind. But when we were making the music it felt honest and felt like us so I never really thought ahead. Success to me was to be taking our music out on the road. Since we already succeeded and ultimately had our dreams come true in that moment. The fact that we’ve been able to touch a many people as we have is a gift and a blessing. It helps keep me positive. I felt really lucky to be a part of something so cool.

SCENEzine
How was the experience of working with John Feldmann was he easy to work with?

Bert McCracken
Yes and no. I think that kind of clash in personality is really good for a record in a lot of ways. The way that we work together is a really beautiful thing. He helps push me and maybe I’m helping him think outside of the weird little box of worlds of music. It’s a dynamic that’s really cool and John Feldmann is if anything one of the hardest working men in music. He’s willing to just keep working on it twenty four hours, he’ll go the distance. That’s one driving factor he’s a motivator.

SCENEzine
After watching you guys live many times it seems almost like an out of body experience when you play “The Taste of Ink” having huge crowds sing those lyrics back to you. Is it a hard feeling to explain when playing live?

Bert McCracken
I feel like inspiration comes a lot like everything in life it’s the same way we develop personalities and the type of people we are. It comes from our influences, environment and everything we experience around us. To take credit for these lyrics that I was inspired from other people is kind of outside me at this point. Out of body is maybe a cool and kind of close way to think about it. These lyrics and these songs are a lot bigger than the four of us. Music has that cool way to transcend individuality. I feel lucky to be up there it’s a really great feeling.

 

 

SCENEzine
So many bands will suffer the cliché second album slump but with The Used it was the complete opposite. In Love and Death blew everyone away. Was it cool to see at that point in time how much your fanbase was growing?

Bert McCracken
There was a lot going on in my life at that point and that was the last thing I was looking at. In my face I saw the shows and the fans at the shows and I saw how this music related but making In Love and Death was a pretty heavy experience for me. I went through a lot of really personal tragedies. A lot of heavy personal issues during that record it made me learn how to escape unhealthily during that period of my life. For me with all those things the way that the record came out so honest and so emotionally charged and involved was out of my hands like I was saying about the first record. I’m not discrediting the hard work that we put in or the fact that maybe I could write in a way that makes things general enough that a lot of people could understand and take for their own personal journey. It was a in the moment kind of day by day experience for me then as it is now.

SCENEzine
The Used is know for it’s anger but there’s also a lot of beautiful slower moments like in “I Caught Fire”. Is it cool to think a song like that would be played at peoples weddings?

Bert McCracken
Oh yeah I love it. My musical background I come from pop music. Growing up I was obsessed with Michael Jackson. He’s kind of the reason why I make music today not only reason but a huge, huge reason. I loved Janet Jackson and Mariah Carey a lot of the corny and cheesy love pop driven stuff. I love a good love song and I love a good pop song with great melodies it’s always most important to me besides good lyrics. We’ve had lots of people get engaged on stage and ask their significant other to marry them on stage. On this last tour we actually had a couple get married on stage. They had their full ceremony on stage it was awesome.

 

 

SCENEzine
Has this current tour been challenging to re-learn songs you may have never played live before?

Bert McCracken
We love a good challenge and The Used has always been a live band first so it’s been good to wrap our heads around it. On a normal tour you go out with a couple of set list’s that usually involve twenty to twenty four songs. We play thirty four songs on this tour it’s a good feeling man. It’s pushing our musical abilities and helping us get geared up for the new record. Killing a lot of birds with a few stones.

SCENEzine
Back when your first albums came out it was the rise of emo culture and also myspace was hugely popular. Do you think back then it was easier for people to discover new bands?

Bert McCracken
Yeah right now there’s a lot of music out there maybe double the music that there was. In that way it’s hard to know where to look. I think that just like ten years ago we hear about cool music from our friends first. I think that we trust our friends and listen to what our friends listen to. Maybe some of your favourite bands are talking about what they are listening to. I’ve always loves checking out what my favourite bands are listening to. There’s still hope for good music. I think the message is definitely turning around it’s becoming less about how many commodities we have and how cool we think we are. More about the connection to the bigger picture and collective conscious of the essence of humanity. I’ve been listening to a lot of old music a lot of John Lennon, David Bowie you can never go wrong with the classics.

SCENEzine
Many of your fans have said those first two The Used albums helped them through depression or have helped save their lives. Is their any album in particular that has touched your life in a similar way?

Bert McCracken
Yeah In Love and Death is one of those records for me. It’s very important when I hear people say that to me that’s my story too I share that same story. I really leant on that record for a hard year in my life in 2004. I kind of felt like I had no where to turn to. I didn’t even know how to talk to my family and friends about it. Which I’ve always been bad at but it is a crazy experience what music can do to help you make it through that moment into the next moment. It’s an awesome thing.

SCENEzine
We’ve been lucky enough to see The Used many times over the years in both Australia and America. But nothing compares to seeing you at the free gig you did for Channel V in Sydney. Do you have any memories of that time in your life?

Bert McCracken
It was one of the best times in my life and when I met my wife. My first time in Australia was one of the coolest experiences that I had ever. The tour was so crazy I remember that Channel V thing and they were talking about how our thing was way bigger than the Foo Fighters. For me Dave Grohl and Nirvana was my life growing up so I was out of my mind I couldn’t belive it.
I remember jumping off the speaker into the crowd, how live and raw the show was and how cool it felt. We already had so many fans so far from home and then I met this beautiful crazy young thing and I told Branden Steineckert at the time that I was going to marry this girl. Then she’s sitting next to me eating frittatas’ eleven years later (laughs). One of the fondest times I’ve had being a part of this band is that cool experience the first time in Australia it was awesome. We rented a yacht, went out and she came with us the rest of the tour. We played some weird Crusty Demons fest up near Gold Coast it was awesome.

SCENEzine
Do you think it was Australia’s love of The Used that made it all fall into place for you?

Bert McCracken
For sure. It was such a warm reception. We’ve had a lot of cool receptions around the world like our first time in England was really cool and we got to record where the Beatles recorded.
We’ve had a lot of cool experiences but coming and seeing the big crowds for the first time in Australia was fantastic just unbelievable. I remember being on the aeroplane leaving Australia and The Used was on the front cover of whatever newspaper they were passing out on the plane. I was just like what is going on. It was pretty cool.

SCENEzine
Can you leave us a last message for your Australian fans?

Bert McCracken
Realistically the reason why the band is still playing shows is because of the hardcore fans and a lot of those fans are in Australia. We are absolutely humbled that we are still able to do this it’s always been a dream come true for us and we hope it never ends. Thank you so much and we will see you at the shows, we can’t wait to see you.

(Interview by Christian Ross)