Checking In with Chris Rawson of Stick To Your Guns

Photo Credit: Sarai Kelley

Checking In with Chris Rawson of Stick To Your Guns

Stick To Your Guns make the kind of hardcore that stirs up thoughts as much it does mosh pits. The Orange County, CA outfit — Jesse Barnett [vocals], Andrew Rose [bass], Chris Rawson [guitar], Josh James [guitar], and Adam Galindo [drums] — incite a palpable and powerful release through shuddering grooves, earthquaking breakdowns, laser-precise riffing, and arresting hooks. Once again, they channel unbridled catharsis on their eighth full-length offering and SharpTone Records debut LP, Keep Planting Flowers.

Highwire Daze recently caught up with guitarist Chris Rawson to discuss the inspiration behind Keep Planting Flowers, anniversaries associated with Stick To Your Guns and his previous band Walls Of Jericho, playing hardcore in Narobi, and more…

We’re here with Chris Rawson from Stick to Your Guns. First of all, let’s talk about the new album. Is there any overall story or concept behind that album title, Keep Planting Flowers?
Jesse, our vocalist, writes all the lyrics and stuff. So he’s probably better at elaborating on it. He wrote the song called Keep Planting Flowers and it was very emotional and we were trying to figure out titles and we were sifting through titles. And this one just kept coming out, you know, where everyone kept going this one’s cool but we don’t know if it fits like the the vibe of the band. But we went with it because of just how we all felt. Basically, no matter how rough life gets, you have to keep at pushing forward and you have to keep looking for the good things and keep planting flowers and cultivating positive stuff even when you’re faced with a bunch of negative shit.

This is your first record on SharpTone Records. How did that all come about?
We were on Pure Noise and we were just leaving them and we just reached out to SharpTone. We had a relationship with them because Shawn Keith used to work at Sumerian. We were on Sumerian before, so it wasn’t that far of a stretch. So that’s how it just worked out. I think from like past relationships.

Keep Planting Flowers by Stick To Your Guns

Let’s talk about the new member Adam Galindo. What is Adam’s background?
Adam has played in a million bands. He’s like he was in Internal Affairs, Strife, Abrasion, Twist of Kane, I’m forgetting a bunch probably. He’s been in like every band. He’s awesome. And him coming in has been great because it’s like a new energy where I feel like when you’re with the same people for so long, which I prefer to be with the same people and just knowing how they work. Sometimes it’s the same way with like having a producer come in. It’s cool having like a new perspective of what Stick To Your Guns is or could be – and Adam definitely brings that where we ask him a lot of questions like what do you like about this? Like because we want like fresh ears on stuff, so we’re not just in our own bubble.

What was that experience like playing Nairobi?
It was phenomenal. I never thought in a million years I would ever go to Nairobi. I never thought I’d probably go to Africa as a continent. So to be in Kenya is like cool. And I even got to spend like a day there and we’re like went to the movies and like hung out and like walked around. It was a phenomenal experience. I’ll never forget that for the rest of my life. And it was cool to be in a place where it’s like culturally different, but obviously they love heavy music and music still brings people together. It felt for me being just a generic white guy, being put in a place where I’m definitely the minority here. I feel like everyone should experience it, really. I think it would help shift some perspectives – everybody’s the same pretty much wherever you are. Everybody just wants shelter, food, love, you know? If people don’t travel and don’t see that from all aspects of life, then I think you just get some ignorant people that never leave their city.

Is there anywhere in the world that you haven’t gone with Stick To Your Guns that maybe you would like to go?
I’ve never been to Alaska. I want to go to Alaska. And I’ve never been to Hawaii. I’ve always wanted to go to Hawaii and play a show because I’ve seen bands playing in Hawaii. There’s probably a million other places I would like to go. I’m definitely grateful for all the places that we’ve already been.

Let’s go ahead and talk about a few of the other albums that you’ve done, including some anniversary albums. So first, let’s go to The Hope Division, I believe which was the first album you did with Stick To Your Guns. When you look back on The Hope Division, what do you think of it now in retrospect and the fact you were the new guy in the band?
That’s us figuring out what Stick To Your Guns was going to be. That was the first time that Jesse and I were working together on music. It was just the first time we were all together writing stuff because really that lineup is completely different from the record before that Comes From The Heart. So that one had like Casey was heavily involved in writing. And then I started, I ended up in Stick To Your Guns because I ended up writing with them for Hope Division. Jesse and I were friends, and we had talked and he basically was like, I need someone to help me write. And then that’s how it started. So I started writing for Stick To Your Guns, not knowing if I was 100% going to even be the guitar player. I was just helping him out because Casey had left. So I feel like that’s us just feeling it out, trying to figure out what this new version of Stick To Your Guns was.

Photo by Matt Martinez of Red Hare Images

Let’s do a 10-year anniversary and see where Stick To Your Guns were and where you were. The 10-year anniversary of Disobedient is next year actually. When you look back on that time of Sticks To Your Guns, I think that was the last time you did with Sumerian. What do you think of it now in retrospect?
I have mixed feelings about that record personally. I think it has some of our best stuff and then I think it has some missteps on it. We worked with John Feldman on that record. And he was like on another level. I definitely learnt some stuff from him, songwriting wise. It was like super cool to work with him. But at the same time, I don’t think he fully understood what our band was. So that’s where I have weird hang-ups with it where this record could have been so much better than it actually is. And it has some of our best songs on it. So, it’s like it’s not all bad, you know? And Jesse had probably the best vocal performance, that gave him so much confidence. Doing that record with John Feldman, 100% made us a better band.

Let’s go back 20 years and see what you were doing. Walls of Jericho had an album out, All Hail the Dead. When you look back on that album and that time from Walls of Jericho, what do you think of it now in retrospect?
Man, this is crazy. I never think about this stuff ever. I would say if I listen to it musically, I go like, oh, what were we thinking? This is crazy. When I came up with this idea, why did I do that? Musically, there’s like weird stuff, but that’s me in my early twenties or something. And I’m just musically doing whatever, but that record helped set up everything that I do now. Without that I don’t go to Europe for the first time. That’s the record that made it so I’m a full-time touring musician. I all those memories I’m super fond of. And I love all those people in Walls of Jericho and I’m so grateful for them everything they taught me about even songwriting. I just loved all those experiences.

Do you have any messages for Stick To Your Guns fans who are reading this right now?
I’m just grateful that anybody takes the time out of their life to spend time with us, whether it’s at a show, listening to our music or anything. I’m super grateful for that because I feel like I’ve been lucky in life where I’ve had 2 bands that people care about. I don’t want to like play it up like I’m sweet or anything. But I’ve had 2 opportunities where people have been interested in bands that I’ve been in. I very much respect our fans and all that they do for us. They’re the best. I hate the word fans though, it feels weird.

Photo by Matt Martinez of Red Hare Images

The first Stick To Your Guns album came out in 2005, So that’s like a 20-year anniversary next year. Were you familiar with them at that time?
Yeah, I met them at that time. Walls of Jericho did some shows, and we crossed paths with Stick To Your Guns and that’s when I met them. And then even shortly after that, the reason why I became friends with them is Walls of Jericho took Stick To Your Guns to Europe on their first European tour. And I think that’s right as Comes From The Heart came out. We brought them to Europe and then just became good friends and that’s how I ended up doing Hope Division. I’ve been following them since the beginning. I just always liked their energy even when I met them when they were like little kids to me, and I was like 20-something. They just had a good vibe and I just enjoyed being around that vibe.

Comes From The Heart album – that came out in 2008. I can’t believe how fast time goes. Damn.
Dude, it’s insane. I feel like I’m running out of time constantly.

Interview by Ken Morton
Live Photo by Matt Martinez of Red Hare Images
Band Photo Credit: Sarai Kelley

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