Interview with Roger Miret of Agnostic Front
By Jake Wilson
As some of you may know, Agnostic Front is one of the very pioneers of hardcore punk. Having been around since the early 80's and 12 albums strong,
Agnostic Front unleashed their latest record, with new label Nuclear Blast, in January this year. Their 13th album to date, “Another Voice” certainly lives up to Agnostic Front’s hardcore image. I recently caught up to AF frontman Roger Miret just days into their most recent world tour. I got the opportunity to talk with him about the new album, touring, new music and more.
Crave: Tell me a little about how AF got started.
Roger: How we got started?
Crave: Yeah…were you all friends?
Roger: Yeah, pretty much that’s what it was. It was a bunch of hard-core kids you know…we were all part of the scene or a scene, or more like making a scene. And getting together because we all shared the same ideas and loved the music and…that’s really what did it.
Crave: Where do you get the inspiration for the music you write?
Roger: We’re a socially driven music…political stuff…what goes on from day to day around us.
Crave: So you guys have been doing this for more than 20 years now. What is the driving force that has kept it going all this time?
Roger: The world man. Just the fact that you wake up and you look around and this world’s really not all what it’s meant to be man. You could probably make some changes if you really wanted to you know…you can’t save the world, but you could definitely try to make it a better place for yourself to live in or other people to follow you.
Crave: So there is a release date for your new album Scheduled for Jan. 25th?
Roger: Yes.
Crave: What can we expect from “Another Voice”?
Roger: Well, you can definitely expect a real truth an honest hardcore record you know. With a lot of power, a lot of energy, a lot of intent you know what I mean. It’s just mean, it’s real you know, politically wise…it’s just the lifestyle we live, harcore you know what I mean.
Crave: You have some guest vocalists on your album. What was it like to work with some of your friends like Scott Vogel, Jamey Jasta and Karl Buechner?
Roger: It was cool man. These are great guys we’ve been on the road with before.
Crave: Your tour started last week.
Roger: Yeah
Crave: What’s it like to be on the road again?
Roger: It just feels good, it’s us doing what we do best. Getting out message and music across and hopefully opening some new opportunities for new people to check us out and stuff like that, so I feel like it’s good.
Crave: Have your attitudes on touring changed at all over the years, do you do anything differently?
Roger: I would say we think more before we strike you know what I mean.
Crave: Yeah
Roger: You know, as you get older, you realize there are circumstances you know.
Crave: Sure
Roger: There is an aftermath to everything, so we just think about it before what we’re going to do, then we act.
Crave: Any pre-show rituals that you’ve maintained over the years?
Roger: Nah…we just go up there and play man. No like dances or any weird stuff like that.
Crave: You don’t wear the same socks on the whole tour or anything?
Roger: Ha ha ha…we just go up there and fuckin do our thing.
Crave: What have been some of your favorite bands to share a stage with? In the past or on this tour?
Roger: Well…god we have played with so many bands. We’ve played with Hatebreed, Slayer, G.B.H. you know…we’ve played with Motorhead, there have been so many bands, that is a hard one…a lot of great bands.
Crave: How do you feel about some of the new bands coming out that in a way have kind of re-defined the image of punk rock. Kind of making it more mainstream?
Roger: Well that’s what they want to do you know. To me it’s more of a personal thing it’s a lifestyle. Like everything else that is around for a long time or a large group of people get into, eventually things get a little bit watered down. But we are definitely a roots oriented band, an underground band.
Crave: Do you think there are many bands out now that are true to their roots?
Roger: Yeah, there are. But we are definitely one of the longest lasting ones. We’re true Vikings, true soldiers.
Crave: What can we expect from the future from Agnostic Front?
Roger: Hopefully another record. Hopefully more shows. The future is yet to be and unwritten. And…hopefully we’ll write it.
Crave: Do you have any advice for any new artists looking for a career in music?
Roger: Any advice for any new artists looking for a career in music…STOP! Stop, you could become an accountant, a doctor, do something good with your life. And make a lot of money. Definitely don’t do what I am doing.
