The Nasty Souls Tour The East Coast: PART 1 - Meet Dustin And Turpin

The Nasty Souls are coming to the East Coast. And it's great to finally see it happen.

See an earlier report I did about The Nasty Souls here.

And now, an exclusive interview with the two original members that started the band. The two that were always in the band since it's inception. Dustin James on guitar and Jeff Turpin on the low end. 

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Dustin James

Jeff Turpin

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Trip Loon

The ones who know about you in the East Coast know you as "That LA band". They've seen pictures and heard rumors but now they finally get to see you live. Do you guys see yourselves as the ambassadors of the LA rock n roll community with this tour?

Jeff Turpin

We like to think of ourselves as more of a band with a lot of pride in where we come from and what we do. We'll leave the tags and titles to you guys.

Trip Loon

Dustin, I remember when I met you for the first time at the Whisky A Go Go the first thing you said to me was that your favorite bands are from New York City. This is your first visit to New York. How do you feel about that?

Dustin James

I’ve always been excited about the idea to play New York since a lot of my favorite bands were based out of New York and all of the history that comes with it. In a lot of ways New York rock n roll was very influential on me as a guitar player and I’m curious to see what sort of longevity that city holds if any.

Trip Loon

I'm just as curious about it's longevity too. Who are your favorite New York bands?

Dustin James

The New York Dolls, The Heartbreakers, Wanye County, Television, The Ramones, Richard Hell and The Voidoids, and as well as the transplant bands who became known as New York bands like The Dead Boys.

Trip Loon

And what chapters of its history do you love the most?

Jeff Turpin

It’s tough to really decide because I think I really would have loved to be smack dab in the middle of the whole Andy Warhol scene. The Velvet Underground have always been one of my favorites and to think what it was like to be involved in such a creative, free spirited, abstract world turns me on. Also, being in the midst of a turning point in New York’s history in the mid to late 70s with their whole economic stature down the drain and the uprising of the most attitude filled, angry, kicked in the teeth, rock n roll at your fingertips would be very invigorating.

Dustin James

I pretty much agree with Turpin. Seeing the change in music and how it got back to its roots and no bullshit attitude, cut throat 3 minute song rock n roll is what I really dig. Being apart of and playing at Max's and CBGB’s at that time would be something I would definitely like to see happen in today’s age.

Trip Loon

My dream, and the whole reason I'm doing this, is because I wanna create a chapter in rock n roll history just as ceremonious and just as significant.

Jeff Turpin

I think that is undoubtedly true and the reason why we have been involved in each other’s lives since we met. Albeit we play music because that’s what we fucking love doing. We also would like to see what we're doing catch on and ultimately grow into a scene that people can call their own again. There’s nothing relevant to today’s time that young kids can grab onto and relate to as far as good ole rock n roll goes. It’s a shame.

Dustin James

However since we have been playing in LA years ago, I’ve been seeing a lot of growth in this scene and a lot of bands coming out and it’s a breath of fresh air to see the small group of bands coming together and playing out and its just a matter of time before it starts to bubble over and really turn some fucking heads.

I think its also really cool that bands for the first time in the last decade are really reaching out and willing to help each other to make shit happen. If it wasn’t for this change of events we wouldn’t have had the opportunity to come out to yer side of the tracks and do this tour for instance

Trip Loon

You've met a bunch of cats from the New York community when some of us moved to LA. Myself, Blitch 66, Nathanial John, Valeria Likhova, Jeff Forney. You met the boys from The Nuclears when they flew in for their LA show at The Dragonfly. How do you feel about meeting the rest of us?

Jeff Turpin

I think there are a lot of great people from all over that I have met even outside of the states. LA is a melting pot and I love it for that. Granted some have not been as reliable as others, but the cast of characters you mentioned have been great and very loving and helpful. I also think that’s a big part of what’s missing nowadays.

Trip Loon

New York is just one city. I reached out to Philly, Baltimore, Montreal and Atlanta. You guys are playing Philly. Are you looking forward to meeting the community there?

Dustin James

I’m interested in meeting the rock n roll communities and music lovers of all types anywhere and everywhere it exists. Put a guitar in my hand and gimme a stage and I’ll fucking play it.

Trip Loon

And I know you're gonna make everybody in the east coast wanna meet everyone in LA. I'm sure your shows here will give LA a lot of street cred.

Jeff Turpin

Well I think all we're really looking for is to make a lasting impression and dig our feet into some ground that we can come back to time and time again. If we can turn 10 more people on to our music then we did our jobs. And if we erect 500 penises and get 1000 vaginas wet then all the better

Trip Loon

Ha. Amen to that. 

I know about LA since I lived there for two years, but I can only tell readers what happened in those two specific years. You guys were there your whole lives. Can you talk about how it's been and what it's become now?

Jeff Turpin
Well Trip, I’ve got too say you caught it at it’s most fruitful time. Whether that’s a good thing or not I don’t know. But let’s say even 6 years ago things were a hell of a lot worse. It was damn near impossible to find a like minded band to play with. To be a rock n roll band in LA at that time was a joke. At least to the general populous. Things are getting better and it’s exciting to be right in the middle of it.

Dustin James

It seems to me that rock n roll is only gotten bigger and bigger in Los Angeles in the last years that I’ve been involved. LA is a big music town but there’s a lot of watered down bullshit from all genres, from all people, from all over the world. As much talent as there is in this city, a lot of it gets lost in all the bands good and bad of all types. Its nice to see that there is a respectable group of bands circulating in or around LA in the last 2-3 years. LA has a lot of little cliques and scenes of all different types of rock n roll but everybody seems to know everybody and they’re willing to work with each other and put good bills together nowadays.

Trip Loon

Who are your peers in LA that you'd like to give a shout out to? The ones you love to bill yourselves with?

Jeff Turpin

We've had a lot of fun playing with bands like The Blessings, Zachary James and The All Seeing Eyes, Alexandra and The Starlight Band, Hammered Satin, String Fellow Hawks and Dirty Eyes over the last couple of years. each band has it’s own style and different thing that they bring to the table yet we can all play on the same bill and turn the crowd on.

Luis Herrera

Trip Loon

You two along with your drummer, Luis, are in bands with punk rock veterans and legends. I think that they're choice and favoritism to you says a lot about you because you have their blessing and their vouching. Can you talk about the punk legends you play in side projects with?

Dustin James

Turpin, Luis and I have backed one of New York City's best power pop secrets, Sorrows. Arthur Alexander from Sorrow's has a solo project that we all play in. We've also played live with New York City's living legend Joey Pinter from The Waldos and The Knotts. Luis has played several tours with Sonny Vincent from The Testors.

Jeff Turpin

I mean it’s an honor really. Growing up listening to these guys in my bedroom and then having the chance to play with them is something that not too many people get to do in their lifetime. I just had the opportunity to track a few songs on bass for Joey Pinter’s new album. Dustin, Luis and I will be appearing on Arthur Alexander's newest album and just recently we played with Joey Cola of The Sorrows. I mean any musician grows up wishing that they can play with their idols and I guess in some form or fashion we've been able to get a taste of that.

Dustin James

If you don’t have The Waldos, Sorrows, The Knotts or The Testors spinning on yer record player then go do yourself a favor and find a copy and put it on.

Trip Loon

Just to be clear with the readers. When they say "play with", they don't mean the same bill, they mean the same band with these legends.

I think your street cred just went up a thousand points with the readers fellas.

Jeff Turpin

Street cred, street cred street cred, blah blah blah we just like to rock n roll!

Trip Loon

Haha, ok let's finally talk about The Nasty Souls. I never heard your new material. And you told me over the phone that you only play four songs from your old set. The set that I’m used to seeing before I left LA. Tell me about the new songs you wrote

Jeff Turpin

Well then let me tell you Trip, the creative process has never moved so quickly and with such ease. It really has been a fucking blast writing our last batch of songs. We're really all starting to come together and shine. Each of us as individuals has stepped up to the plate and shown what we've got. Dustin with his chord changes, Tobin and his brilliant free flowing riffs, Brett with his melodies, Luis the groove master. Without one of us we couldn’t write what we’ve been writing. I think what we've been coming up with these past couple of months have been the truest of Nasty Souls songs.

Dustin James

I agree it’s been really a whole band collaboration and I’ve been really stoked on the new material. Subject matter lyrically with what Turpin has been writing and the overall direction of the music and where it has been going has truly grown into our own sound. Everyone has great shit to bring to the table each time and when we all get together and work on a song something great always comes of it.

Trip Loon

When can we expect the album recorded?

Dustin James

We have a full album's worth of material ready to go and are hopefully looking to get into the studio sometime this summer.

Jeff Turpin

Money's always been a huge impedance otherwise it would probably already be out by now. We're pretty much ready to go just need a few extra bucks in our pockets.

Trip Loon

I know you guys well, but for our readers can you talk about the history of the band since its inception? No need for details, just the highlights. How old is the band, it's phases, it's achievements, where its headed.

Jeff Turpin

Well for all you new listeners out there The Nasty Souls first came to be in 2010. We recorded our first single at Sunset Sound last April in 2012. We've been working with record producers Bill Cutler and Mark V for the last year or so and are looking to drop our full length late 2013. we've gone through some lineup changes, some ups and downs but with everything in place we're playing our first east coast tour and are looking forward to a busy future.

Dustin James

We've also got a music video for our single Bedroom Eyes coming out in the next month.

Trip Loon

Closing statements?

Jeff Turpin

Everybody on the East Coast keep yer eyes peeled and your ears close to the ground. The Nasty Souls are comin’ to town. Hallelujah. Rock n roll lives. Can I get an Amen.

Trip Loon
A-fuckin-men. Thanks fellas, can't wait to see you guys here. It's gonna be magic.

I'm gonna close this entry with a little story. Just to tell you how special The Nasty Souls are to me.

Two years ago I remember going inside The Nasty Souls' rehearsal room in LA with a camera crew of 4 people. I've never done an interview before in my life. I didn't know what the hell I was doing. I had 4 camera men with 4 different unnecessary cameras. They were all my film school peers that had to do it as an assignment for a class. I was nervous as hell. The way I got the interview was that I bluffed about a website that I had. I don't know how the hell they fell for it and I couldn't believe that they would actually let me interview them. I was sweating and breathing heavily before I knocked on their door. My film school peers were all calming me down. I remember one of them saying: "Trip, I don't know anyone who knows his rock n roll more than you do. Don't worry, you're gonna do fine". 

There was a lot of forced laughter and a lot of overbearing questions on my part at first. On my 4th or 5th question in, it stopped being an interview and it just turned into a natural conversation between a legitimate fan who is starstruck with the discovery that's before him. My first discovery. And my first interview for my documentary. My first interview with a band, ever. 

After I got back I peeked at their singer's facebook status. He typed that it was the best interview he had with the press in his life. One thing I couldn't believe is that he thought it was great. Because I actually felt that I really sucked. The other thing I couldn't believe was that he thought I was actually legitimate media. 

It was right there and then where my activism as a rock n roll impresario all started. And they were my first discovery, and my first peers.

I remember part of the conversation we had was about New York City. I was turning them on to the scene over here and told them about the magic we have. I wished that they could actually experience it themselves. Two years later here we are. The news website that I bluffed about is now real. And The Nasty Souls are finally coming to The East Coast.

It's gonna be a little weird seeing them play, then right after we leave the doors of the club we'll find noise and cabs and cold weather out the door. It's pretty surreal. And it's also pretty fucking cool. The two shows I'm excited about the most is their date in Philly on the 14th with The High Five and The Tough Shits and their date on the 17th with The Nuclears. Just a badass bill on those two dates. 

Here are links for the facebook event pages for more info:

For the General Nasty Souls Tour event page, click here.

For The Philly date event page, click here. 

 


For their date at Tammany Hall with The Nuclears, click here. (Tammany Hall has killer sound in their venue)

I'm really excited to introduce everybody to one of my favorite LA bands, who are also my dearest LA friends. Let's show them how we party here. 


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The Nasty Souls tour Dates:

- 4/10 WASTELAND LIVE/ CLARION,PA
- 4/12 THE METROPOLITAN/ ANNAPOLIS,MD
- 4/14 HIGH VOLTAGE LOUNGE/ PHILADELPHIA,PA
- 4/16 PIANOS/ NEW YORK, NY
- 4/17 TAMMANY HALL/ NEW YORK, NY
- 4/18 GRAND VICTORY/ BROOKLYN, NY
- 4/19 THE NOTE / WESTCHESTER, PA
- 4/20 WASTELAND LIVE/ CLARION, PA
- 4/22 THE BOWERY ELECTRIC/ NEW YORK, NY

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PART 2 of this 3 series blog will be with their singer Brett Hellings and their newest member, Tobin Dale on lead guitars. Stay tuned. 

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COMING SOON ON THE DEAD NOTES!!

**Full Interview with New York City Booker & Promoter Ashley Moree

**A REPORT ON THE ROCK N ROLL SCENE IN BALTIMORE 
**A COMPREHENSIVE REPORT ON THE LA SCENE
**A COMPREHENSIVE REPORT ON THE NEW YORK SCENE

STAY TUNED!

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