Fast-forward to 2008, and the Loved Ones are putting out their second full-length on Fat Wreck Chords, “Build and Burn.” The new album builds on the success of the band’s first effort, “Keep Your Heart,” a disc that fused pop hooks and classic rock riffs with heartfelt lyrics and a strong sense of punk’s urgency.
Metromix caught up with Hause to talk about where the band has been and where it’s headed next.
Describe the new album, “Build and Burn.” How does it compare to the first album?
It was a lot more collaborative, the writing process at least, and I would say the recording process was, too. We had three producers, one of whom was producing and engineering, so the whole thing was a lot more collaborative, and I think the sound is a little bit more classic rock ‘n’ roll in terms of the instrumentation and the approach to the songs. We wanted to make it sound like records we listened to when we were kids more than something current or modern.
You have two new members this time around, both of whom previously played in the Explosion. How did you connect with those guys?
I was a roadie before we started to play together as the Loved Ones, and I worked for the Explosion for a while, so I got to know Dave [Walsh] and the guys pretty well. And when the Loved Ones formed, they took us out on tour and we played a lot of shows together. So that’s been a friendship that’s been in place for many years.
It’s clear from the sound of both records that the band is influenced by more than just punk rock. Who are your major influences from outside the punk community?
I would actually say the punk rock world is more the sphere that we’re working within in terms of the bands we tour with and the label we’re on. In terms of influence, it wouldn’t be the main influence any more than Bruce Springsteen or Tom Petty or the Replacements. The punk thing is more a reflection that we got our start playing out in front of people in punk bands.
The band is heading over to Japan to play the Punkspring Festival in a few months with Rancid, the Buzzcocks and some other big names. Is this your first time going over there?
I’ve been to Japan, but no one else in the band has. I was there in 2001, actually right around the time of the attacks on the World Trade Center happened. I was actually in Japan when that happened. It’s been a while, and I’m really excited to go back. It’s one of my favorite places I’ve ever visited on tour. We’re also doing some shows on that tour with Me First and The Gimme Gimmes and a couple of guys in that band are good buds of ours, so it should be a fun time.
When you’re on tour, spending all that time in the van, is there one person who usually controls the stereo?
We just have a regular radio in the van, so we don’t listen to a whole lot of music collectively, which is a drag. We should get a stereo put in there.
Is there one crazy road story that you find yourself telling over and over?
There ends up being one each tour. I think after these runs of headlining the east and west coasts, then we’re going over to Europe to headline before we do that Punkspring thing, we’ll have plenty of crazy stories. We definitely have four characters in that truck, just in the band, and then we have a couple crew people, so it should be wild. My sister is coming on this tour too, to play the keyboard parts from “Build and Burn,” so it should be fun.
So it’s a real family affair this time?
It always seems to be. Everything is always a link to an old friendship or family.
