Still Rolling On

Strung Out are a group that truly blur the lines of punk and metal, drawing in fans from both sides with their frantic tempos, impossible guitar lines and topical lyrical content. The Californian band are close to completing an eight studio record, Transmission Alpha Delta, but before they do they'll visit us for the third round of Hits & Pits, a welcome break from a process that Jason Cruz admits got “pretty intense”.
“[We're] working harder on this record than we have on any other,” he says. “It's just arduous. The songs are a lot bigger than we anticipated, and with the way they're turning out, and the expectation, this record's definitely something we want to take our time with.”
But even though these days band members are getting a feel for their 40s, Cruz admits with a smile that he still feels like a young kid when clutching the microphone, but is also quick to credit another “guiding light” for helping him live an honest existence.
“Strung Out and skateboarding kept me from getting into real trouble,” he explains, “because you have to be healthy to skate and you have to be healthy to be in Strung Out. And as much as I am what I am, those two things have always kept me grounded and they've [helped me] keep my nose clean.”
He goes on to draw further comparisons between his two pastimes: “You can't half-arse [skateboarding]. You can't show up hungover and do it; when you step on that board you've got to be 100 per cent committed that every part of your body is awake and alive and feeling good or you're going to fuck yourself up, so it takes quite a commitment, just like playing in a band. And just like music, you have to give up a lot of things to do something higher than yourself.”
What's allowed Strung Out to remain so consistent and incessant across more than two decades though is their cohesion. They've held a concrete roster for the past 15 years and have had very few line-up changes in their entire career. Cruz agrees, saying bandmates continue to keep each other on their toes, and enthuses that, “It's an honour to still get to write songs with those four guys.
“I believe in chemistry man, that's one of the most important aspects in life,” he explains. “No one can make the music that we make, and as long as we're together and alive then we're going to keep doing that. That is more powerful than any of us individually. You try and find that in life, you try and give up your ego to commit to something that's bigger than you because that is more secure than going out there alone.”