HOH interview — Anti-Flag

By Nick McGregor

Last year, the Harvest of Hope Fest was blessed by radical Canadian punk rockers Propagandhi. That activist tradition will continue this year with Pittsburgh quartet Anti-Flag, who proudly fly the anti-corporate, pro-equality flag and combine outspoken opinions with blistering speed-punk chops.

Lead singer Justin Sane spoke with Drift from Newark Liberty International Airport about growing up Irish, dealing with major labels, and keeping up the band’s strident criticism of the government.

Drift: You guys came up in Pittsburgh, which isn’t exactly the most well known punk rock hotbed. What did you listen to growing up?
Justin Sane: I grew up in an Irish family — my dad’s from Ireland, and I have Irish citizenship, so traditional Irish music was a big part of my family. I was the youngest of nine, and we all played some kind of instrument, whether it was guitar, violin, or penny whistle. We had our own little Irish band within the family. With the British occupying Northern Ireland, there was always an understanding about being oppressed and fighting for your freedom — not only for yourself, but also for all people. That value was instilled in me, so gravitating to punk bands like The Clash and The Subhumans was perfect.

D: You’ve released records on a number of labels — tiny independents, mid-tiers like Fat Wreck, major players like RCA, and boutique shops like SideOneDummy for your last album, The People Or The Gun. How have the experiences differed?
JS: Our label experiences have actually been quite good. Before we signed to a major, I had a lot of misconceptions — I thought everybody that worked there was soulless and evil, but they were actually people who were excited about music and excited about what Anti-Flag was doing. When we signed with RCA, we were in the position to make a lot of demands, so we put together a contract that guaranteed complete artistic and creative control. In that respect, working with RCA went very well. We understood the power of a major label — at the time, we felt like we had run into a glass ceiling. We weren’t reaching new ears, and that was important.

D: What do you think of punk rock’s newfound international focus?
JS: It’s interesting — in the early days, when my brothers and sisters took me to punk rock shows in Pittsburgh in the late ‘70s, the music was so undefined. Bands were weird and crazy, they did really bizarre things, and it hardly made any sense. I think that element of punk rock has been lost to a certain degree, but it’s evolved into more of a formula. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing — it’s a formula that results in powerful, intense, exciting music, and it has opened up the door to this Celtic influence, this Eastern European influence. Via the Internet and the way bands are touring like they’ve never toured before, people are coming in contact with music that they may have never heard.

D: Speaking of far-flung touring, how did you get hooked up with the Harvest of Hope Fest?
JS: I heard about Harvest of Hope a number of years back, so I knew there was an organization out there helping migrant farm workers. We’ve worked with Amnesty International in the past on migrant farm worker issues, and I knew a lot of the bands that played last year’s festival. It was something we wanted to be a part of, and they just happened to call us and ask us to play.

D: You guys were leaders of punk rock’s outspoken anti-Bush era. Have you lessened your government criticism now that Obama is president?
JS: My expectations for Obama were really low before he got elected. McCain would have been a continuation of the Bush years, and I just didn’t think that we could take that. A lot of people were really worn out after eight years of Bush, though. But we certainly can’t stop putting pressure on federal, state, and local governments to do the right thing. Ultimately, their interactions are most concerned with corporate interests. We’ve seen it over and over, and this meltdown in our economy is a great example — when corporations are left to their own devices, they will turn the world into ruin. And for that reason, we’re not gonna go easy on Obama or anybody else.

D: You guys have spent nearly 20 years on the road. Has your crowd base grown up with you?
JS: When we play smaller shows, where the real hardcore community comes out, that’s when we realize how lucky we are. People who come to Anti-Flag shows understand that the band is there to build community and put forward an example that all people are important. The four of us onstage are no more or less important than anyone else at the show. This last tour was interesting, because we’re starting to see older people. We’ve always had a young base, but now that’s becoming more mixed. It’s mind-blowing to see people who’ve been coming to our shows for 10 years. It makes the touring life very rewarding; you have to leave your family, but you have this extended punk rock family out there, and it’s gonna be really amazing to see how they’re doing. Ultimately, that’s what makes touring a lot of fun.