Being raised in the suburbs during the 80s and 90s horror movies and punk rock are right on top my list of things that kick copious amounts of ass. Over time both genres have collided more than once, sometimes with mixed results. In the case of the Chainsaw Hookers they have managed to form the two themes into an auditory Voltron equipped with leather jacket and machete. Since 2005 the Hookers have been thrashing and slashing around Australia amassing a cult of fans and earning praise from critics across the world. I was happy to have the chance to chat with Andrew Rowcroft the lead singer of this up and coming band. Have a read and check out their music video for the Nightmare on Elm Street themed song “Never Sleep Again”.
Ben (SWN): You guys received excellent response to your first full length album. Won a few awards, got named to Al Dawson’s (Earache Records U.S. Label manager) top five albums of 2011. What has been the fallout from this? Are you guys flying around in a private jet drinking champagne everyday or what?
Andrew Rowcroft: We sleep in beds full of money. We drink champagne made from the tears of Kim Kardashian.
SWN: Horror and gore is really the theme of your lyrics and sound. You’ve done songs about the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, the Exorcist and Nightmare on Elm Street just to name a few. What the hell is wrong with you and why do you like singing about people being murdered and possessed?
Andrew: We are devil worshiping, grave digging, mother-f***ers. There’s nothing wrong with us!
SWN: You’ve played shows with some of my favorite bands like the Misfits and Social Distortion. At what point did you realize you’re way out of your league?
Andrew: When we realized they get someone else to tune their guitars and setup the drums. Also having towels to dry yourself off after a show. That seems to mean you’ve hit the big-time.
SWN: You guys went the self-titled route with your first album. Did you consider any other names? Your band name is already going to be on the album cover because it’s your album. I hope you guys knew that.
Andrew: We have enough trouble spelling our name. Let alone confusing us further with another name on the album cover. Musicians arent the sharpest tools in the shed you know?
SWN: You herald from Perth Australia. You do know there’s a Bon Scott statue there right? Why didn’t you just name the album “Bon Scott Statue”?
Andrew: Wait a second there’s a Bon Scott statue in perth? If only we knew, where the hell were you when we named this album?
SWN: So take us inside the Chainsaw Hookers songwriting process a little bit. Do you pick which films to write songs about or does it just come to you in some sort of twisted nightmare?
Andrew: We normally write all the music first. And then choose the movie to suit it after. It takes real talent to write a song about snakes on a plane. Most of the lyrics are written while sitting on Elvis’s throne.
SWN: Chainsaw Hookers is definitely a unique name and quite suiting of your band. Did you guys settle on that right away or were there some other monikers you floated around that almost made the grade?
Andrew: We wanted something related to horror obviously. We settled on Chainsaw Hookers before we had even written a song. Obviously Fred Olen Ray’s masterpiece ‘Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers’ suited us well but we decided to drop the Hollywood as it made the name a bit too long.
SWN: In 8th grade my friends and I had a Misfits cover band. We played twice in my mother’s garage. How would you like to come to America and open up for our reunion show?
Andrew: Yes we would love to. Obviously you’d be paying for flights and accommodation. But we also require 2 cartons of emu export, 2 bottles of fireball whisky, 12 Baconators, 1 copy of the first issue of Fangoria in mint condition and Elvira!
SWN: Okay now I’m really going to put you on the spot and you have to answer this one. Favorite horror movie all-time?
Andrew: That isn’t even hard at all. JAWS. A top ten would of been way harder!
SWN: Thanks for taking the time to talk with us! What kind of horrors can we look forward to from you guys in the future?
Andrew: We are recording a follow up album next year. Its going to be heavier, louder and even more crazy. For once the sequel will out do the original. We are also organizing a short tour of America!
Thanks for Nerding out with us Andrew, you are truly a renaissance man. You can follow the Chainsaw Hookers on Facebook here and you can get their first full length, self-titled album from here on itunes.
