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American 'Lit': Buckcherry's Josh Todd Talks Creative Writing, Politics
By: Jon Bream - Star Tribune Company
January 25th 2001 11:36am
I t was the first work day of the new Bush administration, and Buckcherry singer Josh Todd didn't even venture out of his Washington, D.C., hotel to look around. "I don't think much about politics," said the 29-year-old Los Angeles rocker. "I voted for Gore. I didn't really like either one, and it was my first time voting. I had to pick Gore because common sense tells me he's been there, by Clinton's side, for -- how long has Clinton been in office? So he probably has a better handle on what's going on in there." The night before, Buckcherry and Kid Rock had played a benefit concert in Norfolk, Va., for the families of sailors on the Cole, the U.S. destroyer that was attacked in a Yemen harbor in October, resulting in 17 deaths. Now he had the day off. Since it was too cold to see the city, he busied himself writing in his hotel -- not songs, but a short story. "The three things I'm going for: a 15-year-old black girl who's had her third abortion; a 37-year-old white male -- gay -- thinking about coming out of the closet, and a dozen roses. I'm taking three unlike things and making a story out of them." Todd has written a short story about a minister who murders TV evangelists. He doesn't intend to share these stories with anyone. He merely sends them to his manager. "He gets a kick out of them," said Todd, whose group returns to the Quest in Minneapolis on Wednesday. "I do them for writing exercise. I might put them on the Web site if they're P.C. enough. ... I've been writing songs for years -- since I was 16. I just wanted to challenge myself. Ever since I did, it's opened this whole new realm of creativity of my mind of how I can incorporate things I see and do into a story. It takes years to develop into a good story writer." Todd is branching out in other areas, too. Having modeled last year for Calvin Klein ads, he has filmed a part in a Val Kilmer film, "The Salton Sea." The rocker plays the sidekick of a drug dealer in the movie, scheduled to open next fall. A HARDER-ROCKING NEW CD Todd pays attention to the film world. Buckcherry has contributed songs to two soundtracks, including "M:I-2." After seeing a TV documentary about a male porn movie star, Todd was inspired to write a song about the subject. It's on "Time Bomb," Buckcherry's sophomore CD, due in stores March 27. The new album rocks harder, Todd said, partly because the quintet decided to limit itself to two songs in the slow and mid-tempo range. The current single "Ridin'" sounds like a jolt of AC/DC. "It's very straightforward, four on the floor, to the point," Todd said. "The vocal line cuts through. We thought it would stand out on radio with everything that's on there right now." But then, Todd is not an accurate prognosticator about what radio programmers will play. Two years ago, he questioned releasing "Lit Up" as a single. He doubted that it would get radio airplay because of a lyric celebrating drugs. "But it was completely the opposite," he said of the Grammy-nominated MTV hit. "The guitar riff was really catchy and the controversial 'I love the cocaine' thing, I think everybody liked that." This time around, Todd is singing "Whiskey in the Morning," which used to be his lifestyle. But he said he no longer indulges in drugs and alcohol. As for the next single, the singer says the debate is between a Beatlesque ballad, "You," and "Helpless," a medium-tempo modern-rock number with loud, chiming guitars. "One thing about Buckcherry, we all have really different musical tastes," Todd said. "There are a lot of different things on this record. You have your four-on-the-floor AC/DC songs, you have some pop/rock songs, you have some punk rock-sounding songs and you have some ballads. When we put it all together, it becomes our own sound." One of Todd's favorites is Prince. "To know that he has made so many people sexually happy -- I can't tell you how many times I've had sex to Prince records. He's turned his whole aura into being so sexual and oozing sensuality and love. I'd really love to meet him. "I went to First Avenue after our show in Minneapolis. I found some girls and I thought, 'I want to do some dancing at First Avenue.' That's where he made 'Purple Rain.' We went to the VIP room, and they had some of the dopest hip-hop music I'd never heard before. We just danced for a little while. I was so-o-o-o satisfied." More coverage from the Star Tribune is available at http://www.startribune.com
© 2001 Star Tribune. All Rights Reserved.
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