IE: Hey Johnny, what's up? You are obviously the lone original member of this band that dates back to the early 80's. Who are the other members of Urban Waste 2015 and can you give us a short rundown of who is who and how you found them?

JW: Hey Chris, all is good! Yes, I am the only remaining member from the early 80’s era who is still having a blast playing and kicking ass with Urban Waste. I met Josh, our lead singer in 2010, at an Urban Waste show in Brooklyn. Nonlee was introduced to me by our former drummer “Jimmy Duke”, and our newest member of the band on drums is Stooley Kutchukokov, who I met at one of our shows on Long Island. Josh wasn’t in any bands before UW, but he was and still goes to a lot of local shows to support the bands. Nonlee has been in a few bands. One of her bands in Japan was part of the “Chiba” punk scene, she played with “10yen Ana Kinoko”, and continues to play with her other band “High Teen Boogie” who are worth checking out! Stooley’s first band was “Hungry Timmy”, then he played with Boogie Brains, and is currently playing with his other band “Gangway”.

IE: What were the circumstances surrounding Josh becoming the singer?

JW: We weren’t looking for a singer, it just happened. Josh was coming to the shows in 2010, always coming up to sing along with Kenny. When Kenny wasn’t able to continue with the band, Josh stepped in already knowing our set. What made it work, was Josh’s dedication to the band, his amazing energy, and great personality.

IE: It seems like this version of the band almost seeks out to be a little under the radar. UW plays a lot of smaller shows and it is almost a rarity when you play with a bigger name band. Is this something done more on purpose or is it just what has been offered to you?

JW: We had to start all over again as a band, when we regrouped. That included playing smaller shows to smaller crowds. As great as it was having the band back together, we had a lot of issues, and some were damaging like dropping off shows and letting some promoters down. Even though we’ve worked through our struggles and the band is solid, it’s still tough getting on some of the bigger bills. We can only change the minds through good example and hard work. Beyond that, we’re open to offers, whether we reach out or if someone gets in touch with us. Things have been turning around for the band this year, as far as playing with bigger bands… we’ve shared the stage with G.B.H., Agnostic Front, and Scream, which were all great shows. We also played with some other cool bands like Slaughter and the Dogs and The Murder Junkies.

IE: Obviously you have been into hardcore for a very long time. What are some things you miss about those early days of Urban Waste and the NYHC scene and what are some cool things about hardcore today that you would never have seen back in those old days?

JW: The freedom of being a teenager and being in a band. The dangerous streets of NYC. Band practice in my bedroom. The Community Center show in Ravenswood Projects. Playing with Minor Threat at CBGB's. The family connection every time I went to a show and saw my friends there...

The growth of the scene over the past 30+ years is awesome! The connection with supporters from around the world that have let us know of their support and respect for the band. Hearing current day bands that are influenced by early 80’s hardcore and continue to write great songs that get important messages out there. I never heard another band cover Urban Waste back then, so that appreciation and support is about the coolest thing!

URBAN WASTE IN TOMPKINS SQUARE PARK, NYC AUGUST, 2014

IE: Can you tell us a little about the new EP?

JW: The “Wastecrew EP” has 8 songs on it. All the songs were written over the past few years, and played out live all across the country before going into the studio with them. The initial release will be on CD format, on our own label “Wasteland Productions”. There will be a vinyl release in the future, as well as getting the EP on iTunes, Amazon, and all those other digital media sites out there.

IE: You also have some interesting guests on it as well. Who are they and what did they contribute to the recording?

JW: Yes we do have some interesting guests! We asked quite a few people to be a part of this release. Our good friends from California “Slow Children” did some gang vocals for us, and our long time friend and supporter Danielle LePage was belting out some choruses on a few tracks. Aside from the band members adding in some background vocals, we asked a few old school friends to come in and be a part of the release. I was honored and thrilled that Roger Miret and Vinnie Stigma both said they would be happy to be a part of this release. Not only would I get to share this release with them, but I would also be the one recording them (Bucket List). Roger is singing with Josh on the track “Your Hypocrisy”, and he sounds amazing! We asked Vinnie to play guitar and sing on the track “Problems”. My only part in that song is recording it, all the guitar work is Vinnie, and we made sure you can hear him nice and clear in the chorus.

IE: Urban Waste was one of the bigger bands in NYHC before bands like Agnostic Front, Cro Mags and many others got big. A lot of old school people from way back looked up to Urban Waste and although it was a short lived era back then Urban Waste has been put sort of on that all-time great NYHC pedestal. Do you feel having that history helps or hurts your band today in 2015 considering some might look at the band almost having large shoes to fill?

JW: We weren’t really one of the bigger bands, we were just part of a large outpouring of new bands that came out during the early 80’s, playing some good hardcore/punk. I’m grateful our one EP stuck in people’s heads, as did the name and our logo. I’m again honored and grateful that we were an influence to other musicians. We were kids putting that record out, and just learning how to play our instruments. If that encouraged other kids to pick up an instrument and get up on stage to play, I would definitely say it helped our history. We play our songs just the way they’re supposed to be played, couldn’t ask for better band mates to fill the shoes either.

IE: Do you feel the new material you have coming out fits in with the old spirit of the original Urban Waste material or do you look at it as a more modernized version of the band or maybe something in between?

JW: This release definitely keeps with the spirit of the old school material. People who heard the new songs at shows say it blends in great, and thank us for keeping that old school sound. We’re progressing as a band, and as we continue to write new material, I think people will start to hear the songs getting more complex, while keeping that raw sound.

IE: If you could go back and have a do over with anything from those initial Urban Waste days what would you like to go back and change and why?

JW: I would go back and do over the exact moment two of our members said they were leaving the band, back in 1984, in front of CBGBs. It was a moment I’ll never forget, and would change if I could have. I can’t say what the outcome would have been if the band continued together, but it’s great to be doing it now, when the scene is relevant again.

IE: For the past 7 or so years the band has had resurgences where you played out a lot more with 2012 proving to be a very active year for the band. This last year has kind of slowed down some for you in regards to playing shows which I'm sure the recording process can be blamed for. Once the new stuff comes out do you see the band reverting back to lots of local shows and weekend runs again?

JW: Thanks for reminding myself and anyone reading this, we’ve been back together that long. The early 80’s era of the band only lasted four years. We play out as often as we can. We plan around family and work schedules in advance, and so far it’s been working out good. When the release comes out, we’ll be booking more weekend runs, and planning small tours wherever possible. California tour is all set for Oct. 22nd- 25th in the Bay Area just in time for the “CD Format” release of the new EP.

IE: What is it about this band and playing guitar that continues to draw you back to it well over 3 decades later? What makes it fun still for you?

JW: My desire to play with Urban Waste never left. I’ve always wanted to get the band back together, but it was out of my power to make that happen. Playing with Urban Waste is not only fun, it keeps me young and active. The people I’ve met who support the band and the places we get to play are amazing! While I’m still healthy, and our band is still relevant, I’ll continue have a blast doing this.

IE: You are a father with a couple of young kids who look to be getting into the age range where they start discovering music. Do you try to steer them to punk at all or have they done that already?

JW: My boys, John (16 years old) and Christian (8 years old) haven’t been exposed to the scene much, they know certain bands when they hear me jamming tunes in the studio or the car. Most of their time is spent in school, with their friends or on their computers. I did get to introduce the them to Dr. Know of the Bad Brains this past summer, which was an awesome experience!

IE: What do your kids think of "dad's band" and your music?

JW: I guess they think it’s cool. When I leave for days at a time, I tell my younger son I’m going to work. My older boy… he’s used to it, and wishes me luck and a fun time.

IE: Not too long ago you were telling me about being a stay at home dad. How do you like your job and do you miss at all going to work at an office or whatever you were doing before you had kids?

JW: I love being at home watching my kids grow up. I also have my office and studio in the house, so I work where I live. I also run my own business in computer repair, which I’ve been doing for the past 15 years, and built a nice database of customers. I'm looking for new customers too, so if anyone needs their computer restored, repaired or smashed, hire me!

IE: That's about all I got Johnny. Thanks for your time. Is there anything you wanted to add before we end?

JW: Thanks for asking me to do this interview Chris, and for your support for bands all over the world! To whoever read this far, don’t forget to support your local hardcore bands, and thank you for your support, it’s greatly appreciated!

Peace, Love and Hardcore - Johnny Waste