The latest release from Savannah sludgemeisters Black Tusk is Set The Dial, which was produced by Jack Endino (Nirvana, Soundgarden, Mudhoney). The trio has been building a loyal fan base the past few years with their brand of swamp metal. Bassist/vocalist Jonathan Athon fills us in on the band's third full-length.

Chad Bowar: How did the songwriting and recording process for Set The Dial compare to your previous albums?
Jonathan Athon: We have been writing and recording the same way for a while now.


It is a collaborative thing between all three of us. Someone will come in with an idea or bring in a riff or drumbeat or simply just play a little something and one of us will say, “play that again.” We prefer to all be in the same room and record live. That way we have the same energy and feel of being at practice or a show, just surrounded by mics.

How was it working with producer Jack Endino?
Jack was a bad ass. From the first second we met up with him in front of the studio we got along. He has been a huge part in shaping the sound of modern music in my eyes, and we just couldn’t have been more stoked when we heard he was into what we where doing.

What will you remember most about the recording of this album?
I think the sink or swim approach to this album will stick with me the most. We had never talked to Jack in person, seen the studio, or flown into a city the farthest point away from home with a tight schedule and someone else’s gear. We figured the album would speak for itself and that we could make almost any equipment work if needed.

It was cool to put ourselves out of a comfort zone on purpose.

What inspired the lyrics on Set The Dial?
The feel on this entire album is sort of a self made apocalypse. It was a natural progression from the last two full lengths.

With the state of the music industry today, how do you set expectations for a new release?
Personally I still wait at home for the records to come in the mail to open them and check them out. it is really cool to see the ads in magazines and pop up on the computer pages too, but the best is to see people at the shows and leave with the new material.

What are your upcoming tour plans?
Black Tusk has always been a touring band. We have been on a bit of a break waiting for the new record to come out. We actually dropped the van off for more repairs today in anticipation for a trip out to Texas to play a few Mastodon shows, and then a headlining tour around most of the states. Of course we have some talks going back and forth for our European tour and more U.S. and Canadian shows are in the works as we speak. If everything works out we will be busy this year.

What has been your most memorable (in a good way) Black Tusk live show?
Wow! That might be one of the hardest questions to date. I don’t really think there is a single show that I could pick. We have played with some our favorite and most influential bands, huge shows with lots of people, small houses where the power blows out while playing, cops, fights, fires, naked folks and every other kind of thing you can imagine.

What has been your most forgettable Black Tusk live show?
One time a few years ago I actually got shocked through the mic really bad. I literally don’t remember playing the first third of the set.

How has the crappy economy the past few years affected your touring?
It has affected the entire existence of a touring band. It does make some of the bands that are not 100% into the band life have to re think the situation.

What's your favorite way to spend the downtime you have when on the road?
We don’t get that much downtime, but when we do Black Tusk and crew are down for anything. Most days we are trying to catch up on sleep or find the local eats.

How did you get started in music?
There wasn’t much else to do in our small town. Almost all our friends are in or have something to do with bands and music growing up. We got together with the mind set to tour and see how far we could take this journey.

What was the first concert you attended?
I think my first real concert was the Eagles or Charlie Daniels Band. Shortly after I won free tickets on the radio to Van Halen.

When did you know you wanted to be a professional musician?
I thought that’s what everyone really wanted to be in life and fall back on what they know when it doesn’t work out.

Are you still working day jobs?
Yes. I am a carpenter, Andrew is a landscaper, and James is our helper. We have to be freelancers because we are gone so much on tour, so it gets really tough some times.

What's the best movie or DVD you've seen lately?
The movie Hesher was pretty cool. The others would be Blow, Departed and 3:10 to Yuma.

What's currently in heavy rotation in your MP3/CD player?
I have been rocking Karma to Burn and the 357 String Band a lot lately. I finally got at tape player/radio in my truck and have been jamming all my old tapes like Pro Pain, Sepultura, Primus, and Johnny Cash.

Anything else you'd like to mention or promote?
Hope to see y'all at the show!