Exclusive Interview: Jack Acid Drops into the Chaos
Updated: Sep 15, 2021
Escaping the heat of Arizona, Jack Acid recently flew into LA to slay the stage alongside underground legends Mikey Rotten and Shawty Gawd. Although he didn't get to perform before the ops came raining down on the punk rock parade, Jack Acid has been staying busy in the background working on tons of new material. He's itching to drop three albums, so keep your eyes peeled and you ears open wide for new videos.
Hailing from Phoenix AZ, Jack Acid submerged himself into the world of DIY music long before his current path as a punk rock rapper. Growing up, he got a lot of hands on experience while playing in garage bands and going on tour. Jaded by the rock community, Acid almost quit making music entirely until he started experimenting with rap.
Over the past two years, Jack Acid has consistently put out rowdy underground anthems. Projects like Hot, Thirsty and Pissed and his Flesh and Bone Mixxxtape carved a lane within rap culture that's entirely his own. Although his abrasive vocals and heavy beat choices help him rise above the flood of underground artists, he really solidifies himself as a dark and rebellious force within his music videos. Tracks like "I Wanna Fuck Clairo" and "Low Balance Alert" are already heat, but the music videos really turn it up a notch by letting fans get a peek into Acid's distorted vision.
We had the opportunity to catch up with Jack Acid a few days after Eddy Baker's show while he was still down in LA.
Here's what he had to say:
Q: Are you visiting LA or did you just come out for the show?
A: Yeah, I live out in Phoenix, Arizona.
Q: So when did you first start recording your own music?
A: I started out with a band called Joseph James and I wrote all the parts back in 2014, but I’ve been recording and making music even before that.
Q: So you were recording some solo material on the side while you were in the band?
A: Yeah well at first it was sort of solo acoustic indie rock, sad song type deals, and then I went back to my hometown for a little bit, got my diploma, saved up some money, came to Arizona and started a band, with all the shit ready. Then, I found a band to play the parts that I wrote. That was like an indie rock band, kind of like Mac Demarco meets Nirvana.
Q: When did you start experimenting with other genres?
A: Well at first it was Joseph James and then I played drums in my dad’s band, it’s like a stoner rock band, bluesy type shit. Then, I started a band called Stinkeye which was like psychedelic punk rock, fuzzy garage stuff. I did that for a while, toured for a bit, came back and wanted to quit music. For fun, I started recording rap music and then I kind of just took over everything.
Q: Has Soundcloud been helpful to meet other artists or do you prefer connecting with people in person?
A: I’ve always been more of a physical type of person. I like meeting people in person and I try to make sure that my shows are talked about. People will go home and think about the performance and I try to make my connections that way. I’m not really too much of an internet guy. That’s kind of my weakness to be honest. Face to face connection is what I’m more into.
(Spenser) Makes sense since you’ve been part of DIY communities for so long.
(Jack) Yeah I like to get out there and meet the people to make connections and make friends, but yeah I gotta get better at the computer stuff man, I’m just not that good at it.
Q: How’d you get involved in the community out in LA?
A: Shit dude, just the internet. Pretty much everyone I do music with, I’ve just met them through Instagram. Yeah, it was like a couple years ago when I met Mikey Rotten. He had me out last year in December for a show in Koreatown and then yeah we’ve just been staying in contact.
I came out to LA just to hangout with some friends. Since he’s already out here, he reached out and was like, “hey I’m putting together a show would ya wanna come out” and I was like fuck yeah, so I flew out here and didn’t get to perform but it’s good to get out of Arizona. It’s hot as a motherfucker.
Q: So has Clairo every hit ya up?
A: (laughs) No, but I’ve sent the video to her friends and people she’s on tour with and they see it, but they block me and don’t respond. Yeah, I wonder what her reaction would be to that video because it’s pretty creepy.
Q: Do you make music videos for your tracks pretty often?
A: Yeah dude. I had like nine of them at one point, but I had a falling out with a videographer and he deleted them. I still have about six out beside those, but yeah I usually just meet the videographers online and work with them. The last video I dropped was “Gutless” and that’s on WorldstarHipHop.
Q: Do you like collaborating with other people on your songs or do you prefer writing music solo?
A: I just like to have fun ya know. Music is really fun to make. Like right now I have some stuff I just recorded with my buddy Shawty Gawd and that’s for fun, but if it’s for a project I’d rather do it solo with no features. I do enjoy collaborating though for fun. I’m usually not really expecting much from it. Sometimes it’s good, sometimes it’s not.
Q: Do you have any other projects you’ve been working on?
A: Yeah dude, I’m sitting on a fucking mound of shit. I’m just waiting on some videos to be done, but yeah I’ve got like three albums that I’m just sitting on. Basically, I’m just fucking waiting to pay the videographers. I don’t want to release them without the videos, so yea I’ll be releasing a shitload of stuff soon.
Q: Rad. That’s all we have for ya, any last words to leave?
A: The Church wants your children, keep your children away. Fuck 12, there’s chemtrails in the sky. They want us dead. Do you, quit school, trap, don’t work a job, and have fun with life because you’ve only got a little bit of life here before you’re onto the next life, so fuck it let’s rock.