BLOODSIMPLE Frontman Discusses PHIL ANSELMO Collaboration

ARTISTdirect editor Rick Florino recently conducted an interview with BLOODSIMPLE/ex-VISION OF DISORDER frontman Tim Williams. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow:

ARTISTdirect: How did the collaboration with PANTERA vocalist Phil Anselmo come about on [VISION OF DISORDER's] "By the River"?

Tim Williams: It's so funny you asked that. I'm supposed to see his other band DOWN tonight, but I can't make it. Phil and I bro'ed down hard the summer before on that Ozzfest. He kind of took V.O.D. under his wing. He's kind of a punk rock and hardcore guy. I guess he saw that in us, and he really liked us. So we hung out with him, and drank with him. The following Halloween, I went down to his house and hung out with him for like a week in New Orleans. I got a couple friends in New Orleans, and we bro'ed down even harder then. I think the following spring I just called him. We wanted something different on the record, so I was like, "I bet I could call Phil and get him to do this." So I went to Roadrunner and told them he would guest on the record. I called him up, and he said, "No problem, just bring it down here for me." I was like, "I'll fucking fly right down there tomorrow." Two weeks later, I flew down there, and I spent like four days with him. That was one of the best times, because we weren't really partying. We were just chilling. We were just drinking beers, smoking weed and listening to music. That was a really cool time. Of the times we've hung out, it's been so crazy, but that was one of the coolest times. It was just myself, him, his girl and my girl of the time, just hanging. It was awesome.

ARTISTdirect: I always find something new in [BLOODSIMPLE's] "Red Harvest" every time I listen to it. You can come back to it.

Tim Williams: Thanks, with "Red Harvest", I think it's a phenomenal record. I'm really proud of it. I'm proud it's BLOODSIMPLE's second record. I think it's going to make its mark. I think it's kind of like a sleeper though. We're not selling some fucking image. We don't belong to some fucking scene. We're friends with everybody, and we do our thing. I think it's going to take a while for that record to catch some super fire, but we're making some real significant headway. I think if we take the right steps, that record is going to see what it deserves. Everything has been so overwhelmingly positive with reviews. Of the European reviews, like 2 out of 100 had something negative to say, and that's something I haven't seen since "Imprint". There's a lot of competition in the industry right now. A lot of people don't even know what the fuck is going to happen. Things are a little shaky. I think if the band's smart, we keep everything in our hands and make some wise decisions, I think everything is going to wind up where it needs to be. I'm into longevity, bro. I always tour, it's awesome, but I'm into doing records and continuing to put them out. Just keeping it going, I'm not done yet. I've got so much shit to do. BLOODSIMPLE's got stuff to do. There's so much to do. You've just got to be smart about it and keep a low profile and just roll. That's the best way to do it.

ARTISTdirect: Do you write a lot at home?

Tim Williams: Yeah, I do a lot of reading and writing when I'm home. I don't really do much, when I'm home. I keep my mind occupied. I go to the gym. I try to read. That helps a lot. I'm always on the computer, jotting things down, you know. It's hard to write something long, because I always do it quick, and then walk away and come back. I'm always writing stuff. Whenever we start writing as a band, sometimes a lot of what I write personally makes it into the songs.

ARTISTdirect: Would you ever bring that shorter writing together in a book of short poems or fiction?

Tim Williams: Definitely, I think about it all the time. I was thinking about it yesterday while I was washing dishes. I'm very interested in putting out a journal entry/short story small paperback book just to get the fire started. Like I said, this business is all about evolving. I've been screaming and shouting in people's faces for so fucking long that you've got to evolve. I wouldn't mind evolving into something like that. I've already done a bunch of open mic poetry nights and stuff like that. Writing is somewhere I'd definitely go. The only thing that would get in the way of that is my own laziness, because I know that. But it's something that I really I want to do. I have 12 or 13 books stacked with stuff through the V.O.D. years to BLOODSIMPLE about everything. I could definitely put something together.

Read the entire interview at www.artistdirect.com.