Bobaflex
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Living as a musician is harder than it looks. Ask the members of Bobaflex, as they have been pushed to various extremes, just to get their music heard.
Bobaflex have returned with their latest release, Tales From Dirt Town, and are about to return to the road and keep the fan base happy. Their latest release is focused and a stripped down rock oriented sound. But they have not lost any of the edge that was found on their previous recordings.
Originating from West Virginia, Bobaflex has lived on the road since the band began in 1998. Their hard work landed them an indie recording deal with Eclipse Records in 2001, which they released their EP, Primitive Epic. Later that same year, the band landed a new recording deal with TVT Records, and they released the band’s first full length recording, Apologize For Nothing.
Vocalist and guitarist Marty McCoy talked to Blistering.com about the band’s new album, life as an outlaw on the road, and cheating death while on tour.
Blistering.com: I noticed that this record went for a more stripped down approach. Tell me about the songwriting process as well.
Marty McCoy: Pretty much, we did what we always do. We didn’t really go about it in a different way. It happened that way. We got together and wrote a bunch of songs. Russ C. Cobb helped produce and that’s how it came out. This album’s more personal than the last couple of records. The last five years on the road have been crazy. A lot of things have changed, in matter of in people’s lives died and shit. We did the same thing – got in a room and wrote.
Blistering.com: Do you feel the mood of the songs is a reflection of the lyrical content?
MM: Oh yeah for sure. The album’s about each band member. The lyrics are deeply personal on all of the songs.
Blistering.com: Does Tales From Dirt Town have anything to do with your hometown, or is it in general?
MM: Just being on tour. Going through tiny towns and playing shows and playing places you’ve never heard of. The last five years we’ve spent time in places that we’ve never heard of all over the country. Now when we go to big cities, we could see where we hit those little towns and people making the drive.
Blistering.com: Bobaflex have been road dogs for a while. Do you feel that it has paid off?
MM: Definitely feels that way. It’s definitely starting to pay off. When we signed to TVT, it was our plan in the beginning. We’ve always been a road band anyways. That was the only way we could get our music out, was to go play live. Being from West Virginia, there are no [recording] labels or anything like that. But TVT always had the plan of ‘you’re going to do things like a 70s band and tour, tour, tour…’
Blistering.com: You’ve done a variety of tours, with the largest one being the first Gigantour with Megadeth. Do you see a real difference in the crowds you play in front of?
MM: Yes and no. It’s pretty much kids coming to a hot show. They may look a little different when you play with Twiztid. They all rock the same. I would say the Mudvayne’s ‘Masters of Horror’ tour was probably the most geared towards our audience. It was awesome. But every tour’s been really good. We’ve been accepted somehow and someway on all of the tours.
Blistering.com: Was Gigantour the largest tour you’ve done to date?
MM: I would say the Masters of Horror with 10 Years, Sevendust, Mudvayne and us. It was crazy. There were some huge Gigantour shows. The shows in Canada were huge. But as far as every night packed to the walls, I would say Mudvayne.
Blistering.com: What keeps Bobaflex going, despite the horror stories of your van troubles and any other problems that have plagued you?
MM: If you want to be in a band, this is how it’s supposed to be. We knew that a lot time ago. We were a weird band that didn’t sound like every body else. It was a double edged sword. We knew it would be a long, hard road and put our heads down and kept working at it, and one day hopefully people will think our songs were good.
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