Formed in 1979 by high-school friends from LA, Fishbone blazed a trail through musical and societal barriers with a sound that seamlessly stitched together punk, funk, ska, jazz and tooth-loosening riffs, while irrepressible frontman Angelo Moore declaimed socially conscious lyrics.
Since the departure of original members Norwood Fisher and Walt Kibby last year, Moore, fellow founder Chris Dowd and returning guitarist Spacey T (formerly of Tom Morello-approved African American metal pioneers Sound Barrier) have defied the odds and returned with a characteristically eclectic new album.
Angelo, when you announced the personnel changes in April 2024, you said you hoped fans would give the new line-up a chance. Have you been encouraged by the response so far?
AM: Yeah. We just finished the Escape From America tour in France, and ended up in London, at the Underworld. All the shows were sold out – really good response at every show. I never thought I’d see some of the guys gone. It turned into a situation where your brothers turn into your captors.
I ended up calling it Fishbone Penitentiary, because you feel like you’re trapped, with misunderstanding, ego and pride. But we’ve been able to reinvent ourselves. We thank the guys that were there, we made this legacy together. Now we’ve taken the reins. We’re riding it into the next dimension.
You released the single Racist Piece Of Shit immediately before the US presidential election last year.
AM: Racist Piece Of Shit describes not only the president, but a lot of people in his cabinet. Unfortunately, racism is a big, ugly phenomenon in America today. It’s a disease of vanity. Hopefully our music and message will change the minds of these people.
Spacey T: My parents are telling me: “If you go to Washington DC or Florida, please be careful, maybe consider not playing Racist Piece Of Shit.” [But] I’ve got to stand up for what I believe in.
Stockholm Syndrome, Fishbone’s first full-length album in more than twenty years, has plenty of the genre-blending variety you’re known for.
ST: There’s some surprises on this record. One song reminds me of David Bowie. This is a whole new thing that they probably should have been doing years ago.
AM: We have new band members that have helped us manifest these songs that we couldn’t do with the last line-up because of musical and artistic differences. There’s a lot of tension, trauma and edge in these songs, from the last experience. I’m glad we’re able to actually get it out.
Spacey, you’ve said that when Sound Barrier signed to MCA in 1980, they didn’t know how to market an African-American metal band, but you’ve since been cited as an influence by Tom Morello.
ST: I heard stories like that from Fishbone, too. “Make up your mind what style of music you want to do.” Just market us like you market every other rock band. The Sound Barrier box set is coming.
Funk rock pioneer George Clinton guests on the album. Can you see yourselves rocking into your eighties like him?
ST: We all plan to try to go the duration, to put the band where it should have been the whole time. This is just the beginning.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
