Originally published in Excommunication issue #1

First of all, could you tell me a bit about the side projects that various members of Anti-Flag have been involved with?
Justin released a record on A-F Records called Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Justice. It is really Billy Bragg-like — just him and a guitar. I sing in a band called Whatever It Takes; we’re like Hot Water Music meets Anti-Flag meets Saves the Day…it is different. We have a demo on A-F Records and will be recording a full length hopefully October or November.

What is the local Pittsburgh scene like, and how would you gauge your involvement in it?
Well we live here, and play shows here. The scene is great — there is a venue by the name of the Mr. Roboto Project, and if any bands are looking for a tour stop in Pittsburgh, this is the place to play.

How has the band changed from when you first started? Have you changed any of your views on anything you’ve sung about in the past?
Well, if anything, aside from the obvious line-up changes, we have matured musically and politically. We realize now that there are far bigger problems in the world than posers. I dont care what your hair is like or how long you’ve gone to shows, just as long as you can see that George Bush is an asshole. Things like that are far more important to me…how much you care about the world and all of its people.

Can you tell me about A-F Records? What bands are on it, who works there now, and how it was founded?
Well, Justin, Pat, and Chris started it a long time ago in a far away land. Now it’s grown to have some great bands like Pipe Down, Justin Sane, The Code, Whatever it Takes, and lots more. Now we have The Code coming over and helping out around the office a lot, plus Mary and Jorge, and our friend Jeff. So it’s basically a party.

How have your experiences been working with Fat Wreck Chords?
Fat is an awesome label. We start working on our next full-length for them later this year. They really know how to treat their bands. They are the most punk rock label out there, business-wise.

I hear you are playing Warped Tour this year. How do you envision that will go? Have you played the Warped Tour in the past?
We did Warped two years ago. I think it’ll be awesome; lots of great bands on it this year. It’s great because when we go out and shout the things we do a lot of the kids at the Warped shows have never heard anything like us, and what we do, so its a whole new group of people — no preaching to the converted, if you know what I mean.

What are some of your personal or the group’s favorite bands and influences, musically or otherwise?
The Beatles, Dead Kennedys, and new bands like Strike Anywhere, The Code, Saves The Day. I pretty much love all music as long as it is sincere.

What do you guys do outside of the band? Jobs? School? Hobbies?
Well we do the label, I am in Whatever It Takes, Justin has his solo project, Chris snowboards, Pat travels a lot — but mostly we are either busy with the label or the band. It’s always 100% Anti-Flag.

Lastly, can you tell me about the live CD you released through A-F Records, and what that goes to benefit?
We just did a record called Mobilize on our own label A-F Records. It’s eight new songs and eight live songs, and comes with a free sampler CD of all the A-F Records roster. It was written right around September 11th, and is basically a time capsule of how we were feeling when that occurred. The live set was recorded at the aforementioned Roboto Project. I feel it’s some of our best work as a band, musically and politically.