5 QUESTIONS WITH CJ RAMONE

CJ, THANKS FOR JOINING US. WHAT’S NEW WITH YOUR SOUND ON AMERICAN BEAUTY?

SONGWRITING IS A GOOD PIECE SHARPER AS IT’S MY THIRD GO AROUND, SECOND ON FAT WRECK. I WORKED WITH PRODUCER/ENGINEER PAUL MINER THIS TIME SO THE SOUND OF THE RECORD IS BIG! GUITARS A BIT CRUNCHIER AND THE VOCALS MORE UP FRONT WITH A GOOD DOSE OF STEVE SOTO’S BEATLESQUE HARMONIZING. IT ALSO INCLUDES SOME GREAT PERCUSSION BY PETE SOSA AND DAN ROOT’S GUITAR WORK THAT CAN’T BE BEAT. WE’VE EVEN GOT THE BOYS FROM MARIACHI EL BRONX PLAYING TRUMPETS ON A TRACK!

How is it playing with other punk royalty Steve Soto (Adolescents), Dan Root (Adolescents), and Pete Sosa (Street Dogs) and will these guys be joining you on the road?

COULDN’T ASK FOR BETTER. THERE’S A CONFIDENCE YOU FEEL STEPPING ON STAGE WITH VETS LIKE THOSE GUYS. PETE IS THE BABY BOY OF THE GROUP, BUT HAS AS MUCH ROAD TIME AS SOME OF THE OLD TIMERS IN THE BUSINESS.

THE ONE HANG UP IS THOSE BOYS ALL GET BUSY SOMETIMES AND I’VE GOT TO KEEP IT ROLLING. MY SECOND LINE UP IS CHRIS ELLER AND JOSH BLACKWAY FROM THE HUNTINGTONS AND MY GOOD BUDDY NATE SANDER.

How is it working with the fine folks at FAT WRECK CHORDS?

YEAH FAT IS A GOOD HOME FOR ME. NEVER HAVE A PROBLEM GETTING SOMEONE ON THE PHONE AT HEADQUARTERS AND THEY’RE QUICK AT GETTING THINGS DONE. ALSO DOES NOT HURT THAT THEY’VE GOT A BOAT LOAD OF GREAT BANDS WHICH MEANS LEAVING WITH LOTS OF VINYL ANYTIME WE STOP IN ON A WEST COAST RUN!!

Care to tell us about your charitable work with Autism Speaks or any other organization?

I. HAVE SUPPORTED AUTISM SPEAKS FOR A LONG TIME NOW. I DO THE LONG ISLAND WALK WITH TEAM CJ RAMONE EVERY YEAR. MY WIFE DENISE ORGANIZES MOST OF MY INVOLVEMENT AND WE ARE PLANNING A CJ RAMONE BIRTHDAY BASH TO RAISE SOME FUNDS ALSO. AUTISM SPEAKS FUNDS INCREDIBLE AMOUNTS OF RESEARCH AND WITH THE NUMBER OF KIDS BEING DIAGNOSED EVERYDAY, IF THIS WAS A FATAL DISEASE IT WOULD HAVE BEEN CALLED AN EPIDEMIC LONG AGO AND THE FEDS WOULD HAVE POURED MILLIONS OF DOLLARS INTO IT. . SO TO MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN THE AUTISTIC COMMUNITY, STAY TOUGH!!!

Do you have a favorite ACID EATERS track? It doesn’t have to be one you played on!

MY BACK PAGES. OUR VERSION IS BETTER THAN THE ORIGINAL.

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