Chris Cote’s and his band Kut U Up’s new release Worse Than Wolves is out July 2nd.
I feel like you can take more artistic, creative risks in songwriting than in just writing in general.
Yeah for sure, it’s just so much less literal you know? You can say whatever. Like Pheonix the band, for example, the singer when they first started, he didn’t even speak English really; he just started saying words that he kind of knew that sounded good in the song, and look at them now, they’re pretty popular.
So a couple days ago I watched the entire 110-minute documentary “Riding In Vans With Boys” and I was thoroughly entertained. I had seen snippets of it before, but, man, you guys had fun! I feel like deep down, you must be really proud that Billy Joe Armstrong (lead singer of Green Day) branded your ass with a pool stick. Is that true or false?
True! That was my favorite part of the whole thing. I mean the only bummer is that I took really good care of it, so the scar didn’t really stick around that well. Every time we play a show, kids ask me, “Let me see the scar,” and I’m like “Fuck. It’s barely there. It’s only like a couple freckles.” I think that kind of solidified a long ass adventure and that we are still homies so it’s kind of cool. He’s still supposed to get a fuckin’ Chris Cote tattoo and he hasn’t.
Like a Steve-O one, across his back?
Just anywhere, that was our deal.
I think it should be your face across his back.
He should. That would be sexy.
When is the next Blink-182, Green Day, Kut U Up tour?
Who knows? Right now, Billy’s obviously pretty publicly sober and stuff, so I’m sure he wouldn’t want us around. Even though some of the guys in our band are completely sober now too. But we’ve talked about it, you know, we talk about doing stuff. So I guess we are just kind of waiting to be invited. We played with them in San Francisco. That was the last reunion with them. But they come to town, we’ll go surf together and stuff. But there’s no plan to tour together, maybe on like the 15th anniversary or something.
Do you think you’ve grown since then? Since that tour?
Oh for sure.
I was hoping you would say no.
I would be so hung over right now if I drank that much. My hangovers last three days now; it’s fucked up.
If you were given an ultimatum, and you had to chose from this day onward between surfing and music what would you go with, and why?
Hmmm. Well, that’s a tough one; I’m not that good at actually playing music; I’m not like a ripper on the guitar or anything like that. But I’m getting worse at surfing too, and that’s tough. I guess music, just because…Fuck, no. Then I’ll get torched. I guess neither; if I couldn’t do both of them congruently, I would choose neither. I would just skate and like play golf or something. It would be too sad if you couldn’t surf and listen to or play music. If you couldn’t surf your wouldn’t be inspired to play music. Is that a cop out?
Uh, I just didn’t see that coming. I’d rather have one than neither, but, hey, it’s your answer. You feel alright about it?
Bodysurfing, that’s what I’m choosing. Bodysurfing.
Good call. Otherwise, this is a pretty big period of transition for you. In a lot of ways, it’s probably liberating. You have a clean slate to do the things you are most excited about; so what do you think you are going to do with this opportunity? Actually, are you going to be with GrindMedia still?
That has yet to be decided. But it kind of gets me excited. For the last two years I’ve basically been in Transworld one or two days a week doing the same amount of writing for the magazine but also branching out and doing a ton of other things. Like doing some creative agency work and doing commentary, which I guess is part of it. Also doing some project management with some pretty big companies, which is cool. Basically, it’s just a ton of side work, but now it may be production and stuff; all kinds of jobs. That’s probably been the last five or six years of my life, or ten years. Working for Fuel (TV) and I’ve had many, many different jobs. So I guess this is no different.
Aside from job-wise, is there anything else that you’re especially psyched about right now?
Probably more the production side of things; whether it’s doing my own shows or producing content; it’s kind of like doing an article for the magazine where you come up with a concept and then you put all the pieces together to make it actually happen. Then you make it happen, and turn it in; the only thing that’s different is, let’s say you’re doing something for some big company like Amtrak. You do a big project for them, and you turn it in and you’re done, then you move onto something different. As you know, you have to wake up every day and go, “Fuck, what am I going to do about surfing today? Or something around it.” It’s exciting for me to do stuff outside of surfing, but obviously anybody that’s left the surf industry has come back. I would think at least 99% of the people I know who have left surfing, realized that it fuckin’ sucks in the real world.
As much as I make fun of the industry and hate saying that word: “industry,” it’s a pretty cool place to work. I mean you can call it “bro-zone” all you want but why would you not want to work with bros? I’d rather work with bros than suits.
Pick your poison.
You might make more money outside the surf industry, but you probably won’t get to surf as much. Which I think is obviously the reason why we all do it, or want to do it.
Okay, last question. What’s the key to happiness according to Chris Cote?
Being positive, under any circumstances, just be positive. My wife always says, “Love yourself, and you’ll love other people” Just be positive and love yourself, don’t be an asshole. You notice that assholes are pretty much miserable all the time right?
Yeah.
So don’t be an asshole. Be positive. Be a good person.
Kut U Up’s new EP, Worse Than Wolves, will be available July 2 digitally and can be pre-ordered at Aggronautix.com or at See of Sound. The band’s record release show at The Saloon in Encinitas, CA on July 2 will also be syndicated online at StageIt.com for fans across the globe.
