If you own albums by Anti-Flag, Rise Against, and Alkaline Trio chances are you’ve heard Mass’ production work. Also if you’ve seen bands like Jimmy Eat World, Thursday, Blink 182, Poison the Well chances are you’ve seen Mass (he’s toured with the aforementioned). And if that’s not enough he’s worked in the studio with and calls Billie Joe from Green Day and Kris Roe of the Ataris good friends. His own bands include: Screeching Weasel, Squirtgun, Torture the Artist, and Common Rider.

I’m going to put it out there and say that this is (thus far to my knowledge) the definitive interview with Mass Giorgini. I had the conversation with Mass after I spent an afternoon with him in the studio recording vocals for a friends’ album. It was pretty much one of my favourite days ever! Working with Mass was a dream come true for me!

Can you tell me something interesting that people would be surprised to know about you?

I am an avid reader, especially of materials with socio-political relevance. That said, my favorite literary genre is magical realism, which almost seems to be a contradiction. However, some of the best magical realism can illustrate the ridiculous nature of real injustice. Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Luis Alberto Urrea are both masters of this, as is Edwidge Danticat.

After attending one of Luis Alberto Urrea’s readings last year, I introduced myself, and we have since struck up a wonderful friendship. He has intruduced me to much excellent literature and music, and he is also now a fan of Screeching Weasel, Squirtgun, and Common Rider. In fact, the last time I called him up, he was singing Screeching Weasel lines to me over the phone! His youngest daughter, Chayo, was calling him a “potty mouth” because of some of the lyrics!

Luis has been a great inspiration, and has given me the courage to begin writing a novel of my own, based on my own family experience. His promise to help a bit me with style and technique has given me the reassurance that no matter how modest my writing skills are, my final release should be at least competent!

Another interesting tidbit is that I will be acting in a cameo role in an independent film titled Loren Cass, being shot in Florida by director Chris Fuller.

When and where were you born?

Very long ago, in a land far away… No, seriously, I was born in 1968 in Lafayette, Indiana, in the United States to Italian immigrant parents. Most of my early years, however, were spent back in Italy, and I began my schooling there. Only when I returned to the U.S., and began attending school here did I learn English.

What were you like growing up?

I was the outsider. I did not fit in with the American kids. Lafayette — at least the part of town I grew up in — was very blue-collar, conservative, and stereotypically white-bread American. There were no other non-Anglos in my neighborhood, and to them, we were savage, uncivilized foreigners. At first this was very difficult and alienating for me, especially with the language barrier taken into consideration. But, in time, I learned the language and culture well enough to fit in like one of them. Once I did, I realized that I had learned so much about myself, my family, and my heritage that I was proud to be different. Maybe that is why that to this day I am so attracted to the plight of immigrants and minorities – the emotional experience of my childhood has never left me. The authors I mentioned earlier have gone through similar experiences; Luis Alberto Urrea was the son of a Mexican father and an American mother, and never fit in perfectly in either world, Edwidge Danticat is the daughter of Haitian immigrants, and moved to the U.S. at age twelve, not speaking any English. I am sure that is part of reason that their writing voice speaks so clearly to me.

What’s something that’s happened in the past to define who you are today?

Beyond the feeling of being an outsider for much of my youth, I think that my family experience has had much to do with who I am now. My mother was from a poor working-class family in Italy. She grew up during the Second World War, and witnessed first-hand many of the atrocities of the Nazis and Fascists as they were retreating northward from the Allied advances in southern Italy. She brought me up with a markedly leftist bent. She was well educated in political science and law, and became one of the first female doctorates in criminal law. But my mother was also schizophrenic, and her struggle with the illness ended with her suicide when I was nine years old.

My father also came from a working-class family, and was the first in his family to attend high school. He was raised for most of his early years in a prison camp in North Africa. He was largely self-schooled until his later high school years. But his drive to learn was quite intense. He won many scholarships, and ended up with two doctorates, one in Civil Engineering, and one in Mechanical Engineering. He was working on a third, when he was stricken with brain cancer at 60 years of age. My father was also a noted artist, and his work has been exhibited all over the world. A few of his pieces are now a part of the Smithsonian collection in Washington, D.C.

What first brought you to punk rock?

Certainly, the Ramones. I still remember the first time I heard “Beat on the Brat,” like it was yesterday. The bullies at school were picking on me at that time, and occasionally ganging up on me. Partly, it was an ethnic thing, with them making fun of my Italian background. Also, though, they were making fun of me for the fact that my mother had been in the mental hospital after an earlier, unsuccessful suicide attempt. When I heard that song, I could close my eyes and pretend I was beating the hell out of the ringleader of the hooligans.

What were you doing before punk rock; I heard you were studying psychology? Why’d you choose that? Will you ever go back to it?

It’s possible that I chose psychology in part because of my mother’s schizophrenia, although I honestly thought at the time that I was just fascinated by mental health issues. Psychology was, and still is, such a new and unexplored field. My intention had been to do research into mental illnesses. I did begin down that path, and even researched short-term memory, and co-authored two academic articles in respected psychology journals. But, I dropped out of the research area when my father was diagnosed with the glioblastoma multiforme.

I doubt that I will ever return to the study of psychology, although I have been speaking to Michael Weinstein, a respected professor of political science, about pursuing studies towards a doctorate in that field.

What do you find attractive and unattractive about the punk scene in general?

I still love the feeling that I am involved in something vital and fresh. Even though punk has been around for over 25 years now, the genuine article has only rarely hit the mainstream in any significant way. I think that the scene is a bit like an iceberg – the very biggest artists are seen or heard by the mainstream, but there are massive numbers of important artists that are still below the waves.

On the other hand, I really do not enjoy the “clique-ish” nature of the different subsets of the punk scene. Many fans will exclusively listen to only one particular genre, while I believe that the strength and beauty of the scene is in its variety. Many of these scenesters still go as far as to classify bands or artists as either “real punks” or “poseurs.” Over ten years after the famous Jawbreaker song about this exact issue, there are still a great number of people in the scene that will come up to you and imply that “you’re not punk, and I’m telling everyone.”

What’s a big change you’ve noticed in punk since you first became involved til now that has been for better and worse?

Well, it has certainly grown, for better or for worse. Just by having more fans and more bands, the bar has been raised quite a bit. The result is that there are more great bands. However, there is also a dilution of the sense of being involved in something special, and unique. Sadly, it has also seriously diluted the sense that we are involved in a counterculture movement, and helping to foment a non-violent culture revolution. I believe that over time there has been a continually lessening focus on the socio-political element of the punk scene, and more and more of a focus on the aesthetic elements. I know that the last year has seen a rise in political themes in the scene, but I am suspicious that much of that is fashion-related. The young bands see that it is currently “cool” to be politically aware, so they scan and repeat the same clichè slogans over and over again. I think that much of what is going on now is hollow, and in a few years we will see many of these same people on MTV selling lab-animal tested deodorant in commercials. Obviously, there are many artists who are genuinely sincere, too. I just hope that their staying power and message does not get dimished by the trend riders.

Could you tell me about how you came to be in Squirtgun – Screeching Weasel – Common Rider and a bit about your time in each band?

Squirtgun is actually the continuation of Rattail Grenadier, and I have been involved with these bands since 1984. I originally started the band with my brother Flav, and we were soon joined by Dan Lumley on drums. The three of us went through a slew of singers and second guitarists over the years until 1994, when we hooked up with Matt Hart as the lead singer. There have been a few auxiliary members, mainly for touring purposes, but we were just the four of us most of the time, until late 2003, when Dan decided to retire from music. He was replaced by Mike Felumlee, who I had met through his having been the drummer for Alkaline Trio and the Smoking Popes. Mike has now been on three tours with Squirtgun, and has already written several songs for the next Squirtgun album.

I first became involved with Screeching Weasel in 1987, just as they were recording their first album. At first, I just helped out with booking shows in Indiana, and became friends with John and Ben. Later, in 1991, we did some more shows with Screeching Weasel and Rattail Grenadier, and based on the latest Rattail Grenadier recordings, Ben and John decided to have me produce the next Screeching Weasel record. For the most part, I have recorded everything for those guys ever since – whether it was Screeching Weasel, the Riverdales, Even in Blackouts, the Methadones, the Mopes, Ben’s solo album, and many others… I finally joined the band in 1997, and have been their bassist ever since, playing on the last six or so releases…

Common Rider started in late 1998, when I got a call from Jesse Michaels about doing a new band. He had not been in an actual band since Operation Ivy, and was certainly a bit nervous about giving it a go again. I had met Jesse back in 1988, when Operation Ivy did their one and only tour. I set up a show for them in Indiana, and Rattail Grenadier opened for them. We had not stayed in regular touch, but he was aware of my joining Screeching Weasel, and about my work in Squirtgun. We also had several mutual friends, so it was not totally out of the blue, either. The band went on to do two full-lengths, and one long U.S. tour, but we disbanded in early 2003.

Also what’s happening with each band now? I’ve heard Screeching Weasel played a reunion show? I heard Lumley came out of retirement? I heard Common Rider could be doing a split with another band and has new merch? Any chance of a reunion?

Well, with Common Rider, a full-on reunion has not been discussed. We do have a new split E.P. release with Against All Authority due for release later this year, and have talked casually about possibly doing a few accompanying shows. The songs on this release were extra songs that were recorded during the This is Unity Music sessions. Nothing is set in stone, outside of the release itself, and performing is still more of a distant thought than a real possibility.

Screeching Weasel has reunited, although the only purpose at this point is to do a short mini-tour, for the fun of playing the tunes live. So far, we have simply played one show – a surpise set of eight songs at the Fireside Bowl in Chicago, in between bands opening for the Mr. T. Experience. We did that short set in order to see if we had enough of a good time to merit doing the tour. We had a great time, so the tour plan is forging ahead. It will probably only be 8-10 shows on the east coast of the U.S. If we really love it, then there may be another mini-tour on the west coast at some point in the future. We were all happy that Lumley agreed to come out of retirement for the mini-tours. He said that it just sounded like a lot of fun to him.

The most active band for me as of late has been Squirtgun. Between the three tours in the last year, the music video – which is actually getting some airplay on U.S. television, the new album, and all the great guests that have helped bring renewed attention to the band, we have had a great year. Kris Roe of the Ataris has helped immeasurably, between his guest appearance in the song and video for “Burn for You,” as well as with taking us out on tour with the Ataris. But the other guests have helped out quite a bit as well, most notably Justin Sane of Anti-Flag, Chris Bauermeister of Jawbreaker, and Mike Park of Asian Man Records.

If you had to choose one, which band has bought you the most personal satisfaction?

That is a very tough call. My biggest show ever as a headliner was with Screeching Weasel. The song I played on that has been heard by the most people is “Social,” by Squirtgun, which was the opening song to the film Mallrats, and This is Unity Music by Common Rider is my favorite overall album I have played on production-wise and bass line-wise, so there are high points for all three. Depending on my mood, my favourite release to listen to of the three bands is either Screeching Weasel Major Label Debut, Squirtgun Fade to Bright, or Common Rider This is Unity Music.

You play in Squirtgun with your brother what’s that like? Doesn’t your brother make you custom bass’? Tell me about his company?

Playing in a band with my brother has its positives and negatives, but mainly positives. The band gives us a great excuse to get together and work on things together, creating some great family bonding time. Flav lives in Seattle, and is a Ph.D. in Molecular Genetics. He is working on a post doctorate at the University of Washington. He also used to run Guitarpunk, which was a wonderful company that designed and built guitars. It was a labour of love for him, and he dedicated almost 40 hours a week to that company for 4 years. He never made any profit, and he barely even managed to break even, so all those hours became harder and harder to justify — especially considering what he could have been earning putting his advanced degree to use. He designed a custom bass guitar for me, as well as a slightly different one for Dan Andriano of Alkaline Trio. Matt Skiba from Alkaline Trio also had Flav design a custom guitar for him, and he used it in the newest Alkaline Trio video. Flav designed and built guitars for Jesse Michaels, Ben Weasel, and Joe Queer as well, in addition to a few models that he designed based on his own preferences. He built and sold over 400 guitars, and they are still highly sought-after in the used guitar market.

Besides the band thing, you’re also a producer can you tell me about that? How’d that come about? Did you do a course or did you just learn via experience?

At the beginning, my sole intention was to be able to make good recordings of my own band on the cheap. But, as is my nature, I obsessively read and studied more and more on the subject, and experimented with several microphones and recording techniques until I was able to get the sounds I was looking for. Of course, this meant spending every waking minute in the studio, and every available dollar on more equipment, but I think it was fruitful in the long run. In the process, I have also developed a knack for helping bands to finish songs, and re-work parts that don’t quite fit. Of course, the majority of my time is spent helping to get the best performance out of the artists – because in the end what matters the most are the songs and the performances. The actual technical side, especially in regards to exact equipment, is just the frosting on the cake. The fact that the first Beatles records were recorded on equipment that is completely out of date by today’s standards — yet still sound fresh and vital — is proof that the magic is not in the technology, but in the music itself.

So, I learned by experience, not through formal training. On the other hand, I am an avid self-studying fellow, and read and practice very hard. I don’t know if my route would work for everyone – it took much trial and error, and involved many moments of extreme frustration. To me, though, the payoff of satisfaction I fell when things finally turn out right is well worth that effort.

What was the first thing you ever produced?

Rattail Grenadier. The album was Too Much of a Good Thing, which was released in 1991 on Rotz/Helter Skelter Records. I co-produced it with Paul Mahern, who has since produced Iggy Pop, the Blake Babies, and John Mellencamp. However, he was also the lead singer of legendary punk band the Zero Boys, and produced albums for Naked Raygun, Toxic Reasons, Sloppy Seconds, Life Sentence, and many more early 80’s punk pioneers.

It was a learning experience for me, and I actually did about 90% of the work, insisting that I twist every knob myself to make it a learning experience – and just getting opinions and guidance from Paul.

The first band I produced of which I was not a member was Screeching Weasel, and the album was Wiggle.

What is the latest thing you’ve produced?

I just completed the newest album by Big In Japan, which is called Who Really Needs a Heart, Anyway? It will be released on Insubordination Records, based in Baltimore, Maryland (USA). I am very proud of how it has turned out, and had great fun working with Zac Damon again. We played around quite a bit with guitar tones, and created a sound that has a strong retro influence, but with a decidedly modern twist. It also has the best songs that Zac has ever written, and that is saying quite a bit, since I am such a fan of his writing.

What’s your favourite thing you’ve produced?

Wow. That is a tough question. It depends on how I look at it. It is somewhat like asking what my favourite album or book is, and truth be told, that depends a bit on my mood at the moment. Some of the standouts in my mind include Moral Crux Something More Dangerous, Screeching Weasel Major Label Debut and Bark Like a Dog, the Queers Don’t Back Down, Common Rider This is Unity Music, Big In Japan Who Really Needs a Heart, Anyway?, the Lillingtons Death By Television, Clifford Nevernew Topter Baster, Anti-Flag Underground Network, the Riverdales Phase Three, the Groovie Ghoulies Re-animation Festival, the Code Alert Aware Involved, Justin Sane Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness, Rise Against the Unravelling, the Smugglers Selling the Sizzle, the Teen Idols Pucker Up, Even in Blackouts Myth and Ordinary Magicians, the Smoking Popes Get Fired, and the Methadones Career Objectives. I am sure that I am leaving some great ones out, but at the moment, those ones all came to mind as among my favourites.

Ever had any bad experiences while producing?

There have been a few, but thankfully, my overall experiences have been very positive. One time, while my father was ill with brain cancer, I had an especially insensitive client that actually brought me close to the point of physical violence. I resisted the urge, and I am sure that my emotional state contributed to my getting that close to fisticuffs, but I also can confidently say that the client in question certainly crossed the line of respect with me in a way no one else has ever done in my studio.

Who been the best out of all the bands you’ve recorded to work with?

That’s another very difficult question. Many of the bands have had so many different good qualities that it makes it very tough to answer that. So many of the bands have had genuinely wonderful and interesting people in them that I honestly have to say that I have been very lucky. Most of the bands I record are with me for at least a week, and many up to two months. Plus, we usually stay in touch afterwards, the net effect being that they become friends of mine – beyond the professional aspect. What I am getting to is that once you become good friends, how do you choose who is the best band to work with in any meaningful and permanent way?

You were out here last October producing Scarred Hope, why’d you choose to produce them? What did you think of Australia? When are you coming back?

I first heard from Dave of Scarred Hope via e-mail, and he sent me an MP3 of a demo version of one of their tunes. I was very impressed with what I heard, and asked for another tune. When I loved the second one, I knew it would be a great match. Their songs have just the right combination of heart and melody to move me. Working with them also provided me with the chance to see Australia, or at least the Brisbane area. I absolutely loved it, and would love to go back as soon as possible. I very much hope that we can hook up with an Australian booking agent to make a Squirtgun tour of Australia a possibility for late July or early August. Heck, at the end of the tour, I might just have to miss the plane for the return flight!

When you look at producing someone how do you choose them?

The first thing is that I have to like the songs. But also very important to me is that there is nothing in the message of the band that I find objectionable. I categorically refuse to work on any material that I feel is racist, sexist, or homophobic. Also, I find any music that contains lyrics that deride people based on their religion or spirituality highly objectionable, whether they be anti-Christian, anti-Semitic, anti-Buddhist, anti-Muslim, or opposed to any other specific religious group. There have been a few times in the past where a group’s songs did not especially strike me. But maybe one member had a special charisma, or I loved their lyrics, or I really liked them as people, and so I made musical exceptions to my general rule of liking the songs overall. However, I have been very fortunate that for the most part, I get more demos that I appreciate than I could even hope to record. That means that I can pick and choose the projects that I like, and end up always working on music I enjoy.

You have your own studio in Lafayette, tell me about that? Didn’t you design and build it yourself? Who’s recorded there? Why Lafayette?

Sonic Iguana Studios in Lafayette is totally self-designed. Most of the albums I am known for were recorded and mixed there. There have also been some cases in which I recorded elsewhere for convenience, and then brought back the recordings to edit, mix, and master at Sonic Iguana. I set the studio up so as to have all the best equipment and microphones for tracking a punk band. I also have a few dual-purpose microphones, and a few different choices of preamps and compressors for different feels and tones. But, for example, I neglected to get a great set of piano mics, or the best harmonica mics, or the idea violin mics, etc. That way, I could offer a studio that was fully capable of pulling off a major label sound for a punk band, without having to break the bank like most major-label studios do. The reason I chose Lafayette is simply that it has been my home for most of my life, and I feel very comfortable here. However, the fact that the weather is prohibitively cold for almost half of the year, and every bit as hot and humid as the tropics for another two months has made my desire to remain here wither a bit…

Describe a normal day in the life of Mass Giorgini?

I usually wake up at 630am, and check my e-mail. I do my best to answer all I can, although that is usually only a small percentage of what comes in. I get about 150 e-mails per day. I work at that until 830am or so, and then run about 3 miles with my pit bull terrier, Daysi. After that, I usually shave, and then return some phone calls. Again, I only return a small chunk of what comes in… Then, I try to get into the shower before 1030, and get dressed. I feed the dogs, grab lunch, pick up my mail at the post office, and head to the studio. Usually, I am at the studio before 1pm, and work until midnight. I take a one-hour dinner break. Often, I start an hour or two earlier, and go a half hour to an hour later, although I prefer to stop by midnight. When I get home, I play with the dogs a little bit, and then answer e-mails again until about 130am. After that, I either read or write until I get heavy eyelids. That usually means around 230, but sometimes I get hooked on a story I am reading, and go until 330am or so. For variety, I occasionally watch part of a movie instead of reading. Then, I am back up by 630am to start the cycle again.

What’s one of the single most important lessons you’ve learnt from punk rock?

I have learned how fashionable anti-fashion can be. I have seen how trendy it can be to buck the trends. I have seen how exclusive people can become in an environment meant to be inclusive.

I know that these are all shortcomings, but I came into punk rock as an idealist — I was an outcast that wanted a home. I saw the punk scene, and found a place where I was accepted, and felt that I belonged – without having to wear the right clothes, or have the hip hairstyle. But as time has passed, and the scene has grown — becoming more “mainstream,” as it were – the rules for fitting in have gotten more and more stringent. The word “punk” used to be virtually synonymous with opposition, counterculture, revolution, anarchy, and iconoclasm. Now, it practically defines a specific dress code, lingo, and music choice.

Obviously, I have benefited from the growth of the punk scene – after all, it can be argued that I have made it my career. But I loved the scene because it had given me an aesthetic refuge from mainstream culture. I felt like I could wear whatever I wanted, listen to whatever I wanted, read whatever I wanted, and still be accepted as an individual in the punk scene. By sheer accident, the very style I loved and the music I was involved in became huge successes, and suddenly, my attempt to “be myself” made me “cool.” I was never “cool” before.

And now, as fashion moves on, and I still have some of the same likes, dislikes, and general tastes of before, I am becoming ever more “out-of-date.” Never mind that, to use a specific example, I always loved the Clash, the Dead Kennedys, and the Sex Pistols – to the young generation of punks, I can only be seen as a pop-punk anachronism in the age of modern political punk.

When Squirtgun did a politically-charged song on our last album – “Make it Wreck” – some zines bashed us as pandering to the new popularity of political themes in punk rock. Other zines bashed the whole album as fluffy songs “about girls.” Which was it?

Yes, Squirtgun has had several love songs, but we have always had political and socio-political themes to many of our songs, as well. Our first album had the song “Social,” in which the socio-politics are so literal and obvious that they almost hit you on the head. Also, there were songs about the situation in post-communist Russia, the exploitation of coffee pickers in Central and South America through the purposeful addiction of the population of “Developed” nations to caffeine, songs about the shortcomings of the American healthcare system, and more.

As much as I appreciate the angst of teenagers trying to change the system, I think that too many young punks are all too happy to just latch on to simple slogans, and never give the true semantics a second thought. I really hate to make statements that sound so flippant, but quite literally, I wrote and released punk songs that were opposed to the U.S. Republican party line, critical of the situation in Afghanistan, and anti-racist, as early as the mid-1980’s – before many of these self-proclaimed “experts” on punk music were even born. So, I certainly do not see the inclusion of overtly politically themed songs on the Squirtgun album as back-pedalling or pandering.

To get back to my original point, punk provided a place where the socially dispossessed could call home, and once some of those people found their niche in the punk scene, they became exclusionary and began trying to deny others the chance to be a part of it. I understand the notion of protectionism, and there is some value to being cautious and protective – but I think in most cases people default to simple possessiveness, and see it as protectionism. This is highly counter to what I see as the philosophy of punk, but it seems to have become an inalienable part of the scene.

What’s one of the single most important lessons you’ve learnt from the music industry?

I still grapple with calling it an industry, although I am aware that it is an appropriate label. I like to see what I do as outside of that industry. I work on the fringes of the mainstream, and only skirt the areas of major labels. I have never produced an album for a major label. I have never recorded a major label album in my facility. One exception is that there have been major label artists that have recorded at my studio, although usually in a guest or cursory role. Even in those cases, the product was usually destined for independent labels. Another exception is that occasionally recordings I made intended for independent labels have had a song or two go on to use in major label compilations or soundtracks. In a nutshell, I don’t really view myself as having an intricate knowledge of the music industry. Regardless, I may know a bit more about it than most people, and certainly enough to know that I prefer the arts element to the industry element. Although some of the greatest and most influential punk albums have been released on major labels, by the nature of the genre itself, punk music will always be best suited to independent labels.

What do you feel is your contribution to the punk rock scene?

Once I formally began the recording studio – outside of recording my own band – my primary goal was to record punk as well as possible for as cheap as possible. I wanted to document the new bands that were cropping up around me as well as possible, in a way that was affordable. I believed very sincerely that many of the new unknown bands of the time were creating very exciting and new music – Screeching Weasel, the Smoking Popes, Born Against, and others – and that they would be go unnoticed and unremembered unless someone who really cared about the genre got involved in recording them. I put in countless uncharged hours of preparation and extra work to do the best job I could with the equipment I had. Those early recordings sound horrible to me now in a technical sense, but I am so proud to have been involved in documenting the music that was going on at the time. I really cared, and still care, about what I do. I try my best to represent the music I record in the way the artists wish it to be represented. I think that ultimately that is my biggest contribution.

What’s punk rock bought to your life other than poverty?

Poverty. And joy. And fulfilment. And of course, a sense of purpose. If I had to write a paragraph about myself, it would hard for me to avoid using the word “punk” at some point, unless I were specifically avoiding the word, or being disingenuous.

What are your favourite bands at the moment?

I certainly go through phases with music. A few of the albums I have really enjoyed in the past several months have been the most recent Rancid, Thrice, and Alkaline Trio albums. But in the last month or so I have been listening mostly to Billy Bragg and Victor Jara.

I am in the middle of reading the book that Victor Jara’s widow, Joan, wrote about his life and music. Victor was an outspoken supporter of the progressive socialist government of Salvador Allende in his native Chile. When Allende was overthrown by military head Augusto Pinochet — possibly with CIA backing — a violent backlash began against all supporters of the deposed leader. Among the victims of this backlash was Victor Jara, whose hands were both broken during torture. With his hands completely useless, he was taunted by the torturers to try to play his songs that were critical of Pinochet. When he refused, he was killed.

What are your favourite zines at the moment?

I think if I had to pick one current favorite it would probably be Punk Planet. But there are a few other ones out there that I really love. Truthfully, Fifteenth Precinct is right near the top of my list. Jersey Beat, Razorcake, AMP, F.U.G., Cometbus, and even Maximum RockNRoll are other decent zines I still check out. MRR used to be the “punk rock bible,” but I believe it doesn’t really hold that title anymore. Regardless, it is still one of the “essential” zines of the scene.

Are you a spiritual person at all?

I believe that I am a very spiritual person. However, I do not specifically associate myself with any one organized religion. Because I was raised in a predominantly Judeo-Christian environment, my overall morality and ethics generally follow those principles.

My grandmother was my primary caregiver for most of my childhood, and she was staunchly Roman Catholic, of the variety practiced in remote Italian villages. She attended church regularly, but also prayed to certain favourite saints, deceased ancestors, and even certain holy people that had not been beatified by the church. What my grandmother practiced would probably be considered slightly pagan to the modern Catholic church establishment. My mother held similar beliefs, and also had “pet” saints – many which were not also officially recognized as saints by the church.

My father, on the other hand was an agnostic. He had been raised Catholic, but began to have a few doubts as to the actual accounts in the bible. His morality was certain Catholic, and he was not an atheist. He believed that there existed some “higher plane” of morality.

I think that the influence of my grandmother, and my mother, are what has attracted me so much to magical realism in literature. My father’s beliefs have attracted me more to Buddhism, especially since that is almost more a philosophy than a religion, per se. Of course the lines between a living philosophy, spirituality, and religion are all a bit tenuous, and escape precise clarification.

I find a certain spiritual beauty and comfort in the fact that one can find higher truth in stories that could be considered fables or fiction. For me, these sorts of universal truths are often illuminated in the tales of Aesop, Biblical stories, Hindu legends, the Koran, or even the short stories of Gabriel Garcia Marquez. The essential moral messages of these parables are not always clearly spelled out – we must interpret their ultimate significance for ourselves.

What’s one of the biggest hurdles you’ve had to face in life so far and how did you conqueror it?

There have been a few hurdles professionally, of course, but none that would be considered unusual by anyone who has pursued a career in the arts.

From a personal aspect, my initial assimilation into American life was very difficult. I knew no English, and so I was unable to communicate with classmates for the first part of my U.S. elementary education. Subsequently, I had to deal with considerable discrimination and prejudice from the local population, for whom Italians seemed like savages. There was certainly a high level of xenophobia in Lafayette in the early seventies.

Much of that has diminished in the last ten years, as a direct result of the huge influx of Mexican immigrants to the area, and also a considerable number of Japanese immigrants. I find it especially interesting that I endured so much prejudice considering that I am Caucasian. I look very much like the rest of the locals. Now, with my accent identifiably American when I speak English, no one would ever consider me foreign. I can only imagine how hard it would have been assimilating in this environment for someone of a different race at that same period of time.

The other great ordeal for me was the loss of my parents. My mother, to suicide, when I was nine years old, and my father to brain cancer when I was 26. The loss of my mother was very confusing for me, and created many confusing thoughts in my own mind about why she would want to leave the family behind. In the case of my father, it was an extended illness, and resulted in nearly one full year of round-the-clock care. It was especially difficult to see such a strong and vivacious man become entirely dependent upon the care of my brother and I – especially when he had been the entire support structure for us so recently beforehand.

My father had an amazing strength of soul and spirit, and always kept a positive attitude in the face of adversity. He had a heart full of love for life and the people around him. By striving to live up to his example, and trying to remain true to my beliefs, I have been able to overcome many obstacles so far. If I am even half as good as my father was at maintaining that outlook, I believe that I can handle whatever may come next.

You’ve been involved in the punk scene for so long, you must have some interesting tales to share?

Yes, I would say I have a fair number of interesting stories. They range from run-ins on tour with bad promoters, to outright racism, to intestinal difficulties. At the moment, the one that comes to mind is when Squirtgun had stopped for gas and a restroom break in California, in the middle of an overnight drive. For some reason, the guy at the counter was convinced that we were there to rob his snack stand. He started screaming at us, in a broken accent, “You steal my candy! You steal my candy! I kill you if you steal my candy!” He grabbed a baseball bat and chased us into the parking lot. We tried to reason with him that we did not steal any candy, but he would not listen to us. He just used his cordless phone to call up some friends to come and help him kill us, so we left (fortunately, we had already paid for our gas at the pump).

What would be one of the biggest misconceptions people have about you?

I often run into people within the punk who are convinced that I am completely apolitical. I think that this is because I am so connected to the pop-punk scene. However, as I mentioned earlier, Squirtgun has always had songs with a political and socio-political bent. Even Screeching Weasel, which is often viewed as apolitical, has had several songs dating back to their earliest days that were very political. Certainly, songs like “Racist Society” and “6 Percent” are overtly political, but even songs like “I Wanna Be a Homosexual” are certainly at the very least socio-political. There have even been songs that discuss spirituality; such as “Science of Myth,” which I believe is Ben Weasel’s lyrical crowning glory. With Common Rider I would go so far as to say that most of the songs are either political or socio-political. Despite all this, it seems to be common that many punks assume that all the bands I play in just do songs about “girls.”

What’s one of the best things about being you right now?

I feel very lucky that I have been able to work with so many great musicians over the years. I also feel incredibly lucky to have been able to survive doing only music. Apart from the music itself, being a part of the scene has introduced to many wonderful artists, scholars, authors, and places.

I think that the best thing about being me right now is that I really am doing what I love.

Anything to add?

I hope that the renewed interest from the scene in the political and socio-political side of punk rock proves to be more than just a trend. With all of the growth in punk rock, a strong collective voice would actually have the potential to effect positive change.

You can find Mass’ blog here: http://www.massgiorgini.blogspot.com/ and check out his studio here: http://www.soniciguana.com/