Willie chats with Sonny from P.O.D.

Willie chats with Sonny from P.O.D.  They discus the new album, the new song, and how P.O.D. has managed to last for over 30 years.

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Sort of seventy nine KVP I firedup. We have a boy, Sonny,
a po d on the phone withU's been talking about this this morning.
Sonny has always man appreciated taking thetime talking to us goofy radio people.
Man, it's always uh an honorwhen we get you guys on the
phone. Man. Yeah, Man, this new album Veritas is something cool

(00:21):
we did. We actually mentioned thatwe were talking to you earlier this morning
and somebody called It was like,oh, man, if you heard this
album, I got this track,I got this track. It's cert of
reeling off tracks from the album thatthey were fans of. You know you
struck a chord when you know it'spretty you know recently new album. Uh,
we're playing a couple of tracks fromit. But just watching you know

(00:41):
what you guys are saying on socialmedia the following the just talking interested has
in it a lot of people talkingabout a lot of tracks. One of
our listeners mentioned the song this isMy Life. I know you were talking
about a song. I saw someinterview where you were talking about the track
lies and another track breaking on there. So a lot of great acts on
this album. Man, What doesVeritas mean for you guys, having written

(01:03):
it during the pandemic and you know, being out on tour with it now
and people finally getting to understand itand hear it for the first second third
times. Yeah, man, Imean we're super grateful that that people are
connecting, you know, and resonatingwith it. I think we've been saying
it's just it's just the record thatPod needed to put out, you know.
It's I keep saying this. It'slike it's like the meat and potatoes

(01:27):
of what we do, you knowwhat I mean, from where we come
from, our neighborhood, all thedifferent music that we love. I mean,
we mix it all, you know, because we're fans of music,
but this is kind of just astraightforward rocking record. I mean, you
get all the Pod flavors, butit's just rocking all the way through.
And the feedback has been incredible.Yeah, Man, Afraid to Die is

(01:49):
definitely stirring the pile a little bit. Tell me about why why that one
garnishing all the attention, traction andand the ears on it right now?
I mean, I think that songis just I mean, even now when
we're playing it live, it's youwould think that we've been playing that song
for you know, twenty years.Just the reaction is crazy, you know

(02:10):
what I mean, And it's Ijust feel like it's another pod anthem,
you know what I mean. Itis long do it? Yeah, it's
hooky. People resonate with the lyrics, you know what I mean, And
I mean it's obviously taking a standand saying, dude, we stand up
for what we believe it. We'renot afraid to die. But I think
the the real message is the nextline where we say, you know,
we're not afraid to live. Youknow, living is the hard part,

(02:35):
right every every day is the hardpark. And I think that's what people
identify with. You know, we'reall going through something in our lives,
and so this is one of thosesongs that's just saying, hey man,
let's hang in there together. Wecould do it together. I do just
feel like that anthem is sort ofrock man. It makes you want to,
you know, just kind of getimmersed in the song, and it
does make you want to sing alongand tump the steering wheel and do all

(02:58):
the things you kind of do it. You got right that type music,
man, So it's great. Uh, it's yeah, so wild man,
you guys have been doing this nowfor thirty plus years. You started singing
CDs when you guys are teenagers outof a van. How is that looking
back upon, you know, allthose moments and all those times where you
know, you really I oftentimes saythat the dream is free, but the
hustle is so separately. You guysreally were down for the hustle because it

(03:22):
always happened. Yeah, yeah,man, of course we've been hustling since
day one. You said CDs it'smore like tape cassette. Yeah, yeah,
we are, you know what Imean. But it's it's just you
know what, man, some people, some people take the elevator up,
you know what I mean, andpod we've always taken that broken staircase.

(03:43):
And and we've learned so much,you know, on every single step.
And and you know, as muchas I think, there's a cost of
everything we do. And you know, you look at other people's success,
and you look at other bands andyou say, I wish I could have,
I would have should have. Butwe've learned so much, you know,
I mean, I would change itfor the world because we're still the
same people you know that are doingit. We still love making music.
I mean, you hang with myguys. Everybody loves my guys, you

(04:05):
know what I'm saying, because we'rejust We're normal people. You know.
It's not like some rock stars walkingaround acting this way or you know whatever,
all jaded. It's like, westill love making music, man,
and then thirty two years later,here we are. It's amazing too.
Man, It's such you know,it's such a blessing right be able to
do that and share it with somany fans and now a few generations.

(04:28):
I know, you know, inthat long ago, remember when I got
it. I remember when you freakedeverybody out or everybody tripped up when you
took the word heaven flipped it backwardsand named your daughter to that, and
everybody's like, whoa, That's that'sincredible. What never thought about that?
Whoa? Whoa? Yeah, man, that's so cool. Man, It's
it's cool. You've been just onits wild. I've been here thirty plus

(04:53):
years at this radio station, man, and you guys, I look back
and just think of all the musicat all the stage and all the people
you guys have affected. I'm sureyour reflection is a big part of what
pushes you today. Being able toremain relevant and still have a great message
to get out there in front ofpeople. And what's great is this record
seems to be inspiring so many peoplenew fans deal with that message. Yeah,

(05:16):
I mean, that's that's what encouragesus. I mean, I mean,
I don't know how to be relevantif I'm being you know what I'm
saying. I'm just I'm going oldlike to everybody else, man, and
we're just making this music. Yeah. Yeah, it is the music,
and it is the message that peoplewant to hear and need to hear it,
you know what I mean. Trueis enough of the negativity in this
world? Man? And so youknow, and again it's not for everybody.

(05:39):
Some people just like to live ina negative space. But with Pod
you're always gonna you know, you'regonna get that little flavors of hope and
love, you know what I mean, and just goodness and all those things.
Man. So that's that's just whatyou're gonna get withd Hey, that's
a great that's a great way tothink looking and view the world in Man,
that lens is much much more Iwas seeing in the other limbs for

(06:00):
sure. Uh. We found thatout through Uh, through experience. Heye,
speaking of experiences, Man, tellme how tell me how hanging out
with old uh Trailer trash Tammy wasand the the Trailer Tails. When they
were seeing Youth of the Nation,I was like, oh my god,
we've got her in the studio before. Oh that's hilarious. That was the

(06:21):
greatest interview ever I've ever done.Dude. I wasn't even I didn't know
what to expect, and I knewthey were coming through, and once I
seen them, I was like,Okay, this has gotta be some type
of comedy skit or whatever. Andthen they changed because I never heard of
them, you know what I mean? Yeah, we should, we should
great. So for people who don'tknow follow if you follow pod On on

(06:42):
social media, you see it.We've had Tammy trailer trash Tammy and here's
several several times and she's great.They do this crazy funny YouTube show UH
called Trailer Tales and and they sungYouth of the Nation for for Sonny and
I got to It wasn't the best, but it was in their words,
it was the best they could do. No, it was great. Many

(07:06):
hammed it up. They did theirthing. Man, They the hardest part
was just trying to laugh the whole. Yeah. Yeah, it was so
great. You never know what you'regonna be facing next. Man. I'm
sure it's always kind of a wildschedule for you. Yeah man, and
it's all that's fun, you knowwhat I mean. We're still having a
good time all these years later.Yeah, and you know what that really

(07:29):
is what makes it man. Wecouldn't find a concert date of you coming
through Colorado, but are their plansto Yeah, yeah, we just we
were there last month in Colorado Springs. I mean we're gonna be torn throughout
the year and the rest of nextyear as well, so things are popping
up, you know, all thetime. So we always come to Colorado,

(07:51):
man'll be yeah. Man, wegot big fan base here and you
know, this is one of thosethings we love seeing you guys. You
guys always man, always are juston stage. You guys are charged,
energetic, just bringing the sauce,the heat and everything else. Like we've
seen you on a number of differentstages. You guys never ever ever disappointment.

(08:13):
Kill it, thanks man. Yeah. Yeah, we we're like veterans
in this game. I mean wefrom the small stages to the big stages
we're having We're having fun on allof them. So I think it shows
when we play. You know,we're smiling, we're laughing, we're having
a good time. Like I saidbefore, man, we're not we're not
jaded, you know. I meanwe probably went through like a period where
you start to get jaded and thenyou kind of snap out of it.

(08:35):
And right right, I'm so grateful. Yeah, I'm so grateful. I
get to keep doing this, youknow. Amen to that, my friend,
And we're excited to see you comeback through Colorado. Always welcome in,
Sonny. We appreciate your time.You guys. Check it out.
They got this new track, Afraidto Die. But I've heard great reviews.
So many tracks on this record.It's called Veritas, which means truth

(08:56):
and there's something to that. Sonny, thanks so much for everything, befriend,
keep it up. Oh thank you, brother, thanks for having me.
Man. All right, man,take care of bus, See you
soon, lady, buddy, Byebye, And then you're having a man
Sonny A p O D. Thatdude is awesome. All right, gotta
break now, see you on theother side. It's one seven nine K
E P I