May 2, 2025 • 29 mins
Austin John Winkler, the multi-platinum selling/former frontman of Hinder, joins for candid conversation. Austin opens up about his road to recovery, excitement for the Founder’s debut EP "Walking Ded," and that time he auditioned for Velvet Revolver.
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More info:
https://linktr.ee/austinjohnwinkler
https://shorturl.at/G4Pmb
Our website: afdpod.com
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
You know what.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Is Appetite for Distortion.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
Well, welcome to the podcast Appetite for Distortion. My name
is Brando, Episode number five hundred and six. My name
is Brando. You hear the new two year olds in
the background, Baby Brownstone aka there was a toddler. Hopefully
he'll be more quiet, mister Austin John Winkler. How are
(00:51):
you used to today, sir?
Speaker 3 (00:53):
I'm doing good man. How you doing, Brando?
Speaker 1 (00:56):
I appreciate your time today, and I like to break
the four the wall a little bit before we get
into the new album The Founder and Walking Dead. I
got to keep it real. So I appreciate you doing
part two of this because I've been, you know, since
my son Harrison, that's his real name. Some people think
I actually named him Baby Brownstone. It's it's a radio
(01:20):
name nickname. I'm not gonna name him after a heroin
you know, or after a brick house or whatever. So
it's just a nickname. And I've been including him when
I can into interviews. So for everyone to know, I
was supposed to schedule with Austin and he's he had
a nap and he had just woken up, like maybe
(01:41):
two minutes before you signed on and I had the
milk ready, I had my younger brother ready with toys,
and the TV didn't want any of that ran straight
towards me. I can only imagine what was going through
your mind when the camera turned on. Not only is
there a baby, but he's screamed.
Speaker 3 (02:01):
To be honest, man, I thought I was being punked
for a second. It was.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
It was.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
It was pretty entertaining. It was entertaining none.
Speaker 1 (02:07):
The list Well, that's that's the that's a good answer,
you know. So I'm glad you actually came back and
be like, WHOA, what's going on?
Speaker 3 (02:14):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (02:15):
I mean my listeners. No, I mean I work for iHeartRadio.
This podcast is out of, you know, my passion. But
I've been working from home since the pandemic. But it's
a nice segue into everything because I was excited to
talk to you today because I've been a fan for
quite some time, and not just excited to talk about
the new music. But I have a secondary theme to
(02:37):
guns and roses. It's mental health, it's addiction. This podcast
came out of depression because I needed to find something
to do. I wasn't being satisfied creatively in my life,
so you know, flashback at the beginning of this, I'm single,
I'm now I'm nine years sober without alcohol.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
Oh wow, thank you.
Speaker 1 (03:01):
You know I'm married, obviously, I have a two year
old in my life is completely different. So I was
excited when I heard not only when you're making new music,
you were open to talking about your your struggles, your paths,
because I think it's really important for people like you.
Speaker 3 (03:17):
Absolutely, man journey.
Speaker 4 (03:20):
In like two days, I'll be six years without any alcohol,
which blows my fucking mind.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
Congratulations. It's it's hard.
Speaker 3 (03:28):
It really is.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
Hard and something that I do talk about as well.
Speaker 1 (03:31):
And it's because there's a stigma to it still, and
that's medical marijuana, and it's legal here in New York.
I actually do have a medical license because I want to, buddy,
I wanted to do it the right way because I've
tried doing it without it and it just affects mine
because I therapy. I'm simbalta, but it's a certain thing
(03:53):
with the medical marijuana. So I'm like, this is my
dude right now. I feel like I can really talk
to Austin, So I'm a good one.
Speaker 4 (04:00):
Man. I lean on that, and you know, with that
whole thing. It's like, you know, I'm marijuana keeps me
sober as crazy as probably what people think that sounds,
It's like it's completely different whenever you know you've been
through it and you're actually really trying, Like you go
into the store like they made marijuana insanely like scary
(04:24):
as a kid when I was growing up, you know
what I mean. And the fact that I can go
into a store and be like, man, you know what,
I need to try a few things out because marijuana
was always like I'm going to smoke and get fucking lifted,
or it was always I'm gonna smoke after I've already
been partying for hours and hours and stuff like that.
It was never used as a tool for me to
(04:46):
lean on for anxiety or depression or pain or anything else.
It's like, you know, that's it's it's a blessing in
my life, man.
Speaker 1 (04:54):
And I will say any everything, just like whether it's food,
any thing, everything in moderation. I just want to make
sure people understand that you can over because absolutely yeah.
So I just wanted to make sure I get that
in there, because you could overdo it.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
Just because it's legal, you can overget it all this bleeds.
Speaker 1 (05:13):
Into the Founder, Walking Dead and d ed. Yeah, so
how did this rebirth kind of come from you? Because
I actually got to see you with Hinder. I think
it was your last year twenty thirteen.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
Oh yeah, man, I was.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
I was.
Speaker 4 (05:32):
I was limping through that fucking to it for sure,
like I was really struggling with I was deep in
my addiction for the then, for sure.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
So you told me this.
Speaker 1 (05:40):
I remember it was my one of my first Instagram
posts because I was working at a Long Island radio
station at the time, so I got to be sides
stage for you guys.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
I forget. It was somewhere on Long Islands, maybe patchhalk Theater.
I forget.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
There was like a listerine bottle that said Hinder on it,
And I'm like, is that listerine?
Speaker 2 (05:59):
Probably not right?
Speaker 4 (06:02):
Actually, that probably was really away. Yeah, they've always kept that.
I always kept that side stage to kind of clean
the mic in between.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
Oh okay, it said Hinder on it. I was like, damn.
I was like, okay, well, no.
Speaker 3 (06:14):
I mean, don't get confused.
Speaker 4 (06:15):
I've definitely drank my share of listening whenever the liquor
stores weren't open yet, Like I've I've gone down that path.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
So I guess maybe if what you're comfortable sharing as
far as that path, because I've shared my my story
a little bit, and I'll just briefly because I know
my listeners know a little bit. But I have physical disability,
neurological so it's a it's affected my my mental health.
Speaker 2 (06:40):
You know, I've wh my twenties. I even want to
be here.
Speaker 1 (06:44):
Oddly and sadly enough, my dad took his life about
eleven years ago, so I've been battling and then again
here I am with a two year old and talking
to Austin Winkler. You know, I've I've battled through, you know,
through therapy and medication and finding the right person, you know,
(07:06):
my wife. If I know, it's probably a big it's
a big story. But what can you tell us about
that twenty thirteen in the really in the depths of
your depression and your addiction to now and just rebirth
with the with the founder.
Speaker 4 (07:22):
Yeah, man, it's a it's that's a long journey, man.
That's that's that's a that's ten years in the making.
I mean in twenty thirteen, I was just I was
so depressed on the road. I was unhappy with the
music I was making. I was uh, not fulfilled as
an artist. I had death around me.
Speaker 3 (07:42):
I had like.
Speaker 4 (07:44):
Endless avenues for me to get all these drugs and
all this you know, stuff to cover up all my
depression and stuff like that. So I really I dove
into that for about seven years. I feel like I
lost seven fucking years. I've just like, after I left
the band, I was so depressed. I just I didn't
(08:08):
know what to do with myself.
Speaker 3 (08:09):
I fell out of love with music I was.
Speaker 4 (08:14):
I experimented with like a kind of a pop record
that I was. You know, I was in no shape
to be in the studio. I was in no shape
to be touring. And I did a few of those
while I was really really struggling with addiction, and it
got dark. Man, it got really dark, and you know,
people say, like, there's really not It doesn't really matter
(08:38):
who you are. Addiction doesn't give a fuck who you are, man.
It doesn't matter how much money you have, it doesn't
matter how what.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
Your status is.
Speaker 4 (08:45):
If it's gonna take you out, it's gonna take you out.
And the only person I'm sorry this is true, the
only person that can dig yourself out of that as
yourself like period.
Speaker 3 (08:57):
I know, like you can.
Speaker 4 (08:59):
I've been to seven to like seven different rehabs, and
I was like each time, I was like, I feel
like I was doing it for somebody else. I was
doing it for this, you know, to get better. And
I was I didn't really want to stop drinking at
all ever, and you know, I am around twenty nineteen.
(09:20):
I I was, you know, I don't think I went
outside for a month, and I just I felt like
there was this blood rushing to my head or whatever,
and I was I got to the point, man to
where all I needed and this was just alcohol. All
I needed was like a shot or two of alcohol
(09:42):
just so i'd almost like stop convulsing because my shakes
were so bad. And then after the two shots, I
would start hallucinating, like full blown hallucinations. Like I thought,
and I've said this before, but I thought the cast
of House of a Thousand Courses was in in this
girl's closet, and it fucking freaked me out. Like there,
(10:05):
I still have video of my phone of me just
recording nothing and.
Speaker 3 (10:08):
Freaking the fuck out.
Speaker 2 (10:10):
Wow.
Speaker 4 (10:11):
Yeah, And what's even more bizarre is that I spent
three months in the hospital. After that, I had spent
twenty four of those days in ICU, and two months
after that, after no alcohol nothing. I'm still telling this
story to my brother about the cast of House one
(10:31):
thousand Corpses.
Speaker 3 (10:32):
That's how fucking gone I was wow.
Speaker 4 (10:36):
Because of alcohol and abuse for so many fucking years,
and I was ended up on dialysis for nine months.
I did everything the doctors were supposed to tell me
they do to do, and one day I showed up
and he's.
Speaker 3 (10:52):
Like, we're gonna give you two weeks.
Speaker 4 (10:56):
Off dialysis and see how you do. And in that time,
in that two weeks at me off in dialysis, I
flew to the Nashville studio and I cut Super Jaded,
and that's super Jata just kind of pulled me out
of my deep, deep rooted depression, even even nine months
after that, Like, going through nine months of dialysis is
(11:18):
not something I wish on anybody.
Speaker 3 (11:19):
It is not.
Speaker 4 (11:20):
It is a very very very lonely life. And Super
Jada just made me love music again. And then I
just I kind of listened to that track after I
got it back, after I demoed it, and Dude Vibrations
heel music, fucking heels, Like I remember listening to it
(11:42):
and just like two am just curling up listening to
it over and over, just crying and like feeling my
bones and everything just kind of relaxed. And I don't know,
it's crazy, but that's kind of a rough a little
rough estimate of it was much darker than that.
Speaker 3 (11:59):
That's a little rough estimate.
Speaker 1 (12:00):
Well, I appreciate I appreciate you sharing what you have, because, yeah,
it's a lot of times when I even share my story,
I keep thinking about the darker stuff that happened. But
I I want to share because for a few reasons,
and because this comes up because this is about we're
here for you right now in this conversation. But for one,
(12:22):
I think it's good for me to share my story
with you, and that helps you share back. But I
usually I always cite back my interview with Dave Navarro
as in my own life too, because he said to me,
it's good that I share because I'm just a regular guy,
and there's a lot of regular guys out there, right
he said something that you said similar. It doesn't matter
how much money you have, how famous you are, it's
(12:47):
depression doesn't judge, It just.
Speaker 2 (12:50):
Will go after everybody.
Speaker 1 (12:51):
So I'm I'm really happy. You know what's super Jaded
that came out twenty and twenty.
Speaker 2 (12:56):
Two, twenty two, Yeah, that came out.
Speaker 1 (12:59):
So I guess what can you talk about with the
Founder and Walking Dead and now with this EP and
kind of is it a relaunch or rebirth or is
it just the next chapter or is it do you
want to label it as anything you know?
Speaker 4 (13:13):
Or I mean, you know, it's just it's kind of
like my first real effort, I want to say, and
and putting a body of work out there, and uh,
it's it's homage to old school rock and roll. Like
it's not it's not all the heavy ship that you
hear on the radio to me. I mean, there's there's
a few bands that I love and that stand out,
but to me, man, that ship is just getting.
Speaker 3 (13:37):
It's all of that.
Speaker 4 (13:38):
I can't even tell what fucking notes they're playing, to
be honest, and it's it's just it's it's all kind
of sounding the same to me. And I like the
old Ship. I like I mean, I like Aerosmith, and
I like G and R. Obviously all those all those
bands really inspired me, and so that's kind of what
I wanted to lead with. And Walking Dead was the
(14:00):
track that just kind of started that whole thing, and uh,
that's songs that as real as it gets. Man, it's
it's it's kind of an autobiographical journey of substances being
introduced in my life and how I latched onto them
to take me out of this world. And you know,
(14:21):
in a way that I still do, because this world's evil.
Speaker 1 (14:25):
Man.
Speaker 4 (14:25):
It's it's it's not it's not that's not nice. It's
not nice to people who lead with their heart. And
that's what I do, sadly, like that's just I'm a
I'm a very I'm an impath, so I just leave
with my heart and I want everybody to be happy.
I'm a people pleaser to a fault, so you know,
I get taken advantage of a lot. And but anyways,
that's a little off topic. And then uh so, and
(14:48):
then I the second track was BTSD and.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
Uh for there, and I know what BTSD is.
Speaker 4 (14:55):
Yeah, BTSD stands for Born to self Destruct and the
lyric is I feel like I was born to self
destruct what you can call it, what you want, and
that song. You know it's true. All these songs are
is true as it gets to my life and how
I feel and how I look at the world, and
(15:15):
you know, I feel like for a long period I
feel like at least fifteen years of my life at least,
I've done well for about two or three years, built
something up, whether it be relationship or something in my career,
and then something happens subconsciously. I'm not waking up going
(15:39):
how can I fuck up my life today? I don't
do that, but somehow it seems like it kept happening,
and it seemed and I was always kind of to
blame for that. And that's kind of where BTSD call
it where you want came from and I can go
track by track, But The Fall is kind of like
(15:59):
my my favorite one off this record, and.
Speaker 1 (16:02):
There's a video for that one that's out now that
if there hasn't seen that, uh no, I do like
it is the old school. What I've noticed about the
singles that are that are out now what is it
The Fall and Walking Dead, is that it's not those
heavy guitars that are in your face that you can't discern.
Speaker 2 (16:19):
It's so it's.
Speaker 1 (16:21):
Really focused on your voice and in the music is
kind of just accompanying it, which is kind of what
you want. And I gotta tell you you sounds exactly
the same.
Speaker 2 (16:31):
Wow, WHOA.
Speaker 1 (16:33):
This guy's voice has not aged at all. So is
there something that you do you train your voice?
Speaker 3 (16:39):
Do you?
Speaker 1 (16:40):
Is this something that you've always maybe taken care of
it or you're just naturally shifted?
Speaker 3 (16:44):
You know. I'll tell you what.
Speaker 4 (16:45):
Whenever we first started touring and extreme behavior was fucking
taken off, man, I struggled, and early on I got
a vocal coach and his name is Ron Anderson. He's
since left this world and amazing, amazing coach. I could
call him and just talk to him, and he could
(17:06):
tell me what was wrong with my voice, just by
just by you and I having this conversation right now.
He could be like, Oh, this is tired, or this
is stressed, or this is this is what you need
to do. So I learned very early on to warm
up before any show, and I did it religiously. So
I don't know if that plays into it. I like
(17:27):
to think so to where you know, I didn't at
least completely burn out my voice on the road. So
I try to take care of it the best I could.
But obviously, you know, popping one hundred and eighty vik
it in a week doesn't doesn't fucking help your help
your voice out, and neither does constantly drink an alcohol.
Speaker 1 (17:45):
You know, it takes a lot of confidence to talk
about this stuff because it's something. It took me a
while because I feel like there's shame that goes in
it when I did this. I did that because they're back.
Speaker 2 (17:57):
In the day, in the eighties.
Speaker 1 (17:58):
It you know, it's used to be cool to do
all these drugs and right now it's not. And now,
you know, is there any sort of like, I don't
want to call it. It's not shame, it's something. It's
it's kind of now because I've gone through it. It's
almost like a badge of honor, like I've fought through this.
But is there any sort of part like you want
to hold back a little bit and not share everything
(18:21):
or is it just or do you put it all
out through the music? I guess how open do you
want to be? And I appreciate how open you've been,
so I'm curious how you want to be.
Speaker 4 (18:30):
You know, I've never I've never really been somebody that
like hides who they are. I think, you know, with
extreme behavior and even that like us, you know, trying
to bring the party back into rock and roll, Like
that was who I was at the time. I was
twenty three years old with a record deal, Like I
(18:52):
was raging, like and that's who I was. And I
feel like that's you know, who I've all always been like.
And I felt like too extreme behavior was its own thing.
And I felt like, you know, my artistic cup or
whatever wasn't being filled because I felt like I was
(19:13):
just putting out the same record over and over again
in that band, and you know, that tore me up inside.
And you know, I just I think it's important and
I do. I especially with the founder stuff. I didn't
really hold anything back as far as things I struggled
with and what I believe in and stuff like that.
(19:35):
So I think it's important for me to share and
be as transparent as possible because secrets and and and
stuff like that can definitely creep in and keep you
keep keeps me sick.
Speaker 1 (19:45):
Yeah, in the same way. Sometimes I guess I say
too much.
Speaker 2 (19:48):
But I'm like, that's just me. I gotta be honest.
And they got to.
Speaker 1 (19:51):
Share and you know, hopefully it doesn't offend anybody. Always
come from a good place. You know, when I try
feelings to talk about, just hinder a little bit because
it's you're only like a couple of years older than me.
I'm gonna be forty two later this year.
Speaker 3 (20:06):
Oh dude, I'm forty three.
Speaker 1 (20:07):
So yeah, so there you go. So I was starting
my my on air career. So I was up in
Cape I was up in Cape cod when Lips of
an Angel broke and gets stoned and all that. I'll
never forget. I was dating a Canadian at the time.
I know that's usually like a fake story. Oh I
had a Canadian girlfriend, No I did. She hated that
song just because of the lyrics, because she's like, it's
(20:30):
about cheating of my Lips of an Angel.
Speaker 2 (20:32):
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (20:34):
I mean to the untrained eye.
Speaker 4 (20:36):
So the first listen, you know, you can be like,
well this you know, actually I think it was I
was watching much music in Toronto one day and this
this DJA or dj if somebody gets on there and
was like, Lips of an Angel sounds like it's being
sung by the lips of an asshole.
Speaker 3 (20:59):
Oh man, I got to give that guy credit. That's
so funny and I laughed pretty hard at that. But uh,
you know, that's a to me. I mean, you know,
I wrote it.
Speaker 4 (21:07):
I don't know what color of the girl's eyes are, like,
that was a person and it was it was love.
Speaker 3 (21:12):
I had nothing to do with cheating. That's a that's
a love song, man.
Speaker 1 (21:15):
Okay, Okay, how do you because it again? With the lyrics,
the way it sounded, but it just always made me laugh.
I'm like, it's a great song. I'm like, I like
this band, you know, but I'm as you said, it's
like a lot of bands now, it's kind of like
the same thing again and again.
Speaker 2 (21:30):
So that's why I'm excited about.
Speaker 1 (21:32):
This, this h this new music. But if I can ask,
I mean, do you do your friendships in that band still?
Is that something? Is it all in the rearview mirror?
Is it just looking forward with the founder?
Speaker 4 (21:44):
You know, I talked to Mark quite a bit. He's
actually not in the band anymore. We still we still
talk quite a bit, and you know I speak to
Cody here and there, but you know, they have no
interest right now in any kind of reconciliation or reunion
or anything. Like that, because I mean I've asked, trust me,
those songs mean a lot to me, man, Like I've
(22:04):
you know, it's twenty years this year, and I and
I and I asked them about a twenty year reunion
and they said they weren't interested.
Speaker 3 (22:11):
And that's fine, man. It's not gonna be cool unless
they're interested.
Speaker 1 (22:14):
So yeah, as a Guns or Roses fan, I have
to deal with that all the time.
Speaker 2 (22:19):
That's that's a shame.
Speaker 1 (22:20):
I mean, twenty years and yeah, you should be proud
of the songs, and especially, like you might say, if
you were in the same place that you were six
years ago, perhaps you may understand that. But if you're
in a good place you are now, I don't know.
We'll see, but that doesn't that's not the priority, yea.
Speaker 2 (22:37):
The priority is.
Speaker 1 (22:37):
The founder anyway, right absolutely, Where does that name come from?
Speaker 2 (22:41):
The founder?
Speaker 3 (22:43):
Well, I mean I wanted to. I didn't like whenever I.
Speaker 4 (22:47):
Put out like Super Jaded and American James and those
songs and stuff like that, I put it out.
Speaker 3 (22:52):
Under my full name.
Speaker 4 (22:53):
And it's just I've never really liked that. I've always
wanted to have like some kind of mystery or some
kind of name and instead of you know, my my
name and the founder is just I wanted to kind
of set the tone of like, it's like my creator,
it's my creative sanctuary and nobody else is and and
I'm always going to have all of the say in it,
(23:15):
and uh, nobody's going to be allowed to take these
songs and sing them as their own.
Speaker 2 (23:22):
Right on.
Speaker 1 (23:23):
Now you're the founder of it, Yeah, on it, on
it starting with the with the name, are you do
you plan the tour with this?
Speaker 2 (23:30):
Is there a band that comes along with the founder?
Speaker 3 (23:32):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (23:33):
I mean the the band will probably always kind of fluctuate,
but one thing Willy will remain is that will always
be my voice, and it will always be my stories
and my POV and uh booking shows as we speak.
So I will be out. Uh I won't say yet,
but I'll be out very soon right on.
Speaker 1 (23:54):
So that this way it'll be okay. If my son talks,
I gotta take him to his first rock show.
Speaker 2 (24:00):
He's been.
Speaker 1 (24:01):
He's been to like a Beatles tribute Dave Matthews. My
wife is obsessed. It was soft. I mean, he has
the headphones too soft, But I got to take them
to his first rock show.
Speaker 2 (24:12):
So I don't know, maybe, and.
Speaker 1 (24:14):
So I guess because you with the going off with
the founder thing to circle back, because that sticks with
my head. I short my name to Brando from Brandon.
I didn't want to go Brandon Neil Weisler. It's three names.
It's kind of cool. Austin John Winkler.
Speaker 3 (24:29):
I don't know my serial killer name. I like him.
Speaker 1 (24:35):
I was, yeah, I was gonna ask about the three names,
cause you never know. But I like that serial killer reference.
Speaker 2 (24:40):
Smith. You have to some of this bad stuff.
Speaker 1 (24:42):
I mean, you had got some good music video ideas,
like the House of a Thousand Corpses one. I mean,
you can make that video if you want to do Robin.
Speaker 3 (24:50):
I'll give all and see what he thinks.
Speaker 1 (24:55):
Oh man, Well, there's a lot of stuff to look
forward to with you. But I got to ask him, course,
because you're on Apple type for distortion with guns and
roses themed. Have you ever seen the band back in
the day? Have you ever met any of the guys
I used to I do what it's called the six
degrees of gen R.
Speaker 2 (25:12):
Bacon.
Speaker 1 (25:13):
So whether it's you've met him a fan probably back
in the day, any connection you may.
Speaker 3 (25:19):
Have obviously fan man, we huge fan.
Speaker 4 (25:24):
I used to wait till my mom left the house
so I could turn on INTV and just watch Guns
and Roses videos.
Speaker 3 (25:30):
Man Like.
Speaker 4 (25:30):
I absolutely loved him, and we had the privilege of
opening up for gen R or not when they were reunited,
but whenever Axel was at the Helm, And oh, that
was fucking great.
Speaker 2 (25:43):
Obviously when you were sad, I got that happened.
Speaker 4 (25:46):
That was two thousand and I'm gonna say ten or
eleven played. I think you played one, maybe two shows
with them, I can't remember. And then you know, as
as far as meeting the guys or the other guys,
I you know, not a lot of people know this,
but back in twenty fourteen, after I had left a
(26:10):
Hinder and just kind of fresh out of rehab, I
went and auditioned for the Revolver.
Speaker 3 (26:20):
So being in the room with.
Speaker 4 (26:23):
Slash and Duff and you know those guys, it was surreal.
It was fucking unbelievable. And you know, sang three songs.
We just rehearsed three songs. And I wasn't to be honest,
I was obviously into it and fucking floored that I
(26:44):
was in this tiny, fucking rehearsal space in the valley,
Like my mind was blown kind of the whole time,
and nothing ever really.
Speaker 3 (26:56):
Came of it.
Speaker 4 (26:57):
And I don't know that I've put my whole heart
into it, because I as much as I love Velvet
Revolver and respect all of those guys, I don't think
I would have been happy. I don't think I would
have been you know, my artistic self would have been
kind of back into maybe something that that wasn't fulfilling
(27:18):
for me. So nothing ever came of that. But that
is my my guns and roses stories here and there.
Speaker 2 (27:26):
Awesome. See that's what I do.
Speaker 1 (27:28):
I like to overturn these rocks into fund because there
are names that tried out for Velvet Revolver that you
didn't know about, and the fact that you did, and
I'm a fan of your voice, and so now I
get to just imagine that you know, it obviously didn't
work out, but I think that you are right that
it would Your creativity would have been hindered, probably pun intended,
(27:49):
I guess right, because it would have been slashed. And
Duff's band and now, I mean, with the founder, you
could do whatever you want. I mean, I took a
long time to get there. But I'm telling you as
somebody who basically your age, and it took a long
time to get where I want to be.
Speaker 2 (28:04):
It's I don't know, we're here, We're here.
Speaker 3 (28:07):
It's the other side.
Speaker 1 (28:08):
So this is this has been an honor to get
to talk to you, Austin. I hope we get to
do this again. And yeah, so this is uh, I'm
just again, I'm just so excited to talk to you.
But I want to wrap up just by saying this,
because you know, Guns and Roses kicked off their tour.
Speaker 2 (28:26):
In Korea.
Speaker 1 (28:27):
New drummer Isaac Carpenter is getting rave reviews. He's already
showing off his abs.
Speaker 3 (28:34):
I have.
Speaker 1 (28:35):
I have the same abs, but I don't want to
show off. I don't want to show off. So I
just want to put it out there because in addition
to talking to cool people like you, rock stars like you, Austin,
I like to interview fans. So if you're a gn
R fan in Korea or any of the places that
they're going into in the Mid East or Europe this summer,
you want to come on the show. You want to
do a review on Appetite for Distortion, just hit me up.
Speaker 2 (28:56):
That's simple.
Speaker 1 (28:57):
So that does it for this episode of Appetite four distortion.
When will you see the next one? In the words
of Axel Rose concerning Chinese democracy, I don't know as
soon as the word, but you'll see it.
Speaker 3 (29:14):
Thanks to the lame ass security. I'm going home.
You know what.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Is Appetite for Distortion.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
Well, welcome to the podcast Appetite for Distortion. My name
is Brando, Episode number five hundred and six. My name
is Brando. You hear the new two year olds in
the background, Baby Brownstone aka there was a toddler. Hopefully
he'll be more quiet, mister Austin John Winkler. How are
(00:51):
you used to today, sir?
Speaker 3 (00:53):
I'm doing good man. How you doing, Brando?
Speaker 1 (00:56):
I appreciate your time today, and I like to break
the four the wall a little bit before we get
into the new album The Founder and Walking Dead. I
got to keep it real. So I appreciate you doing
part two of this because I've been, you know, since
my son Harrison, that's his real name. Some people think
I actually named him Baby Brownstone. It's it's a radio
(01:20):
name nickname. I'm not gonna name him after a heroin
you know, or after a brick house or whatever. So
it's just a nickname. And I've been including him when
I can into interviews. So for everyone to know, I
was supposed to schedule with Austin and he's he had
a nap and he had just woken up, like maybe
(01:41):
two minutes before you signed on and I had the
milk ready, I had my younger brother ready with toys,
and the TV didn't want any of that ran straight
towards me. I can only imagine what was going through
your mind when the camera turned on. Not only is
there a baby, but he's screamed.
Speaker 3 (02:01):
To be honest, man, I thought I was being punked
for a second. It was.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
It was.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
It was pretty entertaining. It was entertaining none.
Speaker 1 (02:07):
The list Well, that's that's the that's a good answer,
you know. So I'm glad you actually came back and
be like, WHOA, what's going on?
Speaker 3 (02:14):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (02:15):
I mean my listeners. No, I mean I work for iHeartRadio.
This podcast is out of, you know, my passion. But
I've been working from home since the pandemic. But it's
a nice segue into everything because I was excited to
talk to you today because I've been a fan for
quite some time, and not just excited to talk about
the new music. But I have a secondary theme to
(02:37):
guns and roses. It's mental health, it's addiction. This podcast
came out of depression because I needed to find something
to do. I wasn't being satisfied creatively in my life,
so you know, flashback at the beginning of this, I'm single,
I'm now I'm nine years sober without alcohol.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
Oh wow, thank you.
Speaker 1 (03:01):
You know I'm married, obviously, I have a two year
old in my life is completely different. So I was
excited when I heard not only when you're making new music,
you were open to talking about your your struggles, your paths,
because I think it's really important for people like you.
Speaker 3 (03:17):
Absolutely, man journey.
Speaker 4 (03:20):
In like two days, I'll be six years without any alcohol,
which blows my fucking mind.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
Congratulations. It's it's hard.
Speaker 3 (03:28):
It really is.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
Hard and something that I do talk about as well.
Speaker 1 (03:31):
And it's because there's a stigma to it still, and
that's medical marijuana, and it's legal here in New York.
I actually do have a medical license because I want to, buddy,
I wanted to do it the right way because I've
tried doing it without it and it just affects mine
because I therapy. I'm simbalta, but it's a certain thing
(03:53):
with the medical marijuana. So I'm like, this is my
dude right now. I feel like I can really talk
to Austin, So I'm a good one.
Speaker 4 (04:00):
Man. I lean on that, and you know, with that
whole thing. It's like, you know, I'm marijuana keeps me
sober as crazy as probably what people think that sounds,
It's like it's completely different whenever you know you've been
through it and you're actually really trying, Like you go
into the store like they made marijuana insanely like scary
(04:24):
as a kid when I was growing up, you know
what I mean. And the fact that I can go
into a store and be like, man, you know what,
I need to try a few things out because marijuana
was always like I'm going to smoke and get fucking lifted,
or it was always I'm gonna smoke after I've already
been partying for hours and hours and stuff like that.
It was never used as a tool for me to
(04:46):
lean on for anxiety or depression or pain or anything else.
It's like, you know, that's it's it's a blessing in
my life, man.
Speaker 1 (04:54):
And I will say any everything, just like whether it's food,
any thing, everything in moderation. I just want to make
sure people understand that you can over because absolutely yeah.
So I just wanted to make sure I get that
in there, because you could overdo it.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
Just because it's legal, you can overget it all this bleeds.
Speaker 1 (05:13):
Into the Founder, Walking Dead and d ed. Yeah, so
how did this rebirth kind of come from you? Because
I actually got to see you with Hinder. I think
it was your last year twenty thirteen.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
Oh yeah, man, I was.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
I was.
Speaker 4 (05:32):
I was limping through that fucking to it for sure,
like I was really struggling with I was deep in
my addiction for the then, for sure.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
So you told me this.
Speaker 1 (05:40):
I remember it was my one of my first Instagram
posts because I was working at a Long Island radio
station at the time, so I got to be sides
stage for you guys.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
I forget. It was somewhere on Long Islands, maybe patchhalk Theater.
I forget.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
There was like a listerine bottle that said Hinder on it,
And I'm like, is that listerine?
Speaker 2 (05:59):
Probably not right?
Speaker 4 (06:02):
Actually, that probably was really away. Yeah, they've always kept that.
I always kept that side stage to kind of clean
the mic in between.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
Oh okay, it said Hinder on it. I was like, damn.
I was like, okay, well, no.
Speaker 3 (06:14):
I mean, don't get confused.
Speaker 4 (06:15):
I've definitely drank my share of listening whenever the liquor
stores weren't open yet, Like I've I've gone down that path.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
So I guess maybe if what you're comfortable sharing as
far as that path, because I've shared my my story
a little bit, and I'll just briefly because I know
my listeners know a little bit. But I have physical disability,
neurological so it's a it's affected my my mental health.
Speaker 2 (06:40):
You know, I've wh my twenties. I even want to
be here.
Speaker 1 (06:44):
Oddly and sadly enough, my dad took his life about
eleven years ago, so I've been battling and then again
here I am with a two year old and talking
to Austin Winkler. You know, I've I've battled through, you know,
through therapy and medication and finding the right person, you know,
(07:06):
my wife. If I know, it's probably a big it's
a big story. But what can you tell us about
that twenty thirteen in the really in the depths of
your depression and your addiction to now and just rebirth
with the with the founder.
Speaker 4 (07:22):
Yeah, man, it's a it's that's a long journey, man.
That's that's that's a that's ten years in the making.
I mean in twenty thirteen, I was just I was
so depressed on the road. I was unhappy with the
music I was making. I was uh, not fulfilled as
an artist. I had death around me.
Speaker 3 (07:42):
I had like.
Speaker 4 (07:44):
Endless avenues for me to get all these drugs and
all this you know, stuff to cover up all my
depression and stuff like that. So I really I dove
into that for about seven years. I feel like I
lost seven fucking years. I've just like, after I left
the band, I was so depressed. I just I didn't
(08:08):
know what to do with myself.
Speaker 3 (08:09):
I fell out of love with music I was.
Speaker 4 (08:14):
I experimented with like a kind of a pop record
that I was. You know, I was in no shape
to be in the studio. I was in no shape
to be touring. And I did a few of those
while I was really really struggling with addiction, and it
got dark. Man, it got really dark, and you know,
people say, like, there's really not It doesn't really matter
(08:38):
who you are. Addiction doesn't give a fuck who you are, man.
It doesn't matter how much money you have, it doesn't
matter how what.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
Your status is.
Speaker 4 (08:45):
If it's gonna take you out, it's gonna take you out.
And the only person I'm sorry this is true, the
only person that can dig yourself out of that as
yourself like period.
Speaker 3 (08:57):
I know, like you can.
Speaker 4 (08:59):
I've been to seven to like seven different rehabs, and
I was like each time, I was like, I feel
like I was doing it for somebody else. I was
doing it for this, you know, to get better. And
I was I didn't really want to stop drinking at
all ever, and you know, I am around twenty nineteen.
(09:20):
I I was, you know, I don't think I went
outside for a month, and I just I felt like
there was this blood rushing to my head or whatever,
and I was I got to the point, man to
where all I needed and this was just alcohol. All
I needed was like a shot or two of alcohol
(09:42):
just so i'd almost like stop convulsing because my shakes
were so bad. And then after the two shots, I
would start hallucinating, like full blown hallucinations. Like I thought,
and I've said this before, but I thought the cast
of House of a Thousand Courses was in in this
girl's closet, and it fucking freaked me out. Like there,
(10:05):
I still have video of my phone of me just
recording nothing and.
Speaker 3 (10:08):
Freaking the fuck out.
Speaker 2 (10:10):
Wow.
Speaker 4 (10:11):
Yeah, And what's even more bizarre is that I spent
three months in the hospital. After that, I had spent
twenty four of those days in ICU, and two months
after that, after no alcohol nothing. I'm still telling this
story to my brother about the cast of House one
(10:31):
thousand Corpses.
Speaker 3 (10:32):
That's how fucking gone I was wow.
Speaker 4 (10:36):
Because of alcohol and abuse for so many fucking years,
and I was ended up on dialysis for nine months.
I did everything the doctors were supposed to tell me
they do to do, and one day I showed up
and he's.
Speaker 3 (10:52):
Like, we're gonna give you two weeks.
Speaker 4 (10:56):
Off dialysis and see how you do. And in that time,
in that two weeks at me off in dialysis, I
flew to the Nashville studio and I cut Super Jaded,
and that's super Jata just kind of pulled me out
of my deep, deep rooted depression, even even nine months
after that, Like, going through nine months of dialysis is
(11:18):
not something I wish on anybody.
Speaker 3 (11:19):
It is not.
Speaker 4 (11:20):
It is a very very very lonely life. And Super
Jada just made me love music again. And then I
just I kind of listened to that track after I
got it back, after I demoed it, and Dude Vibrations
heel music, fucking heels, Like I remember listening to it
(11:42):
and just like two am just curling up listening to
it over and over, just crying and like feeling my
bones and everything just kind of relaxed. And I don't know,
it's crazy, but that's kind of a rough a little
rough estimate of it was much darker than that.
Speaker 3 (11:59):
That's a little rough estimate.
Speaker 1 (12:00):
Well, I appreciate I appreciate you sharing what you have, because, yeah,
it's a lot of times when I even share my story,
I keep thinking about the darker stuff that happened. But
I I want to share because for a few reasons,
and because this comes up because this is about we're
here for you right now in this conversation. But for one,
(12:22):
I think it's good for me to share my story
with you, and that helps you share back. But I
usually I always cite back my interview with Dave Navarro
as in my own life too, because he said to me,
it's good that I share because I'm just a regular guy,
and there's a lot of regular guys out there, right
he said something that you said similar. It doesn't matter
how much money you have, how famous you are, it's
(12:47):
depression doesn't judge, It just.
Speaker 2 (12:50):
Will go after everybody.
Speaker 1 (12:51):
So I'm I'm really happy. You know what's super Jaded
that came out twenty and twenty.
Speaker 2 (12:56):
Two, twenty two, Yeah, that came out.
Speaker 1 (12:59):
So I guess what can you talk about with the
Founder and Walking Dead and now with this EP and
kind of is it a relaunch or rebirth or is
it just the next chapter or is it do you
want to label it as anything you know?
Speaker 4 (13:13):
Or I mean, you know, it's just it's kind of
like my first real effort, I want to say, and
and putting a body of work out there, and uh,
it's it's homage to old school rock and roll. Like
it's not it's not all the heavy ship that you
hear on the radio to me. I mean, there's there's
a few bands that I love and that stand out,
but to me, man, that ship is just getting.
Speaker 3 (13:37):
It's all of that.
Speaker 4 (13:38):
I can't even tell what fucking notes they're playing, to
be honest, and it's it's just it's it's all kind
of sounding the same to me. And I like the
old Ship. I like I mean, I like Aerosmith, and
I like G and R. Obviously all those all those
bands really inspired me, and so that's kind of what
I wanted to lead with. And Walking Dead was the
(14:00):
track that just kind of started that whole thing, and uh,
that's songs that as real as it gets. Man, it's
it's it's kind of an autobiographical journey of substances being
introduced in my life and how I latched onto them
to take me out of this world. And you know,
(14:21):
in a way that I still do, because this world's evil.
Speaker 1 (14:25):
Man.
Speaker 4 (14:25):
It's it's it's not it's not that's not nice. It's
not nice to people who lead with their heart. And
that's what I do, sadly, like that's just I'm a
I'm a very I'm an impath, so I just leave
with my heart and I want everybody to be happy.
I'm a people pleaser to a fault, so you know,
I get taken advantage of a lot. And but anyways,
that's a little off topic. And then uh so, and
(14:48):
then I the second track was BTSD and.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
Uh for there, and I know what BTSD is.
Speaker 4 (14:55):
Yeah, BTSD stands for Born to self Destruct and the
lyric is I feel like I was born to self
destruct what you can call it, what you want, and
that song. You know it's true. All these songs are
is true as it gets to my life and how
I feel and how I look at the world, and
(15:15):
you know, I feel like for a long period I
feel like at least fifteen years of my life at least,
I've done well for about two or three years, built
something up, whether it be relationship or something in my career,
and then something happens subconsciously. I'm not waking up going
(15:39):
how can I fuck up my life today? I don't
do that, but somehow it seems like it kept happening,
and it seemed and I was always kind of to
blame for that. And that's kind of where BTSD call
it where you want came from and I can go
track by track, But The Fall is kind of like
(15:59):
my my favorite one off this record, and.
Speaker 1 (16:02):
There's a video for that one that's out now that
if there hasn't seen that, uh no, I do like
it is the old school. What I've noticed about the
singles that are that are out now what is it
The Fall and Walking Dead, is that it's not those
heavy guitars that are in your face that you can't discern.
Speaker 2 (16:19):
It's so it's.
Speaker 1 (16:21):
Really focused on your voice and in the music is
kind of just accompanying it, which is kind of what
you want. And I gotta tell you you sounds exactly
the same.
Speaker 2 (16:31):
Wow, WHOA.
Speaker 1 (16:33):
This guy's voice has not aged at all. So is
there something that you do you train your voice?
Speaker 3 (16:39):
Do you?
Speaker 1 (16:40):
Is this something that you've always maybe taken care of
it or you're just naturally shifted?
Speaker 3 (16:44):
You know. I'll tell you what.
Speaker 4 (16:45):
Whenever we first started touring and extreme behavior was fucking
taken off, man, I struggled, and early on I got
a vocal coach and his name is Ron Anderson. He's
since left this world and amazing, amazing coach. I could
call him and just talk to him, and he could
(17:06):
tell me what was wrong with my voice, just by
just by you and I having this conversation right now.
He could be like, Oh, this is tired, or this
is stressed, or this is this is what you need
to do. So I learned very early on to warm
up before any show, and I did it religiously. So
I don't know if that plays into it. I like
(17:27):
to think so to where you know, I didn't at
least completely burn out my voice on the road. So
I try to take care of it the best I could.
But obviously, you know, popping one hundred and eighty vik
it in a week doesn't doesn't fucking help your help
your voice out, and neither does constantly drink an alcohol.
Speaker 1 (17:45):
You know, it takes a lot of confidence to talk
about this stuff because it's something. It took me a
while because I feel like there's shame that goes in
it when I did this. I did that because they're back.
Speaker 2 (17:57):
In the day, in the eighties.
Speaker 1 (17:58):
It you know, it's used to be cool to do
all these drugs and right now it's not. And now,
you know, is there any sort of like, I don't
want to call it. It's not shame, it's something. It's
it's kind of now because I've gone through it. It's
almost like a badge of honor, like I've fought through this.
But is there any sort of part like you want
to hold back a little bit and not share everything
(18:21):
or is it just or do you put it all
out through the music? I guess how open do you
want to be? And I appreciate how open you've been,
so I'm curious how you want to be.
Speaker 4 (18:30):
You know, I've never I've never really been somebody that
like hides who they are. I think, you know, with
extreme behavior and even that like us, you know, trying
to bring the party back into rock and roll, Like
that was who I was at the time. I was
twenty three years old with a record deal, Like I
(18:52):
was raging, like and that's who I was. And I
feel like that's you know, who I've all always been like.
And I felt like too extreme behavior was its own thing.
And I felt like, you know, my artistic cup or
whatever wasn't being filled because I felt like I was
(19:13):
just putting out the same record over and over again
in that band, and you know, that tore me up inside.
And you know, I just I think it's important and
I do. I especially with the founder stuff. I didn't
really hold anything back as far as things I struggled
with and what I believe in and stuff like that.
(19:35):
So I think it's important for me to share and
be as transparent as possible because secrets and and and
stuff like that can definitely creep in and keep you
keep keeps me sick.
Speaker 1 (19:45):
Yeah, in the same way. Sometimes I guess I say
too much.
Speaker 2 (19:48):
But I'm like, that's just me. I gotta be honest.
And they got to.
Speaker 1 (19:51):
Share and you know, hopefully it doesn't offend anybody. Always
come from a good place. You know, when I try
feelings to talk about, just hinder a little bit because
it's you're only like a couple of years older than me.
I'm gonna be forty two later this year.
Speaker 3 (20:06):
Oh dude, I'm forty three.
Speaker 1 (20:07):
So yeah, so there you go. So I was starting
my my on air career. So I was up in
Cape I was up in Cape cod when Lips of
an Angel broke and gets stoned and all that. I'll
never forget. I was dating a Canadian at the time.
I know that's usually like a fake story. Oh I
had a Canadian girlfriend, No I did. She hated that
song just because of the lyrics, because she's like, it's
(20:30):
about cheating of my Lips of an Angel.
Speaker 2 (20:32):
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (20:34):
I mean to the untrained eye.
Speaker 4 (20:36):
So the first listen, you know, you can be like,
well this you know, actually I think it was I
was watching much music in Toronto one day and this
this DJA or dj if somebody gets on there and
was like, Lips of an Angel sounds like it's being
sung by the lips of an asshole.
Speaker 3 (20:59):
Oh man, I got to give that guy credit. That's
so funny and I laughed pretty hard at that. But uh,
you know, that's a to me. I mean, you know,
I wrote it.
Speaker 4 (21:07):
I don't know what color of the girl's eyes are, like,
that was a person and it was it was love.
Speaker 3 (21:12):
I had nothing to do with cheating. That's a that's
a love song, man.
Speaker 1 (21:15):
Okay, Okay, how do you because it again? With the lyrics,
the way it sounded, but it just always made me laugh.
I'm like, it's a great song. I'm like, I like
this band, you know, but I'm as you said, it's
like a lot of bands now, it's kind of like
the same thing again and again.
Speaker 2 (21:30):
So that's why I'm excited about.
Speaker 1 (21:32):
This, this h this new music. But if I can ask,
I mean, do you do your friendships in that band still?
Is that something? Is it all in the rearview mirror?
Is it just looking forward with the founder?
Speaker 4 (21:44):
You know, I talked to Mark quite a bit. He's
actually not in the band anymore. We still we still
talk quite a bit, and you know I speak to
Cody here and there, but you know, they have no
interest right now in any kind of reconciliation or reunion
or anything. Like that, because I mean I've asked, trust me,
those songs mean a lot to me, man, Like I've
(22:04):
you know, it's twenty years this year, and I and
I and I asked them about a twenty year reunion
and they said they weren't interested.
Speaker 3 (22:11):
And that's fine, man. It's not gonna be cool unless
they're interested.
Speaker 1 (22:14):
So yeah, as a Guns or Roses fan, I have
to deal with that all the time.
Speaker 2 (22:19):
That's that's a shame.
Speaker 1 (22:20):
I mean, twenty years and yeah, you should be proud
of the songs, and especially, like you might say, if
you were in the same place that you were six
years ago, perhaps you may understand that. But if you're
in a good place you are now, I don't know.
We'll see, but that doesn't that's not the priority, yea.
Speaker 2 (22:37):
The priority is.
Speaker 1 (22:37):
The founder anyway, right absolutely, Where does that name come from?
Speaker 2 (22:41):
The founder?
Speaker 3 (22:43):
Well, I mean I wanted to. I didn't like whenever I.
Speaker 4 (22:47):
Put out like Super Jaded and American James and those
songs and stuff like that, I put it out.
Speaker 3 (22:52):
Under my full name.
Speaker 4 (22:53):
And it's just I've never really liked that. I've always
wanted to have like some kind of mystery or some
kind of name and instead of you know, my my
name and the founder is just I wanted to kind
of set the tone of like, it's like my creator,
it's my creative sanctuary and nobody else is and and
I'm always going to have all of the say in it,
(23:15):
and uh, nobody's going to be allowed to take these
songs and sing them as their own.
Speaker 2 (23:22):
Right on.
Speaker 1 (23:23):
Now you're the founder of it, Yeah, on it, on
it starting with the with the name, are you do
you plan the tour with this?
Speaker 2 (23:30):
Is there a band that comes along with the founder?
Speaker 3 (23:32):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (23:33):
I mean the the band will probably always kind of fluctuate,
but one thing Willy will remain is that will always
be my voice, and it will always be my stories
and my POV and uh booking shows as we speak.
So I will be out. Uh I won't say yet,
but I'll be out very soon right on.
Speaker 1 (23:54):
So that this way it'll be okay. If my son talks,
I gotta take him to his first rock show.
Speaker 2 (24:00):
He's been.
Speaker 1 (24:01):
He's been to like a Beatles tribute Dave Matthews. My
wife is obsessed. It was soft. I mean, he has
the headphones too soft, But I got to take them
to his first rock show.
Speaker 2 (24:12):
So I don't know, maybe, and.
Speaker 1 (24:14):
So I guess because you with the going off with
the founder thing to circle back, because that sticks with
my head. I short my name to Brando from Brandon.
I didn't want to go Brandon Neil Weisler. It's three names.
It's kind of cool. Austin John Winkler.
Speaker 3 (24:29):
I don't know my serial killer name. I like him.
Speaker 1 (24:35):
I was, yeah, I was gonna ask about the three names,
cause you never know. But I like that serial killer reference.
Speaker 2 (24:40):
Smith. You have to some of this bad stuff.
Speaker 1 (24:42):
I mean, you had got some good music video ideas,
like the House of a Thousand Corpses one. I mean,
you can make that video if you want to do Robin.
Speaker 3 (24:50):
I'll give all and see what he thinks.
Speaker 1 (24:55):
Oh man, Well, there's a lot of stuff to look
forward to with you. But I got to ask him, course,
because you're on Apple type for distortion with guns and
roses themed. Have you ever seen the band back in
the day? Have you ever met any of the guys
I used to I do what it's called the six
degrees of gen R.
Speaker 2 (25:12):
Bacon.
Speaker 1 (25:13):
So whether it's you've met him a fan probably back
in the day, any connection you may.
Speaker 3 (25:19):
Have obviously fan man, we huge fan.
Speaker 4 (25:24):
I used to wait till my mom left the house
so I could turn on INTV and just watch Guns
and Roses videos.
Speaker 3 (25:30):
Man Like.
Speaker 4 (25:30):
I absolutely loved him, and we had the privilege of
opening up for gen R or not when they were reunited,
but whenever Axel was at the Helm, And oh, that
was fucking great.
Speaker 2 (25:43):
Obviously when you were sad, I got that happened.
Speaker 4 (25:46):
That was two thousand and I'm gonna say ten or
eleven played. I think you played one, maybe two shows
with them, I can't remember. And then you know, as
as far as meeting the guys or the other guys,
I you know, not a lot of people know this,
but back in twenty fourteen, after I had left a
(26:10):
Hinder and just kind of fresh out of rehab, I
went and auditioned for the Revolver.
Speaker 3 (26:20):
So being in the room with.
Speaker 4 (26:23):
Slash and Duff and you know those guys, it was surreal.
It was fucking unbelievable. And you know, sang three songs.
We just rehearsed three songs. And I wasn't to be honest,
I was obviously into it and fucking floored that I
(26:44):
was in this tiny, fucking rehearsal space in the valley,
Like my mind was blown kind of the whole time,
and nothing ever really.
Speaker 3 (26:56):
Came of it.
Speaker 4 (26:57):
And I don't know that I've put my whole heart
into it, because I as much as I love Velvet
Revolver and respect all of those guys, I don't think
I would have been happy. I don't think I would
have been you know, my artistic self would have been
kind of back into maybe something that that wasn't fulfilling
(27:18):
for me. So nothing ever came of that. But that
is my my guns and roses stories here and there.
Speaker 2 (27:26):
Awesome. See that's what I do.
Speaker 1 (27:28):
I like to overturn these rocks into fund because there
are names that tried out for Velvet Revolver that you
didn't know about, and the fact that you did, and
I'm a fan of your voice, and so now I
get to just imagine that you know, it obviously didn't
work out, but I think that you are right that
it would Your creativity would have been hindered, probably pun intended,
(27:49):
I guess right, because it would have been slashed. And
Duff's band and now, I mean, with the founder, you
could do whatever you want. I mean, I took a
long time to get there. But I'm telling you as
somebody who basically your age, and it took a long
time to get where I want to be.
Speaker 2 (28:04):
It's I don't know, we're here, We're here.
Speaker 3 (28:07):
It's the other side.
Speaker 1 (28:08):
So this is this has been an honor to get
to talk to you, Austin. I hope we get to
do this again. And yeah, so this is uh, I'm
just again, I'm just so excited to talk to you.
But I want to wrap up just by saying this,
because you know, Guns and Roses kicked off their tour.
Speaker 2 (28:26):
In Korea.
Speaker 1 (28:27):
New drummer Isaac Carpenter is getting rave reviews. He's already
showing off his abs.
Speaker 3 (28:34):
I have.
Speaker 1 (28:35):
I have the same abs, but I don't want to
show off. I don't want to show off. So I
just want to put it out there because in addition
to talking to cool people like you, rock stars like you, Austin,
I like to interview fans. So if you're a gn
R fan in Korea or any of the places that
they're going into in the Mid East or Europe this summer,
you want to come on the show. You want to
do a review on Appetite for Distortion, just hit me up.
Speaker 2 (28:56):
That's simple.
Speaker 1 (28:57):
So that does it for this episode of Appetite four distortion.
When will you see the next one? In the words
of Axel Rose concerning Chinese democracy, I don't know as
soon as the word, but you'll see it.
Speaker 3 (29:14):
Thanks to the lame ass security. I'm going home.
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