The Bronx: Road Warriors

For around six years, LA's The Bronx have kicked and screamed their way across the world from toilet venues to festivals, stopping only to make records and mend limbs. In this time, the band have managed to gather the praise and adoration of critics and fans across the board, culminating in the release of their third album, the well-received The Bronx (III). It's no surprise to find them in the back of a van somewhere when I patch in a call.

“Uh... I think we’re in Virginia," offers singer Matt Caughthran. "Hey, [calling to someone in the background] are we in Virginia today?” The voice soon calls him on his error. “Oh, we’re in Maryland!” This blurring of state lines and merging of days into one another seems a key indication that The Bronx, like many others, have made the road their home. These recent US dates follow around seven months of constant touring already and are in support of the first of two new simultaneously recorded offerings, The Bronx (III). I ask a deservedly tired Caughthran for the lowdown on the record, which is already getting the critical thumbs up. "We recorded the whole thing in our own studio for the first time and it was a lot more streamlined. The only real goal we had was to kinda trim the fat outta everything and make them as straight to the point as possible." Although trimming and straightening can often be precarious for a 'punk' band, Caughthran seems more than happy with the result. "Every record is different. It's a fun experience recording each one, but yeah we're definitely proud of it."

With so much time spent on the road, it would seem difficult to draw from outside inspiration, so what lies at the lyrical core for the band on this occasion? Tiptoeing over his words, Caughthran explains: "It's a kind of a, dare I say, reflective record lyrically. As a band, we've had the opportunity to do some amazing things and travel the world, so it's really just about looking back over the past few years and trying to make sense of it all."

These times of opportunity have even seen the band turn their collective hand to film. A recent movie based on Darby Crash – lead singer of legendary punks The Germs – entitled What We Do Is Secret, sees The Bronx starring as their kindred spirits, Black Flag, to perform Police Story. So what is it like to play live in the guise of your heroes? "That was real cool to record a Black Flag song with Pat Smear (guitarist with The Germs and the Foo Fighters), and to be in a Hollywood movie, it was a lot of fun," he exclaims genuinely. "It was an honour to be a part of that; I mean obviously they are a band we look up to so it was a real great experience. I can't think of another band that we could play in a movie...maybe Jefferson Starship!"

Video - History's Stranglers

Musically, the band have found time to nurture altogether different ideas, albeit not in the usual capacity of various side projects, but rather with an album that consists entirely of Mexican mariachi music, performed under the somewhat self-explanatory name Mariachi El Bronx. Set to be released in March, El Bronx was recorded at the same time as The Bronx (III), and this incarnation of the band have even supported themselves on tour. This is probably not exactly what existing fans might expect, but how did it come about? "That was inspired by a TV show we did where we were playing a song; they wanted us to do it acoustic and we wanted to do something different, so tried a mariachi style. It all just came from there." From the outside this may seem like extended novelty but Caughthran reveals that the album steers clear of shonky conceptual reworking of old songs for a 'bit of a laugh.' "They're all original songs, there's no like, mariachi style covers of Bronx songs [laughs]. It would be interesting though, that's for sure."

The band have just announced an extensive European tour and UK dates with Fucked Up and Rolo Tomassi for the second outing of the Shred Yr Face tour. So while we wait patiently for the Jefferson Starship biopic, it would seem the road is still very much home for The Bronx in 2009.