The making of "Chasing Down Hell" * It was about 3 years ago when things really started falling apart. It was one of the many nights where we were out until the early hours of the morning. When we got back to the house we did what we always do; drinking, smoking, & listening to music until dawn. When I finally crawled into bed it was light out. She was laying there alone crying. This wasn't the first time this had happened. She asked me why I had to live like this. Why couldn't I settle down and be the husband she wanted me to be. She wanted me to quit living hard. She basically summed it up in one sentence: She told me I was living out all those Hank Sr. & Cash songs that I love so much. It was a sad realization for the both of us. She knew that this wasn't some cliché faze that I was going to "get over". In fact, she later said that deep down inside she had hoped that over time I would "grow out of" this kind of life and would quit the band/ music. It was glaringly obvious that I couldn't give her the life she needed and deserved. It was also at that point that it came clear that I wasn't "trying to living up" to the life that guys like Hank & Cash were speaking of in their music. The truth is, for some of us at least, that those songs aren't just stories of heartache and the dark side of life; for some of us those songs are our life. For some of us that music is who we are............ This project was my form of therapy. In the last 3 years I've been through bankruptcy, divorce, and home foreclosure. Don't get me wrong; I don't pity myself in the least bit. I brought much of this trouble upon myself. However, these personal experiences are what made me write the majority of these lyrics. Though many of these songs were inspired by specific events, the themes are universal. I believe that most people can relate to struggling with depression, self-destructiveness, addiction, and misery. I know that many of us live in a personal battle that no one knows about or understands. When I played these songs for friends and family, they were worried because of the dark tone of the lyrics. Even though many of these stories are autobiographical, all I simply did was verbalize what we all are going through or have been through. To some it up, most of these songs are about the frailty and general feeling of inadequacy we all feel inside. I believe that all of us are very fragile. It is only in times of great duress (such as a long term relationship falling apart or the death of some one you love) that we see how we really feel. I believe it is in times of great emotional pain where a level of incite and understanding is reached that otherwise would not have been achieved. It's a bitch writing songs like these. As I've said before, I learned from Hank Williams that the only way to write truly good lyrics is to take all your personal inadequacies and expose them for the world to see. It is only when you are completely vulnerable and all the raw nerves are exposed that you can hit at the core of the human condition. This all might sound like a bunch of hoity-toity, pop-psychology bullshit but this is what inspired me to write and record these songs. When it came to the music, all rules were out the window. The fact is, this project started as Aaron merely being a good friend to me. I was a complete fuck'n wreck and wanted to make music simply to get my mind off my life. Aaron let me come over and we just hung out, got fuct up, and messed around with the material I had been writing. I believe that laid back attitude allowed us to experiment with the music and have fun. In that sense, this was greatly different from the MFS albums. This may sound elitist, but playing at the level of speed and intensity that we (The Motherfuck'n Saints) play at takes a certain level of discipline. When the band goes to record, it is about 95% live to tape. We practice the songs relentlessly prior to recording and know exactly what we want them to sound like. There are little to no effects and things are pretty much cut and dry. On this project, there was a lot more creative freedom. I got to do things that I'd wanted to do for a long time. I used open 'G' and 'D' tunings. I played with a slide on two songs. Aaron and I played piano on one track. Both of us played drum parts with brushes to get that Johnny Cash/ Sun Studio "boom-chicka-boom" sound. We messed around with different mics, added effects, played instruments that neither me nor Aaron really know how to play, and did what ever the fuck we wanted. I got the idea for the heavy delay on the vocals from listing to Hank III's "Straight to Hell" album. The constant kick drum sound that is heard comes from listening to Scott H. Biram do his one-man-band thing. The minimalist drum beat coupled with a loud guitar sound comes from listening to The Black Keys' albums over the last couple years. There was an unforeseen level of friction created on these recordings that worked to our benefit. Going from playing/ singing metal and punk rock for over 10 years to playing the style on this cd was a challenge. As I've said before, I am not a good musician or vocalist. On top of that, Aaron and I both were playing a like we had never done before. This was a good thing because it gave the tracks a rough edge. I believe that all too often music sounds overly clean due to polished studio musicians and over production. I wanted this cd to be simple, raw, and to the point. I got the name "Chasing Down Hell" from one of Hank III's songs. I believe that title sums up this music and my attitude perfectly. To me, this premise basically means being emotionally, financially, and spiritually fuct. However, instead of lying to yourself or trying to hide from how fuct up you are you instead embrace it. Chaos is my favorite drug and I find it best through the music. Maybe one day my outlook will change, but at this point the house and the wife and the kid's aint for this motherfucker. You all can keep your counseling and your church and your rehab. All I want right now is this music and the destruction that goes with it. I'd rather die on these terms then live any other way. This is how I am and I'll probably never change. I CAN'T WAIT TO PLAY LIVE FOR YOU ALL AGAIN........ I hope to see you all real soon! Chris Webster- November 2008 One more note- There is absolutely NO FUKK'N WAY that I would have been able to do this project with out the hard work of my good friend Aaron McCoy. I can't thank him enough for all his help and input on this cd.