Primer 55

By Eddy Metal

LMN: It's good to have you back in town. I'm happy for you that Primer 55 has done so well with touring and debut album sales. It seems like only yesterday when I started playing you guys on the "Attitude Network" back in `97. And look at all you've done since then!

What's the next move for Primer 55?

Bobby Burns: After the past 3 1/2 solid years of touring and two albums later, at the beginning of this year we took a couple of months off. After that long on the road, we totally needed some time to get back to a "normal" sort of life, if you know what I mean. And now that we're all rested up, we're ready to go once again, man. I've just started writing songs for our new record and it should be hitting the streets sometime early next year. I'm WAY excited about the new P55, man.

LMN: By the way, I was really impressed by your new rhythm section. They're very nice guys and very talented musicians. I thought Kobie the bass player was especially cool. Could you tell us about when and how you acquired such formidable replacements for the original members?

Bobby Burns: The story behind P55 is a long one dude... You called our first rhythm "the original members". Jason and I are the original members of the band, those guys were just people we hired. Around the time we got signed, it was just me and J. and at that point we weren't really doing anything but writing and recording demos. We had fired our rhythm section and we were just concentrating on the songs, etc. We got a deal and I ended up playing all of the instruments on the record and then we got those other fellas in the band. After we came home from our first eighteen months of touring, I started writing our second record (the new release) I went into the studio, played all the guitars and all the bass and brought in a good friend of mine. John Stanier. (ex Helmet) to play the drums. And while we were in the studio, that's when I started talking to Preston who used to play drums for Dope, which I had met when we toured together. Through Preston, we found Kobie and the rest is well... P55 history I guess.

LMN: Let's talk about your new project Beautiful. What is the music like? And who do you have backing you up on instruments? And when could we see you guys playing out?

Bobby Burns: Beautiful is my side project that I have started since we've been home from tour. Playing in P55 all the time and playing "heavy" music all the time kinda got to me and so I saw the chance to do other styles of music. In this band I'm doing vocals and guitar and a long time friend of mine, Tommy Thomas, is taking care of the drum duties. It's like day and night from P55, very different and not really heavy at all. I'm not sure when we'll be playing out and I haven't really even thought about it actually. But I'm sure when ever I'm home and have time away from P55 I'll be doing shows with that band.

LMN: I understand that a few of Primer's members live out of state. Does that make it hard writing, practicing and basically keeping in touch and keeping things together?

Bobby Burns: Yea, I guess it would if the other guys did any of the song writing but they don't so it works out pretty good I guess. We stay in constant contact with each other, though. Kobie pretty much stays in New York and Preston stays in New Jersey and Jason is always jumping back and forth from Memphis to Louisville.

LMN:  I bet you've seen and done a lot of cool things since you started doing major touring. What is the wildest thing that you've seen and done while on tour?

Bobby Burns: Seen a lot of wild things and done a lot of wild things man, but I'm not one to brag. (laughing)

LMN: Bobby, thanks for doing this interview. It was great chatting with you as always. All of us look forward to the new Primer 55 release. And we also look forward to hearing your new project, Beautiful. Good luck, dude.

Visit the Primer 55 website at http://www.primer55.com/ .