16 is a personal favorite sludge metal band from California, U.S.A. who is signed to Relapse Records. Guitarist and vocalist Bobby Ferry was kind enough to answer a few questions regarding his band. Their current album "Into Dust" is out now!
16 has been around since 1991. What do you attribute its longevity to?
I’m just a consistent kind of guy. I’ve chosen my path so to speak. I honestly still really enjoy creating music, rehearsing, recording, and playing shows. This incarnation of the band has been together for a long time. I’d say collectively we’re pretty consistent and diligent musicians. Plus, what else is there to do that scratches so many itches? I’m still a fan and involved in the creation of music. It’s all good to me.
What was the cause of the breaks in the band throughout the years? I can imagine keeping the stamina up can be a challenge sometimes.
We’ve only had one prolonged break from 2004-2007. Not really a challenge. Most everyone in this band has been doing for 10 years with this band and most of their lives in other bands. Collectively, like I said about myself, we’ve made our choice and chosen the path of a musician. There are new adventures, new songs, good shows, bad shows, tour failures, tour successes, and a bunch of recordings in between.
There has been a number of lineup changes in 16. As a founding member, how does a person fit well into 16 as an ideal member?
I don’t think there is an ideal as we accept where you are at and where you fit in. As long as a member is contributing and still enjoying it then pretty much that fits.
16 has been attributed to being a fundamental influence in the emergence of a genre that could be labeled as "sludge metal". How do you believe early inspirations shaped bands such as yours to create this style of music?
We are early adopters, but we were not the first. It all starts with Black Flag's “My War” side two. The blueprint was slower, riff-heavy, with a more hardcore punk vocal delivery. I heard that plus when Godflesh, Fudge Tunnel, Helmet, and Unsane were available I was sold. That was my early inspiration. Later inspiration came from Grief, Neurosis, Fu Manchu, and Kyuss. I’m glad that we’ve added to the genre and hopefully, we’ve offered some variation.
A band eventually develops into its own entity over a long period of time. Which processes do you personally go through in hopes to stay honest to your creation?
It’s not a preconceived process. The sound is the result of evolution and we truly just enjoy the act of creation. We are trying to take creative risks and expand every time we record but that’s more of an unwritten rule.
What is the story behind the band name? I read that it was initially 15 but was changed do to another band with the same name. Is there a significant meaning behind it?
That’s it. We were Team Fifteen, named after something a professional skateboarder named Mark Gonzales wrote on his skateboard grip tape. We dropped the team and became Fifteen. We then found out that a band from Lookout Records was already named Fifteen. We logically became -(16)-
As an individual that has been involved in music for a number of years, what do you think are some of the most prominent changes that have happened?
The main change has been the advent of streaming. Good for the consumer and potentially bad for us lower-level “artists”. There’s also a level of saturation because the number of bands that exist is so great now. Anytime there’s so much music available, there’s a natural dilution because the pool is so huge. Despite this, the challenge remains the same. You have to create memorable music and offer something individual to even float now.
16's new album Into Dust came out in 2022. Was there a different approach to this album compared to the others in either writing or recording?
Our guitarist Alex wrote the bulk of the music and I wrote the bulk of the lyrics. The original singer’s departure was the main difference in the approach. Creatively we always try to stay open-minded and reach for a sense of evolution in the sound. I like to think we rise to each occasion. I’m cool with it as we are this far down the road of our recorded history, and we are still shoveling some dirt on the grave of rock and roll.
You have seen many parts of the world throughout 16's existence. Any interesting stories from the road that may not be shared elsewhere?
We got hustled out of 700 euros at the Croatian border by polo shirt-wearing 25-year-olds with machine guns who were chain-smoking cigarettes. They were the legit border guards and this was obviously the way they supplemented their income. I told the tour manager to offer them 200 and he said: “You offer them that amount”! I of course caved and we paid them.
Are there any touring plans here in the United States or abroad?
Hopefully, in late July we’ll be going over to Europe. Other than that no plans. Live shows usually materialize for us.
https://www.facebook.com/16theband/
16 has been around since 1991. What do you attribute its longevity to?
I’m just a consistent kind of guy. I’ve chosen my path so to speak. I honestly still really enjoy creating music, rehearsing, recording, and playing shows. This incarnation of the band has been together for a long time. I’d say collectively we’re pretty consistent and diligent musicians. Plus, what else is there to do that scratches so many itches? I’m still a fan and involved in the creation of music. It’s all good to me.
What was the cause of the breaks in the band throughout the years? I can imagine keeping the stamina up can be a challenge sometimes.
We’ve only had one prolonged break from 2004-2007. Not really a challenge. Most everyone in this band has been doing for 10 years with this band and most of their lives in other bands. Collectively, like I said about myself, we’ve made our choice and chosen the path of a musician. There are new adventures, new songs, good shows, bad shows, tour failures, tour successes, and a bunch of recordings in between.
There has been a number of lineup changes in 16. As a founding member, how does a person fit well into 16 as an ideal member?
I don’t think there is an ideal as we accept where you are at and where you fit in. As long as a member is contributing and still enjoying it then pretty much that fits.
16 has been attributed to being a fundamental influence in the emergence of a genre that could be labeled as "sludge metal". How do you believe early inspirations shaped bands such as yours to create this style of music?
We are early adopters, but we were not the first. It all starts with Black Flag's “My War” side two. The blueprint was slower, riff-heavy, with a more hardcore punk vocal delivery. I heard that plus when Godflesh, Fudge Tunnel, Helmet, and Unsane were available I was sold. That was my early inspiration. Later inspiration came from Grief, Neurosis, Fu Manchu, and Kyuss. I’m glad that we’ve added to the genre and hopefully, we’ve offered some variation.
A band eventually develops into its own entity over a long period of time. Which processes do you personally go through in hopes to stay honest to your creation?
It’s not a preconceived process. The sound is the result of evolution and we truly just enjoy the act of creation. We are trying to take creative risks and expand every time we record but that’s more of an unwritten rule.
What is the story behind the band name? I read that it was initially 15 but was changed do to another band with the same name. Is there a significant meaning behind it?
That’s it. We were Team Fifteen, named after something a professional skateboarder named Mark Gonzales wrote on his skateboard grip tape. We dropped the team and became Fifteen. We then found out that a band from Lookout Records was already named Fifteen. We logically became -(16)-
As an individual that has been involved in music for a number of years, what do you think are some of the most prominent changes that have happened?
The main change has been the advent of streaming. Good for the consumer and potentially bad for us lower-level “artists”. There’s also a level of saturation because the number of bands that exist is so great now. Anytime there’s so much music available, there’s a natural dilution because the pool is so huge. Despite this, the challenge remains the same. You have to create memorable music and offer something individual to even float now.
16's new album Into Dust came out in 2022. Was there a different approach to this album compared to the others in either writing or recording?
Our guitarist Alex wrote the bulk of the music and I wrote the bulk of the lyrics. The original singer’s departure was the main difference in the approach. Creatively we always try to stay open-minded and reach for a sense of evolution in the sound. I like to think we rise to each occasion. I’m cool with it as we are this far down the road of our recorded history, and we are still shoveling some dirt on the grave of rock and roll.
You have seen many parts of the world throughout 16's existence. Any interesting stories from the road that may not be shared elsewhere?
We got hustled out of 700 euros at the Croatian border by polo shirt-wearing 25-year-olds with machine guns who were chain-smoking cigarettes. They were the legit border guards and this was obviously the way they supplemented their income. I told the tour manager to offer them 200 and he said: “You offer them that amount”! I of course caved and we paid them.
Are there any touring plans here in the United States or abroad?
Hopefully, in late July we’ll be going over to Europe. Other than that no plans. Live shows usually materialize for us.
https://www.facebook.com/16theband/