411Mania Exclusive Interview: Wuv of P.O.D.

Posted by Brandon Ratliff on 01.10.2006

Check out his thoughts on the band's new album, spirituality, and more.

P.O.D. are a band that are well known for, among many things, being a Christian rap-metal band. In a market that saying such a thing can practically get you blacklisted, the band have been playing music and spreading their own message for years now, and they don't look to be slowing soon.

Due to the impending release of their fourth major label album Testify, I sat down with P.O.D. drummer Wuv to discuss the new album among other things. See what all he has to say.

Brandon Ratliff: What's up?

Wuv: How you doin' man?

BR: I'm pretty good, how about you?

Wuv: Alright, good man.

BR: So, you guys have a new record coming out in a couple of weeks. How you feeling?

Wuv: Oh, we're feeling good about it man.

BR: What can you tell me about it?

Wuv: Yeah man, no, like you said, you know what I mean, we just just got done...well, it's been a while since we finished recording the new record. We just finished up a tour promoting it with Staind, and now we're getting ready to let it go man, here on the 24th, and everybody's feeling good about it man. I mean, we took our time writing this record, everybody put their heart and soul into it. Number one, we had fun, you know, writing and recording, so hopefully our fans and everybody else will enjoy the songs as much as we enjoyed writing the record.

BR: Alright. One thing I was thinking about the other day was...well, I was on the forums for Demon Hunter, and I know Ryan Clark from the band said that being a heavier Christian band, a lot of people question their faith because of the whole heavy music being "evil" stereotype. Have you guys ever had any problems like that?

Wuv: Yeah man, if you look, there's websites that are dedicated to saying that we're from the devil, or whatever they're saying. But we just don't pay attention to that stuff dude. It's like, people have time to write about that; I don't know what they're wasting their time on. We just play music man, you know what I'm saying? And talking about the things that inspire us, which is, a lot of times, our faith, you know what I'm saying? Or, it could be anything. But to us, it's just playing music.

BR: So, do you have any new tours lined up to support this album?

Wuv: Right now, through January we're just going to be doing promo shows here and there, around the country. We're taking our video to MTV on the 20th, so we'll be doing something on MTV then, just showing our new video. Like I said, we just finished a month and a half with Staind, and I think we're going to try to head back out at the end of February or the beginning of March. But we're not sure exactly who with, or when we'll be hitting the street.

BR: So how was touring with Staind, Taproot, and everybody?

Wuv: It was cool man. We've always got along with the Staind guys; that was the second time we've actually toured with them. The first one we did was the MTV Return Of The Rock tour in like, 2000. So it was cool to team back up with those guys, and to tour with them, it was fun. All the bands got along, so it was cool.

BR: Testify is your fourth major label record, and your like, what, fifth of sixth album together?

WUV: Yeah, it's our eighth record together.

BR: Oh, wow.

Wuv: Yeah.

BR: So what do you think has kept you guys together for so long, whereas most bands usually last two or three records before just kind of getting sick of each other?

Wuv: (laughs) I think that was one of the things we established in the beginning. I mean, the number one reason we're still together is that we still have fun playing music, and that's the same reason we got together in the first place was because we enjoy playing music. But the day that that gets old is the day that we're going to stop playing music, you know what I mean? And just the fact that we, I mean I think a lot of the obstacles and a lot of the headtrippings that bands go through was something we went through years before we even got signed. We were a band together eight years before we got signed. So, it's not like we went through a whirlwind or something, it's just something that we do that is a part of our lives. We've been together going on fifteen years. Everybody has their family and their kids; music is just fun, it's fun for us to play, and that's why we stick together, because it's fun. That and we don't really get sick of each other man, everybody is cool with each other, so it's cool.

BR: So how do you think this record differs from Payable On Death or any of your other past work?

Wuv: Well we're still going to have the P.O.D. flavor, you know what I'm saying, but I think the fact that we chose to use a different producer, and the way that we wrote the record, going from city to city, and just having different opportunities that way is what makes the record different. It has a different vibe on it, has different opinions on it, working with different producers on it; it's just one of those things that a collaboration of things that do make this record different. But like I said, it's always going to have that P.O.D. flavor, and the hip-hop, and of course, the heavier rock stuff for us. That's pretty much the biggest difference on this record. I mean, the lyrical content, you know, is always different because you can't write about the same thing over and over (editor's note: Yet, rappers never seem to have a problem doing it. Hmm...), but one thing we still always have in there is that positivity and that spiritual underlying in our music. That's something that I think we're always going to have in there.

BR: Speaking of producers, what made you want to work with Glen (Ballard)?

Wuv: I think just the fact that, you know, number one, he's a great producer, his career has spanned over so many different styles of music. I think that is something that we were looking at, you know, we wanted to have an opinion from a producer that was used to working with all types of music, not just one style. That was important to us, and I think that's what lead us down that path to Glen.

BR: Well, me must've been pretty impressed with your demos because I heard he cleared his schedule just to work with you guys.

Wuv: Yeah, yeah, that was cool. He did clear his schedule man. At that point, when we showed him that, and he had heard the demos, that was encouraging to us that we were on the right path as a band, as far as stepping up our music, and showing a little bit more growth on this record. That was encouraging to us as well.

BR: So, how's Jason (Truby, guitar) holding up over his second album with you guys?

Wuv: Jason's over the top man. There's no question about it that he's the man for P.O.D. and everything that he, you know, going into the band on Payable On Death, he did that, and then on this record as well. Anytime you can enjoy writing music together and playing with a guitar player like him, it's always going to be enjoyable. So, he puts one hundred percent on the table for us and we give that back to him. We take everybody's ideas into consideration, you know, and everybody's riffs, and everybody's playing, and we just try to put it together the best way we can. So, he's holding up well; he's the man for us.

BR: That's cool. Well, I don't have much else to ask, so do you have anything you'd like to say?

Wuv: You're straight man.

BR: (laughs) So I'm looking forward to hearing the album; it sounds like it'll be pretty diverse.

Wuv: Right on man. Hopefully you enjoy it.

BR: I'm sure I will.

Wuv: Alright, thanks for your time brother.

BR: Alright, later man.

P.O.D.'s new album Testify is out in stores on January 24th. Stay tuned for a full review of it soon.