A new life, new musical journey for Wayne Static
By Noel Lyn Smith
Navajo Times
WINDOW ROCK, Dec. 8, 2011
(Courtesy photo)
Wayne Static has released a solo album called "Pighammer" and will perform Dec. 17 at Slopshot Billiards in Gallup.
"Pighammer" incorporates the familiar sounds of Static-X, which went on hiatus last year, but also allows listeners to paint their own interpretation.
"I love spending a lot of time on the details in the studio, building up all the layers and all the little things in the background that you hear and maybe you don't hear the first time. Even 10 listens in, you're hearing little parts that you didn't notice before. I love all that kind of stuff," Static said in a Nov. 30 telephone interview from his home in Joshua Tree, Calif.
Static will perform Dec. 17 at Slopshot Billiards in Gallup.
"I love playing and I give everything I got every night," he said.
Joshua Tree has been home for the last two years for Static and his wife, former adult film actress Tera Wray Static.
It is also where Static recorded "Pighammer," which was released Oct. 4 on his own label, Dirthouse Records.
Besides the sonic force of the music, the album artwork allowed Static to show his visual artist side with him portraying a mad plastic surgeon holding the pighammer, which is a hammer shaped like a pig's hoof, that his character uses to convert people into pigs.
"The whole theme of the album is transformation and my transformation leaving the band and getting off drugs and moving to the desert," he said. "So we wanted to come up with an interesting way to portray transformation."
"Pighammer" is also a word that Static created in 2004.
"I just like the way certain words sound and 'pighammer' is a real strong sounding word," he said.
Dirthouse Records was a project that Static said he'd wanted to do for a while and Static-X thought about creating the label in 2007 after they released their album "Cannibal."
Instead, Static decided to forge his own path with Dirthouse Records and is comfortable with the challenges that come with a new album and new label.
"It's hard in some ways because you don't have the good old label to fall on, financially or anything like that, but in a lot of ways its great because you don't have to answer to anyone either," he said.
Static-X was started in 1994 by Static and drummer Ken Jay and they released their first album, "Wisconsin Death Trip," in 1999.
Jay left the band during the recording of the group's third album, "Shadow Zone," and was replaced by former Seether drummer Nick Oshiro.
Their last release was "Cult of Static" in March 2009.
Bassist Tony Campos left the band in 2010 and now plays with the bands Prong, Soulfly and Ministry.
Guitarist Koichi Fukuda is now a member of Drugstore Fanatics.
"I didn't want to break up the band. Everyone is kind of doing their own thing," Static said. "We might get back together or we might not, I don't know."
This latest solo tour kicks off Dec. 14 in Las Vegas, Nev., and concludes Dec. 18 in Tucson. Another round of dates will be announced for late January.
Static plans to play some tracks off "Pighammer" as well as songs from Static-X's catalog, and promises to bring the same level of energy fans expect.
"My solo project is the same kind of vibe during the show," he said. "Same kind of high energy - good time, party type of vibe - just a couple of different players up there behind me."
He is also looking forward to returning to the Southwest, where he knows there are a lot of Native American fans waiting to hear his music.
Static has heard of the Navajo Nation but has yet to visit.
He said his wife is part Native American but when asked what tribe, he paused to ask her.
"She's laughing at me because I don't know why I forgot," he said, then laughed.
Tera is Cherokee.
Until the tour starts, Static will be busy helping Tera with remodeling their home.
At the time Static called the Navajo Times, they were installing a new kitchen sink.
"It's a lot more work than you think," he said.
Tickets are available at Slopshot Billiards and the Juggernaut in Gallup, at Day Customs in Window Rock and online at www.ticketweb.com.
The price is $20 in advance and $25 at the door. There will be a limited supply of meet and greet tickets for $40.
Local bands Dying Tribe, Salvations Lost, Creeping Puppets and Sleep Tastes Pretty will open the show, which starts at 7 p.m. Doors open at 6 p.m.