What was it about punk rock that originally moved you? ?
It was as if I had found the world that I had been searching for. Have you ever seen this movie, Lost Horizon? They come across these mountains and there's [a place called] Shagri-La and it's like, nirvana, a perfect place. In high school, I kept thinking "Life is not what I thought it was supposed to be." I thought there were supposed to be people challenging all these conventions, not just going along with it. I thought we were supposed to be fighting the current, not being swept up by it. I kept thinking "Where's the protest? Where's the organic aspect of life?" Like, not just go to college, get a job. What the fuck is that? I just couldn't go there. The people around me just seemed content [to live that way].

Where did you get that seed of rebellion or questioning? Were your parents pretty liberal? ?
Yeah, they're both rebels in their own right. They celebrated rebellion. We grew up going to this progressive Episcopalian church where Black Panthers held their meetings and stuff. My parents were involved in Civil Rights, so I saw all that. I grew up aware of music and sexuality and politics.

What are your thoughts on legalizing drugs? ?
I'm pro-legalization. I don't think people should take drugs, but the "war on drugs" is a morally bankrupt and ridiculous idea. It's actually almost the scourge of the nation -- the idea that we live in a society where this program has been allowed to completely militarize the police. It's put generation after generation of young people in jail. The whole system is completely repellant and makes me sick to my stomach, I can't understand it. Then again I can't believe somebody like George Bush is on the verge of being President. But there you go -- that's why I'm into punk rock! Because to me, it's the same thing. People who "buy the program," people who are content or resigned to go along with it are the ones who are behind this. They don't understand that they're compliant -- but they are because they went along with it.

What do you do to relax or for fun when not playing music? ?
It's all the same. I don't use the word "fun." That's a highly abused word right now. It's been beaten into the ground in the last four to five years and I think it's sort of a direct result of staring into a computer for ten to twelve hours a day, and now everyone has this newfound wealth, and they've become … they don't what to do with themselves. What becomes most premium is the idea of "fun." Everything has to be fun all the time. I don't really care about fun.

Well then, how do you de-stress from all that you have to do for your business and your band? ?
Play cards with my mom, or take a walk, or play piano, or just talk to people. I love talking to people. That's always been my favorite thing to do. I'm a good conversationalist, I think. I like to drink tea and talk. _________________________________________________________________________________
Shawna Kenney is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in Entertainment Today, While You Were Sleeping, Maximum Rock-N-Roll, Taboo, and Transworld Skateboarding, among others. She is also the author of the recently published memoir, I Was a Teenage Dominatrix and has contributed artwork to the upcoming DC punk anthology, The Dance of Days. She lives in Los Angeles with her boyfriend and their snake.