Sandbox Bullies Interview
Sandbox Bullies are not just playground heroes, they are rockers to the core who have been serving up a musical blend of rockabilly, punk, and good old rock n’ roll since the late 90’s. Halloween weekend was a busy one for the Inland Empire based band. Sandbox Bullies got an early start with a double header on October 30 at DiPiazzas and Backlight District Lounge in Long Beach. By the Barricade was on hand for the show and interviewed the band to learn more about what has kept The Sandbox Bullies going strong and what they have planned for the future. Check out the full interview below!
Sandbox Bullies Band Members:
- Robbie Bell – Vocals, Guitar
- Jason Carman – Upright Bass, Vocals
- William Corner, Jr. – Drums
By the Barricade: You have been a band for a while with a lot of different members. What keeps it going?
Robbie Bell: Just the love of music and the love of what we are doing – sharing our talent of music with people who fortunately love music as much as we do.
By the Barricade: What inspired you to be a musician? Did you come from a musical family?
Jason Carman: I got a Mickey Mouse drum set when I was three years old and I was playing drums until I was 22. In case you can’t tell, I’m a bit of an attention whore and I got tired of being behind drums so I started playing guitar in my own band. Someone offered me to go on tour and make money playing a bass and I enjoyed it. I saw somebody playing an upright bass. I got one and I enjoyed so now I play upright bass. Music has always been my life, it’s just what I do. I don’t know any better. I don’t know what I would be without music, it is my livelihood. My dad played drums, harmonica I was raised on music. His dad played saxophone so I believe it is in the blood.
Robbie Bell: For me it was just the love to play music. I wanted to play drums when I first started playing music. I went from drums to bass to guitar and I have been playing guitar ever since. I used to play in a metal band a bunch of years back. I like all kinds of music. I played in a ska band for a little while too. For a long time I have been into rockabilly, psychobilly and punk rock, rock and roll, blues. My dad used to play guitar.
*(at this point in the interview, William arrives and is kidded by Jason about the lack of grease in his hair post show).
Robbie Bell: We love Suavecito (Pomade), we are proud to be sponsored by Suavecito, they are some great guys. We have been with them a few years which is before a lot of people started.
Jason Carman: I think we are the only band they sponsor and we are very honored that they took us on.
Robbie Bell: We also got an endorsement from Gretsch and Deuce Bridges, Sick Kat Clothing we have a few sponsors here and there and it helps a lot; great promotion too.
By the Barricade: William, what inspired you to be a musician? Did you come from a musical family?
William Corner, Jr.: I just stumbled into it. Most drummers I know were in high school band and stuff like that. I didn’t pick it up until I was probably 18 or 19. I bought a cheap little $200 set and just started playing. I’m still learning with these guys. A lot of stuff they play I have never played before.
By the Barricade: You list quite a range of musical influences on your band. Everything from Reverend Horton Heat to Slayer. What bands are you listening to now?
Jason Carman: I don’t like to narrow down my music state. I will listen to anything, I give everything a chance. Believe it or not lately I’ve been listening to some old Jason Carman:. I listen to acoustic old style, some old punk. I have been listening to a low rider album lately. What I am inspired by depends on the day, it doesn’t really matter what I am playing what I listen to is more of a mood thing.
Robbie Bell: I listen to a lot of different stuff: punk, blues, rockabilly a little bit of everything. I like a lot of different stuff.
By the Barricade: Were you Sandbox Bullies as children?
Jason Carman: Ohhh, ouch!
Robbie Bell: Actually I was probably the one getting bullied.
Jason Carman: I was going to say the same thing. I was bullied. I don’t know if you can tell, but I was quite smaller than the rest of my class. I did befriend a bigger kid every year for protection. That is more of a bodyguard than a bully.
William Corner, Jr.: I was a little of both. I always picked fights with the big guys and the little guys always wanted to fight too. I was a bully when I needed to and I was a little guy in high school and was bullied too.
By the Barricade: Do you get any flack from the huge anti bullying campaigns going on now?
Robbie Bell: We haven’t caught any flack from it. Just because our name is The Sandbox Bullies that doesn’t mean we encourage anyone to bully.
Jason Carman: We do not promote bullying in anyway. In fact we have done quite a few benefits for underprivileged, physically handicapped and challenged, we did a benefit for an AYSO handicapped league and we play for free. That is our giving. We do our rounds. I think the name is more to get your attention than anything else. I don’t think we turned into bullies.
Robbie Bell: A few years back before Jason and Billy were in the band, we played a U.S.O. thing for the troops who were getting shipped off to Iraq. We fully support our friends, armed forces and good causes all around.
By the Barricade: How do you balance music with other life obligations?
Robbie Bell: It’s tough sometimes. There are times when we can’t do shows.
Jason Carman: Don’t forget we are a little bit older than the rest of the bucks. I have adult kids, I am divorced so it’s not like I’m not allowed to go play. (Or maybe I am divorced because of that?)
Robbie Bell: My wife’s sons, her oldest twins, they both play in a band called Kon Tiki too.
By the Barricade: We met Evan the singer from Kon Tiki in line for Summer Nationals when we saw The Offspring so that is a small world.
William Corner, Jr.: Actually before I started playing with them I was kind of retired and I hadn’t really been playing; just here and there maybe once a month.
Jason Carman: I want to add to that, before we had him (Billy) there were 12 other drummers and I’ve only been in the band 4 or 5 years. I just want to say thank God he joined the band because I don’t care if you’re good, if I don’t get along with you it’s not going to work out. Remember on weekends sometimes you have to spend 3 or 4 days with these guys. This isn’t just some job where you suck it up and be a good employee.
Robbie Bell: We are all like brothers.
William Corner, Jr.: They have had some good drummers. This is the first band I have been in that we have all gotten along. My kids are all teenagers now so I get out more often. It is a good way to get out aggression.
Jason Carman: It’s a good little sound we have gotten along. Building a band at this age is a bit tough. We all have day jobs. When you have kids, bills, child support. Thank God for construction.
By the Barricade: How can new fans best connect with you?
Robbie Bell: We have an album on iTunes called Rock N Roll Woman we are working on the second album now called Cadillac Smile. We have been working with the drummer from Alien Ant Farm, he’s been recording our album. I used to be in a band with him a bunch of years ago; back in the 90’s.
Jason Carman: We are on Reverb Nation, Facebook we have an Instagram.
Robbie Bell: Twitter (@SandboxBullies), My Space and all of the social media sites.
By the Barricade: What do you want fans to feel when they leave your show?
Robbie Bell: I want them to pick up on the vibe that we are all having a good time, we like to share our music and have them see how we share and equally blend of all of the influences of the different styles of music. Mixing it all together the way we do and pick up on that.
Jason Carman: I want them to feel like I feel: Excited about the whole thing, the whole time.
William Corner, Jr.:One good thing is that we all come from different musical backgrounds. It clicks. Before this I played 12 years in a garage surf band and that is all we played.
Robbie Bell: I played in the metal and then ska band.
Jason Carman: I played in the bathtub … “Rubber Ducky, Rubber Ducky“ *laughing.
By the Barricade: What are your plans as a band for the near future?
Jason Carman: We will probably record stuff, make more music.
Robbie Bell: We want to get some touring in too.
Jason Carman: We do have some good shows coming up. We always do the Rockabilly Reunion.
Robbie Bell: We did the Hootenanny and played with Rancid and Reverend Horton Heat. That was great.
By the Barricade: Anything else you would like to tell the readers of By the Barricade or is there anything I didn’t ask you that you wish I had?
Robbie Bell: Please support local music. Buy t-shirts, CD’s, stickers, buttons, whatever you can. That is going to help a band get to the next show. It helps us play another show in your area.
Jason Carman: Check us out live. We are a great live band.
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