At the end of 2023, drummer Jay Weinberg left his position in Slipknot, and some time later, he was hired by Suicidal Tendencies , the band he currently plays with.
In addition to that, the artist also worked with Infectious Grooves , a supergroup that brings together musicians from his other band.
During the month of July, Suicidal Tendencies arrives in Brazil with the WE ARE FAMILY , which will pass through five cities: Rio de Janeiro, at Sacadura, on the 12th ; São Paulo, at Rock Fun Fest, on the 13th ; Curitiba, at Tork N Roll, on the 14th ; Florianópolis, at John Bull Floripa, on the 16th ; and finally, in Belo Horizonte, at Mister Rock, on the 17th .
In an exclusive interview with Wikimetal , Weinberg discussed the band's upcoming visit to the country, the new single featuring Brazilian artists, future plans with the group, and more!
Check out the full interview:
Wikimetal: Suicidal Tendencies will be starting a tour here in Brazil in the coming days. What is your connection to the country?
Jay Weinberg: Ah, my love for Brazil is very deep, I'll say that. It's one of my favorite places in the world, truly. The love for music, especially heavy metal, hardcore, punk rock, [styles of] music that are very special to me, the love for that in Brazil is unparalleled in the whole world. It's a very special place for that kind of music. I really feel the passion that people who love that kind of music really feel. That speaks to how, you know, we musicians and artists have a passion for music.
It's simply infectious in Brazil. So, whenever I come to Brazil, I've been touring Brazil since 2015, maybe 2014. It's been one of my favorite places in the world. The country is so beautiful. The food is amazing. The people are so friendly, enthusiastic, and passionate. And those are the best parts of being a traveling musician, going to places where your music is respected, listened to, and appreciated, and people really invest with so much love and so much heart, the kind of music we make. So, it's just one of the best places in the world. And I'm very excited to come back with Suicidal Tendencies.
WM: And what are you most excited about for this upcoming tour, besides the shows?
JW: I was going to say the shows, definitely. I'm really looking forward to the shows. I'm looking forward to going to some cities I've never been to before. When I've been there before, it's mostly been Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, but now having the opportunity to play in four other cities will be fantastic. I really enjoy exploring. That's one of my favorite parts of touring, traveling the world and seeing new things, trying new foods, exploring different cultures and seeing what different cities have to offer. So this is a great opportunity for someone like me. And just, you know, seeing Brazil in a different way, in a different context with Suicidal, will be very, very exciting, playing in some venues where we'll be right in everyone's face and very intense, very intimate.
It's an absolute dream come true to do this, you know? Because I'm more familiar with playing in a festival environment. You know, like, Rock in Rio, for example. It's an incredible opportunity to play at Rock in Rio, but it's for, like, 100 or, like, 200 thousand people or something like that. It's so maniacally huge that your mind can't even comprehend it. So, sharing it all and having these intimate and intense experiences will be very exciting because it puts all this passion for music on display. You know, we'll have people jumping around like crazy on stage, I'm sure.
And yes, we are very, very excited about it. But besides the shows, yes, the food, the culture, the sights and sounds, are all my favorites. Coming to Brazil is a joy. So it has always been my experience. And my favorite exploration happens when I'm in South America and when I'm in Brazil in particular. So, I'm very excited to come for all those reasons.
WM: The band also recorded a track with some big names from the Brazilian rock and metal scene, “Nós Somos Família” (We Are Family). How did that idea come about?
JW: Well, it was a great idea from Mike Muir himself. Truth be told, we were preparing for shows with Infectious Grooves, which is the other band that shares members with Suicidal Tendencies. And that week, while we were preparing, Mike had an idea and asked me: “Hey, can we go to the studio tomorrow and re-record some old Suicidal songs, but reimagine them, rework them and present them in a way that's special for this upcoming Brazilian tour?” And I thought it was a fantastic idea, so of course I said yes.
So we went into the studio and recorded some new versions of those songs, a version of “We Are Family,” as you said. And then I’m excited that we’ll be able to collaborate with Brazilian musicians and put this out there, you know, it shows the passion that the great people of Brazil have for this style of music. Specifically for Suicidal Tendencies, this is a great opportunity. And so I’m honored not only to have my first song recorded with Suicidal Tendencies being something that means so much, but to have it be a collaboration with Brazilian musicians, it’s really incredible and very meaningful. So I’m honored and very excited for people to hear it.
WM: And as you were saying, you've been working with Infectious Grooves for the past few months. How was the experience?
JW: That was great! Everything happened so fast that I miss it. Playing with Robert Trujillo , who is the father of Tye Trujillo from Suicidal Tendencies, was a great opportunity. Dave Kushner too, from Velvet Revolver . Yeah, we had a lot of fun. It was totally unexpected. You know, that style of music, that specific kind of funky style of playing was a little challenging. It was a different kind of music for me to play, I'd never played funk before, never been in a funk band. So, challenging myself and taking it on when Mike asked me was very exciting. And these guys made it so easy, they're all professionals. They're all great. They make anyone who plays with them look amazing.
Having the opportunity to play with those guys, and that naturally led Mike to ask if I would play with Suicidal Tendencies because he needed a drummer for some shows that were coming up very quickly, and we kind of did it at the same time. Actually, Mike asked me to play with Infectious Grooves first. But I did a show with Suicidal Tendencies first. And so it's been a wild and crazy year so far, balancing the two bands, trying to immerse myself as much as I can in both and give both the time and respect they deserve.
And actually, we went to Australia and when we played the Infectious Grooves shows, we did an encore of Suicidal Tendencies material and Tye played bass with Robert. So, together, we had both Trujillos on tour. That was really cool. And yeah, it's an incredible experience. You know, this band is like a big, big community. There are people who were in the band who are still around and still come to the shows and still play with the band from time to time. And that's really special because it feels bigger than a band, it feels like a real community of musicians. And now to be integrated into something like that is a real honor. So it's been very, very exciting.
WM: You've been playing with Suicidal Tendencies for a few months now. How's it been?
JW: It's been incredible. You know, they've been so welcoming and kind. The music speaks for itself. It's so good to play this music that has meant so much to me for a very, very long time. I was first introduced to Suicidal's music when I was probably 13 or 14 years old. And from then on I was totally hooked. It helped me appreciate more deeply what we call crossover music. Things that mix elements of punk rock, hardcore and heavy metal and just put it all in the blender and make it, you know, bring people together.
This really meant a lot to me. It still means a lot to me. So, yeah, being welcomed by these guys has been great. I've known Ben for a long time. Ben Weinman plays guitar in Dillinger Escape Plan , I know him, playing with him is a great pleasure. Playing with Mike and Dean Pleasants in Infectious Grooves and Suicidal Tendencies has been incredible. Playing with the Trujillo brothers is phenomenal. So, yeah, it's like I've been very lucky to have had, you know, these friendships turn into something where now we're playing together and it's an incredible opportunity and I'm extremely grateful for it.
WM: What's your favorite Suicidal Tendencies song to play live?
JW: It's funny because I don't usually have, I don't usually have a favorite song. Like, I usually, with any band I'm playing with, I usually like, you know, everything, and that also applies to Suicidal. But there's one song that stands out for me, which is "Subliminal." That was one of the first songs I really got attached to when I started listening to the band. So now playing it, and it's an absolutely, you know, incredible song, with an amazing guitar riff. That's the song where I feel like I let loose the most. And that can change for any reason, you know, I might find that I'd rather play a different song or something, but "Subliminal" is very special to me. I feel like every time we play it, we just click, you know?
WM: Yes. Last year you had surgery on your left hip. And how are you doing, how has your recovery been since then?
JW: It's been good. Thank you. It's been a challenge. I'd been researching this surgery for about six years. I knew I'd have to do it just to maintain my health and be a healthy person. But I also knew, and as a drummer, it's hard to look at a period of four to six months where I can't do what I love most, which is playing drums. So this was a challenge that I knew would be a challenge, but I knew I had to be prepared just to maintain my health.
And then I did all the right things. I started my physical therapy the day after surgery. I was on a bicycle with a giant hole in my hip. But, yeah, it was the responsible thing to do. I'm glad I did it. And the recovery has been slow but steady. And I'm feeling really good now. My hip, you know, gets tight from time to time. It's not 100% healed by any means. But I'm definitely better than I was before the surgery. So, I'm glad I did it and that I had a great team of doctors and physical therapists to help me get back to playing, which is what I really wanted to do.
WM: That's good to hear. Are there any plans to make a new Suicidal Tendencies album?
JW: I hope so. I would definitely be interested. Yes. Right now, you know, we're feeling the urge to play live with each other, which has been phenomenal. It's so good. And we went into the studio, as we said, to record these songs specifically for Brazil. And, yes, I think it's an ambition of ours to go into the studio and make new material. A new Suicidal Tendencies album, that would be incredible. It would be a great opportunity. I think the world could really use a new Suicidal Tendencies album. So, if I could be a part of that, I would love it. That would be a dream come true, for sure.
WM: And in terms of setlist, what can Brazilian fans expect from these shows here?
JW: It's hard to say. I mean, like, the setlist changes all the time. You know, Michael changes the setlist while we're playing. But, having said all that, I think people can expect a full range of Suicidal Tendencies songs, from the entire catalog. All we want to do is deliver the intensity that people can expect from Suicidal Tendencies. So you'll hear some favorite songs, you might hear some songs you wouldn't expect. But our intention is to make people really happy with Suicidal Tendencies coming to Brazil, and we're bringing everything Suicidal Tendencies has to offer. So, yeah, we're very excited. It's going to vary quite a bit, I think.
WM: Absolutely. Jay, I just wanted to thank you for your time. It was a great conversation.
JW: Thank you. You too. We'll see each other when we're there.
