For a band that has made a name for themselves offering up AC/DC-esque, glorious "sleaze rockers" like "Lit Up" and "Crazy Bitch," it may be hard to grasp that Buckcherry has covered the pre-teen pop hit "I Love It," made famous by Icona Pop. But before you choke on your chimichanga, it's not exactly what you think - the band (which includes singer Josh Todd, guitarists Keith Nelson and Stevie D, bassist Kelly LeMieux, and drummer Xavier Muriel) has "Buckcherry-ized" it, by reworking the lyrics and re-titling it "Say Fuck It."The song appears via their six-song EP, F#CK, which has been issued through the band's own label, the appropriately titled F-Bomb Records. And despite the band having been issuing albums since the late '90s (including such hits as 1999's Buckcherry, 2006's 15, and 2008's Black Butterfly), F#CK is the group's first-ever EP.
Todd was willing to explain to Songfacts what exactly made the band decide to choose this unlikely cover, his thoughts about Chuck Klosterman's deconstruction of the band, and the stories behind some of Buckcherry's biggest hit songs.
Josh Todd: I came up with the idea. I listen to a lot of pop radio with my kids and when that song was a hit I really liked it and wanted to make it a BC song. It took some convincing, but Keith trusted me and saw it through, and I think he's glad he did because it now sounds like a BC song in my opinion, and that is more interesting than just dusting off an old rock hit and reworking it.
Songfacts: Why an EP at this point rather than a full-length album?
Josh: We had 7-inches growing up and they are cool, and we wanted to do something different and have some fun. The F#CK EP is so killer and a great piece of the Buckcherry puzzle.
Songfacts: How does the songwriting primarily work in Buckcherry?
Josh: I write all the lyrics and melodies, occasionally music. Keith writes the majority of the music along with the other guys, and we put it together as a band.
Songfacts: Who are some of your favorite songwriters, and why?
Josh: Prince, Stevie Wonder, just love their words and melodies, and the groove on their records. I can feel that they mean it.
Songfacts: From a songwriting perspective, which Buckcherry album are you most proud of and why?
Released in 2013, Confessions is Buckcherry's sixth studio album overall. Produced by the band, the 13-track album has spawned a total of four singles ("Gluttony," "Nothing Left By Tears," "Wrath," and "Dreamin' of You"), and peaked at #20 on the Billboard 200 Chart.
Josh: Wow that's tough, probably Confessions. I personally really dug deep on that not only from my personal life but trying to represent the sins and make them good songs was really challenging. I'm proud of the finished product. Songfacts: Did you ever read Chuck Klosterman's article about "Crazy Bitch" from a few years back, and what did you think of it?
Josh: Just read it, it's cool. It seems like he gets it: simplicity is an art form and is much harder than people think. Everything BC does is honest, and sometimes it has served us and sometimes worked against us, but that's part of our charm.
Songfacts: Was the song "Crazy Bitch" written about a specific woman?
Josh: No, it's just about a girl who's good in bed but a terrible girlfriend.
Songfacts: What was the inspiration behind the lyrics to the song "Lit Up"?
Josh: "Lit Up" is about the first time I did cocaine. I knew a couple of dealers in high school and had a lot of fun with that until it wasn't fun anymore - haha!
There have been quite a few rock n' roll tunes over the years that touch upon the subject of a certain drug that is obtained via coca plant leaves - the most obvious being Eric Clapton's "Cocaine," Johnny Cash's "Cocaine Blues," Neil Young's "Cocaine Eyes," and Grandmaster Flash's "White Lines."
But like "Lit Up," there are quite a few rock ditties that you have to dig deeper than just the song's title to discover that the subject is touched upon, including Metallica's "Master of Puppets," and two separate songs titled "Snowblind," one by Black Sabbath and another by Ace Frehley.
Songfacts: What was the inspiration behind the lyrics to the song "Sorry"?But like "Lit Up," there are quite a few rock ditties that you have to dig deeper than just the song's title to discover that the subject is touched upon, including Metallica's "Master of Puppets," and two separate songs titled "Snowblind," one by Black Sabbath and another by Ace Frehley.
Josh: "Sorry" is about my relationship with my wife, and the struggles and sacrifice that this business puts on a relationship.
Josh: We were the black sheep, the only rock band there, and no one knew us - which is the way we like it, 'cause that gives us the opportunity to shake it up. After our performance, Shaq came up and greeted us, telling us how much he enjoyed it, and that was good enough for me. Never met Janet or Michael.
August 27, 2014
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