![]() ![]() I'm not sure on the first two, but Down was our third because we were like, "Oh, well, let's just throw one more." I mean, our label was like, "Oh, well, the first two didn't work, let's go ahead and do Down," and I had always thought that was the catchiest song on there. Is that right, Nick? Nick Hexum: I think Don't Stay Home was first, then All Mixed Up, then Down was our third single, and then we went back and released All Mixed Up a fourth time. It's happening"? Tim Mahoney: It probably, Down was the last release, right? We put it as a first single and then moved on and then came back to it at the end. Was there something in there where you felt like, "Oh man, this is insane. Evan Ball: I know you guys are so active, so I'm wondering, to you, did it feel gradual or did it feel like a big ramping up once.I guess it was maybe the Down video that really pushed you forward. And we were just so excited to be there and had so much energy. It's debatable, but we know we did at least 15 shows in a row without a day off. I mean, considering that in Grassroots we put all our stuff in storage and just lived on the road, and when we'd have a week off, we'd stay at some crappy Oakwood apartment building or something like that, but we just lived on the road. Know that we've always been down," it was like I'm looking back at this big era, but it was actually just a couple years, so we packed a lot. Nick Hexum: Time is all relative, because it seems like we packed so many memories into those first years, that when I wrote the song Down, "Changed a lot and then some. But I'd love to know what this period was like for you guys and how you reflect back on it. But when you do really break through, it felt like it happened pretty fast, to me at least. Even the Blue album is out for a period of time before it really blows up. Evan Ball: You guys have, at that time, such a solid underground success. Well maybe we can start there, like 1995, '96, if you guys don't mind. Are you Ernie Ball family? Evan Ball: Yeah, so Ernie was my grandpa. Nick Hexum: I love to hear that it evokes nostalgia, but I'm checking out your name. I felt so close to it at the time, and music is just so good at bringing back memories and remembering what certain eras felt like. I remember so clearly you guys break through in the mid '90s, and just the buzz in the air. Evan Ball: I actually had so much fun preparing for this interview because it totally brought me back to such great years of my life. Nick Hexum and Tim Mahoney, welcome to the podcast. Ladies and gentlemen, Tim Mahoney and Nick Hexum. We talk about their influences, tips for recording distortion guitar, what they've been doing during the pandemic, what they'll be up to soon, and more. ![]() We talk about songwriting, specifically their willingness to put parts together that are fairly different from each other, and relatedly, their unique ability to book shows with punk bands, jam bands, metal bands, rap artists, etcetera. ![]() We talk about the '90s music landscape and what it was like for them when their music broke through to the mainstream, then we go back further, talk about their pre-311 bands, the formation of 311, and their decision to move to LA. They soon forged the 311 sound and today, over three decades later, they're still going strong. Nick Hexum and Tim Mahoney grew up playing in bands together in Omaha. On today's episode, we welcome Nick Hexum and Tim Mahoney of 311. Evan Ball: Hello, and welcome to Ernie Ball's Striking a Chord podcast.
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