Jahred Gomes with (Hed) P.E. - photograph supplied

Exactly a year since they last toured New Zealand, (Hed) P.E. are returning, bringing their eclectic genre-defying fusion of gangsta rap and punk rock which they call 'G-punk'. Bridget Herlihy talked to founder and vocalist Jahred Gomes ahead of their upcoming gigs with Nonpoint at the Tuning Fork and San Fran.

If it seems like it wasn’t that long ago that (Hed) P.E. last visited the fair shores of New Zealand, you are not wrong. It has only been 12 months since the Californians were last here, and they are set to return this week for shows in Auckland and Wellington; this time to celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of their landmark album Broke.

(Hed) P.E. have been conjuring up their own distinct and eclectic blend of nu-metal/G-punk/funk/hip-hop since 1994. Hailing from California, the genre-defying band have released 14 studio albums and two cover albums over the last three decades, and they have no intention of slowing down any time soon. Ahead of their Australasian tour, I had the pleasure of catching up with founding vocalist Jahred Gomes to talk about the band reaching significant milestones, finding the right balance between talent and energy, and delivering memorable performances that include something for everyone.

Bridget: It must be a pretty busy schedule getting yourself organized to go on tour.

Jahred: Yeah, I'm wearing too many hats over here. I'm ordering merch, I'm a travel agent, I’m a producer. I'm wearing every single hat there is, you know. I'm not playing the bass or the guitar or the drums. Thankfully, I have a great band for that.

Bridget: It sounds like a real do-it-yourself band. Have you put this tour together too?

Jahred: Well, no. We have a really good promoter who put this tour together for us, for the Australia and New Zealand run. Thank gosh. Because, you know, it's quite expensive to get to New Zealand. So if we didn't have a good market there, we wouldn't be able to go. So thankfully, we've still got some love in New Zealand.

Bridget: Looking at footage from when you were here last year it certainly looks like you've still got a lot of love here in New Zealand. Looking at the dates from last year, and the dates for you two shows this week, it will be a year and one day since you last played here.

Jahred: Only a year ago?! Oh, that's great. I'm glad to be back. I feel stoked and blessed to be coming back so quickly.

Bridget: With the number of acts that are bypassing New Zealand, the fact that you are back after just 366 days is an absolute win for your fans.

Jahred: You know, the last interview I did, which was also with someone in New Zealand, he mentioned that as well, getting skipped a lot. Which, you know, I live in Boise, Idaho, and we know how that is. We get skipped a lot as well.

Bridget: It seems that if you're not on the East Coast or the West Coast of the US, or if you're not in a major metropolitan area, cities will frequently be overlooked when it comes to tours.

Jahred: I'm going to kind of go wherever there's a cheque, wherever there's cash waiting. The bigger the band, the more picky they are, I'm sure. I'm so stoked to be coming back. Thank you for having us.

Bridget: I’m sure that Idaho has a lot of merits, but have you considered relocating to New Zealand?

Jahred: I would love to. You know, my father-in-law lived in New Zealand during the [Christchurch] earthquake. As a matter of fact, because he does work for the government in Antarctica, any time he has to go there, he goes to New Zealand first, as it’s the jump-off point. And when we played there a year ago, he just happened to have been there and came to the show. That was quite special for me.

Right now I'm in California at the rehearsal studio in a town called Culver City, which is like Los Angeles. Because my guitar player and my bass player live in L.A. My drummer drove up; he lives in Las Vegas. But my mom lives in Orange County, which is south of L.A. But I now live in Idaho, which is northern United States. So I just flew in for these practices and then I'm going home and getting ready to get to Australia and New Zealand. You know, but like where I live, it's like 30 degrees [Fahrenheit], which is below freezing. It's horrible. But hey, the things we do, right, for love.

Bridget: Have rehearsals for the tour been going well?

Jahred: And rehearsals are going well. This is actually our first one, though. We're doing four. So and if they go well, then we won't need any others. But we always have good rehearsals. We get along really well. Of course, none of the original members are here any more (LAUGHS). Time marches on and, you know, some people get tired of touring and whatever. I'm just… this is all I know, you know? All I know is rocking out and making music. So I'm still here. And yeah, it's great. I'm so stoked that I still have a job, really.

Bridget: (Hed) P.E. have been very clear that while this tour celebrates the 25th anniversary of the release of Broke, it is not a generic nostalgia tour as the band is still very much active. What are your thoughts when the assumption is made that an artist of band is capitalising on the popularity of an album when it reaches a significant milestone or anniversary?

Jahred: That's a very good question, because it's two sides to that one for me. Because I've always been very much about always progressing and, ‘Hey, here's my next record, and you're going to have to listen to some of it.’ I'm not going to play the old shit all night. And we've actually had a good underground career after the mainstream, you know, where we've had a lot of new fans come in after the mainstream and follow us on our independent journey or whatever. Having said that, though, I don't mind going back and for the first time playing the record that put us on the map. I don't mind doing that, because it's special to a lot of people and that's what introduced them to us. So, you know, if they have their nostalgia feeling [that’s] great for them, but I do know I do identify with it.

Bridget: What will the format of the shows on this tour be? Will you be playing Broke from beginning to end?

Jahred: No, I'm sorry. It's not going to be play the record from beginning to end. That just never was a thought that occurred to me. It's more spontaneous. I'm going to create a show from the Broke record, but it's going to be in my own way. I think I prefer that to… ‘OK, here's my Track One Part A,’ and then go on to Part B, and just do it as it would appear on the album. Because I think that a show is a different story that you're trying to tell than a record. So I show I'm trying to create a certain experience arc, and you do try to do that on a record as well, but they're two different mediums. And I like things to be mixed up and given a bit of a refresh or, you know, do something a little bit different. And plus, we've always been a band that was like not afraid to create a record that sounded one way and then do it a different way. Like, look at Sublime. They would have horns and congas on the record, and then you'd go see them live and it'd be the three guys. Peel it right back.

Bridget: Do you find that when you're playing live the audience is more receptive to the older material? Are they receptive to the new, or is it about finding that balance between the two?

Jahred: That's a great question too. You know, here's the thing – when I'm playing a live show, they're going to get a good mix of stuff they want to hear and of stuff I want to play. So, you know, I'm not really going up there to try and challenge the crowd to get into a bunch of new shit, you know. So I'm trying to please them. And then I'm also going to throw in some new stuff, but not so much new stuff that they're going to be like, ‘OK, you know, play some old shit,’ because I will have some people in the crowd who really just want to hear old shit. There always is. So, you know, I got to please them, too, but not 100% of the time.

Bridget: It’s not possible to please every single person in the audience all of the time.

Jahred: We're not just going to do new shit. We're going to mix it up. There's going to be something for everybody. At the end of the day, I want as many people as I can to have a good time.

Bridget: And the band needs to have fun as well and be enjoying themselves as the audience will pick up on that; the energy is contagious. If the audience gets the impression that you are bored, then the show can fall flat.

Jahred: That's so true. That's so true. You can't just… it's got to be more than a job, because, you know, hey, it's a band, its music. You know, the crowd's going to pick up on it if you're just up there going through the motions.

Bridget: It's been 25 years since Broke was released and you're the only original band member left. How do you think (Hed) P.E. and your song writing has evolved over the three decades?

Jahred: Well, you know, it's really a vibe thing, if I understand the question. It's just got to keep that vibe going. You know, regardless of who might come and play with me and play with the band and then decide to leave, I have to get someone else, to make sure that vibe is still there. You got to feel it in your bones. That's me, though. I'm knowing what I need to hear, the vibe that I'm chasing after. Regardless, you know, whoever is going to come and play in my band is going to know we're chasing this vibe and that's the goal. I think that's what's kept it going and keep people still coming to see it, even though it's not all the same fellas.

Bridget: Have you found it difficult to find people with the right vibe?

Jahred: Yes and no. Right now I've got perfect everybody. But then when I look back, I can see a couple of line-ups I had where I was like, ‘Oh, that guy really wasn't a vibe.’ But I kept him because he was a great player and did what he needed to do for that moment. But when I look back, I go, ‘No, not really.’ You know what I mean? Luckily, if I'm living in the moment right now, I've got it. And here's the thing, too. My guys are learned musicians, you know? They went to college and have degrees in playing. So it's interesting because at P.E. we're mostly heavy metal, punk rock, hardcore. But you've got to be able to play funk and reggae, too. You've got to have those types of skills in order to bring the vibe for certain moments. So somebody can be technically savvy, but they don't have the right personality or energy or what have you. There's a lot that goes into it. So, you know, you may have the skills; that's the difference between what do they call their IQ and your EQ? You're smart, but you don't get along with people, so you suck.

Bridget: I don't think enough people put enough merit into the value of EQ. If you've got a good line-up now, I hope you've got them all to sign contracts saying they're not going anywhere till they're 80.

Jahred: I know I'd like to; I keep telling them you can't go anywhere! I actually read an interesting article about what we're talking about, where it's like, to be an engineer, you have to have a certain IQ, right? But then why are some engineers so successful? And they were saying it's because of their EQ, you know? There's not many vocations out there where you can be a complete lone wolf, you know? It just doesn't happen.

Bridget: But evidently you're doing something right, because you've enjoyed a long career that's still going, and you still love what you do.

Jahred: I try to remind myself.