Poorman's 15 Minutes of Fame

“Drivin' was pretty big, not a Top 10, but it was a Top 100 Billboards recording in 1979. And yes, so Drivin' was the biggest hit I've ever had and Pearl Harbor and the Explosions was the most succes…

[On tribute bands] It's sort of a double-edged sword. You know? I think, it's it's kept it our music alive or helped revive it, but sometimes, you know, I feel like it's gotten to be so many tribute …

This is in my DNA. You know? It's something that makes me happy. And, even when I try, just be like, I'm not doing this no more, like, many years ago, And I wake up depressed, and I'll be like, I can…

“KROQ was one of our stations growing up for sure! So love alternative rock, grew up a Rock & Roll fan, right? Whether it was Led Zeppelin, Beatles, Stones, The Who, Hendrix, Cream - those were my ba…

“[About her Facebook page, followed by 630K] You know, I didn’t call it Vintage Hollywood for a reason. I called it Vintage Los Angeles. Because it’s about the people, everybody, and structures and a…

“[Favorite Blondie song] Actually, my personal favorite is our first single "X Offender" which is also an homage to the Phil Spector Wall of Sound, Wrecking Crew sound. I was trying to emulate the dr…

“You know, I am not a person that is intimidated by people who have fame, money, or anything like that. And maybe it’d be different if I was President of the United States, but I have my doubts. I’m …

“[About former drummer, Clem Burke, who passed the day before this interview] No. He was our drummer. He was just the best drummer ever. I was saying before, I went to see Blondie because I liked Deb…

“We're launching a tour and a new single on April 25. The song is called "Get Dancing" and we're reaching out to all our fans to go on our YouTube and learn the choreography and be in the video with …

“You know, man, we cut a wide swath through this mockery known as the music business. We always tried to maintain a sense of humor. We wound up sticking around a lot longer than people thought we wou…

“Well, my book, Violence Girl: From East LA Rage to Hollywood Stage, a Chicana Punk Story, it starts off with my childhood and it gets into how I got into music, got into punk rock. But then beyond t…

“[About his Dad, Gary Usher, rock musician, songwriter, and record producer, working with The Byrds, The Beach Boys, Dick Dale, The Super Stocks, The Hondells in the 1960s] He's helping you find your…

“[How did it all start?] Well, primarily, it boils down to soap. We started with soap. My mother and I started the soap store. I did leather in the back and we had my brother's ceramics. It became ki…

So that's the way I kind of look at my music career. I went on to work in the film business. Now I am doing ceramics. I always wanted to be like a maker of things. And it doesn't have to be music, bu…

[In 1981] I was thrilled. I was working in radio in New York at the number one rock station in New York. I moved up here to New York to take that gig. And within six months, I was so bored and so dis…

“[About TSOL shows in the early 80s] If I could drive around before a show and load up a bus with lunatics, I'd put them all on the backstage list VIP and let them run wild, and I have. I have basica…