What turned you onto punk music?
I started listening to heavy metal when I was about 6 or 7 which was the closest thing to punk. It was this music that rocked, it had hooks, and I liked it. When I was 12 I was turned onto punk from skaters. Those kids and I were skaters but then at about 13, the beginning of eight grade we all split up. Me and a couple of them became punks or whatever and the others became gang bangers, they went all cholo.

Something similar happened to me and my friends in middle school. Some of them turned gangster and now most of them have kids and are married.
Exactly, I have friends that are dead. It's like, "No, kidding, so and so is dead. So and so got shot." We used to pull out ramps and skate in their mom's backyard.

What do you think it that divides us at that age?
It was a social stigma. Half of us looked up to our older brother who are down or gang bangers or whatever. They think, "My big brother is tough, that cat on the corner is what we see at that age. Unfortunately, in the ghetto we don't have very many good role models. I was just into music as a kid, ever since I can remember, I was really really into music. That was what I loved. I could pick up a guitar, go to a piano, I always had an ear for music. I could hear it and play it.

It was music that kept you from going that other route?
Yeah, because the other route was not musically oriented, you know. It was about being tough and what not. I was into music. I'd probably still be in Golden Hills ot Logan Heights in San Diego wasting time or be dead.

Was Rice the first band you were in?
Rice was the first band I was in that ever played shows.

How was being in that band different from being in The PeeChees?
It's a lot different. For one thing, I write songs in The PeeChees. I pretty much write all the music, except the vocals and Molly comes up woth her own drum parts but as far as music and structure I come up with it. In Rice, except for a couple of songs, it was written by the other guitarist in that band. I'm older now...

How old are you?
I'm 19

19! Gosh, I had no idea!
I've evolved emotionally and mentally since then. I have changed between the two bands. i have found out a lot about myself and my purpose. My main objective always is to put love into everything. I want to do everything with love. I'm realizing that to not do everything with love is a waste of time, a serious waste of time. That's what I'm trying to get across with The PeeChees, when we play a show, when we record a record, when I talk to people. Role model is a strong word, but maybe set an example by the way I'm beginning to lead my life. In just trying tp dp everything with as much love as I possibly can. I try not to do anything flippantly. Do or die pretty much.