In a new interview with Poland’s Brudne Brzmienie, DROWNING POOL guitarist C.J. Pierce spoke about the decline of the music industry as consumers value access over ownership and experiences over assets. He said in part (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “On that subject like that, it’s a love-hate relationship with it. I mean, it’s awesome to have the means to get everything out, and everybody can see everything. It’s all tangible. You can get to anybody’s music no matter how big or how small you are; if you look, you can find everything. So I love that. But I did love the idea of the album, a literal record is tangible, a CD is tangible, something they can hand you, something you can sign and you have it and get in that moment where you put it in and you’re listening to your favorite band. I love those moments, ’cause now you can just flip through 20,000 artists and 20 songs in 20 minutes. I don’t know if you could soak in the full art and idea of a song ’cause you’re not sitting there concentrating as much as, like, ‘Oh, I like this part. I like that.’ It’s just a whole another world, man, to see.”
Pierce continued: “It’s never been a fair game, and I play music because I’m passionate about it. I think if anybody’s watching this conversation, they know that. But there’s [a need for musicians to make] money. We all have to pay bills and [pay for] electricity and whatever. But it’s just wild to me. We have [sold], like, seven million records total maybe, with all our records, including the [debut] ‘Sinner’ record, and I’m in a rental car and a rental house, ’cause the music business has not been fair to us in any way, shape or form, man. It’s been wild. But I can’t walk around with that kind of frustration and hate, ’cause it’s gonna take away from just me, who I am, writing a song, although some songs may have reflected that in the past, deeper tracks. I mean, it’s an ever-evolving thing, so it’s never a dull moment. So I’m always curious to see what happens next. So it’s just life. So I’m enjoying the ride.”
DROWNING POOL recently released two singles, “Madness”, which came out in April, and “Revolution (The Final Amen)”, which arrived in September 2024. “Revolution (The Final Amen)” was the first piece of music Pierce, DROWNING POOL drummer Mike Luce and bassist Stevie Benton completed with singer Ryan McCombs in 13 years.
The release of “Madness” came on the heels of DROWNING POOL‘s European tour with GODSMACK. The trek included stops in Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Poland, Austria, Germany, the U.K. and more.
DROWNING POOL will play the Alcatraz festival in Kortrijk, Belgium in August. In addition, DROWNING POOL has announced a U.K. and Ireland tour with SPINESHANK and special guests (HED) P.E. in November.
McCombs played his first shows back with DROWNING POOL in March 2023 at Club L.A. in Destin, Florida and at the inaugural Throwdown At The Campground festival in Fruitland Park, Florida.
The longtime SOIL frontman, who has lived in Swindon, England since 2018, originally joined DROWNING POOL in 2005 and appeared on two of the band’s studio albums, “Full Circle” (2007) and “Drowning Pool” (2010),as well as a live album, 2009’s “Loudest Common Denominator”. He rejoined SOIL after exiting DROWNING POOL in 2011.
McCombs is continuing to front SOIL and will carry on recording and performing with both bands.
After the release of “Sinner”, DROWNING POOL reached out to an ever-greater audience with dynamic performances at Wrestlemania XVIII and Ozzfest during the summers of 2001 and 2002. Unfortunately, their streak of success was not to last. Shortly after rousing the crowd at Ozzfest in Indianapolis, Indiana, on August 3, 2002, vocalist Dave “Stage” Williams was found dead of natural causes on the tour bus.
Photo courtesy of O’Donnell Media Group
