86 List’s Josh 86 on Respect

DOWNTOWN—“I’m pretty much a dictator,” remarks Josh 86, washing down lunch in Chinatown recently. “I’m a control freak.” He’s talking about the approach that he and his band, 86 List, have taken while writing and recording their newest record Respect. He explains that when he writes a new song for the stalwart local punk band, it’s already done when he walks in the door to rehearse. A song is open for discussion, but there is probably just not much to be discussed.

Surely, “dictator” and “control freak” are self-effacing exaggerations, as Josh speaks openly about his maturation from a glory-hungry punk rock acolyte into a seasoned professional. Gone are the adolescent, long-shot hopes for fame and adulation held by a nascent original songwriter. They have been replaced by an understanding of the importance of friendship and loyalty and of simply making music that matters to you. After several tours and rough patches between the original members of 86 List, they’ve come to agree that staying together and playing together is their most pressing priority.

“I feel like more of an adult now,” Josh says. “I’m part of the working class, you know, a part of the machine.” It doesn’t mean, however, that he’s walked away from the idealism of his formative years as a professional musician.

“But it doesn’t mean I have to like it,” he smiles.

Indeed. Respect is rife with stark social and political assessments and with unmitigated introspection. Josh 86 writes lyrics about his own feelings, about loyalty, equality, and unity, but he’s not proselytizing. It takes a lot of guts to make yourself vulnerable by being honest. Respect is indicative of a staunch idealism, of genuine, potty-mouthed optimism.

Respect is a record that will take its place among seminal Hawaii indie records. It doesn’t seek to change the way people perceive punk rock. It’s a punk rock record, and doesn’t pretend to be anything else. After material was assembled and rehearsed, the entire recording process took less than two weeks. Most of it was recorded live.

86 List is intently focused on being a part of the local scene. After 11 years as a band, it’s safe to say that they are, and pivotally so. When asked what’s next for 86 List, Josh says, “Well, we’ve got a lot of records to sell. We’re going to be doing a lot of shows.”

86 List celebrates the release of their new full length CD Respect with an all-ages show at Coffee Talk in Kaimuki on Friday August 27 at 8:00 p.m.