Feature / One Question Interviews
Bison

Words: Loren • April 1, 2018

Bison
Bison

James Farwell (Bison)

SPB: Can you enjoy a musician’s work if you when you disagree with their politics? Are you able to make the separation?

James: I generally separate the art from the artist, unless the art itself contains some politically or socially offensive content - racist, homophobic, misogynist, xenophobic, etc. If the artist was someone I had respected and enjoyed prior to some new distasteful project or crime, I will generally enjoy the early work, as it stands alone in time as something I aligned myself with. 

There is a large part of me that would be disappointed, disgusted and heartbroken with someone I had respected being outed as a predatory sociopath with little respect for others, a fraud, or have some other unsavory alignment, yet there is some part of me that thinks that a person's wrongdoings may not define them, in some cases. 

However, some people are indeed pieces of shit and deserve to be banished from society, and their art should not be popularized, nor should they receive social status or financial or other benefits from it. 

 

Loren • April 1, 2018

Bison
Bison

Related features

Quattracenta

One Question Interviews • August 13, 2026

Sarah (Quattracenta) SPB: Which of your songs is the most difficult to play live? Sarah: “In Dust,” from our new record III. It’s not necessarily difficult in a technical sense, but because it is a very quiet and intimate song, playing it in a noisy club or bar can be … Read more

Illuminati

One Question Interviews • August 12, 2026

Joao (Illuminati) SPB: What inspired Illuminati to reform? Joao: The original lineup disbanded in 2004 after I migrated to the United States. We self-released a demo in 2003 that was intended to be a literal "demonstration" of our songs rather than a definitive statement of what we wanted to do … Read more

Anathema Editions

Music / History 101 • August 11, 2026

Did you know it’s been 10 years since Anathema Editions put out its first release? To make the moment, we reached out to founder Terence Hannum to share some label history. In keeping with our “History 101” concept, SPB asked for anecdotes about 4 of the label’s releases and then … Read more

Stormtrooper

Interviews • August 10, 2026

Still a Dirty Mess: The Stormtrooper Oral History Before the Sex Pistols swore on television -- or tried to brush it off as "nothing, a rude word" -- and corporate labels commodified safety pins, there was a bar at The Marquee and a damp basement on King's Road. In 1975, … Read more

The Undead

Interviews • August 9, 2026

From shaping the early guitar drive of The Misfits to heading up The Undead, slinging bass for Times Square, and running Post Mortem Records out of a New Jersey bedroom, Bobby Steele’s footprint on tri-state punk is as real as it gets. He’s dodged precinct venue shutdowns, survived botched UK … Read more

Related reviews

Bison B.C.

Lovelessness
Metal Blade (2012)

Every band reaches their peak at some point. Some blow their wads right out of the gate and spend the rest of their careers desperately trying to recreate an inexplicable combination of luck, talent, and inspiration. Some clumsily struggle through multiple albums worth of missteps before finally finding their collective voice. Others allow you to tag along on their journey … Read more

More from this section

Quattracenta

One Question Interviews • August 13, 2026

Sarah (Quattracenta) SPB: Which of your songs is the most difficult to play live? Sarah: “In Dust,” from our new record III. It’s not necessarily difficult in a technical sense, but because it is a very quiet and intimate song, playing it in a noisy club or bar can be … Read more

Illuminati

One Question Interviews • August 12, 2026

Joao (Illuminati) SPB: What inspired Illuminati to reform? Joao: The original lineup disbanded in 2004 after I migrated to the United States. We self-released a demo in 2003 that was intended to be a literal "demonstration" of our songs rather than a definitive statement of what we wanted to do … Read more

Jenn L. Beckwith

One Question Interviews • July 29, 2026

Jenn L. Beckwith (All Good Cretins Go To Heaven: The Enduring Spirit of the Ramones – author) SPB: Do you remember the first time you saw the Ramones live (or, alternately if it’s a better story, the first time you heard them)? Beckwith: My collaborator and researcher Gary Lynn Clevenger … Read more