When I first meet Prince Terrence of Hussle Club in the back of Blackout Bar in Greenpoint, he’s getting changed in the makeshift wardrobe area sequestered off near the bathrooms. Without his shirt on — his hand-stitched and studded The Nation of Ulysees jacket casually draped over his arm — the tat of a boombox on his back is clearly visible. When I remark on it, he shows me his arm which has a complementary tattoo of speakers. These tattoos are incredibly apropos since Terrence (as I come to find out later) is basically a walking jukebox. If you found a way to siphon the music inside of him and directly blast it out through speakers you would have beats for days.
Terrence grew up in Louisville, Kentucky’s DIY art-punk scene (which homegrew such legends as Slint) and started drumming as a young teenager. It was drums that turned out to be his major bread and butter as they allowed him to tour the world with acts like Santigold, Major Lazer and Spank Rock and move to New York in the first place. Hussle Club is Terrence stepping out from behind the drum-set (he plaints that as a hired drummer “sometimes you feel like a robot playing other peoples’ visions”) and making his own music. Everything you hear on Hussle Club’s recordings — from the guitar to the vocals to the drums — is property of Prince Terrence.
Although he had purportedly been sick in bed the day before, minutes after first meeting, bam, there he is — jumping around on top of the bar for the camera drinking whiskey like it’s chamomile tea. In certain respects Terrence is a remarkable throwback to 1980s downtown Manhattan. An era when bands like The Contortions and Bush Tetras reigned. When kids didn’t come to downtown New York already furnished with nine to five jobs and five year plans. When the area around and below Delancey was a gritty melting pot for the young, hungry and creative to meet, make art and turn each other into legends. Terrence is dually a creature of the past and the future. He’s also a creature of the night who DJs “a third shift” at places like Lit and Max Fish.
Oakazine spoke with Prince Terrence about his life as Hussle Club and even managed to wrangle a dirty secret out of him (spoiler alert: it has to do with Dave Matthews.) Interview after the jump.
Where are you from? How did you first discover music?
I was born in Detroit, Michigan, left Detroit when I was about five years old and moved to Pittsburgh because Detroit in the 80’s was very violent. My parents wanted to move somewhere safer. They always listened to music when I was growing up. My earliest memories of music were Marvin Gaye and Michael Jackson. The label Motown was in Detroit, so my parents were into that. My dad was also into rock ‘n roll— bands like Chicago, Yes, Queen, as well as lots of jazz. I ended up in Louisville, Kentucky. I started playing drums as a teen, but at the same time I was starting to pick up guitar because all my friends played guitar. There was always a guitar around somewhere so I always messed around with it in my early days.
How old were you when you first started playing drums?
I was about fourteen. I started touring when I was in high school with my first band. It was an indie/noise/punk band that ended up being together for about ten years. Drummers are super hard to find, so some of the bands I would play with were older guys — but I kept up. They really pushed me musically. We would leave for small weekend tours and I would go back to high school when it was over. I toured around the world with my early punk bands. When I felt like I reached my musical capacity of the Louisville music scene I moved to New York. I had a really good opportunity… the record label paid for me to move to New York. They paid my rent so I couldn’t really pass it up — that was kind of the gateway for things to come. I knew that when I took that step and made that commitment that music was what I was destined to do.
What was the first album or tape you bought on your own?
The first album I bought on my own was Kraftwerk “Trans-Europe Express.” I was in seventh grade, I guess. I used to hang out at the roller skating rinks and always heard that song. At the time I had no idea what it was — I just loved the beat. One day I asked the DJ who it was and it was Kraftwerk.
I’ve read that you were a punk rocker growing up and that you’re from Kentucky. Was there a punk movement there?
Louisville is a big city in Kentucky. There aren’t farms and shit. There are tall buildings but we do have backyards — it’s not like New York but not that different either. It’s very DIY-oriented. Everyone’s super into being an activist and art because outside of Louisville it’s so drastically different and rural.
So there’s a dynamic scene there?
Yeah a lot of bands are from there. Recently My Morning Jacket came out of there. There are a lot of punk bands like Endpoint, Guilt, Slint, Rodan and Shipping News. All these artsy punk bands. It’s weird because a lot of the guys in bands I look up to live and work around the city and at the local record stores. You go into the record store and you’re like — “Wow, that’s the guitar player from Sebadoh.” or “Oh that dude was in the Breeders.” It’s very tight knit.
When you first moved to New York where did you live and what did you do?
When I first moved it was a weird situation because the record label moved me up. I came with only my cymbals, my snare drum, my dog Isobel and a tiny suitcase. I lived in Williamsburg — this was five years ago before Williamsburg was what it is now. I didn’t have any furniture or anything because I didn’t know what the hell was going on. I used my clothes as blankets and I slept with my dog as a pillow. Super weird. I don’t know if that’s very common these days, but back then I feel like it was. It was five years ago and a lot’s changed in New York since then. I feel like a lot of kids are moving to NYC and they have it all planned out with jobs, roommates, apartments and everything. Myself and the people I’m friends with — my peers — I feel like we came here to just wing it and live in New York City because it’s fucking New York City. We weren’t worried about lining up a job or what was coming next.
Do you consider yourself as part of a scene or subset in New York? What sort of creative projects are people around you working on?
After I moved here for that band, I ended up using it as a way to meet other people. I would play shows and meet like-minded artists I vibed with. For instance, at one show I met Santi (Santigold) and she asked me to play drums for her. This is before she even had a record out or anything. I said “Yeah, I’m in this band now, but I’ll do it whenever I can.” Before I knew it, she was huge and she asked me to drum for her so I started drumming for her for like a year. We did some huge tours like opening for Coldplay for a month and festivals all over the world with the biggest acts. Then, through that, I started drumming for Spank Rock and then, through that, I did some shows drumming for Major Lazer. By default I became involved in that whole scene.
What about Hearts Challenger?
Before I was touring with Santigold I met up with Leila from HEARTSREVOLUTION and she asked me to play drums. I had already promised Santi that I would play for her, so then I left for like a year, came back, and toured with Hearts. I’m still playing with them now. It’s been two years. We’re working on a new record
Don’t they have an ice cream truck that they run?
Yeah. It’s totally legit. It’s a boutique ice cream truck — the Hearts Challenger truck. It’s cool cause you know when you see the pink ice cream truck with the unicorns on it that it’s ours. We sell ice cream, rare candies, toys, laser guns, glow in the dark rosaries – everything. We have designated locations in the city when the weather permits. One of them was in front of American Apparel. I live in the Lower East Side and walk past it every day so I always stop by and see what’s happening. There’s a guy that hangs out there and always feeds his pit bull two popsicles.
Since you are a drummer, and toured the world as a drummer, why does it appeal to you to be a front man?
I guess it’s not really because I want to be a front man, it’s just that I have the ability to play all instruments. In high school I played in marching band and symphonic band — I had to learn every scale that exists so I know my way around all instruments. After being a drummer for the past thirteen years, I was just ready to have my own musical baby. Especially being a hired drummer you have limited artistic input – sometimes you feel like a robot playing other peoples’ visions. I wanted to do my own thing and write the music that I want and make music that I’m actually emotionally attached to and care about. In Hussle Club I play all the instruments on the recording. All of the drumming. All the guitars. All the bass. All the keys. All the singing that you hear is me. It’s an ideal situation for me. It’s nice to not have to worry about personality conflicts or scheduling conflicts — just the ones within my own mind.
What instrument do you feel most connected to?
Definitely the drums, but guitar is a close second. There’s a picture of me playing a toy guitar when I was five. I never had a drum set in my house when I started, so my friends always had a guitar to mess around with. All the bands I played in I would be like “Check out this riff I came up with” and they would be like “You’re the drummer, man. Chill out.”
How would you describe your music to somebody who’s never heard it?
It’s weird because obviously I know my influences and I know what people say it sounds like, but to me it comes so naturally that I don’t really know. Is it what sounds good or what feels good? I grew up watching Duran Duran and Depeche Mode videos. One of my favorite songs growing up was “True” by Spandau Ballet. I guess those elements show themselves in my music. Growing up in the 80’s, new wave was pretty prevalent so I think it’s a subconscious thing. Recently I’ve been more into downtown New York bands from the past like Liquid Liquid, The Contortions, ESG, Bush Tetras and DNA. I guess it’s a combination of that. It feels very natural to me. It’s not like I set out to have a sound. The songs I write always come out sounding this certain way. Almost as if the songs are writing themselves
What’s your mission with Hussle Club?
I always tell people that if I don’t change something in the world or music then someone else will from what I’ve done. I tell my drummer “Sarah, we’re not making that much money right now but if Lady Gaga asks you to play drums for her then you better fucking take that shit.” That’s what I did and as a musician you have to be selfish. And hustle. Not only as a musician but as any artist you have to get to the next level — what ever that means to you. Everyone has their hustle.
What’s your perfect NY day?
I don’t really go out during the day.
So tell me your perfect NY night.
I DJ almost every night of the week so ideally I would stay home, but that obviously never happens because I live in the Lower East City of New York City. I like dj’ing because I can sit back and play these little psychological experiments on people to see what music they react to and don’t react to. What makes them want to dance.
What’s your favorite album to dance to?
Michael Jackson “Off the Wall”
What’s your favorite contemplative album?
Tori Amos “Under the Pink”
How do you think fashion and music are intertwined?
I think that musicians are, by default, the standard for fashion. The standard of what cool is. Everyone wants to be a rock star, so I feel like it comes from that. When I was growing up no kids were really really into fashion. They were into music. I think musicians set the standard of what fashion is and designers put their own artistic spin on it.
What’s your favorite keepsake?
A Michael Jackson “Beat It” t-shirt that I had when I was a baby I think I was like two or three years old. My mom had a fire in her place and it was in a box that was one of the few things that didn’t burn. My mom sent it to me a couple months ago.
Top influences musically
I’ve gone through so many different phases of music and I’ve listened to everything, so the music I write is a combination of all this shit that’s in my head. My first concert ever was a jazz musician by the name of Pat Metheny. His recent music is pretty new age-y but when I saw him it was very avant-garde jazz in a big nice theatre. Being a drummer I love rhythms. I would say my top influence is Nirvana. Everything about the whole phenomenon intrigues me. Music was in such a different place at that time and no one can explain why. I would like for something similar to happen again. These dirty dudes from Washington playing noise rock and breaking shit on stage and the entire world loving them for it. Everything now is so contrived, perfectly constructed and packaged for the masses.
What’s a secret about yourself
I’ve seen Dave Matthew Band three times in my life. Live. On purpose. I went because of his drummer. His name is Carter Beauford. He’s really sick and that’s the only reason I went. If you can pretend that Dave Matthews isn’t there and just watch the drummer it’s amazing. I have all his drumming session videos.
Who’s your favorite drummer stylistically?
Billy Cobham — he played with The Mahavishnu Orchestra. Very spazzy avant-garde music. Drummer Billy Cobham is ridiculous. It’s super out there. The guitarist John McLaughlan played with Miles Davis. I can watch Billy Cobham’s videos on Youtube forever. He shreds.
You watch videos of drummers playing on Youtube?
If you’re a drummer and you watch a video you actually know the effort that it takes. If you’re not a drummer it probably just looks like a tornado. When you play the drums you’re using every part of your body and you have to shut a certain part of your brain off while you play so you can stay in the zone.
What’s next for Hussle Club?
I’m putting out a couple of limited 7’’ singles. One is a record/t-shirt collaboration with the Brooklyn clothing company Mishka that will be out in the early spring. Also, my song “Night Society” will be out on Designer Drugs’ new label ‘Sex Cult’. There are talks of a UK release on a major label but we’re still negotiating that.
Who plays with you live?
I have a band who plays with me live. My old friend Nicky Stab plays bass, Todd who i’ve known from punk and hardcore bands plays guitar, Sarah plays drums — she’s amazing. I saw her playing at Webster Hall one night and thought “I have to have her playing drums for me.” Carol Sharks plays keyboards and she’s a downtown New York chick who’s always around — she used to play for The Slits. We’re a motley crew
Anything else you want the world to know about Hussle Club?
This is the Hussle Club — everyone has their own thing. They have their passion. The reason I moved to NYC was to escape the small town mentality. Everyone was so content with working jobs that they despise even though they are actually very talented artists. It became painful to watch. I came to New York to be inspired and be surrounded by individuals who make me excited about what I’m doing. Here I realized that there are countless talented young people who aren’t slaves to a 9-5 society. They create their art and they are living life to the full potential and changing the world through that. There is no way to have a world without art and music. If you take away everything we have and leave us with rocks and sticks we will create something from it. Everyone is a part of the Hussle Club.
