Former Rage Against The Machine and Audioslave guitarist Tom Morello was recently interviewed on Volume West. He discussed Lock Up, a band he was a member of from 1989 to 1990. The band released Something Bitchin’ This Way Comes through Geffen Records in 1989, and they were then dropped from the label. Ultimate-Guitar transcribed Morello’s comments.
“The lesson I learned when I was in the band Lock Up… We did everything that everybody suggested to do.
“And when we were dumped, I think the band got a check for 1,000 bucks [close to $2,000 in today’s money], split between four people and a manager.
“And I was done. I had a record deal – I was failed at that; I had my grab at the brass ring, artistically – failed at that.
“So I made a solemn vow. I remember the day Lock Up broke up, I was sitting in my apartment on Hancock Park [in Los Angeles, CA] and I made a solemn vow to myself: ‘Well, if I’m not gonna be the person that makes records, not going to be a rock star like I read in the Kiss Magazine as a kid, I’m gonna make a vow to myself – I’m never gonna play a note of music that I don’t believe in.’
“That’s it! So I’m gonna at least have that. That inch of integrity is just gonna be mine and that can’t fail – if I do that. That’s entirely up to me.
“And that’s when I started writing some of the riffs that became the first Rage Against the Machine record.”
