Cosmic connection: A conversation with Nick Hexum
Nick Hexum will play Asheville Sept. 10.
Gentle Cloud Digital photo
When it comes to songs immortal, 311 has them in spades. From “Amber” to “All Mixed Up,” “I’ll Be Here Awhile” to “Beautiful Disaster,” “Down” to “Love Song,” the band is regarded as one of America’s most successful and enduring rock groups since its formation in 1988.
Bubbling up from their native Omaha only to head to Los Angeles and seek their destiny, the legendary ensemble has garnered an incredibly loyal audience, one which still packs out amphitheaters and festivals from coast-to-coast and beyond.
At the helm of 311 is lead singer Nick Hexum. A dynamic vocalist who radiates this genuine stage presence of positivity and connectivity, Hexum is a musical sponge, constantly seeking and absorbing sonic tones and spiritual undertones.
Which is why Hexum’s latest solo project finds him diving deep into the realms of Americana, bluegrass and folk music. Backed by rising indie-folk quintet Water Tower, Hexum is finding great pleasure and continued curiosity through these new avenues of musical possibility. To note, the Hexum-led acoustic showcase will perform at Eulogy in Asheville on Sept. 10.
Speaking to The Smoky Mountain News while on tour with 311, Hexum talked at-length about the origins of the rock outfit, what the mindset was (and remains) at the core of the music, and why those songs are just as relevant and awe-inspiring today as ever before.
Smoky Mountain News: With 311, it seems you guys are always on tour, always working hard. Where does work ethic come from?
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Nick Hexum: Nebraska. There’s absolutely no nepotism, no entitlement, no expectation that “all this” is just going to come to us. We expected to work hard, and that’s what’s informed our whole lives. So, we’re not going to change that now. You can take the boy out of Omaha, but not take Omaha out of the boy.
SMN: And, in my opinion, that’s a big part of 311’s music — the idea of gratitude and how you interact with other people.
NH: Yeah. We’re on a constant journey to find our sense of purpose, sense of usefulness, building karma, making sure we’re contributing with the time that we have. In 311, hearing from the fans about how much [the music] means to them really fulfills a sense of purpose.
SMN: I was telling my best friend I was interviewing you. We both were teenagers in the 1990s and 311 was a big band for us. He said, “They taught me how to rage. They taught me how to chill. When someone asks me ‘What’s your favorite 311 song?’ I say, ‘What mood am I in?’”
NH: Oh, I love that. And that was something that we took a lot of pride in, [which] is having a full-range of emotions expressed. Because a lot of our peers [in the 1990s] were so into the anger things [with grunge and alt-rock]. And we were like, “Yeah, it’s okay to be mad, but is that your one trick, pony?” Because I also feel some joy, melancholy, yearning, peace and comfort.
And I wanted to make sure that we were not just pigeonholed into the deep fashion of the day, which a lot of it in the [1990s] was just being really angry. And it was mostly very privileged kids who were very angry. And it’s like, “I’m not sure I relate to all these privileged white males that are so angry about their lot in life.”
SMN: And by putting a full-range of emotions out there, I would think that plays into why 311 is still around today, while a lot of your contemporaries have been long gone.
NH: Yeah. I think we’ve made an indelible connection with our fans. And it’s something that I observe a lot. Like what you just quoted your friend saying. He was probably listening to us at a very important time in his life when his brain had the plasticity to really absorb stuff. If you get somebody in junior high or high school listening to your band, you will have a special place in their hearts and brains forever.
It’s the same way that The Clash was for me in junior high, and I became absolutely obsessed with them. When you make a connection with somebody during that time, it lasts forever, and we’re grateful for that.
SMN: What resonated with me [with 311] was that full-range of what it means to be human — that it’s okay to sad, but happiness is another thing, too.
NH: I just naturally gravitated towards songs that would elevate me. I like happy songs. I like songs in the major key, it just takes me somewhere, a little vacation. And that’s not all of 311, but a lot of our songs are like, “Let’s go explore joy.”
And let’s take a look at the positive side of things because we have the magnifying mind and whatever we focus on is going to become bigger. Look at what you’re focusing on, is that really what you want to focus on? Because there’s also a lot of good in life, then you can decide to focus more on the optimistic side of things — it’s positive psychology.
Want to go?
Lead singer of 311, rock legend Nick Hexum will host an intimate solo acoustic show at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 10, at Eulogy in the South Slope district of Asheville.
Americana group Water Tower will open the show, with the band then providing backing for Hexum during his set. Tickets are $48.28 per person (tax included). Doors open at 7 p.m. The concert is all ages.
For more information and/or to purchase tickets, visit burialbeer.com/pages/eulogy.
