Aaron Abraham Gives the Dirt on Whole Wheat Bread

Whole Wheat Bread are a punk rock group coming straight out of Duval County, Florida. The trio has been making their brand of loud, aggressive punk rock since 2002. They have one ep, two full length discs and they have hit both the Warped Tour and the Afro-Punk festival. Frontman Aaron Abraham let me pick his brain on many aspects of the band including favorite festivals they have played, their collaborations with various members in the hip-hop community, and when they plan to hit their fans with some brand new music.

David Carr: It has been a while since the release of your last record. What have you all been up to?

Aaron Abraham: Just spending some much needed time in Jacksonville/Duval County -- taking our time, working on new music and spending time with friends and family.

David Carr: When will fans get a chance to hear some new music from WWB?

Aaron Abraham: We have been working on new music without a timeline so the best projection I can give you, as far as when you will see a final product is; you'll see it when it's right!

David Carr: You have a great tribute to your dad on your last record, Hearts of Hoodlums. Is he supportive of what you do? Does he go to shows?

Aaron Abraham: He supports me to be the best man that I can be, regardless of what I'm doing, as long as I'm being a man about it. Oh and yes, he comes to our shows.

David Carr: You have done Warped Tour and The Afro-Punk Festival. Not to put you on the spot (but I am going to) which do you prefer? Which festival inspires you the most?

Aaron Abraham: That is a good question. They are really two different festivals with two different ideas in mind. When Warped Tour started it was very underground. It was the option to see real music aside from the force fed processed music people were used to getting . Jump forward around 15 years to now and it has a very different feel. It's become extremely commercialized, which isn't always a bad thing. Warped Tour is the Rick Ruben of touring festivals. It's easily accessible now. It's still a great tour but I don't think it has to prove anything anymore; it just has to sustain itself. Now, Afro-Punk -- Wow! Well, Of course we are going to relate to Afro-Punk on a different level because it pretty much embodies what WWB is all about. Let me just say for the few ignorant people left out there (who are dwindling day by day), we are not in any way racist or prejudice. With that being said, what we get from Afro-Punk is a bit of relief, relaxation, and appreciation. If you were a black kid or non-white kid in America and you grew up listening to any type of Rock or Punk music it was very hard to find your place or complete acceptance. I would hope that things have changed these days but I'm sure there are still many kids and probably adults still facing those issues. Afro-Punk basically takes those issues, throws them out of the window, and says. "What Issues" The other thing it does is, it shows people the amount of talent the individuals involved have. Even though people will probably always call it the "Black Rock Festival" or whatever else they might come up with, I urge everyone to not sell the festival or themselves short and go have a kick ass time. From the artists to the BMXers to the musicians and fans, it's awesome!

David Carr: You have collaborated with a couple rappers. How did you hook up with MURS? Will you be releasing some of the stuff you have done with him?

Aaron Abraham: Well, If I remember correctly Murs heard about us from Travis (I mean Travie McCoy) from Gym Class Heroes. He had an idea for a while about being a part of a real band but doing it in a very real, very natural way. He contacted us and it was on. We do have a side-project with Murs. It is called the Invincibles. I would definitely keep a lookout for our album and a tour in 2011.

David Carr: How did you hook up with Lil Jon? I hear he is actually into punk rock and skateboarding. Is that true?

Aaron Abraham: Well, back when MySpace was basically the lone social network site, Mr. White folks' brother Nick Largen (DJ Dirty Skeet) hit '˜em up on MySpace. It was cool because it turned out to be the real Lil Jon. We exchanged names on our sidekicks, kept in touch and then we decided to collaborate. Now we are on the track "Killas" from the Crunk Rock album and you can hear him on our track "Ghost Muzik" which is currently unreleased.

David Carr: Has race been an issue for the band since WWB formed?

Aaron Abraham: You know, not as much as you would think. Of course it happens from time to time. It's great though because the majority of Americans are not ignorant and they see us as people and treat us accordingly.

David Carr: In the New Year will you be touring? Will you hit Warped Tour and Afro '"Punk again?

Aaron Abraham: I'm sure we will be touring. Just keep an eye on our social network sites. Myspace.com/wholewheatbread and Just Whole Wheat Bread on Facebook. To our knowledge we have not received an offer from Afro-Punk or Warped Tour but we always look forward to both.

David Carr: Name three punk bands you would like to tour with, in the New Year!
Aaron Abraham: NOFX, Lagwagon, Guttermouth, Bouncing Souls, Reel Big Fish, Pennywise with Jim, The Krumbums, GBH, Unwritten Law. wait, did I fail that question?

David Carr: One last question, I believe you are Trinidadian (so is my father by the way). Does that aspect of your heritage manifest itself in your style of punk rock? If so how?

Aaron Abraham: Of course it does -- just listen to the music --
Here's hoping we all get a chance to listen to some new Whole Wheat Bread music in 2011!