Extreme noise-metal legends and recent Black Market Activities signees, Today Is The Day are set to tour this August with Keelhaul and poised for their ninth release in 2011. Founder, vocalist/guitarist, and head mad-man Steve Austin discusses how the band is as vicious and inspired as ever. Catch them and Keelhaul at The Haunt on Saturday, August 21st with local black metal and gridncore favorites, Lux Carentes and Hiroshima Vacation starting at 6PM. Tickets are $10 adv/$15 dos available at The Haunt, Angry Mom Records and IthacaUnderground.com.

IU: Congrats on signing to Black Market Activities. How did you hook up with those fine folks?

Steve Austin: Thanks! Black Market Activities is one of the coolest and cutting edge labels goin'. I have known Guy (Owner and Vocalist for The Red Chord) for a long time and always considered him to be a creative thinking artist in everything he does. We are very proud to be a part of the BMA family. 

IU: What made you decide to release the album on BMA rather than your own SuperNova Records?

Steve: Too much to do in running SuperNova Records and releasing our own records. We like the way BMA does things and SuperNova is primarily going to release our existing catalog of records and DVD's. It's nice to be able to focus only on making the rock, and leave the business side of things to good friends who are awesome at putting out records.

IU: Do you know who will be involved with the line-up for your ninth release?

Steve: Yes, my friends Curran Reynolds and Ryan Jones from the band, Wetnurse will be on Drums and Bass. Long-Time family friend and colleague Kurt Ballou from Converge will be recording and producing the new Today Is The Day album at God City in Boston.

IU: How did Curran come to join the band and what other projects has he been involved in?
Steve: Curran Reynolds is one my very closest and best friends I have ever had. He is a huge inspiration to me both in music and life and has always been there for me. He plays drums with Wetnurse, one of my favorite bands and he plays with some massive heart and feeling, with a complex thinking man's edge to his chops. A very unique style involving off time rhythms and grooves that generate intensity. Most of all, I can trust him with my life. David Hall's done a new film that will be playing onstage with us that is so damn Psychedelic it will give you a heart attack. Dave is basically a 4th member at this point and I love working with him. 

IU: Any concepts or themes or tone you're aiming for with the new album?

Steve: Rockin' Hard and Fast, Meltin' Down Metal Violent and Slow. This record is gonna be a war cry for the pissed off USA citizens who have enough of all the bullshit and lies we are all living through

IU: What are your thoughts on Axis of Eden, looking at it with three years of retrospect?

Steve: I really feel like Axis of Eden was a mountain of emotion. I hadn't listened to it for a while, and recently played the CD. It took me right back to that time period. A very difficult heartbreaking time in which my mother was locked up in a psychiatric ward and fighting and trying to get Sony MRI RED to do the right thing with Axis of Eden on the business side of things was a major pain in the ass all the while running a label of 13 bands and recording vocals on an album with a left rib that was broken clean in half. Psychotic to say the least to go through and try to make and release a record.

IU: How did Axis of Eden end up being interpreted into a film?

Steve: David Hall is one of the Best Filmakers out there right now. His David Lynch style filmwork attracted me to working with him. I feel like Axis of Eden was something that has never been done before, except for maybe the Wall by Pink Floyd.

IU: How do you feel the extreme music community has changed since TITD broke through in the early 90s and what are your thoughts on that?

Steve: More acceptance for heavy, harsh music... shittier music these days of all retro based metal bands.

IU: Where do you feel TITD fits into the whole equation of the current extreme music community?

Steve: Today Is The Day is it's own band. Never afraid to be itself and change and evolve. We have put our heart and soul into everything we have done since the beginning and it has been something that has changed peoples lives and minds. A Freedom Fighter's band and never playing the same song twice. I am very proud of what we have done and will always be in Today Is The Day.

IU: What keeps you wanting to live and breathe TDITD?

Steve: The Honesty that we represent for the common man is what I am in it for. I feel like we are one of the only real bands out there that tells it like it is and tries to do something passionate and different. It has been my life and it is me. If I died tomorrow, I would have no regrets.

IU: Any highlights of your upcoming tour with Unsane and Keelhaul you're looking forward to?

Steve: Hell yeah, it's gonna rock. The Unsane and Chris Spencer are long time touring buddies and close friends. Not to mention that Chris Spencer is of my favorite singers of all time. Keelhaul are so goddamn sick as well with their complex jams. Relentless and mind blowing to say the least. Should be one hell of a party.

IU: Have you toured with either of those bands before?

Steve: Yes, both bands and loved every minute of it.

IU: For being one of the more experienced musician's we're bringing out this year I'd love to hear some of your best/worst stories from the road/studio/life in TITD - any you that stick out that you'd care to share?

Steve: Well, playing Hellfest in Clisson, France I will never forget. Smashed a $3000 dollar PRS guitar for the fans and played to over 12,000 people that were out of control. Also playing with Slayer and Hatebreed in Japan was a major thrill. 15,000 screaming fans and a stage that had a sound system that could take down a mountain would be considered the good. The Bad, anytime we have ever lost a member of the band. Anyone who has ever played in the band gave their life to it and when it came down to anyone needing to make changes in leaving, it has always been the hardest thing to go through.

IU: As TITD is a constantly shifting entity, looking back do you have any favorite line-ups from past tours or studio work?

Steve: I love em' all. The 1st Line-Up will always hold a special place for me with Brad Elrod and Mike Herrell. We were poor underground kids from Nashville, TN and had lot of fun making music together. Chris Debari from Kiss The Pig and Sadness Will Prevail Line-Up is Still my Brother and one of my Best friends on planet Earth.

IU: Looking ahead, anyone on your wish list of who you'd like to involve in TDITD in one way or another?

Steve: Well Johnny Cash is dead, so I guess he's out for dual vocals on a song. But seriously I am happy just to play with Curran and Ryan.

IU: Any other goals for the years to come?

Steve: To rock as hard as I can every single time I hit the stage.

IU: Any last words for our readers and those who will be attending the show?

Steve: Get ready for a psychedelic melt down.