My first LA Times story, and an interview with a rock star I've long admired.
I spoke with Serj Tankian, lead singer of System Of A Down, and an activist who has long championed the causes of Armenia, where his parents are from. He has a memoir coming out called Down With the System.
I asked Serj if he had any concern about how his bandmates might interpret some of what's in the book. He said he did.
"I was very honest because that’s who I am," he said. "I’m an activist, and without being honest, there’s no activism. But at the same time, I have compassion and love for the guys. I have respect for the guys. One of them is my brother-in-law! We’re a family."
System of a Down is heavy stuff. Some call it heavy metal, some call it nu metal (maybe there's an umlaut in nu, I'm not sure), and anyone would call it hard rock. That's really not my jam, but Serj's voice is amazing, his lyrics are clever, and the band always sprinkles intriguing melodies into their songs.
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