‘Still Cyco’
Suicidal Tendencies tours after new album, Converse deal
Dean Pleasants is running around getting all of his personal affairs done before he heads out on tour.
It’s a process he’s done before. It’s also a process that comes with the territory.
As a member of the legendary outfit Suicidal Tendencies, Pleasants seems to be on the road more than he’s home.
“I get myself ready and show up,” he says. “I’ve done this before and feel fortunate to do this for a living.”
Pleasants has been the lead guitarist for Suicidal Tendencies since 1996.
Joining Pleasants in the band are Mike Muir, Dave Lombardo and Ra Diaz.
The band is touring in support of its latest album, “Still Cyco Punk After All These Years,” released on Sept. 7.
The album is a re-recording and re-imagining of a Cyco Miko (Mike Muir) solo album recorded in 1995, originally titled “Lost My Brain! (Once Again).”
“Mike had a vision of it, and he wanted to do it a certain way,” Pleasants says. “That’s the fun thing about Mike. He wants you to step up to another level. You always have to get better and put a new twist.”
The album was put together over the course of more than a year, Pleasant says.
“I know there was a lot of Starbucks involved and good burritos from Sharky’s,” he says. “The time really went by fast.”
In conjunction with the release, the band also has also revealed details about a collaboration with the shoe brand Converse.
The new Converse x Suicidal Tendencies collection hit stores on Sept. 7.
Muir’s relationship with Converse started long before the band, as he remembers his first pair as a child.
Pleasants says being able to partner with the iconic brand is a once-in-alifetime opportunity.
“It’s insane that people will be able to throw on a pair of Chucks that are influenced by the band,” he says. “The amazing part is that this band has continued to grow throughout the years. There have been obstacles and changes in the lineup, but I feel like the band is at a very strong point. We’re all better musicians now, and it’s fascinating to get on stage and see the generations of fans together. That’s what music does: It brings people together.”