Douglas Esper: Ok, so it has been about two years since we last sat down for an official interview Chuck. What the hell is new?

Chuck Mosley: Um, not much. I got the car last year, back in March, so it has been about a year. So, I have been taxiing my family around between work and school. I've got a seven-thirty, eight-thirty, and ten-thirty drop off each morning. Then my pickups are at two-thirty, four-twenty, and whatever time Pip gets off. Erica (Chuck's daughter) is also working three nights a week so I drop her off and pick her up. In between, we have been going in the studio to finish this damn record.

D.E.: Chuck Mosley; singer, performer, chef, and taxi driver.

C.M.: Yeah, and I’m not much of a cook anymore even, I mean I cook for the family and everything, but that's been about it.

D.E.: So you're not cooking anywhere right now?

C.M.: Nope. Nowhere. I've just been at home and in the studio. It's been that way for like a year. Since that time that we went down there. What was that two years ago?

D.E.: Yeah, just about.

C.M.: So I started working on this album in 1998 when I was working at the High N Dry. So, it's going on eleven years.

D.E.: What is one thing chefs do that makes you mad?

C.M.: One thing? I would have to say the one thing that sums it all up, and is the result of many other things is to put out a bad plate. If, you know, (the plate) is sloppy, not sexy looking, old food, or anything coming out that I wouldn’t put out myself.

D.E.: Now, you've been recording for eleven years.

C.M.: Well, not consecutively.

D.E.: Heh, right. How has the whole process happened?

C.M.: Well, after getting a half done product through (another engineer) Mike (Seifert) made his own studio and became his own boss. That's what it took, really. We took the half finished record and it's been an on and off process of taking bits and pieces and adding new things. And when you came up to the studio, we really started to get serious about it. After that, we got Michael Cartellone (Lynyrd Skynyrd, Damn Yankees) to drum on the record, Roddy (Roddy Bottum of Faith No More) did his keyboard parts for "We Care A Lot" (a remade/rewritten version of the Faith No More song "We Care A Lot") and we are talking with Korn's Manager about him possibly singing on a couple of the tracks.

D.E.: See Chuck it took nine years to work on the recording, but then I stepped in as the muscle and now everything is working out and getting done.

C.M.: Yeah I know it worked out perfect.

D.E.: Will the album and band keep the same name as previously used?

C.M.: Well, (Mike Seifert) wants my name on the CD so it will be Chuck Mosley And The Vanduls Ugenst Alliderasy a.k.a VUA. The Album will still be Will Rap Over Hard Rock For Food. After this first album, we will drop it to just VUA.

D.E.: I can't wait to see how many different ways this name will be butchered on billboards as you tour.

C.M.: The funniest thing I see is when someone spells it correctly. So, it kills the joke, and that's why the title has to be the whole thing.

D.E.: Have you ever gotten to hear any of the material you recorded with Bad Brains?

C.M.: It never was finished, but I did maybe four or five songs with them. Then at that point they got the offer to tour and get H.R. back. Doc (Dr Know of Bad Brains) asked me what I thought of that and I told him what would happen. I told him you'll get him back, you'll make some money, then he'll do the same thing and you'll be out on your ass again. And what happened? I've talked to Darryl (Darryl Jenifer, bassist of Bad Brains) since I've been out here in Cleveland. Actually I need to get a hold of Darryl because I want him to play bass on "Come Around" 'cause he wrote that with me.

D.E.: Really?

C.M.: Yeah I wrote the song and he wrote the bass part, and we recorded it in his living room. It was the best version of the song, and it was different because it faded out during the solo. Then later we built the whole second part. His bass line was so awesome I can't even describe it properly to anyone. No one in the rock world can come close to Darryl with a bass, nobody can come close, and they want to argue with me? Nobody in the whole world can come close. Not Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers), not Norwood (John Norwood of Fishbone) they are bad asses, but he is like alien to where they are just human like us. He is that far onto the next level.

D.E.: So what is the best way to keep up with all things Chuck Mosley?

C.M.: There are a few websites, but the official one is ChuckMosley.com. The thing with the Internet is I am trying to make sure what is written is actually correct. I saw recently on the urban dictionary it said some things and I spoke with them about changing it. The first thing actually that my daughter read about me was on there. It said that I used money that Faith No More gave me for vocal lessons on Quaaludes, which is a totally inaccurate. Because, well, first of all the only singing lessons I took with them was at Santa Monica City College and they were free. They never gave me money for lessons ever. The only time I had Quaaludes was on our last trip to Europe. I am afraid of flying so the last tour over there in '88 I got four of them. Two of them for the ride there and two for the ride back. They found out I still had two for the trip back and they got mad. They told me to throw them out or take them before we start the last leg of our tour. I got really upset and plus I was high from the Quaaludes and they started teasing me. I ended up getting in a fight with Jim Martin. That was in the middle of the end. The beginning of the end was when our roadie and a friend of mine Joe got in a fight with Jim. That's another story, but that's the only time Quaaludes came into the picture. I mean I have done everything, all kinds of drugs, I've done it all, and I'm not ashamed to admit it. You know, I didn't want to say it while my parents were alive, and now with my daughters here I don't want to say too much. I'm not going to lie about it, but don't print shit that didn't happen.

DE: Well, speaking of your daughters, how long before they start asking you advice on starting bands and writing songs?

C.M.: Erica isn't interested in music, but she is a heck of a writer. She's a major piece of work, and I love her to death, but she cannot stand me. Erica is a mommy's girl and Sophie is a total daddy's girl. Sophie is into music and all these bands, and Erica is really into anime. Erica is even learning Japanese. Sophie has been getting into The Ramones, and also into the Twilight books.

D.E.: Oh-No! Good luck, Michele is obsessed with those books. So obviously, this week the big news is that Faith No More has announced they are doing some sort of reunion. It may just be a European tour, or from the sounds of the press release, it may be a fulltime thing. What are your thoughts, and have they been in touch with you at all about it?

C.M.: Well I talked to Roddy after someone mentioned it to me, and then I saw a post from some guy in England and I guess the guy turned out to be Jim Bowen who is the father of Mark Bowen. He was one of the original guitar players of Faith No More from back when I started.

D.E.: The Mark Bowen from the song "Mark Bowen"?

C.M.: Yeah, I love Mark Bowen. But anyways, Roddy said they had some feelers out to see what the reaction is. I don't have any other details than that.

D.E.: Will you ever get onstage with Faith No More again?

C.M.: We are all fine now. Mike brought me to OZZFEST, went there, and met everyone. Billy came up to me at their last show here in town (September 23rd 1997 at the Agora. What a great set!) and he asked me to get up onstage, but I couldn't (for a few reasons). He really caught me by surprise. I was caught off guard and didn't want to mess up. Even though this girl offered...

D.E.: So if the band comes close to here I am going to personally drive you to the show so you can sing this time.

C.M.: Yeah Roddy said I could do a few songs.

D.E.: What songs would you want to do?

C.M.: "Mark Bowen" if I can reach those high notes still. "Why Do You Bother?" is one of my favorites. Billy wrote that one - the music, the lyrics everything. Also, the "Crab Song" is one of my favorites. I know Mike Patton doesn't like when people compare him to me or when he is reminded of me. I read an email from a guy who said at a show he was screaming from the crowd at Mike saying "Chuck Mosley Chuck Mosley!" and Mike just turned around and gave him the finger.

D.E.: Actually I had a similar experience here in Cleveland at a show.

C.M.: Really what happened?

D.E.: Mike was asking what we Clevelanders do on a normal Tuesday night. I was right up front and said, "We go see Chuck Mosley and VUA!" and Mike just looked right at me and started to make a certain hand motion and he and Roddy ended up turning it into a joke about gambling and flipping waffles. It was pretty damn funny. A friend of mine has the show on DVD and we get a kick out of that part of the show. That night I realized Jason Popson, Jeffrey Hatrix, Mike Patton, and you were all in the same building. Basically my favorite four vocalists under one roof.

C.M.: A lot of people say Mike is a dick, but he has always been really cool to me. Hearing this though, I don't know. What do you have to say for yourself Mike? I have nothing bad to say about him. He is a much better singer than I am. He has much better control over his notes and has a much better range. What I lack in skill and talent I make up for in character and originality.

D.E.: What is the timetable for the new VUA material?

C.M.: They are telling me it may be out by May or June and we may be on the road by June or July. That tells me that it should be out by June or July and I'd love to be on the road by August or September. Usually we would do Europe first, but I haven't seen my family in a longtime, and I never got to officially say goodbye to my mom, so we will do the States first.

D.E.: How did you decide to redo two Cement songs for this album?

C.M.: I feel a lot of those songs got wasted because of my injury. When we had just started to tour for The Man With The Action Hair we got in an accident and I broke my back. That album basically got shelved six weeks before the record came out. It was a waste of good music. I love singing "Killing An Angel". I love the looks on people faces when we sing it. I just love that song. If VUA ends up having a lifespan of at least three records I could see us putting a couple of those songs on each record 'cause I hate wasting food and I hate wasting music.

D.E.: So what is one reason everyone should check out the new VUA material?

C.M.: It's not that we're better than anyone out there. There are a lot of bands out that I like, Korn being one of them. But if you are a fan of my stuff, you will like it. Our live shows are fun 'cause you never know what to expect because I never know what to expect. We never plan ahead; we just throw it out there and have fun with it. I think that reflects off of us. I don't know, why should everyone check us out? Well, it can't be any worse than all the other shit that's out there right now.