Since forming in 1992, P.O.D. have developed an enormous national
following through relentless touring and performances with many well-known
bands such as GREEN DAY, MIGHTY MIGHTY BOSSTONES,
BAD BRAINS, KID ROCK and CYPRESS HILL.
All of this, along with selling over 30,000 units INDEPENDENTLY of their
Brown CD, caught the attention of numerous major labels and ultimately
landed them a deal with Atlantic Records
(August '98).

Back in the Day

The story of P.O.D. turned its first page when Marcos and Wuv were introduced
by a friend who, taking matters in hand, suggested, Hey, you guys should jam.
The next thing you know, Marcos and I were practicing in my parents’ living room,
says Wuv, who’d learned to play drums along with Cheap Trick, AC/DC, and the
first Cars album. From there, we started playing a lot of house parties in the
neighborhood. Sonny, who would dutifully attend these early gigs to help keep
his cousin Wuv out of trouble, took it all in and was moved by the excitement the
band could generate. At the same time, Sonny was struggling to cope with the loss
of his mother to cancer. The only thing that seemed to see him through was the
support of family. I wanted to get Sonny involved with the band to get his mind
off what was going on, says Wuv. Where we’re from, it’s so easy to get caught
up in everything our friends are doing – getting high and just hanging with the
fellas. I just said, ‘Hey dude, why don’t you come join the band.’ He was doing
some hip-hop stuff with our friends and he was tight. So we started off trying to
incorporate his skills into what Marcus and I were doing.

Something’s Going On Here

By 1992, Payable On Death had finally taken shape and the band went to
work in earnest while booking themselves into any hall that would have them.
The band’s first show found them opening a local show with Face To Face,
followed by a New Year’s Eve gig opening for Green Day. I still remember
when Wuv said to me, ‘Yeah, my cousin’s in a rap group,’ recalls Marcos,
reflecting on the band’s earliest moments. I was like, ‘Dude, Sonny never talks
to anybody in the first place – how does he get in front of an audience?’ It’s was
true. Our first show with Sonny was kind of like a scene from The Doors. Sonny
had his back turned to the crowd the whole time. It was hilarious. As the band’s
presence on stage grew more dynamic and Sonny found his confidence, the P.O.D
audience expanded from a Southtown crew to a wider regional following. Soon
the group was opening local shows for the likes of Cypress Hill, HR, Mighty
Mighty Bosstones, Pennywise, and the Vandals. Within the space of a year, the
group was up and ready to get into the studio. Taking cues from their numerous
D.I.Y. heroes, the band struck their claim for independence and began
formulating plans to launch their own label. Rescue Records to the rescue. The
self-financed start-up served as the label home to the group’s first three
independent releases, beginning in 1993. That same year, the band’s line-up was
solidified with the arrival of bassist Tra_. His formal entrance into the P.O.D.
arena came on the eve of a show at the Whisky in Los Angeles. The band was in
desperate search for the right four-stringer to see them through. My dad
suggested we give Tra_ a call, remembers Wuv. He was playing, at the time,
in my uncle’s funk band. We weren’t trying to steal him but when Tra_ played
with us, it was just dope. It was more of a spiritual thing than anything, says
Tra, a Cleveland native who grew up on the sounds of James Brown,
George Benson, and Larry Graham. It was right. Playing with these guys
allowed me to expandinto playing a whole new kind of music. Earlier this
year the quartet renewedtheir relationship with Tooth & Nail with the release
of their THE WARRIORS EP. Originally designed as pre-production demos
for FUNDAMENTAL ELEMENTS OF SOUTHTOWN, the seven-track
disc includes early versions of Southtown and Follow Me – heard here
as an instrumental called Sabbath.

Tribal Warriors

Today, the road-hungry P.O.D. average more than 150 shows a year – playing
primarily for all-ages audiences. With gigs often promoted by young fans, grass
roots bookings have led to P.O.D. tour stops at alternate venues in small towns
and suburbs across the States. Over the course of eight years and numerous
national tours, they’ve headlined skate parks, county parks, coffeehouses,
colleges, and local youth centers, setting up their gear on driveways, flatbeds,
beaches, and in gymnasiums. We could play in an abandoned building and
somehow the kids would find out about it and be there, says Sonny with a
laugh. Such is the band’s connection to their fans that often times, the
performance accounts for only part of any show’s events. After a set, it is not
uncommon to find all four members of P.O.D. drawn into long conversations
with kids that just want to talk, whether it’s about music, school, parents,
anything. As far as the guys are concerned, such interaction is as inherent to
the band’s purpose as the music itself. I’ll spend hours talking after a show,
says Sonny. That’s what this band is about -- we’re just honored to have
that kind of opportunity to connect with young people, y’know. The style
of music we play – it’s an important part of life for a lot of kids, says Wuv.
The way they feel this music, that’s the way they’re living life – hardcore.
It’s there in the way they dress, the way they do everything. It’s not about
some fad they run in and out of. That dedication to the band has led to the
creation of the P.O.D. Warriors crew, a loosely affiliated team made up of
dozens of fans from across the country who take an active roll in putting
out the word on the band and in locally promoting their concerts.
The Warriors are connected via the band’s website and an active
subscribers e-mail list.

Taking It On The Positive Side

As they have from day one, P.O.D. thrives within an atmosphere of common
love and respect, emboldened by individual spiritual convictions. For each
member of P.O.D., their distinctly individual steps towards faith began well
outside Sunday School and not until their later teens. My dad was one of the
biggest drug dealers in South San Diego, says Wuv, recounting his own
experience. He was living in the streets for three years before God actually
touched his heart. After that, he would bring me to church and I started to see
God change my dad’s life. I was like, ‘Dude, this is a trip.’ Also, God totally
restored my parent’s marriage. They both had it hard. I saw it all growing up
but I also saw a real God change my family and bring them back together.
That made an impact on my life. I wanted to do good because I saw what
God did in my family. And God used my dad to get Sonny’s mom reading
the Bible. She gave her life to God and started being an example to Sonny.
When my mom passed away, that’s when I made the decision to start
straightening out my life, says Sonny. A lot of people, who know where
we’re coming from on the spiritual side, will be watching us to see what we
do – even to if its something ridiculous like finding out if we smoke cigarettes
or whatever, says Wuv. I tell those people, ‘Don’t be watching me
because I’ll disappoint you over and over. I’ll be stumbling all over the place.
’ I’m never gonna be perfect. I’m gonna do things bad all the time. Still, you
live your life and have a relationship with God while just trying to have a
positive effect on the people around you.