When Unwritten Law first hit the scene, they were a perfect example of So-Cal punk rock. As time went on and the roster changed, the band members matured and so did Unwritten Law’s sound. Rather than distorted guitar licks and hyperactive drum riffs, Unwritten Law’s sound became tight and technical. These changes can be heard most on the band’s 1998 self-titled release. After relentless touring on their self-titled album, Unwritten Law released Elva in 2002, which was the band’s most intricate and poppy album to date. Here’s to the Mourning, Unwritten Law’s fourth album hits stores February 1, 2005 and it’s guaranteed to be bigger than Elva.

I recently had a chance to speak to guitarist Rob Brewer via telephone who gave me somewhat of a brief update regarding Unwritten Law’s recent highs and lows. The band was supposed to headline a national tour this fall, however, they canceled it because according to a press release, bassist Pat Kim’s father had been put into the hospital for reasons that had not been made public. According to Brewer, Kim’s father has cancer so the band is taking it easy for now. “We’re not sure when we’re coming back,” says Brewer.

It’s not like this touring roadblock has turned people away from Unwritten Law. The first single off Here’s to the Mourning entitled “Save Me,” has quickly moved up the rock radio charts, the band has made appearances on Fuse’s Daily Download and recorded an episode of 7th Avenue Drop for Fuse as well. According to the band's website, Unwritten Law is only the third band, next to Good Charlotte and Sum 41, to participate in the show. They will make an appearance on Jay Leno on Thursday January 27, 2005. Things are still looking good for the new album, and hopefully soon we’ll get to see them perform these new songs live.

Brewer, who hadn’t had a drop of alcohol for nine days at the time of this interview describes Here’s to the Mourning as “straightforward rock.” He says there are no slow ballads and they’ve brought back the experimentation with the sound effects from Elva, an aspect that Brewer seems to be really happy with. Overall, Brewer believes the record is heavier than their recent endeavors, but it still has a lot of pop sensibility.

Unwritten Law feed off each other when it comes to creating their art. “We all listen to diverse music,” says Brewer, “we all like rock with melodies.” When I ask Brewer what’s in his CD player right now he tells me Lou Donaldson and I’m stumped. Turns out, Donaldson is a 60’s jazz horn player. “I’ve been out of the scene for a year because my wife just had a baby,” explains Brewer. He does mention that he’s currently into a band called Denver Harbor, which was founded by Fenix TX vocalist Will Salazar.

Wade Youman was the only original member of Unwritten Law and was truly a great drummer, but Youman dealt with a lot of demons. Furthermore, rumors about Youman’s behavior found their way onto Internet message boards. I once read a rumor that Youman spent a bunch of the band’s money and traded in a bunch of the band’s equipment for drugs. Now, I have no idea if this rumor is true and I didn’t ask Brewer because it seems a little too personal for journalism and in reality people don’t need to know those things unless the band chooses to make them public. Brewer explained that Youman and Russo were not getting along and their problems began to escalate and bleed into the rest of the band. “When one person leads the band, it’s not a team,” says Brewer. He says that it was 10 years of built up problems and Unwritten Law finally chose to do something about it. They let Youman go for the betterment of the band.

Unwritten Law was faced with a vacancy of one of the most integral parts of a band, a drummer. Brewer explains that the band enlisted Tony Palermo , formerly the stick man for bands like Ten Foot Pole and Pulley. “We already knew him and knew he could do it,” says Brewer enthusiastically. Palermo was prepared for the task and Unwritten Law were stoked.

Obviously, Unwritten Law has had to deal with their share of issues. No one likes rumors and no band really wants to let a member go, but it’s never stopped Unwritten Law from doing big things. Back in 2003 the band participated in MTV’s Music in High Places, which according to Brewer was supposed to be part of a Mastercard commercial. He says that interns who had won a contest were brought in to work on the show and that it was truly a unique experience. Music in High Places featured Unwritten Law playing an acoustic set, which was something the band had never done before. “That was awesome,” says Brewer, “it was magical for us.” That’s why the band decided to release a CD with all the material from Music in High Places on it.

Unwritten Law also did the theme song for the television show North Shore, which is something Brewer was also excited about. He says it’s not a long song, but they had fun doing it and were happy to be a part of it.

At the beginning of January, when I spoke with Brewer, “Save Me” was number 14 on the modern rock radio charts. As of press time the song was #10. The video for “Save Me” is truly unique and must be seen by all who love an artistic endeavor. Brewer just wants to have a successful record and Here’s to the Mourning is shaping up to do extremely well. Like most bands, Unwritten Law just want as many people as possible to hear their music. “Success means people are listening,” says Brewer.

By: Adam K. Zakroczymski III – Senior Editor / Founder