Vibrant, colorful, unique, crazy...squirrelly? All of these words describe Ken "Bastard" MacMillan, bassist of Nonpoint and his new clothes line "Bastard 10:31." Music is his profession and mastered art, but he has always had an urge to do more with other forms of art. By combining his incredible artistic talent with his truly one of a kind personality, he's started something that isn't about being cool, or having the latest "label" on your shirt, it's about being yourself, living, and being good to those living. HRR talked with the Bastard about the clothing line and what it means to him.
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| Bastard 10:31 Website |
Bastard: Ever since I went to college for art in Miami I've wanted to do my own shirts. I never cared about making a living at it. I just really enjoyed the idea of being able to make use of my artwork. Pictures on the wall are nice, but having clothing that is completely custom is way more useful. I finally got off my ass and had a couple designs run so that I could have my own stage gear. The natural progression was to offer those same designs to our fans. I fought for a long time about having to charge for the shirts because to me, art is about connection and communication. If there was a way I could just give my work away I would. But I need this stuff called "food", so that makes freebies a bit taxing on my survival.
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| Bassist Ken "Bastard" MacMillan of Nonpoint |
Bastard: My birthday is on Halloween. October 31st. I was gonna just go with the name "Bastard" for the gear, but I didn't feel like that was personal enough for me to really get behind it. This stuff wasn't ever really supposed to be for sale, so I went in completely selfish in the structuring of what I was doing. In hindsight I feel like that was the best thing I could've done as far as offering a product was concerned. It's not like I'm peddling some kind of after market product for another company in the hopes that I can get paid to be a spokesperson. This is my shit. I sat up on the tour bus for many hours drawing this stuff in my free time. In a very real way, a lot of what I am and what I do for a living is imprinted within these designs. They're very personal to me. And I'm lucky to have people to share in that with me, even if they don't fully understand how deep the meanings behind the designs are.
AM: Where in the world do you come up with the ideas for your shirts?
Bastard: My brain works in ways that others find constant amusement in. Some people think I'm completely nuts. Others KNOW I am. I just feel like I'm at peace with myself. These designs are my own visual interpretation of what goes on in my head. They're not the most amazing designs in the world. But they're not meant to be. They're exactly what I want to do, and I hope in some way that helps others realize that it's OK for them to do the same in their lives.
AM: Any plans on expanding to other pieces of clothing or other forms of art?
Bastard: I've had a few ideas bouncing around as far as expansion, but baby steps are best for creating longevity. I already feel like I've done way too much with releasing as many shirts at once as I did on my site. But knowing I was finally going to have my own web store had me feeling like a kid on Christmas. So I splurged and put a bunch of shirts up. As far as I see it, that just puts me in a position of needing to keep the creative juices flowing. I'm sure anything I do in the future will get plenty of plug love, so you never know!
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| "Zombie Love" T-Shirt - Available Now - Click Here! |
Bastard: These shirts abide by a scale all their own. They're not just pieces of clothing. They're part of me. I didn't do this stuff in the hopes that people would think it was "cool". If Martha Stewart and Iggy Pop stood next to each other wearing one of my shirts, the message would still be the same. Be yourself. Don't squander what precious little time and energy you have on the Earth worrying about whether or not others accept you. The second you feel bad because someone else doesn't get what you're doing is the second you've given up all you are to someone that most likely doesn't deserve you. Just live and be good to those living. ESPECIALLY yourself. Everything else is secondary.
AM: Most importantly, tell me about what transpired to cause the squirrel in your store to part ways with your company?
Bastard: Damn it. That friggin' dude is gonna haunt me until the end of my days. Let's just chalk that one up to "business related self elevation tactics". The kid wanted more money. It's the nature of the beast. Some people just don't know what loyalty means anymore. Oh well, forgive and forget. Plus I'm pretty sure it's bad Karma to go around making hats out of people you're pissed at.