If you believe you can plot how life will go, think again. Without a playbook or instructions on how to get through, life can be full of tremendous highs and agonizing lows. What can break and defeat you is really a matter of how you react to what is thrown your way, not so much what that might be. This is the ideology of veteran musician Emma Anzai, who has seen it all through the years.
Dedicated to her band Sick Puppies, which she co-founded nearly three decades ago while still in high school, there have been some interesting twists and turns along the way.
Briefly breaking it down, Anzai and Shim Moore took a leap of faith to relocate the band from their homeland of Australia to the United States in the mid-2000s. Leaving their friends and family, they dived into the unknown and through hard work built Sick Puppies into one of the biggest bands in Hard Rock with two massive albums between 2007’s Dressed Up As Life and 2009’s Tri-Polar. After releasing the very different but solid album Connect in 2013, shortly thereafter, changes came with Shim Moore no longer being the vocalist as of 2014.
With fans left torn, the band quickly rebounded, with Bryan Scott taking on vocals and helping them find new life with the blistering 2016 album Fury. The start of a new beginning, unfortunately, unforeseen external and internal circumstances stalled progress for Sick Puppies, and many thought it was all but over. However, after nearly ten years, Sick Puppies are back with something to prove on their long overdue new album, Wave the Bull. A fantastic story of fortitude and believing in themselves, Emma Anzai sat down for an in-depth look at the years gone by with Sick Puppies, their return, plus more.
Cryptic Rock – It has been a decade since we last spoke with you, and a lot has happened in your life and within the world of Sick Puppies since. A band you co-founded almost thirty years ago, it has certainly been a wild ride. With everything in mind, how would you describe, at least, the last ten years of the band?
Emma Anzai – It is true, it has been a while. It’s been great, though. Much like anything that lasts a long time, there’s a journey that goes along with it. The same thing here. For those who don’t know, we were originally from Australia. Actually, I’m the only Australian left, along with our manager, Paul Stepanek.
We came to the US much like any band in Australia. Back then, there wasn’t much of a scene or market to try and do this full-time. We came to the US and made our way, committed, and stayed. Many Australian bands we’d heard back then would make trips, but the committing part was difficult because they already had a base in Australia.
Back then, we were nomads, so we went wherever. We weren’t tied to any place. That’s where we started, released a few albums, and saw great success. In our eyes, we achieved what we set out to do. We had a member change. Here we are today, and we’re releasing Wave the Bull. It did take a long time to get this album together. Finally, we are here.
Cryptic Rock – Yes, it is because of dedication and hard work. As you said, you relocated to America and were having success. You were releasing albums and touring a lot. There were key member changes when Bryan Scott took over on vocals for Shim. Bryan came on in 2016 and did the Fury album with Sick Puppies.
Here we are, almost a decade later, with so much that has happened in between everything. To summarize, we had worldwide lockdowns that had to have slowed the band down, but it would be nearly ten years before you re-emerged with your most recent album, Wave the Bull. What do you attribute the long layoff to?
Emma Anzai – That’s a good question. I think time just got away from us, especially after the pandemic. That was a time when no one knew, because none of us had ever really gone through that before, at least our generation. Musicians and artists, it did affect our livelihood. There was a lot of uncertainty with it. During the beginning of 2020 and even 2021, there was a lot of anxiety, panic, and dread, especially for a smaller band. It’s a different scenario for many huge artists, but many bands didn’t make it through that period.
We were going to release our album around about that time. We thought, ” We don’t know what’s going to happen, and we know we can’t tour it.” We held off a bit there. Also, we were trying to find a home for our album. We found a label, Onerpm, and that all happened a little bit after that. It felt like the right time. Getting everything together was life stuff that got in the way, and you’ve got to tend to that.
We didn’t realize how long it was. When we look back, it’s been a long time since we wrote a lot of those songs a few years before that. All of that put together just ended up being a long period.
Cryptic Rock – Understood. Sometimes, time just goes by. In between all that, you also joined up with Evanescence as their full-time bassist.
Emma Anzai – Yes. That was around a little bit after that. We had a little bit of time to spare. We didn’t know the direction of it yet. We were like, “Okay. Can I fit this in? Can we fit this in?” I went for it. It felt like the right time, and it felt right. I toured with them way back in 2007. We had that friendship from years ago. It felt very natural and very good.
Cryptic Rock – That is very cool. After all these years, there is no question that Sick Puppies is your baby, but having both projects to work with is exciting.
Emma Anzai – It really is. It’s really nice. I feel very fortunate. It’s hard to be in a band. It’s hard to be a musician and an artist these days anyway. I’m very lucky to have two awesome bands.
Cryptic Rock – It is a blessing. Now, before we talk about Wave the Bull, in 2016, you released Fury. That came three years after Connect. Unlike what you had done prior, Connect was a very different record for Sick Puppies. Then Fury came out, and that was very different as well. You went a heavier route with Fury.
You could argue that Sick Puppies continue along the heavier sound with Wave the Bull. Tell us more about the decision to return to a heavier sound.
Emma Anzai – Yeah. That was definitely a conscious thing, and also a natural thing at the same time. It’s hard when you have, in your eyes, a successful album that does well. You’re like, “Wow, this is really the sound of the band.” It’s hard to decide. Do we do the same thing? We also want to evolve.
When we did Connect, we were at a hard crossroads. We were like, “Let’s try something new.” We were doing it without the same producers who did the previous two. We were discussing, writing, and seeing what was coming out. We’ve been on the road with Tri-Polar (2009) for many years, and it was intense. We’d be home two months out of the year, maybe. It felt like, “Okay, let’s just see what happens.”
Connect ended up being a lot more of a laid-back album. Then the member change happened. At that point, we were all feeling very stressed and frustrated. There were a lot of things happening. There was a lot of emotion running around. Also, a lot to prove at the same time, I’m sure for Bryan Scott, as well as us as a band, and Mark Goodwin and I personally. That came together into a really aggressive album, Fury. It’s just a natural thing.
Cryptic Rock – Understood, and Fury was quite good. Wave the Bull continues with that energy. It is quite a heavy record, and it has a lot of emotion as well. Tell a little bit about the story behind these new songs. There seems to be a specific theme involved in them.
Emma Anzai – Yeah. We’ve never done that before. As a band, we’ve never really done a themed album. It felt interesting and cool to apply that to this one. We also had a lot of time to write it, construct it, and everything. It felt right, especially with the album’s title, Wave the Bull. It’s like an homage to take the bull by the horns in a way that we fit in and work for us. It’s like waving on adversity and trying to have the courage to bring it on, knowing that you will overcome it.
That was a general theme because you had the pandemic and so much uncertainty, personally and globally, but also for musicians. That felt right. Then we were like, “Oh, wouldn’t it be interesting to make it a theme thing?” Because the songs we had written were very different from each other, they were also very us at the same time. We split it into The Omen, The Fight, and The Aftermath. Each of the songs fits into one of the three categories. It felt right to do it that way. It was an interesting thing we’d thrown around in the past that we wanted to do. That’s how that came about.
Cryptic Rock – Well, it works well. There’s a lot of diversity in this record. It is not just complete heaviness, though. There are dynamics within it all.
Emma Anzai – Yeah. Luckily, we have a lot of elements to play around with. In the past, we’ve always dabbled with going super ballady, Rock songs that are almost borderline Pop. Then we’d also dabble in a heavy meat and potatoes, you’re going down, fight songs. We had the luxury of trying what we wanted, and it worked out well.
Cryptic Rock – That is a positive thing. Were a lot of these songs written shortly after Fury?
Emma Anzai – No. It was a while after Fury. We had toured Fury for a couple of years. After that time, we’d written a whole bunch of songs that didn’t make it on the album because we were doing the same experimental thing as we maybe had done in the past. We said, “Let’s not go too far on either side with this. Try to be conscious of what you’re doing.”
When you’re writing, especially over a long period, you’re in a bubble. It’s hard to connect to your roots in a way. We did have that moment where we’re like, “We should go back to what we really are.” That was a lot after Fury, funnily enough. We did a full circle after Fury and returned to being heavy again.
Cryptic Rock – Interesting. Will you rework the songs that did not make the album? Are they something that might be released in the future?
Emma Anzai – Honestly, I’m really not sure because they were so outside of the box for us, at least some of them. Some of them just didn’t make it because they just didn’t fit, or we wanted these songs to be on the album. I’m not sure about that. Probably not, but we’ll see. You never know.
Cryptic Rock – We will have to see. One enjoyable thing, and many fans like it, is when your voice is featured on songs. It adds a nice dynamic to the music.
Emma Anzai – Oh, cool. Thank you. I appreciate that. It’s been a long road, and I’m doing little by little with each album. I never really saw myself as a singer when we started, or even as a backup singer. It was a slow progression of doing a little more. The producers were encouraging. It was a nice full-circle moment to have some verses and choruses.
It feels good to do that and nice to emote that. I don’t know if I would consider myself a full-on singer. I consider myself a musician. It feels good to do that. It’s nice to know that people enjoy it. That’s really cool.
Cryptic Rock – Right. It adds dynamics, as said. So, Bryan Scott came on and has been with you guys for a while now. With Wave the Bull being his second record with Sick Puppies, he is doing a fantastic job. What has it been like working with him?
Emma Anzai – Yeah. It’s been great. We would hit the ground running there, just before Fury. We had to get to know each other quickly, get in a room, record, and rehearse. It all came together really fast. It was a good fit because the chemistry was there at the very beginning. We were able to knock out Fury. After that, we said, “Okay, so we can do this.” There was a lot of uncertainty there at the beginning. If we were even to get someone else, who would it be? We have Bryan, he’s a very good fit.
I think Fury was awesome. That was a good thing that came out for the time we were in. I believe that Wave the Bull was just a progression of that. We had a lot more time to explore and write. It’s been really good.
Cryptic Rock – Great. As you mentioned, there is a lot of uncertainty whenever there is a change in a lineup, especially when there is a singer. That could be stressful.
Emma Anzai – Definitely. Not only is it stressful, uncertain, and full of emotions internally, but it also concerns us, as you said, because we consider this our baby from the very beginning. You want to protect it, be right by it, and continue it because you have so much buffer and want to do it.
That was difficult to explain at the time. There are a lot of outside opinions and pressure. Unless you’re really in it, it’s really hard to explain how that feels. It wasn’t easy for anybody. It was stressful. As you do with music and art, you try to use that energy because otherwise, where else is it going to go? It can only be destructive if it doesn’t go anywhere. We were lucky to be able to put it into music.
Cryptic Rock – Absolutely. Turn something negative into something positive. Redistribute that energy, like you said. As you said, people are going to talk. People are going to have their opinions. People will say things, and they may not know the entire story of whatever it is.
After you released Fury, many people said Sick Puppies were done for a period. Were you seeing that chatter around the internet? How did you feel about it? Did that upset you?
Emma Anzai – Of course. Absolutely. We’ve got the initial first arrow of ‘the actual’ what’s happening, and how upsetting that might be to all of us in different ways. Then you have the second arrow, which, most of the time, is how you judge it, but you have other people judging it.
Of course, that is going to happen. I know what it’s like to be a fan when a band changes. It sucks because you’re like, “Oh, I really like this the way it was before,” or, “I like your old stuff better than new stuff.” I totally get that, and that is so valid. We understand that people who love Dressed Up as Life (2007), Tri-Polar, and Connect (2013) find it a big change. We do understand that.
I think it took a long time because when you’re in something so deep, and underwater with it, it’s hard to get your head above water and see things objectively and clearly. I don’t necessarily hate the haters because I understand. I get it. It sucks in different ways. It’s difficult. You take on it internally, and I’m not sure other people realize that, and maybe they do. I don’t know. It is definitely a heavyweight for sure.
Cryptic Rock – The band appears to be in a perfect place right now. Wave the Bull is a potent record; people will like it more as they discover it.
Emma Anzai – I hope so. It’s definitely something that we wanted to do. We weren’t sure if it was even going to come out at all because of the pandemic and all that. To have it actually come to fruition feels really good, and it feels right.
Cryptic Rock – That has to be exciting. You started this band when you were still in high school. A long time ago, you had many experiences, ups and downs. As someone who has done this as long as you have done this professionally, what do you think are some of the most important things you learned from the wild ride?
Emma Anzai – That’s a great question. I love questions like that because they make me reflect. It’s a long journey. No matter what you do in life, there’s a journey, and you’re always going to go through those ups and downs. What I learned is that life always goes on. It’s really important.
With the risk of sounding cliche, enjoy the moments and celebrate them when you have them. It’s easy to be super busy, stressed, or worried about what’s happening next, or something that’s going on internally. It’s so easy to miss that moment that you’re in. You look back and go, “Wow, that was such a great time, and I missed it. I was worried about something that doesn’t even matter to me right now,” even though it felt like it was the biggest thing in the world back then.
That applies not only to music, artists, and bands but to everyone. I like to tell myself that, too, because I am definitely not immune to getting bogged down in it, even now. It would be that. Things are fleeting. Everything is fleeting. Just try to be in the moment and enjoy it when you have it.
Cryptic Rock –That is not cliche at all. That is exactly right. We all could use that advice to remind ourselves all the time, especially in today’s world with so many distractions. With all the technology and this constant bombardment of information every minute, it is easy to get lost and not even realize what you are doing at the moment.
Emma Anzai – That’s so true. That’s a whole other thing, too. I think we never really worried about or knew what could be back in the day. You’re right, in this day and age, we are so running on empty when it comes to attention spans and what we give our energy to, that we’re just dispersing it everywhere. We sometimes lose ourselves a little bit, and looking back, we say, “Whoa, well, I literally spent three hours scrolling.”
Cryptic Rock – It is true. That is another story, but things have evolved into something sad. Hopefully, more people will become aware of that, be more conscious, and stop themselves. There is nothing like living in the moment, like you said. You are losing time with memorable moments and with people you care about.
Emma Anzai – Exactly. You hear about that all the time, but it’s really hard to put into practice, especially if you’ve got lots of things going on. If you’re busy, you’re stressed. You’ve got work. You’ve got kids. You’ve got families. Something’s going on. It’s tough to ground yourself. It really is. If you can try and get some sort of a reminder now and again to do that, I think that would be good.
Cryptic Rock – It is a start, right? Speaking of family and such, you have been a resident of the United States for quite a while. Is it hard for you to be so far away from home?
Emma Anzai – Yeah. People say there’s always a trade-off, no matter what you do in life. I believe that because you can’t have your cake and eat it too. I love that saying because it’s so true. We want everything. We want everything to be perfect. We want it now. That is the heartbreaking trade-off because you can’t get back time.
Some of my family is here, but my parents were still in Australia or Japan when I moved back. It’s hard to do your best to try to get together and see everyone. That time is one thing that you can’t get back. That is the trade-off for anything, I believe.
Cryptic Rock – It has to be very difficult. It is a double-edged sword. You are doing what you want to do in your life, which is a great thing. However, it is challenging because sometimes you think about what you miss regarding your family.
Emma Anzai – Exactly. And vice versa, like with anything. Unfortunately, you don’t have a million of you to be at a million different places, at least not yet. (Laughs)
Cryptic Rock – We will see what happens in the future. (Laughs)
Emma Anzai – Exactly. You never know, it could be around the corner. (Laughs) It’s just a trade-off, though. Be aware of that and try not to get bogged down on it too much.
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