The Bad Penny (beta)

To use the most groan-inducing rhyme that we can conjure at the moment, buzz is building around Fuzz Evil, a distortion-heavy desert-doom quartet set to perform tonight at Realms Arcade in Boise. The four dudes share a strong affinity for the Stooges, and it shows in the ensconcing Smear Merchants, a new full-length the band unveiled almost two months ago to the day.

Fuzz Evil hail from Sierra Vista, Arizona, and feature drummer Kenneth (Cajun) Adam, baritone guitarist Preston Jennings, guitarist/vocalist Wayne Rudell, and bassist/vocalist Joseph Rudell. (As you probably surmised, the Rudells are brothers.) In addition to Smear Merchants‘ 10 slow-but-somehow-still-catchy songs, Smear Merchants marks a watershed moment for Fuzz Evil, as they reconfigured themselves from a trio into a four-piece.

Joseph (affectionately called “Joey” by his mother) humored us with his answers to a slew of questions we tossed Fuzz Evil’s way just three days ago.

Is this your first time playing in Boise? What prompted you to come now? If you’ve played here in the past, what did you enjoy enough about the experience to make you want to return?

Although we’ve been through the area on tour a few times, we’ve actually never had the chance to play Boise. We’ve always heard great things about the music scene, but in the past, booking something while passing through just didn’t work out. So we’re really excited to finally play Realms. We’re all gaming nerds in one way or another, so you can bet we’re gonna get down on the arcade.

In what respects do you think Smear Merchants is a stronger or more captivating record than your past ones?

Smear Merchants is really something special to us. Wayne and I (Joey) are brothers, and we’ve been playing music together since we were kids. Although we usually guide the writing process, a big part of what made this album unique was adding Preston and Cajun. They both bring totally different musical influences than Wayne and me. Preston added rich ambient and texture layers, while Cajun brought a heavy, progressive edge to the writing process. Like our [2023] album, New Blood, this record was produced, mixed and mastered entirely by the band, which gave us the time to really sculpt the flow of the album.

Each song was intentionally crafted to transition into the next—sometimes through changes in time signature, key or tempo. That flow, combined with the genre-blending, really makes this record stand out. For me, it’s tough to say one piece of art is better than another, but Smear Merchants is getting a phenomenal response from the community, and we’re fired up to bring it to the stage.

Two months after the album’s release, are you still digesting it? Are you processing what you’ve created and, perhaps, your new identity as a band?

Has it really been two months? Jesus. It still feels like it just dropped.

Right after we released it, Smear Merchants landed at #5 on the Doom Charts for March, which gave it a real boost. A lot of people are still just discovering it for the first time. This tour is actually the first time we’re playing the songs live—and so far, it’s been a party.

As for our identity, everything about the new lineup and this record came together really naturally. It already feels like we’ve all been playing together for years.

What direction had you wanted to take Fuzz Evil that you felt you couldn’t pull off previously as a trio?

During COVID, our drummer at the time—Orgo Martinez—moved to Vegas, and we weren’t playing shows. Wayne and I ended up writing most of New Blood ourselves, and much of that material really called for a second guitarist.

So, going into Smear Merchants, we already knew we wanted to add at least one more player. The biggest difference now is the added sonic depth. Preston was honestly the perfect addition—he’s incredibly versatile and always finds a way to elevate the sound.

What creative ideas did your new bandmates bring that you hadn’t—or maybe couldn’t have—before recruiting them? What dish did they bring to the potluck dinner that is Fuzz Evil?

Even though we were a three-piece, we actually added two new members. Preston brought a wave of ambient and drone effects that are layered throughout the album—especially highlighted in the final track, “Whispers From the Abyss.” Cajun, on the other hand, came in with raw energy and precision.

We’d always wanted to experiment with heavier elements, and Cajun brought that vision to life with intense drumming and some well-placed screams that punch you right in the chest.

How long did it take the four of you to get comfortable playing together and connect as friends?

Honestly? Instantly.

Preston had always been joking, “When you need a fourth member, hit me up.” I still remember calling him and asking if he wanted to join. His answer was basically, “Hell yes.”

As for Cajun, we didn’t know him beforehand—but the guy has a huge personality. He makes friends wherever he goes and just clicked with us. Wayne and I are easy to get along with anyway, and we already felt like a family. Now it’s just a bigger one.

What was the initial vision for the record and how did it change during the making of Smear Merchants? What personal feelings does each member hold toward it?

Wayne and I always have 20–30 song ideas sitting in the bank. With Smear Merchants, we wanted to create something more long-form. In a world of three-minute singles and instant gratification, we wanted a record that felt cohesive—something that told a story as a whole. That intention made it easy to integrate ideas from all four of us.

The writing process was really fluid. Cajun’s screams at the end of “Sermons of the Defiant”? Totally improvised. He looked at me and said, “I’ve got an idea—hit ‘record!’” That kind of spontaneity defined the sessions.

We jumped between writing in the DAW [Digital Audio Workstation] and playing the songs live, so by the time we hit “record” on the final takes, we were locked in. Everyone’s fingerprints are on this album, and we’re all incredibly proud of how it turned out.

What are your feelings about the phrase “stoner rock”? How about “desert rock”?

Honestly, we love the underground heavy scene—stoner, doom, desert, fuzz, psych… it’s all part of a really diverse and supportive global community, and we’re proud to be part of it. We definitely have some loose ties to the desert-rock scene, too.

Years ago, we toured with Dandy Brown (of Hermano), and Arthur Seay (Unida) made a guest appearance on our debut record. Great people, all of them. The name of Wayne and my previous band, Powered Wig Machine, was actually an ode to a song off [Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme’s] Desert Sessions.

As you said, “desert rock” technically refers to the low desert scene around Palm Desert. Our home—Sierra Vista, Arizona—is high desert. So we like to say we’re bringing the fuzz from a little higher up the mountain.

Are you still just as into sci-fi, and do you still weave those themes into your songs?

We’ve always been sci-fi and fantasy nerds. Those elements are still in the DNA of what we do, but I’d say our songs are more about the journey than the setting. Smear Merchants leans into that really well. Side A builds with urgency, heaviness and chaos, ending with the title track. Side B slows things down—it’s about watching things fall apart, finding love and eventually figuring out your place in the universe. The final movement ends on a peaceful note, and it feels good getting there. 

What was the last show you played entirely sober?

Haha. Depends on who you ask in the band. But seriously, we’ve got a solid group of guys who are always professional onstage. That said … no one’s gonna turn down a little fun when the timing feels right.

Get further acquainted with Fuzz Evil on their website and their Bandcamp page.

Go here to snag a ticket for tonight’s all-ages show at Realms Arcade, which will feature heavy grunge band Cardiac Drift and guitarist/composer Mansfield—both based in Boise—hospitably opening for Fuzz Evil. Doors at 6 p.m., with the show starting at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $8 in advance and $13 at the door.

This entry was posted on 05/22/2025 at 10:59 am and is filed under Interviews with tags Fuzz Evil. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.