
The Used's Bert McCracken
Photo: Recording Academy
The Used's Bert McCracken On Warped Tour, MusiCares & 'The Canyon'
Since their inception in 2001, the Used — vocalist Bert McCracken, bassist Jeph Howard, drummer Dan Whitesides, and guitarist Joey Bradford — have amassed a passionate following thanks to their genre-bending rock music. With the release of their 2017 LP, The Canyon, which landed at No. 3 on Billboard's Hard Rock Albums chart, their influence has only grown.
At the first date of Warped Tour for summer 2018, our host, Ryan J. Downey, caught up with Used frontman McCracken in Pomona, Calif., on June 21, where we got the inside scoop on the making of The Canyon, which was produced by Ross Robinson. The project, which aimed to show music in its purest form, had a profound effect on McCracken.
"We were greatly inspired by our live and acoustic album we did and we wanted to make a record that let the humanity of all our mistakes and who we are as people shine through," McCraken says. "Getting down to the true essence of what art is capable of was groundbreaking for me."
McCraken also opened up about being sober for six years now, which wouldn't have happened without the support of the Recording Academy-affiliated health and human services charity, MusiCares.
"If any of you know anyone who's struggling with addiction, there's help," McCraken advises. "MusiCares is personally responsible for saving this man's life. And the only reason why I mention it is because I thought I could quit doing it on my own. For a certain number of people on the planet, the only way is with professional help."
Downey and McCraken also covered the importance of Warped Tour itself, especially given that the tour is closing after a 20-year run this year. For the Used, after they saw the electric response of Newfound Glory during their first Warped Tour experience, they knew that's what they wanted to do. And now, all these years later, that's exactly what the Used has accomplished.