Scotty Anarchy and Jeanne Sagan of Crossing Rubicon

by Alex Barbieri
– Sr. Columnist —

They’re a modern-day sober Sid and Nancy: Singer Scotty Anarchy (a.k.a. Scott Wawrzyniak) and wife/bassist Jeanne Sagan of Connecticut Melodic Metal band, Crossing Rubicon (CR). A molten blend of ‘80s hooks and musicianship with Modern Rock power and relevance, CR is growing its following thanks to a tireless work ethic and shows opening for Mötley Crüe, Queensrÿche, Crossfade, Nonpoint, Saving Abel, Pop Evil and many more. They also have the street pedigree of Sagan, who played bass for All That Remains.

Hardrock Haven readers, meet Metal’s new power couple.

HRH: Scott and Jeanne, thanks for taking time for the Hardrock Haven readers around the world. Congratulations on your wedding, and before moving on to music-related questions, how did you meet, and what’s it like playing in a band together as a married couple?

SA: Jeanne and I met through two mutual friends, Ian Jones and Rusty Kupier, about five years ago. I was never one to ever really crush on people, but Jeanne had a passion about her, and a kindness to her that I was attracted to, but I was married at the time so the timing wasn’t right. A few years later I was single and playing a Buckcherry show, and Jeanne approached me after the show to talk, and I had to inject into the conversation that I was single. Jeanne asked for my number, and we have not stopped talking since, literally. As far as playing in a band with my wife, I get to look to my right every night and see my best friend, my soul mate, and the love of my life sharing my passion with me, and nothing is better than that.

JS: He forgot to mention that I used to always run away from him because I felt a connection with him but he was married. So I ran because I was nervous to get to know him more, because that would have been bad. But that one night at Buckcherry, I approached him after their set because his passion gave me hope again. I wanted to pick his brain about being sober; it was something I was struggling with at the time. I think one of the best things about being in a band with my husband is yes, I’m in love with him, I completely adore him, but we share a bond greater and stronger than we could have ever dreamed.

HRH: Also congratulations on your fantastic album, No Less Than Everything, which has received excellent reviews. Are you happy with how the album came out? What are some of your favorite tracks and why?

SA: Thank you and yes, this album is everything I wanted it to be and more. There is no greater feeling then having a vision and seeing it actually come to fruition. I have three favorite tracks:
One, “The Fallen.” This was the most personal song for me, after leaving my lucrative career to dedicate my life to music, which led to my ex divorcing me, one of my closest friends leaving Rubicon, and then being told I have throat cancer all within a week. I lost some of my drive and will. I felt like I had given up until I found Joey Shidler, a big fan of ours who had lost his battle with leukemia at the age of 14. No Less Than Everything was dedicated to him. And then Jeanne came into my life. Those two things helped me feel like our music mattered, and I mattered, and that was what “The Fallen” is about. I still need a moment to recover emotionally after I sing that song on stage every night.

“Bittersweet Day” I wrote about my struggles with drugs and alcohol. I get emails from people who tell me that they have gone sober because of this song, and people who have had inspiration during tough times like divorces, and losing a parent. You can’t get a better reaction then that.

My third favorite is a tie between “Atlantis,” which is about walking away from what society expects of you to go after your dreams, and “Do We Not Bleed” which attacks xenophobia, and makes a statement supporting woman’s rights and LGBT rights. It’s the ultimate anti-Trump song LOL. It talks about how we need to see people as all the same, and the only race is the human race. With everything going on in the world right now this song has really moved up on my list.

JS: My favorite one is “Unhinged.” Before I joined Rubicon I would come onstage and sing it as a duet with Scott, so that one is always gonna hold a special place in my heart. Not to mention it’s the first time I’ve sung and recorded a whole verse to myself. My other favorite is “Who’s Going to Save You.” That song just has this amazing energy.

HRH: Jeanne, I love how you share the lead vocals with Scott on “Unhinged.” You have a very cool voice. Something both sweet and sinister about it. Do you sing a lot live, and do you think having two women in the band (Brandi Hood plays drums) attracts more women to your shows compared to other bands of the genre?

JS: Thanks! Singing was an insecurity I had to overcome. I practiced and prepared until I made myself more confident. I do sing a lot live; I’m pretty proud of that accomplishment and I cannot wait to see where it’s going to take me in my role in Rubicon. I feel like having two girls as the rhythm section that do sing and scream does turn some heads. I think with more opportunities, we will inspire women and naturally that will attract them without having to market ourselves that way.

HRH: The album was engineered by the super talented Vic Rivera of Adriangale. What was it like working with him and what did you learn from the process?

SA: I loved that we had somebody that actually respected us, and likes the music. Vic was the sixth member of the band during the recording process and he really helped make our sound uniform. Our sound is pretty diverse, and he gave every song some common threads which made the album work. Vic was the engineer and Nick Bellmore was the producer, and it was a very unique combination. Vic is from the melodic rock scene, and he was instrumental in the guitar work and vocals especially, really pushing us to get the songs down that we wanted but did not know how to get it, and Nick is from the metal scene, he made it sound nasty and big, he gave it the GRRRRR LOL.

JS: Vic is the kind of person you walk into a room and become instant friends. I came in late on the project and he still let me kinda do my thing—we had a mutual respect. I might have scared him with some of my screams though, haha.

HRH: Scott, you’ve been pretty outspoken in interviews and on social media about bands and musicians keeping it real. What are some of your pet peeves? Is it bands using backing tracks? Or acting like prima donnas? Here’s a public forum for you to get your points across.

SA: I can give a pass to backing tracks, but I have serious issues with singers who don’t sing live, and bands that are pantomiming on stage. If you need to have a keyboard track piped in, I get it. There is no greater sign of ego then thinking that your fans are spending $100 a ticket just to be in your presence. People have to work “real jobs” to come see you—you owe them a live performance, and the best you can give them. Some people in the industry have a real country club mentality, and the funny thing is that the country club is in foreclosure, there is no getting rich and famous anymore, and you need to be respectful of all the bands you play with locally, regionally, or nationally, and you need to respect your fans.

Some of the things I have seen from some prima donnas makes me sick—boy do I have stories—but it also serves as an inspiration to never be that way. I’m always tempted to name names, but I won’t. Music is an art for the people, and it originally was created by slaves, not millionaires. The music industry is dying, and the rock stars are going to go down with it, but the punks will always survive. I am proud to be a punk.

HRH: On a lighter note, I learned that all three of us get our hair styled at Sparks Savoy’s Hair Retreat in Shelton, Conn. (Hi Sparks!) How important is the “rock star” image to you both, and who are some of your rock ‘n roll influences from a visual/performance standpoint?

SA: The “rock star” image is only important if you are being yourself, or an extension of yourself. I came from a corporate background, and when I decided to go sober and go back to my musical passions, I knew I had to dress and do my hair as I felt what was best for me. For me, it makes me feel invincible, because after 17 years of shirts and ties and insecurity, I am finally being myself. I was asked once, “Why are you always dressed like you are ready to go on stage?” and I said “Because I always am.” Sparks helped me come out of my shell, and helped me find myself; she is my big sis, and I love her.

JS: I’ve always looked up to icons with these larger than life personas like Bowie; envious of all the bright and vibrant hair colors I’ve seen lately in girls, but I’m more of a plain Jane. I kinda just let my hair to do its own thing, the perpetual bed head. Sparks has put some red in my hair but I haven’t gone too extreme, it’s just not in my personality. So I guess I’m more of Janis than a Lady Gaga. But my performance is pretty much influenced by Jason Newsted-era Metallica.

HRH: Speaking of shows, looking back at all you’ve done, what have been some highlights—we’re always up for a good road story!

SA: It has to be the CD release party for No Less Than Everything. Brandi and Zach have been with me from the beginning, and both of them had sacrificed with me and for me for years. Jeanne had been with us for a little while by then, and we had walked away from jobs and relocated; they were with me through my divorce and my cancer, there was media scrutiny on us, we had just lost someone very close to the band, and the last test was having our guitar player quit a month before the release party.

The amazing Joey Conception from Dead By Wednesday filled in that night, and our soon to be announced guitar player was sitting in the crowd that night already part of the family.

We had felt like we went through a war recording this record, and that day Jeanne posted a picture of the band and the caption read, “Walk through the fire with me, and together we shall not burn.” That said it all about everything we had been though to get to the point where I felt invincible as long as I had these four by my side. At this point we all knew we had done the unthinkable—we left convention to follow our passion, and at that moment we turned the tide and we were finally in control of our destiny. So through the strength of belief and all of us working together, the CD release party was a very special night because we were going to survive, and we were going to give it literally no less than everything.

JS: Our CD release party will always be monumental to me also. Not only were our friends and family there, but all of our hometown supporters. I haven’t felt so accepted and a part of something like that in a long time. Crossing Rubicon put so much passion and perseverance into it—it was amazing just to be there, never mind playing! It was a very proud night.

HRH: Jeanne, when you departed from All That Remains, you said at the time, “I’ve decided to follow my heart and pursue other opportunities in life.” It looks like your heart led you to the right place! What are your fondest memories of your 10 years in All That Remains?

JS: Well, there are ups and downs to everything and in this case the negatives started to outweigh the good which drove me away eventually. But I do take away growing as a person and as a musician, becoming more outgoing, and overcoming insecurities. In the end, I stood up for myself which Scott helped me get the courage to do so. That is another reason we work so well, we are passionate and we look after each other. I cannot say the same about anything else that was in my life prior.

HRH: What are your thoughts on the music scene in the digital age? Is metal alive and well based on what you see at your shows? How do you feel about people taking pics and recording everything when you’re playing live, and posting it online?

SA: Metal is alive as long as I can draw a breath! But the music Industry is falling apart in the digital age. Our CD gets one sale for every 26 streams, but that does not mean we stop fighting. Personally, I think it levels the playing field a little, and makes it harder, but the harder you work, the more you appreciate what you achieve. As far as pics and video, I just wish we could filter stuff for quality of recording a little, but I guess a lot of people’s first experience with a lot of bands are poorly recorded iPhone vids. As for photos, I just delete ones where I don’t look skinny LOL.

JS: I think that Metal is alive. It seems that people are stuck in mentalities and refuse to change. The industry fought and ignored downloading rather than finding a way to make it work for them. Also because of the Internet, people think they are going to be overnight stars—that goes for TV also. No one wants to put their nose to grind, but we will. We believe in ourselves and we believe in the scene. Videos and photos from phones don’t bother me; it’s a way to show support these days. What does get annoying is people just staring at their phones when we’re playing and I wonder, are we doing our jobs right? What can we do to get their attention? We’re there to put on a show and that’s our focus.

HRH: Scott, on a personal note, you have mentioned that you are proudly clean and sober. What was the turning point for you to get clean, and how has life changed since then? Jeanne any thoughts on this?

SA: I did it at first because I got tired of getting arrested, and my doctor told me I would not be around much longer if I didn’t. Now, I love that I can give others inspiration to do the same though my music; I feel it helps people to know someone out there is very public about going through the same thing they are going through. Being open about it just gives people struggling someone to relate to.

JS: I had been struggling with it for years. I drank to numb myself from things that were bothering me. I had mentioned earlier that I approached Scott to pick his brain about sobriety. He inspired me and helped me get sober and stay sober. He gives me a reason every day to want to wake up, open my eyes, and live life together to the fullest. I will be forever grateful for that.

HRH: Changing gears, Jeanne, for the technical bassists out there, please describe your bass rig for them, what you use and your live set up, and why.

JS: My current setup is a four-string Spector Euro, Orange amps 4×10, Tiny Terror 1000 watt, Boss tuner, Darkglass B7K, and Shure wireless system. I like it to sound aggressive but also keeping it simple.

HRH: What’s on your iPods and who are you listening to lately? Any bands or artists we should check out?

SA: I’ve been jamming out to The Misfits, and Hatebreed’s new album, but also Next to None from Pennsylvania and On My Six from Chicago. Connecticut bands Dead By Wednesday, Agrippa 93, Demons Past, Devil Inside, and It Lies Within from Detroit. Also Public Enemy Fear of a Black Planet, and the new Sixx:A.M.

JS: I have been listening to new Hatebreed and the new Nine Inch Nails albums at the gym. Otherwise I have been listening to The Cure. We just saw them live at Madison Square Garden. Smashing Pumpkins’ Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness and The Smiths’ catalog. My music varies; I tend to go through phases.

HRH: What’s next for Crossing Rubicon? Any upcoming shows and what are your goals for the second half of the year and into 2017?

SA: Going on tour with The Convolesance in August and playing Dirt Fest and Big Kahuna Fest. We are also writing the next album!

JS: Goals are to keep the momentum going, play shows, network and grow, continue writing for the next album and stay positive.

HRH: Anything else you want to promote? Other projects or charities?

SA: I am in the League of Extraordinary Frontmen, a podcast that has metal musicians talking geek stuff. Jeanne and I love doing stuff with Road Recovery http://www.roadrecovery.org/ out of New York, musicians helping people battle addictions, and Jeanne and I started a promotion company Anarchy Promotions.

JS: I also moonlight as a bassist for my friend Agrippa 93; I just returned from recording a track for the forthcoming album. I will have three songs on it. I’ve been his live bass player for a few months now and he is also a co-host on the League of Extraordinary Frontmen podcast. I also want to mention Road Recovery—Scott and I had a chance to hang out with those guys. It’s an organization that helps addiction through music; it’s very inspiring and humbling from a sobriety standpoint.

HRH: Is there anything else you want to say to your fans and Hardrock Haven readers?

SA: Support local, regional and independent music, put your cell phones down, and your devil horns up! Thank you for reading, and if you want, check out Crossing Rubicon No Less Than Everything on iTunes and Amazon.

JS: Just want to simply thank everyone for their interest and support.

HRH: Scott and Jeanne, thank you both very much for talking with Hardrock Haven—all the best to you both and Crossing Rubicon!

SA: Thank you so much for taking interest in us!

JS: No thank you! It’s not every day you get to tag team interviews with your husband!

Watch the official video for “Unhinged”