Fuzz Huzzi to Release New Album 'Revival' Next Month

Fuzz Huzzi has been on the San Diego rock scene for 15 years. Lead singer Allen Camp, the sole remaining original member of the band, describes their sound as "rock with soul and a little funk to it."

Imperial Beach Patch sat down with Camp for an interview to catch up ahead of the release of the band's fifth album Revival next month. For more on Fuzz Huzzi or their Sept. 10 album release party, check out their Facebook fan page.

Imperial Beach Patch: What’s with the name Fuzz Huzzi?

Allen Camp: It’s just two-words put together that we came up with in '94. Basically we had to come up with names that weren’t copyrighted or other bands like in New Jersey that have the same name like Felon or whatever. We just got creative and we wanted a name with a look. But, a cool story about that is the meaning, it was in Arizona and a lady, a gypsy lady came up to us and said "do you know what that means? Do you know what Fuzz Huzzi means?” I go "it doesn’t mean anything." She goes "you sure?" Nah, its just two-words  and she goes "its Sanctuary for lost souls of broken spirits." I thought that was pretty heavy.

Imperial Beach Patch: Since you’re the original member of the band, is it fair to say it's your band?

Allen Camp: I’d like to say it’s a society. I like to think everybody helped us along the way. I just think that because of my determination and drive to want to play so much, tour and its just not everybody’s cup of tea. I think people that played in our band gave it everything they had, every single one of them. I thank them and I appreciate everything they did to further my dream, but it’s a society. It's like a lifestyle. People that have left us is not because of fighting or arguing. It just takes its toll.

Imperial Beach Patch: I was going to ask you that. Why do you think you are the last original member?

Allen Camp: Time. Carlos Santana had thousands and thousands of members go through his band. I think its just time. I think its timing. I think its everything. I think because we had no commercial success in the career like a lot of money or touring with big bands, I think they don’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. There is no carrot big enough for them to go "Well I’m gonna go give up my wife or give up the life that I have to go after this thing that is intangible. I think its just something I chose. I tried to leave Fuzz Huzzi. I tried to bury it, but it kept coming up like “hey when is Fuzz gonna play a show?’ or "That sounds like a Fuzz song" or "You just wrote a Fuzz Album.” In 2003, I wrote a solo record. I was the only one, and I would hire a drummer and it was called Rock 'N Roll Ain’t Easy. By the end of the recording Mike, the producer and engineer said it sounds like a Fuzz Huzzi record. So I guess it’s become my persona, people recognize me as Fuzz Huzzi.

Imperial Beach Patch: So how long has the current Fuzz Huzzi band been around?

Allen Camp: Including the drummer, this line-up has been solid for two years. But Adam and I have been together for eight. Ivan has been around for about five years.

Imperial Beach Patch: What does the current Fuzz Huzzi line-up have that the other Fuzz Huzzi lineups didn’t have?

Allen Camp: Well, I would say that everybody in this band contributes, so all the contributions to this band musically have been exciting. Everybody has a lot of talent. Everybody is willing to put forth the effort. It’s a driven band, I think a little bit more eclectic sounding. More of a family vibe. We all get along. We tour together, we eat together. It's something that everybody in a band would want. Everybody contributes. Everybody sees the light at the end of the tunnel.

Imperial Beach Patch: So musically would you say Fuzz Huzzi has evolved?

Allen Camp: Oh yeah, from the first record and listening to the fifth studio released it has completely evolved. It has completely evolved into four members creating together.

Imperial Beach Patch: Is Fuzz Huzzi a local band?

Allen Camp: Three members, Adam lives in Imperial Beach. I live in Imperial Beach. Ivan lives right on the outskirts of Imperial Beach but went to Mar Vista high school and basically spends most of his time in Imperial Beach. We are a South Bay band.

Imperial Beach Patch: Where is the IB music scene at right now?

Allen Camp: Well there is really no scene. We are 13 blocks long. We have people who play music, but there really is no place to play in the South Bay. We got Lydia’s and the rap and reggae. We are like a sharp stick in the eye for Rock 'N Roll. We play here in IB all the time. Sandcastle committee doesn’t decide to let us play so we’ll jump out and play in backyards. We’ll play anywhere.

Imperial Beach Patch: Do you have a strong fan base?

Allen Camp: I think we have a strong fan base. People come out and watch us all over from the South Bay, East County, Lakeside, North County, we have a strong fan base in San Diego. But, Imperial Beach is special. The people are very special to us. We like to play the Scoreboard every once in a while just so we can keep in touch with them. We are a band that really likes to be at the venue early. We are a band that likes to visit. We are a band that likes to hang and so they are like family, we call them “Fuzz heads.”

Imperial Beach Patch: What’s your favorite Fuzz Huzzi song to perform live?

Allen Camp: I would say the most passionate right now is "Washed in the Blood" on the new record.

Imperial Beach Patch: What label is Revival under?

Allen Camp: Revival is under Kings Ransom Records. It was produced by a guy named Jeff Sers. He produced it and mixed it and he is the owner of the label too.

Imperial Beach Patch: What is the overall concept, tone and mood of your new album Revivial?

Allen Camp: Its hard, its hard music man! It’s some songs that we revived because the producer wanted to re-do them, but there is new songs on here too. So it’s a mixture of history, heart, and a revived sound like something that you have never heard from Fuzz Huzzi. It's just big and it sounds good. The music is great, the lyrics are good. It represents everything that the South Bay and San Diego is.

Imperial Beach Patch: Why did you sign with Kings Ransom records?

Allen Camp: No label drama dude. Our label is like family. I think the reason why we signed to that label is because our label basically just made us a better band. It’s an opportunity. Jeff Sers gave us an opportunity to be better musicians and I owe the revival of my career to King Ransom records.

Imperial Beach Patch: Did you have other offers on the table?

Allen Camp: No, we jumped right on it. We were at the emergence festival in 2009. We won a competition at 4th and B and we were supposed to go up to LA and then we played at the Key Club in LA. After we got back from the Key Club Jeff Sers put it on the table and said “hey I want to work with you”. We started working with him and we jumped right on it. I never tried to find a label. I never tried to look for a label. I’ve always tried to just keep playing and be independent. This is the first time I’ve ever worked for a producer as long as I’ve had. I’ve worked with producers for weeks on end that would tell us what they wanted and then we would lay it down. But, Jeff has really put his time and effort into this band and yeah we’re really excited. Excited about the new record and going on tour.

Imperial Beach Patch: Who are some of Fuzz Huzzi’s musical influences?

Allen Camp: P.O.D., Social Distortion, The Foo Fighters. Everybody has different influences, but I would say Fuzz Huzzi is influenced by a lot of different bands.

Imperial Beach Patch: Do you feel like you have some responsibility to put Imperial Beach and the South Bay on the musical map?

Allen Camp: This is where we are from. We do fundraisers. This is my home and everybody I want to represent.

Imperial Beach Patch: Did you ever think Fuzz Huzzi would be around for five-albums?

Allen Camp: Yeah, I didn’t know how many albums, but I knew that when I first started the band that there was something special about not only the fans but the people that played in my band. It would almost be like you laid this brick down and one person has to leave, but we’re not done yet. The road is not done yet. It would be like if I quit before I made it to where I thought we were supposed to make it, all that work and all that blood, sweat and tears with all the members. Everybody that helped paved that road, it would be like dishonorable. I suffered a lot in that because I could have had a normal life, you know? I chose to keep going and going and going no matter what. Yeah, it’s hard sometimes. It’s hard. But let me tell you man, all those people are special because they can’t take that time from us bro. They can’t take that five years, they can’t take that two-months that somebody helped me out. They can’t take that time away, and so it is very special that Fuzz Huzzi is still around from ’93,’94 to 2011. It's their accomplishment, but it's also a testimony of why we play music. It's not because we have chicks and demos and cars and we are rich. We play music because that’s what we where put on this Earth to do. It’s God gift and if we don’t do it then we are basically not doing what were supposed to be doing.

Imperial Beach Patch: Anything else you'd like to add?

Allen Camp: Fuzz Huzzi appreciates everybody that’s been apart of Fuzz Huzzi throughout the years and we wish them well and keep them in our thought in prayers. God bless every one of them. They all have been part of my life. God Bless every single one of them.