chat w/ Bobby Amaru of SALIVA S7 E4

#interview #saliva #rock 

THAT METAL INTERVIEW presents Bobby Amaru of SALIVA (recorded May 2026). The dynamic frontman Bobby Amaru talks about the way he handled fan acceptance and backlash during his 1st days in SALIVA. Amaru talks about his favorite State and reveals where he met his wife; talks about his daughter's talent.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:01

Hey, this is Bobby from Saliva, and you're watching That Metal Interview.

SPEAKER_00 0:21

That Metal Interview. So uh what what part of the planet are you at?

SPEAKER_02 0:26

I live in Florida, but I'm in um Texas right now. Near Fort Worth.

SPEAKER_00 0:32

Fort Worth, okay. I'm in Texas too. Okay. I'm in uh Eagle Pass uh a couple hours from San Antonio.

SPEAKER_02 0:40

Oh great, great, yeah. We'll be in San Antonio um Friday.

SPEAKER_00 0:45

Are you gonna be there? Okay.

SPEAKER_02 0:46

Yeah, we're playing a show there. Rockbox or um it's an outdoor thing. Okay. It's a bunch of bands. Yeah. Ah well, it's like oh is that Fiesta Oyster thing? There you go. Yeah, yeah, yeah. The Fiesta deal, okay. Yeah, it should be fun, man. Yeah, San Antonio is great. For sure. It's always I like the um was the theater there that is the Aztec. Yes, Aztec theater. Yeah, wonderful spots. Yeah, Rockbox is great too. I met my wife at I met my wife at Rock Fox. Really? 2016, yeah. Crazy. So San Antonio always always special for me.

SPEAKER_00 1:29

It's a music city for sure. Yeah. So let's dive into your your beginnings, if I can say that. What bands got you into rock, Bobby? I know there's tons of bands out there, rock, metal, whatever. Which one? Can you point to one that says, you know what? These guys are responsible for me being on stage at all.

SPEAKER_02 1:52

Well, you know, uh, as far as I remember, um you know, I'm an 80s baby. I was born in 83, and my dad was in bands. My dad's exact uh 20 years older than me, so he's uh you know, I'm I'm 42, he's uh 62, but anyway, he just turned 63, but um so he was into like you know, all the Scorpions and Sabbath and Dio and all that stuff in the 80s. So I I grew up on that. Um, you know, and and I remember my parents would listen to, you know, my mom would listen to everything from Fleetwood Mac to accept, man. It was crazy. Like, you know, the so the variety of music in my house was was there, it was there, you know. So at an early age, I think, you know, my parents went to tons of concerts. Um, they would travel to concerts and they'd see they you know would see everybody. So I um was born into it. You know, my grandfather was in music too, he was a uh New Orleans uh native, and he uh was way into like the jazz lounge stuff like Sinatra and um you know Tony Bennett, a lot of that. So um so I really I really owe it to my dad and and the music side of things, I feel like, because he was in a band and played guitar and I just wanted to do that, I guess. But I didn't want to play guitar, I wanted to play drums. So I got in the drums early on, very early on. Yeah. But you know, bands like I had mentioned, um, I remember MTV, you know, was you know uh a thing, and I would see uh the the late night stuff, like looks that kill Molly Crew in those videos, and yeah, even like some of the Twisted Sister stuff, like but because they all look like superheroes, they all wore costumes and they had the big hair. And so it's for me, it like I guess as a kid, you're like, oh wow, this is like this is cool, you know. And then there's a song to it.

SPEAKER_00 4:02

So well, that's cool. I've never heard that before. Uh these guys look like heroes. That's they they did.

SPEAKER_02 4:09

Yeah, they look like superheroes, man. When you look at like the costumes and stuff, right? I mean, that's kind of something I can think of, you know. But um, yeah, but you know, and then as I got older and and I got into other you know, other stuff, especially when like the the grunge stuff happened, like Alice and Chains, yeah, uh liked them and Soundgarden and loved you know those bands. And you know, as I as I um you know when I got high school, you know, um you know 97 to 2001, I mean it's a great year for music, you know, and and you know, uh great time. I think that you know 90 to 2000 is probably one of the greatest decades of of uh of you know records and music. I mean so many great um records released in even in just 91. Like think about 1991, some of the great ones that came out, but so I ended up getting into a lot of you know as music you know progressed and changed. You know, I I adapted and you know just got into I remember going to OSFest '98, and and people still say that's the best OSFE. That's the best year. Um that's cool. You mentioned that. Yeah, it was such a great year. I mean, I I I discovered bands on the second stage, like Incubus and System of a Down. I mean, they were like baby bands, you know, at the time. And yeah, those bands ended up being pretty pretty massive. It's discovered bands like Seven Dust. Yeah. I mean, that's still around, you know, and uh oh yeah, for sure.

SPEAKER_00 5:45

I made I made two Osfists. I made uh O2 and O5.

SPEAKER_02 5:49

Yeah, and O one was a really good one too, man. And I I was friends with the guy, uh D Peacock, he did all my tattoo stuff in Jacksonville, but back then he was tattooing like Jacoby and you know the Papa Roach guys and Chester from Lincoln Park. He was tattooing everybody. So I got to go hang out with him at Osfest night in 2001, and like he's tattooing Chester like right in front of me, man. It was pretty crazy. I was like 17 years old, you know. Uh, you know, a senior in high school. I was like a you know, um, and just being able to be around that and witness that was really cool.

SPEAKER_00 6:27

So you got to meet Chester?

SPEAKER_02 6:30

Then, yeah, in 01. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 6:32

V Chester from Legan Park. Wow.

SPEAKER_02 6:34

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So because my friend was tattooing him, did a bunch of his tattoos at the time. And uh, you know, he did like the Mud Bang Guys, and he did all the bands that were on Offset 2001, like D was like traveling around, like tattooing like most of all the bands. Wow. And he was tattooing them for f for free. It was like like just you know, it was but great, you know, for him to get noticed as an art tattoo artist as well. So it was it's good.

SPEAKER_00 7:00

So what got you into music? Uh you know what? I want to pick up a guitar, I want to be on stage. Uh yeah, yeah. You know, that was drums.

SPEAKER_02 7:08

Yeah, I started early as on drums and and my uh you know, I'd go to my dad's band practices every now and then and stuff. So I'd play on the drum kit and we play like Aussie and songs like that, you know, whatever you know, whatever that sounded like. But um I uh yeah, that so that was it. I I was I always wanted to play music and and and even as I got older, I mean I did things like baseball and you know, ran around the neighborhood and stuff, but uh I always went back to the drum kit and then uh when I was I'd say about 12 is when I like I wasn't bored with drums, but I just started you know, I couldn't play at night, you know, because it went the whole house up. So I started playing guitar. I picked up the guitar and started learning guitar and and then uh you know from there I started you know writing, wanting to write songs and got into that and uh you know wrote some really bad ones to you know but singing came last for me. I didn't really I never thought about singing ever. Oh wow, yeah. I mean I I would sing and like you know, just for fun and stuff, but it wasn't you know, even when my band, you know, first season when we got our our deal in 2001 with Electra, like I was still playing drums and guitars and just doing you know just writing and stuff. I wasn't really you know, we had a singer, so I uh didn't really um land in a singing until until about 04-05. Yeah, 04-05 is when I started recording my own stuff.

SPEAKER_00 9:00

Your own okay. So how about the the mic? When did you say, you know what, uh I can sing, or how did you know you could sing in the first maybe in the car or the shower?

SPEAKER_02 9:09

I don't even I don't think I I still know that if I can, you know. I think people it's just it's it's perception, man. You know, people like your voice or or you know, or they think that you can or you can't. I mean, I don't I don't think I just said, man, I can sing, let's go. You know, I just yeah, you know, writing songs that I wanted to write and and and um singing them the way I wanted to sing them. And yeah, um yeah, and and then people started telling, you know, I'd be at like you know parties or whatever, and I'd be that guy like over there outside with acoustic guitar with like three girls around them, you know. That was me. And and and I'd be singing like, you know, Bon Jovi songs and poison songs or whatever it was, you know, at the time, like jukebox karaoke style stuff, like uh Black Crows or you know, and singing um, you know, some STP or something, and then just trying to serenade. But that yeah, and that's from there on. I mean, people would always say, Man, you need to just do your own thing. You can sing, you know, for your own project. And that's kind of what started that.

SPEAKER_00 10:17

Do you ever wake up and say, Man, I'm the singer for Saliva now, and uh I've come a long way here. Like a pinch me kind of thing.

SPEAKER_02 10:27

Uh, I mean, you know, I think it's a blessing and a curse at the same time. Like it's you know, anytime you replace a singer, there's always gonna be uh, you know, doubters or or or haters or or whatever. Um, but you know, now that it's been 15 years, I I feel like the band has evolved so much. And, you know, I still give credit to, you know, what the band was, you know, in the early 2000s and what they ended up doing. But I I also feel like, you know, bands do once again evolve and bands do uh, you know, members, you know, change, you know, people leave or whatever for whatever reasons it may be. And um, you know, brands can move forward, brands can especially today. I mean, with the internet, I don't think it it was possible without the internet to do to do this kind of stuff, right? Because you remember when bands would change singers, you know, and and MTV and and radio was still a thing. It's almost like everybody would just give up on the band, you know. And right. But I think now that you have you have the internet, you have social media and stuff, you can you can find new fans. You can also find um uh you know, you know, also rekindle with old fans because then they can actually, you know, your your songs are right in their face, you know, they can they can see it or hear it.

SPEAKER_00 11:55

And um one of the biggest uh singer changes that I recall uh in rock history, I think, is uh Black Sabbath, when they went from from Aussie to to Deal. That was a huge, huge risk and a change. And uh obviously fans accepted Deal when he raced in peace. But that that was uh uh now that you mentioned uh singer changes, so that that's one of the big changes right there. Deal, Aussie. And then more came, right?

SPEAKER_02 12:25

And then you gotta but it's very, very few times it works, you know. I I saw Motley Crue with John Karabe, and and I love that record, you know, and it's crazy because I feel like on the internet, anytime I see anything about that record, there's not one negative comment about it. Like everyone goes, dude, that's the best Motley Crue record. I love that record. Everyone always talks about that record, but where was that in '94 or '95 when they needed that, right? That support or whatever it was, and they didn't get that. And, you know, but it doesn't mean they didn't make a good record and didn't weren't weren't trying to evolve or trying to do things. But the power of MTV and the power of like, you know, labels and stuff back then, it's a much different time. Um, you know, to, you know, but bands are able to uh I feel like there's a lot of bands today that have different singers, man.

SPEAKER_00 13:21

You know, and oh yeah, a bunch, a bunch of different names.

SPEAKER_02 13:23

Yeah, it's a lot more common than it used to be, is what I'm getting at. And and even when I got got in like, you know, 2011, I mean, that was still kind of like weird. It was a weird, it was kind of a weird time. And then I remember like getting in the band and and uh, you know, there's Dave and Wayne and Paul and you know, and and and we start touring and you know, I was like, you know, they vented a lot about the former guy and and stuff, and I was kind of the just just there, you know, listening and and and I got it, you know, I understood it, but there were times that I I thought, should I fucking run or something? You know, like should I run, should I run, you know, but it it and and then you just adversity, man. You overcome, you know, those things and the naysayers and you figure it out. I mean, you know, it's a and and it all goes back to rock and roll and just and playing music and and for the love of love of that, you know, not not the drama or any of that stuff. I mean, you know, yeah, there's gonna be that, but I uh I think it kind of comes with the territory. I just try to avoid the drama and I don't like to deal with the drama. It's just it's just negative energy and just toxic.

SPEAKER_00 14:46

And so did you did you get any uh any uh negative backlash from fans uh back in the day? Uh maybe you know a haters kind of thing or yeah, I mean there's a little guy back kind of thing, you know?

SPEAKER_02 14:59

Yeah, there's a few that I remember. I remember what I remember one in particular, which I thought was was interesting, was you know, you would have people that would say things online or whatever, right? But they hadn't seen the band. Yeah. So what would happen a lot is when people would come see the band, or they would meet me or whatever, they would always say something like, dude, I wanted to hate this, or man, I I said something negative on Facebook about this, and then I just saw you, and man, I I changed my whole mind. And there's been a there's been a lot of that, you know, early on and stuff. And I remember one in particular, there was a guy that I had met out somewhere out front or whatever, and he came up to me and he was like I don't know, somehow I gave him a wristband to come back and hang out, like with everybody, and and we treated the guy like really cool. He was like a really nice guy, and this and or whatever it was. And then like I had seen where he posted on Facebook talking bad about me or us or whatever, but it was prior to meeting us, prior to actually meeting meeting us or whatever. So um, and then I I remember like he'd sent me like a friend request, and I'd sent him the thing or whatever, and then he he deleted it and went and wrote a really nice post or whatever. But I mean, that was probably 12 years ago, man, 13 years ago or something. That was a long, it was right in there early. But I I just those kind of things, you know, that in particular, I remember little things like that, but um, you know, I can't remember every comment or or whatever, but but people um it happens, you know. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And that's like everything. I mean, you're dude, there are things I don't like. They're you know, stuff I don't listen to or whatever, and that's fine. Like there's you know, it's no, but yeah, I also I don't have the the energy to also type the reason why I don't like something on a on a page. And and maybe sometimes people just look for likes or fish for attention or or something, or whatever it may be, or going through maybe a hard time at work or something, and you know, they're like, you know what? I hate this Bobby guy anyway. Let me just, you know.

SPEAKER_00 17:23

I'm I'm gonna do hating here. Up to check it out. Uh up to this date, up to 2026, the Van Halen uh fans are still uh divided, I think, uh between David E. Roth and Sammy Hagar, that's another one there. But they're both uh, you know.

SPEAKER_02 17:42

Well, I'll tell you why, because both both bands, both singers created great songs. Yeah and for for both eras. So, well, that's why people can be divided. Because imagine if Sammy Hagar came in the band and then it flopped and didn't do anything, then you're not talking about Sammy Hagar with Van Halen, right? But it didn't flop, it did very well, and um you know, they had a lot of amazing songs and great, great run. I like both eras, man. Look, man, when I'm like getting ready to go on stage or whatever, I want to listen to you. And Wayne, you know, Wayne was was a massive Van Halen fan. Already, you know. But I think you know, Wayne was just an Eddie Van Halen fan too, in that regard. So I would hear him listen to both both for versions. Now, it was a lot of everybody wants some and a lot of that whole, you know, party, party rock, you know, David Roth era stuff, you know, meet you know, mean streets, all that, you know, I love all that. But um, you know, I still like right now, and I still like, you know, oh yeah. Uh even like dreams and and and songs like that are just phenomenal songs. And for that, for the time, you know, in the the 80s, like that, that was a big, big, big push, big thing. So yeah, for sure. Yeah, I like I like both versions.

SPEAKER_00 19:07

So, how do you see it nowadays, 2026, Bobby? Uh, is there any haters out there you think? Or or do you feel they've uh 100% accepted you? And my opinion, you're doing a great job. It sounds great. Uh the new song Cope, uh, badass, you know. So but how do you see it out there? How do you see the the fan base out there?

SPEAKER_02 19:27

Man, I yeah, I love uh, you know, I love uh fans of music, you know, and and and good people. I don't really think about, you know, are there haters or or you know, because they're I I think that with social media can create that and um and and create division and stuff. And it's always like everybody either likes something or hates something now. It's never in the middle, you know, yeah anymore or torn. So, but I I don't I don't live my life that way, man. I I love you know my family, I love my my kids, my wife, and uh I've been sober eight years and learned a lot, learned a lot in that and learned a lot, you know, about myself and you know, not to hold on to um, you know, negative things and and you know, re release it and try to live a positive life. But, you know, yeah, there are people that want to go online and they want to bash me, they want to say, you know, these negative things, and they don't know me. They know nothing about me. They know nothing about my uh you know, my situation and and what I've been through, and um and that's okay, you know, but uh can't please everybody. No, not gonna I'm not gonna start, you know.

SPEAKER_00 20:41

So, you know, it's just yeah, even if you try that you can't. I mean, I've seen it before. You people trying to satisfy the whole world, and there's always different opinions. And anyway, speaking of family, uh I saw your daughter sings too, right? Sada?

SPEAKER_02 20:56

She has a wonderful, wonderful voice and personality, and she's um, you know, it will take her as far as she wants it to, you know. She if that's what she wants, and if that's not what she wants, then I support her either way, you know. And that's just the thing. You gotta support your kids and uh and and and they're gonna go through things. And I remember when I was a teenager, all I wanted to do was play drums on stage and rock and roll, like for the for the world, right? But that doesn't mean that my kids have to do the same. Yeah. And uh, you know, it's uh it's stressful.

SPEAKER_00 21:35

It comes with with stresses, you know, because you're you're away from home or you you're if you're traveling and and things, but you gotta be grateful for the for for what you do have, and I am grateful and um you know, I can't can't complain or how important are merch sales on the road, Bobby? Is that pretty important or I I think it's everything.

SPEAKER_02 22:00

Thing for a band, um, real, really, because you know, even for the fans and the fan experience to be able to say, I bought this shirt at the at that show or whatever. I mean, remember how important it was back in like the 80s and the 90s, you go to concert, you always bought a t-shirt. Yeah, right. That was the thing, right? Yep. And if it didn't have the dates on the back, you were pissed off. So I I think it's the same. It's just uh you, you know, I I think, and and you know, there's a lot of bands that really do rely on merch sales because the guarantees probably aren't that well or whatever. And the cost and I don't even mean it that way. I just mean the cost of touring. The cost of touring is so expensive. So there are bands that do really rely on merch. Yeah, I think more than more than others and have to rely on merch. And um I think uh, you know, if the fans are supporting the show, you buy the ticket, you know, you don't have to buy a shirt, you know. You're you're already at the show supporting the show, but it is it it goes a long way if you do buy a shirt for the band that you're you're there supporting.

SPEAKER_00 23:18

Yeah, for sure. Let's speak of uh the new single Cope.

SPEAKER_01 23:22

He was just a kid from the cold side street where the power goes out and the cops don't speak. Backpack full of books, but his stomach stayed weak. Trying to study on it. They played for dream, he'd never meet. His mom was gone, beat it soul, dead in prison for a crime he didn't know.

SPEAKER_00 23:39

How did that collab uh come about? Uh did you already know Trevor, or how did that come about?

SPEAKER_02 23:45

I did not. I never met Trevor. And um working with judge and jury, uh, which is Howard Benson and Neil Sanderson's um label, working with them, you know, we're we're just trying to just create, you know, moments and and songs and uh that make sense. And I had this song, I had this idea for um for Coke uh last August. And it was I remember we were at Sturgis, we were playing the show at Sturgis, and we had an Airbnb, the band did, and we're usually in hotels a lot, but sometimes we'll get an Airbnb. So we got an Airbnb at Sturgis. Right. And I went in my room.

SPEAKER_00 24:31

And there you had Mr. Bobby Amaru, and we apologize for the technical difficulty there where we had to end our conversation because of technical matters, but we do appreciate your patience, and of course, we thank Bobby for his patience, and he'll come back on the show sometime uh soon. Quick information about Bobby. He joined Saliva in 2012 and has led the band through five studio albums releases, including Glove, Lies and Therapy 2016 and Revelation in 2023. He's also released covers with his daughter Veda, including a version of Papa Roach's Last Resort. Uh, before Saliva, Amaru fronted his own solo band, Amaru, and played drums for Burn Season. So be on the lookout for new Saliva music, and thank you guys for subscribing and joining that metal interview, downloading streaming, and the whole nine yards. So thank you guys. Don't forget to keep it metal That metal interview.