Eric Scealf: Because I was told I couldn't and wouldn't make it and I was told when I started to give up that pipe dream. You have to play both games, the game of life ... you're going to be with assholes that got it all wrong. Most of those folks have insurance now. I would rather drink piss than let a motherfucker bullshit me or waste my time so ... what drives me? The greats that never quit, Destiny, Lysa, and Evie (wife and daughters).

Your documentary, Ambition Withdraw, has won all sorts of awards and accolades from industry pros and insiders ... people with clout. It's got to be the most "real" band documentary EVER. Shows the good, the bad, and the ugly of the rock and roll lifestyle. How comfortable are you knowing that the world is seeing so much of all aspects of yourself (and the band) in it? Are you an exhibitionist ... or a troubador?

I sing about love and anger. I fight for my 45 minutes on stage. I was told by a great friend (Arinn) that I had great "DUENDE". Federico Lorca had it and the Spanish army shot him in the street ...is there a bullet waiting for me? I love the ritual of The Unsatisfied. Everytime we get together it's divinity and the source of power ... ROCK SPEAK, you know? I'm a rock soldier.

Eric, you work with a pack of wolves (literally). From watching you in those parts of the movie it seems like they treat you as one of their own. How long have you been as one with them and what first brought you to do such work?

Lysa, Desi, and I went to the mountains in North Georgia and spent sometime with a woman who lived seven miles in the woods. She raised wolves. We had two wolves previously but both died horribly and it was very difficult to get over. I had one die when I was giving it CPR. I watched his eyes turn to clouds and he was gone ... I took his last breath. The two on the movie are the siblings of the ones that died. The wolf lady showed pity for us and gave us two happy healthy wolves. I did alot of submitting ... and now they own me. They've owned me for eight years.

You have a wife (of many years) and two kids ... not exactly the typical rock and roll home life or how many view people living the lifestyle. What do you attribute your long-lasting marriage to?

I have no idea how we've mannaged. I do know when the going gets bad she'll open up and kick my ass. We both have had a lot of bullshit happen in our lives. We did not want our kids to go through what we went through. As for the rock'n'roll life style? I met her in my most decadent time ... I told a friend of mine, the first time I saw Lysa, I said,"My wife just walked in." We were meant to be together. The rock gods made it that way. She's my soul mate.

Another interesting fact is that you're not a drinker these days. When, how, and why did you decide to get on the wagon? How has this affected your performances?

I got on the wagon in 2001. I put myself through a routine of water, weights, and running. It was the only way to control my alcoholism. Put yourself through hell or die in a car. My Dad is in a wheelchair from drinking & driving and I don't want to end up like that. He was the greatest Rocker I ever knew. My wife told me in March of 2001, after a night of hard, hard, hard drinking & driving, that if I drank again, she would leave me & take Destiny away. I've not had a drink since, and we have a 2 1/2 year old baby girl, Evie. So alot of good came out of it. The question about the performance, and the affect of not drinking, I'll put it to you like this ... try to do it with a drunk pecker! I'd get drunk and bullshit people, fight the crowd till no one came out, and when we had the chance at playing in front of a large group of people, it would be a typical rocker show, drinking and sloppy energy. Ending with me being babied and carried off like an idiot. Now I'm trying to kill myself with rock, and not trying to drink myself to death.

You have a new album in the works. How will it differ from your previous releases and what would you say was the inspiration for it? Additionally, what is the meaning of its title, The Way to the Crumbs?

The inspiration for the album ... .I've been reflecting on what we did wrong. We were fucked up and it wasn't my rock'n roll lifestyle, or my drinking or any of that trouble. It was The Unsatisfied not pushing through. Band members flakin' out and no one taking the responsibility off me. It's my dream! You know we were just so happy to play that we let ourselves get bullshitted. We had fifteen years of shows in our belts, we would open for EMO bands, death metal shows, jam-band shows, etc..I understood for the first time in my life, that we would never get out of Chatta-Nowhere if we stayed in that routine. People who are able to provide a band with good shows, would be afraid to give us a chance, because of our band and shitty reputation. But they understood that my band had staying power and a fan-base ... I just wanted to warn people that if you let mother fuckers run over you it cheapens the dream. That's 'The Way to the Crumbs', you tremble and hesitate and smother in the wait.

You call yourself "ugly-sexy". What in the hell does that mean?

I don't look like anybody, yet I resemble great sexy rockers who happen to be ugly as Hell.

In your opinion, what makes The Unsatisfied stand out from the hordes of other rock bands on the scene? Why should people go out and buy your albums and go to your shows?

Well, we've been together much longer than most bands, and we've learned to treat our music with the care and respect it deserves. We won't cheat on energy and we won't let down the audience. All the facts are out there about this band. We have a movie about how hard this shit is. There is no demographic for us to go by, or major label-backing. We are one of a very few breed of people who live it & love it. Most people decide ahead of time that they don't like us and won't come out. That's very unsettling, but Hell, what can you say? We just keep on pluggin' away!

You've been at this game for years. There have been ups, downs, highs, and lows on this quest for rock and roll glory. What advice do you have for a band just starting out? Words of wisdom from an old dog?

It's important to have a long-standing friend around. Someone to watch your back. Just remember, you need support, not lies. Don't pat yourself on the back too much. Be humble. There's alot of assholes in the music biz and you have to detatch yourself from those people ... they won't get any better. Don't drink, don't be too sweet to people whom you think can help you, because if they think you're a push-over, they'll try to bury you.

Let's end this session with an off-the-cuff bit of Eric Scealf poetry ...

Death Chants

Take a chance in the dead of night,
to watch the stars fade from our sight;
Sweet dawn approaching?