Interview Paul Lukes
Throughout the years, there have been many brands out there attempting to hijack graffiti culture and trying to sell it to the masses. Streetwear and graffiti have had a connection for a long time but no one has quite done it like We Ride By Train. Fusing the worlds of art and railroad culture, W.R.B.T. has carved out a unique niche in the boutique clothing/product subculture while remaining true to its roots-the underground. From unique videos and limited run magazine productions, to railroad inspired garments, they’ve managed to authentically reflect what makes metal giants and what’s on their surfaces so memorable. Bombing Science takes a few minutes to talk with W.R.B.T. front man Joe Grande about how his company works to stay true to the subculture it represents.
A sample of the railroad inspired clothing produced by WRBT
Bombing Science: First and foremost, can you tell us how W.R.B.T. started and what the brand is all about?
Joe Grande: W.R.B.T.started in 2007 originally as a DVD project and in 2009, we started the clothing Brand. The brand represents the railroad culture, from graffiti writers, train hoppers, railroad workers, and benchers (train photographers).
BS: What do you think makes railroad culture so unique/alluring that people want to read about it, and pay homage to it through the clothing you produce?
JG: The railroad culture is unique in that it is still relatively mysterious, unknown, dangerous, highly illegal, and allows one to travel or have their art travel across North America. We do our best to represent that in our designs and can’t thank everyone enough for supporting us!
One of the newer samples of the railroad inspired clothing produced by WRBT
BS: What do you look for when looking for subjects to interview for your magazine? How do you tell the difference between someone who’s done two moniker tags and someone who has paid their dues? Tell me a little bit about your selection process.
JG: We are always looking for someone to interview that has a good story to tell. I, myself, have collected graffiti magazines since the early ‘90s and wanted to keep that vibe alive in our magazines. Being from California, it was always nice to be able to read about someone from the east coast, or even someone in Europe.
The lines don’t lie. Active people whether you’re a writer, rider, bencher, or train worker know who’s really doing it and putting in real work. With the amount of writers hitting trains today, you really have to put in thousands upon thousands of trains to even have a dent in the graffiti game. I always look for people who either killed the trains in the early days, up and comers of today, or just anyone who we feel has heart for the game.
BS: What are some of the challenges you’ve faced with running the company?
JG: There are always challenges. I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve felt like quitting. From shipping, creating new designs, customer service, product procurement, printing, and meeting the deadlines and goals I set for myself, it is always an on-going challenge. It’s how you overcome your challenges that makes it all worth it to bring yourself success in the end.
A sample of the railroad inspired clothing produced by W.R.B.T.
BS: How does W.R.B.T. support the railroad and graffiti communities?
JG: I feel we give back by supporting the railroad and graffiti communities by supporting those who support us. We hope to put a spotlight on everyone out there who is putting in the work, young and old, and portray a lifestyle that we all love.
BS: How many people are part of the W.R.B.T. team and how do they contribute?
JG: We currently have several people who contribute from Graphic Design, Photography, and all our IG family who continue to support us on a regular basis. Without you all, W.R.B.T. would not exist.
A sample of the railroad inspired clothing produced by W.R.B.T.
BS: What are your goals for the brand in the future? How big do you want to get?
JG: I am actually content with where we are now. I wouldn’t mind seeing it grow bigger, but to a limited extent. I do hope we can grow the magazine bigger in size and pages, and possibly even see it come out monthly one day. Also, I hope I can do some cut and sew projects for clothing in the near future. There is so much design potential in and around a railroad theme.
Joe Grande wearing the commuter tee
A sample of the railroad inspired clothing produced by WRBT
BS: I noticed your magazines come out in very limited releases. How important do you think it is to preserve the sort of mildly secretive folk-art nature of railroad culture and graffiti? How does WRBT encourage that?
JG: We really don’t make anything for the masses. I like to keep it that way. I think it keeps it underground and makes our products that much more special. I don’t do many reprints of anything.
BS: What have been some of the highlights of running WRBT in the time you’ve been in charge? How has it enriched your life?
JG: Whenever I get an order, no matter how big or small, is always my biggest highlight. We put in a lot of time and effort into everything we do. It’s always a great feeling to see a new project start from an idea, to a finished product, and finally to have someone buy that from us.
BS: Where do you look for graphic inspiration for WRBT clothing? If you could describe the aesthetic of your gear for people who are unfamiliar with it, what would you say?
JG: Inspiration comes from everything railroad related. I like to draw inspiration from vintage railroad design, and from a time when railroad travel was the main point of travel in america. I try to recreate that feeling in our designs.
The third in the We Ride By Train series of graffiti videos.
BS: What motivated you to make a print only magazine and completely avoid the online content aspect of it? What about print is special to you?
JG: Not everyone likes to thumb through Instagram to see pictures and read content. It’s like everyone needs this instant gratification. What print does is preserve the history, and that’s something an app like Instagram cannot do. Twenty years from now, someone might pull out one of my magazines and say “I remember this, and yeah that dude was killing it at the time.” Or a rookie can look back and be able to get a history lesson. That is what’s special about print in my opinion.
BS: From what you’ve learned over the years, what rules of conduct would you pass down to someone new to railroad culture so that they don’t burn spots and ruin things for everyone? How would you school a rookie who shows interest and has the heart to back it up?
JG: I would suggest reading issue 11 “Unspoken Words” and that will tell you everything you need to know about any unofficial rules of conduct. On another note, it’s always good to have a veteran or mentor who can school you on the things you need to know. And quite honestly, I have always felt that painting freight trains was always reserved for writers who put in their work on the streets for years upon years. If you’re not up in the streets or at least at one time, you shouldn’t even be in the train yards. And especially going over people that have been putting in work way before your time.
BS: If you could change anything about railroad culture today, what would it be?
JG: I wouldn’t change anything. There was a time when someone could go in the yard and theres was 20 empty panels with 1 piece. Now its the opposite. It’s just the natural progression and it was bound to happen. It’s actually nice to bench a line of trains and see every boxcar rocked.
BS: Any last shout outs?
JG: Everyone who’s helped us get to where we are now from all our Instagram supporters, Lone MIB, Nsubordinate, Paul Lukes, Monkey Wrench Design, Victor Koast, Mikesumoto, STL Bench crew including Irene, CMS crew, Bombing Science, my crew and family, and everyone we have met on our travels. Much love and thanks for letting me have a voice to speak.
