A couple of years again, Korn frontman Jonathan Davis launched his personal pet model – and there is no prizes for guessing what it is referred to as. However whereas Freak On A Leash would possibly seem to be a enjoyable, throwaway facet gig, it touches on one thing very near Jonathan’s coronary heart: his love for animals.
“Freak On A Leash truly got here from a dialog I used to be having with my girlfriend; we’re large animal lovers!” he enthuses. “I used to be considering, ‘How may would it not be if we may gown our canine in shit that we wish?’ Like, we go within the pet retailer and it’s simply generic canine collars, leashes and stuff like that, so we have been questioning the place the cool stuff was. It was a no brainer calling it Freak On A Leash! We thought it’d be enjoyable and funky to do one thing for canine. We needed to share our love for animals with the world and gown them in various garments.”
It is a fairly on the market thought, however the model has expanded because it was first launched in 2022 they usually’ve now teamed up with LA clothier Ashton Michael – who has labored with celebrities together with Beyoncé, Lizzo and Davis himself – to create distinctive pet equipment and toys and lift cash for a great trigger.
Elevating cash for Pup Tradition Rescue, a non-profit canine rescue primarily based in Pasadena, California, the brand new line contains collars, bandanas, plush toys and leashes, amongst others. Understanding how a lot steel stars love their pets – together with Rob Halford’s adoration of cats, Hammer caught up with Jonathan to search out out extra about his love for our furry pals.
So we guess you’re extra of a canine man than a cat man?
“I’ve had cats. what the fuckin’ kicker is? I’m deathly allergic to canine. We have now this moyen poodle and he’s hypoallergenic, his title’s Dante and I really like that canine greater than something on this planet. That is the primary time I’ve truly had a hypoallergenic canine; with [my old dog] Chaos, he’d make me wheeze so unhealthy, I’d get bronchial asthma assaults… all this shit. But it surely was value it, as a result of I beloved him.
However yeah, I had cats too they usually may very well be simply as unhealthy. They have been somewhat extra tolerable as a result of they’d be outdoors extra, but when I touched my eyes I used to be fucked. All that mentioned, we’d like ‘em – they make us dwell longer.”
What does it imply to be working with Ashton Michael?
“I really like him to loss of life, he’s my expensive, expensive good friend. He began dressing me again in 2018. We met and I simply beloved his aesthetic, I beloved what he does and thought it’d be actually cool to collab with him. He’s added some touches of what he does to what we’re doing and that’s simply so cool.
He’s accomplished stuff like with my three eyebrow piercings, there’s three rings on all of the collars… It was actually enjoyable to collaborate with him and see what he got here up with. Plus he clothes everyone now – I see a great deal of folks carrying his stuff, which is great.”
It is a reasonably large boast – ‘Oh, my canine is dressed by Ashton Michael’.
“They fuckin’ deserve it! Greater than something, man. I truthfully love and respect them greater than people – I believe each pet proprietor can relate to that.”
And proceeds from the merchandise will go to Pup Tradition Rescue, proper?
“I really like rescues. There’s so many canine that don’t have houses and it breaks my fucking coronary heart. Even in my hometown, Bakersfield, there’s hundreds of canine in rescues there. It killed me, dude. There’s a lot of these canine having puppies, sick canine and stuff like cats and even pigs too. Tonnes of animals that want houses and it’s so miserable to see all of them sitting in cages, ready to discover a residence. So if I can do something to assist these amenities handle these canine and never kill them, discover them houses… I’ll do no matter I can.”
What pets do you have got today?
“In the home, we’ve acquired my canine, Dante, a bearded dragon referred to as Girl and a fish referred to as Mermaid. However we’ve had all types. I’ve raised three boys, so I’ve had each sort of animal that wouldn’t drive me too loopy or put me in a hospital mattress. However yeah Dante is my boy, he’s black and brown, and he brings me a lot pleasure. I get up and he’s hooked up to me till I’m going to mattress. He’ll include me to go get espresso, we do every little thing collectively once I’m residence.”
There’s nothing just like the love of a pet, proper?
“Oh it’s a distinct sort of affection, bro. True, unconditional love. Each time I stroll within the door, that little fucker is there to greet me and it’s thrilling. You see the love in his eyes and he loves to simply sit down on my chair or lie by my ft whereas I play videogames. You don’t get that sort of love from anything such as you do from a canine or cat. Cats are totally different; I had them once I was little and I beloved them to loss of life, they have been outdoors cats however they’d come and hang around with me.”
It is an actual badge of privilege if a cat involves you with out being bribed.
“They’re an integral a part of life. You may need all this steel work, a lot of doom and gloom, this heaviness and all this shit, however I additionally want some good-hearted, healthful loving stuff too. It’s a break from all that shit and makes me overlook about my issues. I look in that little dude’s eyes and shit doesn’t matter, ‘Let’s go for a stroll buddy’.”
What was your favorite pet rising up?
“Pete the parakeet. I couldn’t actually have many animals – the one issues I wasn’t allergic to have been the fish or chicken. My earliest childhood reminiscences are of spending time with my parakeet – we had him for years and y ars till he handed. I beloved that chicken. Different occasions, we’d attempt to get canine however I’d get too allergic. I’d go see my grandparents they usually’d have canine, so I beloved taking part in with them however may solely do it so lengthy earlier than I’d get sick.”
What’s the following stage for Freak On A Leash?
“We’re seeking to get into extra pet shops and do extra collaborations. Good, enjoyable issues! We’re letting it go and seeing how issues prove. I’d actually prefer to see this factor blow up, we’ve acquired a number of the merchandise and canine simply look so, so good in them. It’s one thing we began to decorate up canine and cats, however I’m comfortable man.”
The Freak On A Leash x Ashton Michael assortment is on-sale now. Go to the official web site for extra particulars.
