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The Higher Interview May 18th, 2005

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The Higher

– Please state your name in the band, position and favorite animal.

Tom: my name is tom. Iï¿Â½m the guitarist, and if I could be any animal it would be a panda, because it eats bamboo, and its healthy.

– How did the higher start?

Tom: Everyone met in high school, well everyone except for me, and they started, but I knew them in high school. And they just started a band, and later I joined.

– You just have a record that just hit stores how would you describe it in one word?
Tom: Awesome, haha that’s hard, but I do like awesome.

– How long have you been signed to Fiddler Records?

Tom: About two years in about a month. They are really good to us we love them, they love us, and we are ready to have this record out with them.

– How has the band matured in the past two years?

Tom: We matured just through playing out instruments and learning how to play them a lot better. And coming more in tune with writing songs.

– Who influenced you to start playing music?

Tom: probably for me it would be Blink 182, and anyone playing a guitar when I was younger. I went to a Blink show when I was like 13 and I was like I want to do that, I want to play music.

– Who are your influences non-musically?

Tom: Chris Rock and Pablo Francisco

– Who is Pablo Francisco?

Tom: he’s a comedian
– Who writes the songs?

Tom: Usually someone comes with a part and everyone just jams around and makes parts to sound good together.

– What is your dream tour to play?

Tom: it would be awesome to go out to a Jimmy Eat World, The Who and Bob Dylan, thereï¿Â½s so many. A tour with like thirty bands and we could all pick like six, thatï¿Â½s our dream tour.

– What would be your dream tour to watch?

Tom: Lenny Kravitz, pink Floyd and maybe a band called Long Ways, its weird music but that would be awesome to watch.

– What are you expecting for the upcoming tour?

Tom: we aren’t expecting much we want to get our music out as much as possible, and let word of our new record, but there might be shows that only 5 kids show up to. We just canï¿Â½t wait to get back on the road; we are expecting a good time.

– Any last words

Tom: buy our record, in a Chicago accent, its really good, you will like it, its something new and exciting, if your tired of screaming, youï¿Â½ll love it.

– Thanks.

The Academy Is… Interview June 14th, 2005

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theacademyis
I interviewed Will and Butcher from The Academy Is. Butcher is the drummer and Will is the lead singer.

Paul: Where did your band name originate?

-Will: We were originally called the academy. No rhyme or reason to be quite frank. We just looked at a bunch of name ideas for songs and we had The Academy. I thought it was strong and very strong name you could see on top of a Marquee or billboard. It reflected our ambition. Then we had some legal problems with other bands previously that were called the academy. So we had to change it. At the time our sound was changing, and so was our bands line up. A lot and so our focus was also changing. At the same time we didnï¿Â½t want to completely change our name and alienate our old fans from our music and local Chicago suburbs. So we changed it to The Academy Is.

Paul: How did you all first meet one another?

-Will: Well Mike and I met because I was doing my solo project Remember Maine and he had his own band and we played a lot together. Over time we eventually built a friendship. This was about four years ago. Adam our bass player went to my high school and I was in one o my first bands with his older brother. But then I ended up liking Adam a lot better. Tom our guitarist was in another band called 504 Plan. When they broke up we were looking for a guitarist and we asked him.

-Butcher: I also played in a band at the time called Last Place Champs. I played a show with The Academy and 504 Plan. The band broke up and a year past and Tom asked me to join the band with him.

Paul: How did you come across Fueled By Ramen Records and why did you decide to sign with them?

-Will: Well they really came across us. At that point when they signed us there wasnï¿Â½t anyone else that wanted to sign us. Then once we were signed everyone wanted to sign us. Then all these labels were pissed at us because we didnï¿Â½t let them have the chance to sign us. But hopefully they got over it. We were really good friends with Pete from Fall Out Boy. And at this time Fall Out Boy was just getting signed to Fueled By Ramen. Pete really liked us a lot. He came to some of our first practices and shows and was really impressed. He told John from Fueled By Ramen that he should come check us out. Also at the time, our best friend Johnny at LLR contacted Fueled By Ramen and recommended that they check us out. They saw us live, and two weeks we were getting signed to Fueled By Ramen.

Paul: How did your band become involved with Hollister Co.?

-Will: We sent Hollister our record. Hollister seemed to be really interested. Now they are carrying our record. We are also doing a lot of things with Hollister. Just recently we had an in store performance for Lounge 22 in Chicago. We are planning on doing a few more pretty soon. So pretty much simple, they heard about us, liked the record, and now they help us out a lot with promotion and free clothes.

Paul: How does the bandï¿Â½s song writing process go about?

-Will: Well in this past record, Mike and I pretty much wrote the whole record. Butcher and tom werenï¿Â½t even in the band when we wrote the record. So pretty much we had to write it on our own. We take the songs from the ground up. We started with acoustic and melodies. I would write a melody to a riff mike had. Then I would go and write lyrics with the melody. The next record will be a lot more collaborative because we will have butcher, mike, tom and myself all writing together. The writing process will definitely be different.

Paul: What song on the record would you say has the more significant lyrics?

-Will: We all of them do. Personally for me, ï¿Â½The Phrase That Paysï¿Â½ would probably be it. That song says the most of what I wanted to say and painting that picture that I wanted people to take something from. I was thinking a lot about my life, and being who I was and the way my life was at that particular time. For instance, if you were told you were going to die tomorrow, would you be happy with the way you life is? And the way you have chosen to live you life up to that point? I was thinking a lot about death at the time, and something tells me ï¿Â½hey man you need to make the most of your time here.ï¿Â½ That means going for the things that you dream and love as well. The line ï¿Â½Take a chance and make it big because itï¿Â½s the last youï¿Â½ll ever getï¿Â½ thatï¿Â½s the mentality that I think would be helpful if people had from time to time. Because to many people out there just procrastinate and push there dreams away. Always talk about doing something and never end up doing it. So this is what the song is about. It is supposed to encourage people not to do that. Itï¿Â½s about taking your life by the reigns and gaining control of everything you ever want it to be.

-Butcher: I would say the last song almost here. The lyrics from what I take of it are about beginning touring and getting adjusted to it. . Iï¿Â½ll take my chances of truck stops and state lines. Is one of my favorite lines of the entire album because it personifies the way I feel about doing what Iï¿Â½m doing and foreshadows my future.

Paul: What is the weirdest or craziest tour experience tour experience you ever had?

-Butcher: Its not so much crazy as it is strange. Well we were on our way to new york for one of our first tours. We were driving through Pennsylvania, and the driver at the time crashed the van. We got it fixed the next day and did our show as planned. Months had past and we were driving from just out of Vermont we apparently didnï¿Â½t see the low fuel alerts on the car. So we ran out of gas. We just pulled off the highway and ran out of gas exact point where we got hit. It was some extreme dï¿Â½jï¿Â½ vu. Itï¿Â½s more eerie than anything.

Paul: What other tour plans do you have set up for the future?

-Will: Well we will be touring with Spitalfield, Hidden In Plain View, and Over It in the beginning of September. After that we will be playing some dates in Japan and England. Also as of right now we are in talks about being on a big tour with The All American Rejects, Rooney, and Jamison Parker.

Paul: Well what do you guys usually do when you are off tour and now dealing with the band?

-Will: We are rarely home and we have been out like two weeks here and there. But when we are home we are with the band working on songs and practicing. I mean this is our life.

Paul: If you could go out on any tour with any 3 bands who would it be?

-Butcher: Foo Fighters, The Chemical Brothers. And The Red Hot Chili Peppers

-Will: If it was any bands in the past or current bands now I would choose Led Zeppelin, The Doors, and Jimmy Eat World.

Paul: What would you say are your biggest musical influences?

-Will: Well for me the reason why I started playing, the reason why I bought a guitar was Led Zeppelin, I love everything about that band, their performance, their songs, musicianship and they are the band I have listened to everyday of my life. They are really the catalyst of my music career. Also bands like the Promise Ring, The Alkaline Trio, The Honor System, who I just fell in love with just got me into the Indie scene.

-Butcher. What really got me started playing drums is bands like nirvana, Foo Fighters, bush, all that grunge scene are just some of the reasons I started playing drums
Paul: Name 3 things you couldnï¿Â½t live without on tour.

-Butcher: My friend Nigel he comes through with me he has to be everything. Coke (the soda), and my performance shorts.

-Will: My I-Pod, my film collection, and our tour manager Tony. He is one of my best friends in the world.

Paul: Do you all have any more promotions plans or endorsements in the future?

-Will: Iï¿Â½m not too sure yet, but we are doing a sponsorship with Red Bull. But we are working on doing something special with the company, and I honestly donï¿Â½t know how it will work..

Paul: If you werenï¿Â½t in the academy is what would you be doing?

-Will: I would probably be going to school on the east coast somewhere, and probably working and being miserable.

-Butcher: I would be a butcher still. I used to be a butcher. Butcher isnï¿Â½t my real name my real name is Andy.


Paul: Well Iï¿Â½ll give you this time to promote and mention anything you would like to say to your fans.

-Will: Come check us out on warped tour and if you have the money and check us out in Japan. Check out our website www.theacademyis.com and the new record ï¿Â½Almost Hereï¿Â½. Thanks for everything guys.

Paramore Interview July 29th, 2005

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Paramore

I got to sit down with Paramore for a little bit before they played an amazing in-store show at Grimey’s New and Preloved Music in Nashville, TN. They talk about Warped Tour and upcoming plans.

Note: When I interview a band, I don’t treat it like an interview, so there will be some banter in here that has nothing to do with the subject we were one. Please excuse the tangents.

——————–

Josh: Will that pick up?

Trevor: Yeah, it should. So um, state your names, what you do with the band.

Hayley: Hi, I’m Hayley. I sing.

Josh: I’m Josh, I play guitar.

Jason: I’m Jason, I play guitar.

John: I’m John, I play bass.

Zac: I’m Zac, I play drums.

Trevor: And so like, you guys are back home now. So how’s this feeling, after you guys have been signed and everything?

(Sounds of equipment rolling on the bridge overhead.)

(Laughter all around)

Hayley: It’s surreal. People are calling us, every day, telling us, “We saw your video on Fuse. Oh, you’re in this magazine. Oh we just found out that your CD’s sold out in stores.” It’s really- it’s really weird, ’cause we’re not seeing any of it when we’re out and all our friends are back home supporting us and you know, it’s cool.

Trevor: That’s great. So how’d you guys hook up with Fueled By Ramen? Like, I mean, ’cause you guys just came out of nowhere, appeared on a samplers, and everybody’s like, “Who’s this band? ‘Cause they’re really really good.”

Hayley: (Laughs) Um, we- we really didn’t play anywhere except for here in Nashville. You know, we were a local band, a garage band for a while. But John Janick, our management basically, you know after we had demos recorded and stuff, got a hold of it through our management. And um he decided he wanted to come see us play and just kinda get to know us, ’cause he was really interested in the songs we were writing and who we were. And uh, so he came and saw us play at Taste of Chaos which was just an acoustic thing and that just kind of stirred up more interest for him in our band. And then he came and saw us play again. We were in Orlando and we decided that we, you know, it was a good fit, and he introduced us to his label. We already knew, you know Fall Out Boy.

Trevor: Yeah.

Hayley: And all that stuff which was amazing. And he let us come by the office and we got to know everyone and we knew that was where we needed to be and we knew it was who would put out our record and would carry out the vision that we would like to be carried out.

Trevor: Well they seem to be a good job since everyone’s responding really well to it.

(Collective yeah)

Josh: It’s amazing.

Trevor: How are the other bands on the label? Like have you hooked up with them any? Talked to them at all?

Jason: Yeah, we played um, about three or four shows on the Fueled By Ramen and Friends Tour. And theAcademyIs… was there, and Fall Out Boy, and Gym Class Heroes and we made friends with them. They were just such cool guys.

Trevor: Yeah I met like, everybody when they were up here in Nashville and they were awesome.

Josh: Yeah, they’re all really nice.

Trevor: Yeah like, I remember, I tried to come up to see theAcademyIs… again with Mae. Like, two feet from the door, the show sold out.

(Collective oh yeah)

Zac: We were there.

Trevor: Were you?

Hayley: Yeah.

Jason: It was fun. One of the best shows I’ve ever seen theAcademyIs… play.

Trevor: Yeah I was walking around and like, Mike and Tom were out in the van and I was like, “Dude. That sucks.” Mike’s like, “Well here. I’ll serenade you.” and he’s playing his guitar and I’m like, “Thank you.”

(Collective laughs)

Trevor: Let’s see. Warped Tour. You guys are such a young band. And that’s gotta be incredible to be playing Warped Tour.

Jason: It is. It’s awesome. It’s great to find every day that we go and play at Warped Tour, we get there early in the morning and Fueled By Ramen’s already got our stuff pasted everywhere. We’ve got poster and flyers being handed out from the second the doors open. They’re really doing well for us on Warped Tour and it’s just an awesome experience for us to get to know all the fans- to get to know all the people that are hearing about our band through word of mouth and stuff. It’s incredible.

Trevor: So are the fans on Warped Tour responding pretty well to it and everything?

Jason and Zac: Yeah.

Jason: Yeah, we have a great turn out. Pretty much every day and we play on a really small stage. The Shure Stage and it’s always- the location’s not always really close to the main stage where everybody is, but surprisingly we have a lot of people show up and it’s awesome.

Zac: Yeah, people would just be like walking by and they’d like be on their way to My Chemical Romance and Fall Out Boy and they’ll just stop and watch us, even if they’re missing their show. It’s just great for us, ’cause like, I wouldn’t stop. (Laughs) I’d just keep going.

(Laughs)

Jason: We also work really hard to get people, to make connections with the fans and give them free stuff and you know, just say hi to them.

Josh: You have ants on your feet.

Trevor: Do I?

Josh: Yeah, like lots of them.

(Hayley proceeds to destroy the ants and save my feet.)

Trevor: Weird.

Josh: There’s still one on your foot.

Trevor: Where?

Josh: Right there.

Hayley: Get him before he bites you.

(Laughs)

Trevor: Okay.

(Collective laughs)

Trevor: Where were we?

(Collective laughs)

Trevor: I totally lost my train of thought. (Laughs) The ants.

Hayley: (Laughs) The ants.

Trevor: Yeah um so like, the fans have been responding well. Have you guys been watching any certain bands when you get a chance? Like who have you been checking out?

Zac: Oh yeah. I watched Emery the other day. They are one of the funniest bands. Like, their whole deal is every time they play, they wear something different. Like the first time I saw them, they were wearing Hawaiian shirts, then the next day basketball jerseys.

Jason: We also, like every chance we get, we check out My American Heart. They’ve become really good friends of ours.

Trevor: Yeah, they’re kind of like you guys. They’ve like, exploded like all of the sudden so they’re getting all of this attention and you guys, probably like kind of have a little connection there.

Zac: They’re such cool guys, too. Like every day we announce eachother’s shows like, “Go see My American Heart at 3:15.” or “Go see Paramore.”

Hayley and Jason: Yeah.

Trevor: Awesome. Are there any new released that have come out that you guys have been listening to a lot?

Josh: Dredg. Their new CD is incredible.

Trevor: Yeah, a friend of mine went and saw them with Circa Survive and said it was like, the most amazing show he’d ever seen.

Josh: I bet. I mean, the drummer plays piano. That has to be the best.

Jason: I like the Gorillaz new album.

Josh: Yeah, it’s pretty good, but it’s weird.

Hayley: We got Death Cab for Cutie’s new album. It’s called Plans. It’s awesome. It’s a lot more mature, I think.

Trevor: You guys are getting ready to go back on Warped Tour in a couple of days, so what’s after Warped Tour.

John: Uh, well, we have like a few things lined up to where our managers are trying to find out what’s the best tour for us to be on. We’re working on a few different bands, which when you’re in any band, it’s always like, last minute to try and figure out what tour you’re gonna go on next. Especially when you’re an opening band and stuff. So they have a few different bands. Rufio is one of them they talked about. Um, All American Rejects.

Hayley: Emery.

John: Emery was also another one. Simple Plan. So there’s a bunch of different options.

Trevor: If you guys got on tour with any of those, you’d get so much exposure. ‘Cause like, Cartel is playing with Simple Plan in Atlanta on August 17th and they’re such a good band, and that’s gonna be so great for them.

Hayley: Yeah, that’s gonna be awesome.

Zac: Yeah, we know a dude from- I don’t think he’s in their band anymore.

Hayley: No, he’s not.

Zac: His name is Adam, we used to talk to him. He actually was the person to tell us about Warped Tour, to tell us how to do it. How to get a good merch spot or whatever.

Jason: It’s nice to have someone help out like that.

Trevor: It’s always good to have someone that just tells you advice and everything.

Jason: Yeah. It’s not as hard as they said it would be though. Copeland told us that it would be really hard because they said they were on for like three days and they couldn’t do it anymore. It’s hard but it’s so much fun.

John: Yeah.

Trevor: Copeland’s such a great band, but I don’t know how the Warped Crowd would..

Everyone: Yeah.

Jason: That’s what they thought as well.

Trevor: I mean, like yeah, they’re good though.

Hayley: Yeah, they’re awesome.

Trevor: They played around in Cleveland a couple of shows at a place at Lee University called The House, it’s like a small little building. Copeland played that one night…got shut down by the cops.

Hayley: Wow.

Trevor: Copeland got shut down. How does that happen?

Jason: Yeah, that’s weird.

Trevor: So what would you guys think about playing with All American Rejects?

Jason: I think it would be awesome.

Everyone: That would be amazing.

Trevor: I would defnitely go to see that show.

Jason: I think that would be a good match for our band.

Hayley: Yeah.

Jason: We have the same type pop elements, and the rock side.

Trevor: Have you heard their new album?

Everyone: Yeah.

Jason: They’re on Warped Tour right now. I watched them play the other day, they’re so good.

Trevor: Is there anything else you guys want to say?

Zac: Yeah, thanks for doing this.

Trevor: Yeah, no problem.

Hayley: Thanks to everyone that’s heard the album, that’s buying it now. We’ve had a lot of great support from people. Thank you.

Trevor: Like I told Jason. I was at Best Buy, right when the doors opened. I blasted the album on the interstate.

Hayley: That’s awesome.

Everyone: Thanks.

Motion City Soundtrack Interview July 23rd, 2005

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Motion City Soundtrack

At this year’s Warped Tour Chicago I had the pleasure of sitting down with Matt the bassist of Motion City Soundtrack. I’d like to thank Vizion Jones for setting this up. I’d also, of course, like to thank Matt who was as nice and accomodating as physically possible and for taking time out of his busy day.

Joe: When did you guys start as Motion City and how did you guys all come together as a band?

Matt: I didnï¿Â½t actually join until 2002 but Josh and Justin have been playing together since about late ï¿Â½97, ï¿Â½98. They used to play in different bands in the Minneapolis- St. Paul area and eventually Josh recruited him because he liked his voice so they started playing together and they had a different bass player and drummer. They toured with a kind of revolving door of members for awhile then 2002 rolled around and they lost their drummer and they asked Tony and he finally said, ï¿Â½yesï¿Â½. Then six months after that I joined, well Tony and Jesse joined together, sorry ha ha ha. Itï¿Â½s a little confusing because I wasnï¿Â½t really there.

J: So youï¿Â½re the latecomer into the band?

M: Yeah Iï¿Â½m the last one to join.

J: How did you come to fit into this whole thing?

M: Tony and I were in an old band together in Virginia, after he moved from Michigan itï¿Â½s so confusing. We went on tour and met Motion City Soundtrack in Milton, Pennsylvania and played a show together where we became friends. We stayed in touch for a couple years and they remembered playing with him (Tony) and really liked him so they talked him into joining and then six months later I joined too.

J: Cool, so do they treat you like the baby of the group since youï¿Â½re the last one in or is it prettyï¿Â½

M: Nah not really itï¿Â½s pretty equal for everyone.

J: So were you around for ï¿Â½I Am the Movieï¿Â½?

M: Yeah

J: Did you play on that one?

M: The thing is they recorded it probably two months before I joined so there was another bass player on there. Then we got signed to Epitaph and Epitaph put that recording out but we went back in and I rerecorded all the bass and added some parts to for legal reasons, you know to get me on the record. So that is me on there now.

J: The new record ï¿Â½Commit This To Memoryï¿Â½ which I think is just unbelievable. Itï¿Â½s one of my favorite cds of the year by far. You and Fall Out Boy are like one-two back and forth

M: Thank you

J: How do you feel that cd compares to the old one? I mean itï¿Â½s the same sound but itï¿Â½s so different as well.

M: Well first we wanted to go in and just make a huge sounding record. We just wanted to, you know, when you crank it itï¿Â½s just huge. First of all ï¿Â½I Am the Movieï¿Â½ was probably four years worth of songs saved up over a long time that they finally put out on a record. This record was a yearï¿Â½s worth of songs. Half of which were probably written three to four weeks before they were recorded when we went to LA to rehearse. This one, I feel itï¿Â½s like ï¿Â½I Am the Movieï¿Â½ with a few added things we didnï¿Â½t do before. For instance instead of having singing constantly, constant vocals, we decided to stretch it out and have more instrumental parts and layering on some pianos and pretty you know..

J: Yeah arena-ish

M: Yeah, yeah and we added a lot of backup vocals thatï¿Â½s kind of my guilty pleasure. I just love harmonies and choruses to make them sound bigger.

J: Is that you on the backups then?

M: Yeah

J: ha ha nice

M: ha ha yeah thatï¿Â½s what it was to me the differences between the two. We just kind of went in and paid more attention to detail.

J: So itï¿Â½s produced by Mark Hoppus. How was it working with him?

M: It was awesome no complaints whatsoever. Heï¿Â½s just a super cool guy. Very funnyï¿Â½

J: Obviouslyï¿Â½

M: Yeah heï¿Â½s just like heï¿Â½s portrayed. But heï¿Â½s also very laid back which you donï¿Â½t see much on tv. Heï¿Â½s always making jokes but heï¿Â½s also very chill.

J: What advice did he have for you on this album? Like how was his expertise used on the record?

M: He has a really good pretty sharp ear for timing and pitch and things like that which is great. Thatï¿Â½s the kind of stuff when youï¿Â½re playing your parts you donï¿Â½t want to be like focused in on those tiny little things that are going to effect your playing and your experience. So Iï¿Â½ll play a part and be like, ï¿Â½Hey thatï¿Â½s pretty goodï¿Â½ and heï¿Â½d be like, ï¿Â½Oh, itï¿Â½s too neat. Oh itï¿Â½s not locked in enough so try it againï¿Â½. Also with the vocal thing with the stretching it out and letting the music breathe part that was pretty much his contribution. He was like, ï¿Â½Why donï¿Â½t you guys not sing there, play that 8 bars longer and then bring your vocals inï¿Â½. We were like, ï¿Â½Okay!ï¿Â½. It was just something we had never thought of. He was a big, big help; it was all his idea.

J: I was wondering how he went from singing to producing just like that and how that transition was for you guys.

M: Well we were his first project.

J: Oh really?

M: We just got talking about it when we were doing a tour with them in Europe and he was just in our room chatting and he talked about producing. We were like, ï¿Â½well have you ever produced?ï¿Â½ and he goes, ï¿Â½Noï¿Â½. ï¿Â½Would you like to?ï¿Â½, ï¿Â½Yeahï¿Â½. ï¿Â½Well why havenï¿Â½t you?ï¿Â½, ï¿Â½Well I donï¿Â½t know, Iï¿Â½m not very talentedï¿Â½ and we were like ï¿Â½ha ha ha haï¿Â½ Then he leaves the room to go play and we all look at each other and weï¿Â½re like, ï¿Â½Hey we have to record in a few monthsï¿Â½. So the next day Josh talked to him and he goes, ï¿Â½Hell yeah, Iï¿Â½ll totally do it.ï¿Â½

J: Thatï¿Â½s so cool

M: Yeah he is very cool.

J: So since weï¿Â½re at Warped Tour and then youï¿Â½re co-headlining with Fall Out Boy later right? And the Starting Line?

M: Yeah, weï¿Â½re actually not co-headlining but weï¿Â½re main support.

J: But you have been headlining some shows lately?

M: Yeah we just did a week or so.

J: How is it different from headlining to support? Like whatï¿Â½s the difference for you?

M: Well itï¿Â½s hard to tell. Weï¿Â½re in a very weird transitional period right now. Where the new record came out and itï¿Â½s doing pretty well weï¿Â½re noticing people coming up and singing the songs. But on a tour like the Fall Out Boy tour those guys are number one on TRL soï¿Â½

J: Ha ha ha yeahï¿Â½

M: Thatï¿Â½s going to be like youï¿Â½re playing for 5,000 people so itï¿Â½s going to be a little different but hopefully thatï¿Â½ll be where we can win some people over again. Thatï¿Â½s where you just have to come out and bring it. But when we do our own shows weï¿Â½re doing small to medium clubs and weï¿Â½re selling them out now so weï¿Â½re just kind of building as we go.

J: So I got an email yesterday that said, ï¿Â½Come hang out with Motion City and talk to them because all they do is spending hours and hours in the bus playing Playstation 2ï¿Â½

M: ha ha ha

J: True not true? Ha ha What do you guys do?

M: Was that the press mailing list?

J: Yeah, they saw my name on the press list and they said all you guys do during Warped Tour is sit on the bus and play Playstation 2

M: Thatï¿Â½s not true at all ha ha. Although I did just get a PSP soï¿Â½

J: Okay

M: So at night, when everythingï¿Â½s over I will play in my bunk.

J: ha ha ha

M: Thatï¿Â½s it! Ha ha ha Itï¿Â½s not bad

J: Okay so take me through a day of Warped then

M: Okay so I wake up, hopefully not at 1:30 like I did yesterday.

J: ha ha

M: Then we usuallyï¿Â½ Sometimes weï¿Â½ll play really early. You donï¿Â½t know when youï¿Â½re going to be playing until that morning which is crazy. So wake up, eat lunch, usually a signing in the afternoon, then press like now, dinner, show. Thatï¿Â½s usually a routine day, then after that weï¿Â½ll hang out with everybody in the parking lot until bus call. Weï¿Â½re pretty good about not being on the bus actually. Itï¿Â½s funnyï¿Â½

J: Yeah I donï¿Â½t know where this email came fromï¿Â½.

M: I know who wrote it, Iï¿Â½ll get ï¿Â½em.

J: ha ha ha.

M: Ha ha ha, yeah someone whoï¿Â½s not on Warped Tour.

J: So they really have no idea, theyï¿Â½re just making you sound bored.

M: Yeah theyï¿Â½re making us sound like chumps.

J: So how do you pick your set? With so many great songs like, ï¿Â½My Favorite Accidentï¿Â½, just old classics and then the new ones. How do you pick which five songs or so youï¿Â½re going to play for Warped?

M: Weï¿Â½re actually doing eight songs and weï¿Â½re just running through them. Now weï¿Â½re doing about half an half right now. Weï¿Â½re doing 4 old 4 new. But I think come fall weï¿Â½re going to alternate going maybe a few more new and a few less old. Ha ha you do the math.

J: Since youï¿Â½re going through so fast do you feel like youï¿Â½re still connecting with the audience with that breakneck Warped speed. I know you guys like to sit and talk with the audience a little bit but with Warped when youï¿Â½re banging them out you donï¿Â½t really get to do that.

M: Yeah youï¿Â½re right. Itï¿Â½s usually through the songs that I feel like weï¿Â½re still connected to the audience. Like going into ï¿Â½Capital Hï¿Â½ and people start bouncing itï¿Â½s the greatest thing in the world, itï¿Â½s so much fun so we just try to mix it up and have fun with them.

J: Alright well Iï¿Â½ll let you get back to your day, just thank you very much for taking the time

M: No thank you.

The Goodfight Interview July 27th, 2005

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The Goodfight

I interviewed Jonathan Rich. The singer/guitar player/founder of the new band The Goodfight from Atlanta, GA.

Paul: First off give us a little history about yourself and how you got started in music?
-Jonathan: I played basketball all the way through elementary and junior high and thought I might have a chance at being the next Larry Bird…then fate stepped in and detonated my appendix at the end of my eighth grade year. It took me about 6 months to recover from a laundry list full of complications and then I got cut in the 9th grade. By 10th grade I had gotten back to a normal physical state and was playing pretty well but the teams were already settled from the previous year and i pretty much didn’t have a chance of getting on the team. So I needed to find a new hobby.
There was a band starting up at my youth group at church and they needed a guitar player. I thought it might be fun so I got a Washburn acoustic for Christmas and started learning church songs. Somewhere in there music became a passion and basketball became a hobby. I was always singing….like out of the womb I was singing.
My parents were both real involved in music at church, they played piano as kids, and had a good ear for stuff, and so I just always sang. I was the dorky kid with the solo every year at the Christmas Program for school.

So about a year after starting to teach myself guitar i realized it might be fun to start writing songs. That was my junior year about 17 years of age. I wrote some really bad songs, but for some reason kids at my school and parents and weird people liked them.
Next thing you knew I pulled together a group of hoodlums to play with me and we were the hottest things at Lakeside High school. Not because we were good, but because we held guitars and didn’t sing Dave Matthews covers. Anyways since then I’ve been in a few bands and tried to surround myself with good players, innovators, thinkers, and dreamers while learning every chance I get.

Paul: How did you come about starting up The Goodfight?
-Jonathan: Well I was in a band called The Local Story for about three years in college and we had a three front man thing going where everybody wrote really different stuff. I was the primary writer though, and was always trying to go a different way than the rest of the guys. So we finally broke up and I started writing some songs that were directly in line with my passion for melodic anathematic rock and roll and then set some dates with Matt Goldman to record them. Out of that the Goodfight was born. Matt and a guy named Alex Peterson did the drum and bass tracks for me and then I laid down most everything else. Then Brad Wilson (my manager) and I began looking for some guys to play the record live. We found them and released the record in April.

Paul: How does the usual song writing process work for you?
-Jonathan: An idea or a phrase will pop up and I’ll write it down then when I can get to a guitar I’ll find a riff that I like (I am always writing random riffs and lines on the guitar) and start singing. Once it sounds catchy I’ll start building verses around the hook. If the song needs a little extra umph Iï¿Â½ll add a bridge or a mad 80’s Ibanez guitar solo…and so on and so forth. Everything usually falls into place after I nail down the hook.

Paul: So everything usually starts with you on guitar?

-Jonathan: Well yeah after I figure out what the context lyrically will be…then I go to the guitar.

Paul: So when you recorded with Matt Goldman you went in there pretty much by yourself to record the whole CD?

–Jonathan: Yeah it was really a backwards way of doing it…and there were some downfalls to going that route, but at the time it felt like the right thing to do and we really fell like it turned out well for being one guys influences and ideas. That being said…if life was perfect I would much rather have a band and then a record….rather than a record and then a band.

Paul: How was the recording process with matt?

-Jonathan: Phenomenal!! Matt Goldman is THE MOST underpaid producer out there. If you walked into his space you would probably knock your jaw on the floor because the sounds he pulls out of the space he works in are unbelievable. He has a phenomenal ear and is really great at coaching the project along rather than taking over. Not to mention he has been a part of some real influential records the past couple of years. For the level he is at there are few guitar and drum tones that are better, in my opinion.
It was cool because since I worked by myself we took a while on the project working three hours here three hours there. Over a period of three months I got to know him and his tech/friend Troy really well. It was definitely a non traditional approach to recording a CD, but I don’t know if I would endorse it and start putting out commercials about how everyone should record a record over a four month span for two hours at a time and without a band.

Paul: I was told there were also some special guests on the record? Who else took part in the recording process?

-Jonathan: Yeah…Andy Lee who was in Cartel at the time came into the studio one night. He was in love with the acoustic track ï¿Â½She Breathesï¿Â½ and desperately wanted to play drums for it. Matt had already laid down a track for that song that we were really fond of. So we just were playing around and Andy went in and laid down a track for the title track ï¿Â½Home Againï¿Â½ and after like four takes he nailed it. We kept it and that was that. Some other guys on the record included the drummer of Wellwater (former Atlanta band on the Mono vs. Stereo compilation) Pete Greenwald, Troy (guitar player for Small Town Poets and Matt’s good friend), and the old guitar player from Arkitek clapped on a track.

Paul: You mentioned that Matt Goldman played some drums on a few tracks. What tracks did he take part in?
-Jonathan: He played drums for the songs Beautiful, Mr. Temporary, She Breathes, Where Its at (A revolution), and Song For the Summer

Paul: That is awesome I heard he is a good drummer.

-Jonathan: Yeah he’s pretty much the best in town. Heï¿Â½d never say that though

Paul: It’s cool that you had your producer play on your CD as well not many bands have that happen.

Jonathan: Yeah I think it really gives the record a cool feel. It was weird switching roles. When we got ready to lay down those songs Matt would walk into the recording room and sit down at the kit. Then I would put on some headphones and press record. It was a lot fun and it definitely didn’t hurt the overall turnout of the record. If anything it just helped. You know that he wasnï¿Â½t going to let the songs he played on turn out sounding really bad.

Paul: As for a band, who all is playing with you live now? And how did they come in contact with you?

-Jonathan: Well Andy Lee and I hooked up in February and talked about doing some stuff together. He was working on some solo stuff post-cartel with Brian from Copelad and I was trying to release my record. He agreed to play some shows with me, until he got his new stuff up and running. Then I had some friends that were dismantling a local band called ï¿Â½Someday Vegasï¿Â½. The bass player was a great friend and their singer was looking to get really serious about keys, synth, loops, and kazoo. So we all got together and they agreed to learn the record and play some shows with me. If you come to a Good Fight show today that’s who’ll you’ll find on stage

Paul: Are these guys planning on being members in your band full time?

-Jonathan: I wouldnï¿Â½t say that as of now. Andy has his new project that will more than likely become permanent at some point and when that comes the other guys might fall into place with that since it is still on the ground level and unpolished. The guys from Someday Vegas are innovative and extremely creative and they are excited about starting from scratch and creating something from nothing rather than committing to something that has already been recorded, released, and bought up by the girl down the street. I think that they probably don’t fit into that category as of now. The guys are just considered as a temporary live band as of now, but you never know how things will work out.

Paul: So are you and the guys from Someday Vegas writing new songs for the Goodfight?

-Jonathan: Yeah…I am working on some new stuff and the guys are helping me out a little here and there. Since we just released the record 4 months ago we’ve been concentrating on playing those songs and putting together a really tight live show. But I’ve got some new stuff that the keyboard player, Thomas, and I are hopefully going to be working on in the next few months

Paul: Well speaking of live shows. Describe some of the shows you have played.

-Jonathan: We got really lucky and had an opportunity to play in a battle of the bands sponsored by 99x, the local rock station here in Atlanta, for our first show. Then we played our CD Release with Small Town Poets(Matt Goldmanï¿Â½s band) and a band called Winston Audio. And two weeks later we played at the Loft which is the 1200 person club here in ATL for the finals of that Battle of the bands. All three of those shows were pretty huge. Since then we’ve been playing spot dates here in Atlanta and in Athens with bands like Honestly and Rude Buddha.

Paul: When you write you lyrics what usually inspires you the most?

-Jonathan: Probably the extremes of life. To me life is a story of the war between two ends. It is where hope meets pain and honesty meets insincerity. So most of my songs come from questions about why we are stuck in the middle. They are the search for reasons why we are never who we want to be, and why the grass is greener and the sky is bluer in the next big thing. Than a few of them are about my fiancï¿Â½, whom I might add is amazing.

Paul: What song on the CD would you say has the most inspiring lyrics?

-Jonathan: I have a few favorites. ï¿Â½Home againï¿Â½ and ï¿Â½Revolutionï¿Â½ really communicate a theme that I tried to create throughout the record…that being that we are all caught up in the race for something more. No matter where that race takes us our heart desires to return to the same place. That is home….redemption…safety…completion. For me the hugest part of music is the pedestal you have to express something. Every avenue art grants the artist that opportunity. For a lot of bands the expression is in the music…intricate guitars parts or really phenomenal melodies. For me it’s in the lyrics. If there wasn’t substance to what my songs said I wouldn’t feel like they were worth much.

Paul: What bands/songwriters have inspired you the most?

-Jonathan: Man the list is long….and weird. At the top of the list my favorite frontman/songwriter/philospher/etc. is John Foreman (Switchfoot) after that the list goes something like Further Seems Forever, Jimmy Eat World, Winston Audio, Frank Sinatra, Dave Grohl, Billie Holiday, Elvis, The Beatles, U2 (duh), For All the Drifters, James Brown, Sleeping At Last, Billy Corgan, The Beach Boys, and The Juliana Theory.

Paul: As for the band is there any label interest being shown?

-Jonathan: Well…we just signed a distribution deal with Trolley Bus Records in Japan and they will be releasing Home Again there in September. As far as the U.S. goes…we met a bunch of label representatives at those battle of the bands and they were all excited. There are also a few small indie labels out of Nashville that have shown some interest but everything is very premature still so we are just concentrating on progressing as a band and getting the record out. Hopefully as that ambition grows, the labels will start paying more and more attention.

Paul: So as of right now you are mostly trying to gain a larger fan base?

-Jonathan: Yes, that is correct. Especially fans that visit rad websites like drivenfaroff.com. Those kinds of fans get a free coffee mug

Paul: So what type of tour plans do you have in the future?

-Jonathan: Well we’d like to do an 8-10 city southeast tour this fall and start building a fan base around those cities. But we are also toying around with the idea of doing some college campus shows, maybe a little of both. I am hoping it will kick start the progress for us of attracting people from other cities.

Paul: Well just to let the fans get to know you better we have some more personal questions non relating to the band.
What is your favorite CD of 2005?

-Jonathan: My favorite record as of now would probably be…Copeland ï¿Â½In Motionï¿Â½.

Paul: Most anticipated release of 2005?

-Jonathan: ï¿Â½Nothing Is Soundï¿Â½ from Switchfoot

Paul: Favorite food?

-Jonathan: Little five points pizza

Paul: 3 things you couldn’t live without?

-Jonathan: Bible, Callie Grady, Black Converse All Stars

Paul: What do you do when you aren’t with the band or playing music?

-Jonathan: I dabble in video editing, graphic design, and play music and do art integration at my church. I also like to throw the aerobie (frisbee) and ride my bike in the park.

Paul: Well, I’ll just give you this time to promote or talk about anything you want to mention.

-Jonathan: Well the record is out at smartpunk and cdbaby and everyone who reads this article is beautiful.
Come visit The Goodfight at
www.purevolume.com/fightthegoodfight
www.myspace.com/fightthegoodfight
www.thegoodfightsite.com
Or if you want to go old school go to www.jonathanrichmusic.com

Paul: Well I really want to thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to do this interview. It has been an honor to talk to you today.

-Jonathan: Thanks man sincerely, the feeling is mutual. Yeah thanks so much for the opportunity. DFO for president!

Small Towns Burn A Little Slower Interview July 26th, 2005

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Small Towns Burn A Little Slower

1. First thing’s first. What’s your name, age, and what do you play in Small
Towns?
My name is Ryan, I’m 21, and I play the bass and do some vocals.

2. Small Towns Burn A Little Slower is a very long name. How did you get it?
I wasn’t in the band when they named it, but I know what it means,
and I’m not at liberty to speak of such matters.

3. Besides playing music, do you have any hobbies?
Well I like to play tennis, and go to movies, nothing too exciting.

4. How was it to have Justin Pierre contribute some vocals on your new
album?
It was amazing he’s a great person and musician. We are really happy with
what he contributed to the record.

5. What’s your favorite song to play live, and why?
“Answers” I like it because it has really mellow parts and some rock out
parts too.

6. If you could choose any band to tour with who would it be?
For me it would be Brand New or Built to Spill.

7. Anything to say about Triple Crown Records?
Great label, we are really happy to be part of the family.

8. How do you think the band has evolved on the LP compared to the EP?
Audibly the LP is a lot better, due to the fact that it wasn’t recorded in
a basement like the EP. As for the actual song writing I would say that
the full-length has some more advanced song structures and intricate
parts.

9. What’s the writing process like? Lyrics first? instruments first?
Everyone creates their own and tries to combine? Usually we will all write the music together and demo the song, and Danny
will come up with lyrics and vocals to it afterwards.

10. What has been your biggest struggle as a band?
Just trying to keep our heads above water financially. It’s hard to
have any money when you are on tour all the time, and can’t work for
more than a couple weeks at a time. I’m not complaining though, I
wouldn’t want to be doing anything else.

11. What was the most rewarding moment?
Just being on stage and having kids care about what you’re doing.

12. Last but not least, what’s spinning in your cd player Ryan?
Hum-you’d prefer an astronaut
Team Sleep
Nightmare of you
Built to spill-there’s nothing wrong with love

Great, thank you!
Thanks!

Fall Out Boy Interview July 23rd, 2005

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Fall Out Boy

I recently caught up with Pete and Patrick of Fall Out Boy at this year’s Warped Tour Chicago. This interview was set up as sort of a round robin interview where about 7 reporters from various organizations got to go around and ask a question. We were sitting in a small room press room on leather couches and I’d like to thank Vizion Jones who set everything up. I’d also like to thank Christina from Island Records and of course Pete and Patrick for taking time out of their busy day. The various publications will be represented with OP and the questions that I asked will be DFO. Thanks!

Other Publication: Hey guys my question for you is, you’ve guys have blown up huge especially with the last month with MTV. I was in Florida on vacation and I heard you guys on the radio and was like, “awesome”. How has met this your expectations so far, I mean how have you guys dealt with this?

Pete: I mean, Fall Out Boy never really had any expectations, Like we were never really about any expectations so like where ever we ended up was just always better than you thought because we never planned on going anywhere. It’s not weird for us with all the attention or whatever because we’re in a bus in the middle of Omaha when it’s all going on so we really don’t have a chance to see ourselves on tv or anything so it doesn’t really weird us out or anything.

OP: Anything to add?

Patrick: No I guess that’s pretty concise.

Driven Far Off: With your new cd how do you react to your fans that have been with you since “Evening Out With Your Girlfriend” and “Take This To Your Grave” like with all your new younger fans. Do you see like a battle going on between old and new?

Pete: You mean our one fan from “Evening Out With Your Girlfriend” ha ha ha?

DFO: Yeah that one fan ha ha

Pete: Yeah the one kid that bought that record ha ha ha. Alright alright, I think it’s cool because our fans have always been ambassadors for Fall Out Boy and we’ve always made it one of our goals is to be really cool with our fans. Just to always be really honest with what is going on, like if something goes wrong or if we can’t do something and we have to cancel we try to be really honest and try to make it up if we can. I think that how you treat people kind of spread to how you want your new fans to be treated. Our fans understand that nobody’s born cool so everybody’s got a skeleton in their closet. So like whatever band they were listening to something really bad that got you into music. So I think our fans have been really cool about it.

Patrick: Umm yeah, good answer ha ha ha

OP: There has been some confusion on to where you got the concept to this video. So could you explain the Sugar We’re Going Down video?

Patrick: Well it’s one of those things that’s supposed to be confusing. I think that’s why we picked it. We usually do our own videos and we choose the ideas ourselves but this time around we wanted to just let somebody else have a crack at it. So you say, “Fall Out Boy is accepting treatments” and of course you get like 40 of them that are like hot punk orientated people at a pool party.

OP: ha ha ha ha

Patrick: So that was the one were we got antler boy and we were like oh alright let’s try it. It’s kind of supposed to be confusing and you’re supposed to be not sure on where you’re supposed to laugh. That’s the beauty of it; it is confusing. We really don’tԚ  know what it means ha ha ha.

OP: ha ha ha

OP: You were talking about skeletons in your closet just bad things you were listening to, so what were you guys rocking out that got you into music?

Pete: I got into Michael Jackson

OP: I was so going to say Billie Jean too!

Pete: Ha ha, Michael pre-sleeping with children. Then I got really into Axel Rose and Guns and Roses then somebody gave me a Minor Threat tape and I got into punk rock.

OP: How bout you?

Patrick: I don’t know I’d say the worst thing I was ever into was ska but.

OP: ha ha ha

Patrick: Oh but whatever else I was 12 so it was cool.

OP: If you weren’t musicians what would you see yourself doing?

Patrick: Dying. I don’t know that’s the only thing I’m good at.

Pete: I don’t know I’d probably be something really not that interesting like work at a bookstore or something really dumb with my life.

OP: What has been the highlight of your tour so far? Do you like coming to Chicago or was Omaha ok?

Pete: I actually like Omaha a lot. On our last tour it was a highlight of our last tour. We played at the Ranch Bowl.

OP: The Ranch Bowl? I actually worked there nice.

Pete: Yeah they got this billboard outside of it and we got our friend Dirty to climb up and spray paint all over the billboard. He spray-painted like our tour managers name

Patrick: ha ha, yeah spelled wrong.

Pete: Yeah and all these really bad drawings and stuff. Then we got this phone call a second later from our booking agent and he was like, yeah you guys just bought a billboard for $4,000 in Omaha. So I guess that was the highlight of that tour. It’s definitely amazing coming to Chicago though because you can recharge and it feels like home.

Patrick: Yeah you’re away for so long that you kind of don’t believe that it’s there anymore and it’s like this mystic place. Then you come home and it’s like “Weird it looks like I remember that’s crazy”

OP: So have you guys ever been in a knife fight?

Pete: No I don’t think I have

Patrick: Well not recently. Actually my brother and his friend were playing with little swiss army knives having a little fight. One of them knocked me over, on accident, because I was the little brother and everything. I got a bloody nose and they paid me like 20 bucks not to tell Mom.

OP: ha ha ha. Besides Warped Tour if you could make your own tour who would you put on it?

Pete: Like maybe, Starting Line

Patrick: Motion City Soundtrack!

Pete: and Boys Night Out

Patrick: and Panic at the Disco!

Pete: and that tour will be coming through Chicago this fall

DFO: With the shorter Warped Tour set how do you pick what songs you’re going to play and when with the mix of old and new? How do you pick your only half an hour Warped Tour Set?

Pete: I think you want to play the songs where you can just flow right through. It doesn’t matter if you’re playing a lot of new songs or old songs it’s just the ones that mean the most to you at the time. Probably I guess I don’t know

Patrick: Yeah we kind of call it as we see it. We like to change it up a little bit each show.

OP: Since you guys just switched over to a new major label were their any downsides or anything different with that?

Pete: Yeah definitely. When you move onto bigger mediums there is always changing. There are more cooks in the kitchen and more people trying to dictate where you are supposed to go. The cool thing is that Island has always let us have creative control. They have let us go in our own weird direction and they have only just helped to amplify that. At the same time I think bands outgrow labels faster so if we were still on Fueled By Ramen I don’t know if we would be doing some of the stuff we wanted to do now.

OP: Where did the name Fall Out Boy come from?

Pete: This is the last time this question will ever be asked ha ha ha. This is officially the last time. This is it you have ha ha ha.

Patrick: Alright alright, there is really no interesting story. We literally played two or three shows without a name and at one of them we were on stage and asked does anybody have a name for us? And like one of like four people there goes, yeah be fall out boy, I’m just some drunk guy. Ha ha ha

OP: Ha ha ha ha

Patrick: And it was like the only one, so it was what we were named afterwards. It was kind of an accident but we still got it.

OP: What is something you take on tour with you to remind you of home?

Patrick: Pete! (hugging Pete) ha ha ha. Kidding!

Pete: (shaking his head and looking at Patrick) ha ha ha ha, That’s so weird I don’t even know how to follow that answer ha ha ha. I don’t know I’m obsessed with the internet so I just take my sidekick everywhere. We just bring like comfort things. Like I think that’s what everybody in our band does we bring things that remind us of home. Like with me, my mom has all kinds of crappy little kids food around everywhere so that’s like all I have. Like Gushers, and juice boxes’ ha ha ha

OP: ha ha ha

Patrick: My girlfriend made me a blanket but someone else on the bus stole’ it (glances at Pete)

Pete: Who did it?

Patrick: (mutters a name under his breath)

Pete: Oh really?

Patrick: (Looking at us) Don’t worry bout it. Ha ha ha

OP: Where would you like to see yourself in the next five years?

Pete: I don’t know I think it’s weird to think that far in advance. I mean I can’t even think about my own life that far in advance so I can’t think about how different everything is. I don’t know I guess we’ll be celebrating the anniversary of this question maybe ha ha ha.

OP: In the perfect world would you like to still be in music? Touring?

Pete: I don’t know, I don’t even have any clue on what I’m doing right now

Patrick: I’ll still be doing music whether or not someone is listening to it or not so I don’t know what are you going to be doing five years from now ha ha ha?

OP: Probably putting my kids through junior high

Pete: Wait you have kids !? ha ha ha Seriously?!

OP: yeah a four year old and a two year old.

Pete: wow ha ha ha

OP: I guess this tour is the superhero tour, so what’s your favorite comic book?

Patrick: uhh..

OP: Do you read comic books?

Patrick: What do you think? (Looking at Pete)

Pete: I don’t know you can go.

Patrick: Alright, I think our drummer should be here for this question because he’s a comic book fanatic but, me being a casual I used to read them when I was a little kid, I’d say Wolverine is still the coolest thing in the world. He’s just awesome.

Pete: I don’t know, I’m like casually flamboyant so I wasn’t into superheroes that much. So I think maybe the Archie comics because I couldn’t decide between the blonde and brunette. Ha ha ha

OP: Ha ha ha

Patrick: Jughead.

Pete: yeah

OP: Pretend you are home from tour and are MTV cribs what do we find in your fridge?

Pete: I don’t know I live with my mom so she’d have all kinds of stuff.

OP: Like the little kid junk food?

Pete: Yeah like little kid junk food. Like Lunchables, and juice boxes and crap like that. And Popsicles, I eat Popsicles like they’re going out of style.

Patrick: Whenever I’m home I eat at like just five or six local restaurants so I never ever have anything. Whatever’s in my fridge, or my mom’s fridge, is whatever she eats which I hate anyways. Just like health food and stuff I won’t eat. Ha ha ha, like oh cottage cheese that looks great.

DFO: So I saw you guys on Conan. How was that whole Conan O’Brien experience for you?

Pete: He’s hilarious. Conan is amazing and I think he’s just really really funny. We watched him do the run-through and he was just really on. I think that playing those shows is really bizarre though. You play for cameras and it’s kind of stupid and it’s not really where our band thrives at all. We thrive in front of a live audience so you get Fall Out Boy but it’s like Fall Out Boy turned up to level 5 only. Before we go on our publicist freaks out and is like, Okay you can’t break anything. You guys got to actually play the songs right. Ha ha ha

Patrick: Ha ha, like shoot we haven’t done that in years ha ha ha

Pete: I had this pair of jeans and they were about to go and they were way to thin to wear underwear on anything so she was like, Your junk is going to come out on TV!! Your junk is going to come out on TV!! ha ha ha.

Patrick: I know she was running around screaming, He can’t wear that! Patrick he can’t wear that! I don’t know, can he?!

Pete: I don’t know it was kind of ridiculous but whatever.

OP: Since you guys have been in the top 5 on TRL the last couple weeks do you ever feel misplaced between artists like Mariah Carey or Hillary Duff or anything?

Pete: ha ha ha. I think it’s funny, just hilarious.

Patrick: It’s a fucking joke on the rest of the world. For anyone who has to say Kelly Clarkson and then Fall Out Boy ha ha ha.

Pete: ha ha ha But it’s cool now because My Chemical Romance and I heard that Relient K might be and then I think Hawthorne Heights will be next week maybe and it’s cool because it’s a bunch of people that we’re friends with. With music I’d rather hear that then a lot of the stuff that’s on there so it’s cool. And I hate Kelly Clarkson! Write that down!

OP: ha ha, hate’s Kelly Clarkson it’s down

Patrick: I don’t, sorry Kelly ha ha ha

OP: ha ha ha. Okay kind of a lame question but where did you guys meet up?

Patrick: Well the rest of the guys knew each other for a long time from the hardcore scene. I was just one of those peripheral guys that went to see those bands. They were talking about doing a band, and I don’t know we met at a bookstore. Nothing exciting I guess.

Pete: When I met him it was one of my most insane meetings of anybody. He was wearing an Argyle sweater and shorts and black socks ha ha ha

OP: ha ha ha

Pete: And I was like I better make this guy my bestfriend because he’s insane ha ha ha

Patrick: No it was weird for me to because I had watched a lot of these bands that Pete and Andy had been in and I had known about them for awhile. I think it was one of those things that I think that somehow every band that you had been in (talking to Pete) anytime I ever saw them you weren’t playing with them. So I had only heard legend of Pete. And you walked into my house and I was like, Man he’s short. Ha ha ha
Pete: ha ha ha

OP: What advice do you have for aspiring musicians?

Pete: Quit and go back to school ha ha ha

OP: Ha ha ha

Pete: It will ruin your life. I don’t know, it’s cool if you are excited about doing it, it’s a long hard road where a lot of people will try to take advantage of you.

Patrick: Don’t do drugs, you’ll sound bad.

OP: I know you don’t get much leisure time but what do you like to do in your leisure time?

Pete: Here’s the thing that’s the biggest myth about being in a band it’s that you don’t have leisure time. Today for example it’s insane and crazy and we don’t have a lot of days off because we have to fly and stuff. But outside Warped Tour because Warped Tour is the exception, it’s always hurry up and wait. You get to your venue and they are like, ‘blah blah blah’ and then you just sit there all day. That’s why I think people in bands do really crazy shit all the time..

OP: They’re just bored?

Patrick: Yeah we’re just bored. I mean it can get really boring. You can just sit in a room for awhile.

Pete: We watch a lot of Dvds, I just got the new Harry Potter.

Patrick: Is that the one with Gary Oldman?

Pete: Umm no, it’s book actually ha ha ha. (giving Patrick a hug)

Patrick: We watch a lot of Dvds? then you bring up Harry Potter I don’t know

Pete: You don’t like to read.

Patrick: I’m not reading that that’s your book.

Pete: ha ha ha,

Patrick: But do you have the one with Gary Oldman?

Pete: No but that thing is excellent.

Patrick: Alright you’re buying it and playing it for us.

Pete: We like Gary Oldman a lot.

Patrick: Best actor around

Pete: Yeah

Patrick: On Earth.

OP: Coke or Pepsi?

Patrick: Coke

Pete: Cocaine ha ha ha

OP: Ha ha

Pete: no Pepsi

Patrick: Alright cool way to end the interview there man.

Pete: ha ha sorry.

The Academy Is Interview March 30th, 2005

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Cassidy: So first off how has the tour been going with Fall Out Boy?
William: The tour has been spectacular. Itâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s our first tour were our record is out. So, itâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s been our first real look at how our record is going to come out, you know? And its been magical. In just a short period of time. Itâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s been great.

C: How did deal come along with Fueled By Ramen?
W: Well we had an EP and we just started playing local shows in Chicago and we had a couple new demos. We kind of revaluated our songwriting process, like how we are going to move forward, and not be counterproductive, and actually have a focus. We were always friends with Fall Out Boy Growing up and Pete the bass player liked us a lot and he told John Janick that is head of Fueled By Ramen and he got him to come check us out. So, he flew up, at the time Mike and I were living in an apartment together writing the record for out friends Tony and Johnny. He came up and stayed in our apartment for like three days, up to like three in the morning every night, talking about music, talking about our future, showing him some new stuff. At that point it was just all big dreams, no songs written, and it couldnâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢t have worked out better, he believes in us and signed up with a real simple deal and you know, here we are.

C: So why the name change from The Academy To The Academy Is…?
W: Well, obviously we were originally named The Academy. Right after our EP came out we ran into some legal problems, with other artists or organizations called The Academy or Academy. So, basically we had everything worked out, we where going to keep the name, but there was this rock singer from like the 60â┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s or 70â┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s, who was only released in Great Britain, but he went under the name The Academy. But, we couldnâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢t get a hold of him or any label of his, so instead of risking that, plus with all these other legal sharks around us, we figured we could just get out of the water. We wanted to change it to something very subtle, but you have to understand at the time we were changing our sound, we were changing the way we where going to write songs for now on. Thatâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s where we were at the same juncture, but we didnâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢t want to alienate the people that saw us spring up. Our local following, we didnâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢t want to alienate those people saying that, â┚¬Ã…”We changed our name and we changed our sound.â┚¬? So, we just changed it very subtlety and I think it is just very open ended and it is what it is, its means whatever you want it to mean.

C: So the song “Black Mamba” is about the horrible reviews you guys got by critics from the EP, so was the song kind of your way to get back at the critics?
W: â┚¬Ã…”Black Mambaâ┚¬? isnâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢t just a middle finger to critics. â┚¬Ã…”Black Mambaâ┚¬? is a lot different, itâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s about our focus, and itâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s like telling people our focus isnâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢t about Rolling Stones or any critic thinks about our music. If they love it, great, if the donâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢t, great. Thatâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s America, weâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢re all entitled to our opinions and thatâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s what is beautiful about it. But as far as art goes, I believe what we are doing is art and art is so subjective, how can you really judge it that intensely? Being so ignorant and not knowing anything about it. For us it was focusing on this song is for people, this music is for people, and this record is for people. Itâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s not for some guy in a suit, well it is for some guy in a suit, but itâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s not about we he thinks about it, itâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s not about the credibility. Itâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s for people thinking for themselves and making their own decisions and just loving music.

C: When you were presented with the chance to play music for a living was it an easy choice or a gamble that you got lucky on?
W: None of us, was presented with that, here go play music for the rest of your life, it will be simple, here you go, you know? This is how I started it, like when I was a senior in high school, I decided I wanted to do music, I want to perform. I still had a solo project back then and I just fell in love with performing. That was just me and an acoustic guitar and singing on a stole. I fell in love with that, I fell in love with writing with song writing, I fell in love with the music. So, I knew I wanted to do it, for me it was a really hard decision because at that point everything for the past 11 years of my life was all devoted to school and academics and education. My future was going to start after college, I was going to do what a lot of people do and for me I value education to no end, but thatâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s not where my heart said and my heart said music, so thatâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s what I got to do. So, I graduated a semester early and I went on tour right away. If it was like my dads mini-van or me, my guitar and me best friend in the world, Johnny Minardi and we just went and booked our own tour on the east coast through the biggest snow storm of the past decade. It was like really dangerous, but it was really great and thatâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s how I started. It was a decision, it wasnâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢t a presentation and thatâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s how it goes for all of us. We had to really work for that opportunity. It was a conscience decision.

C: Do you miss playing solo as Remember Maine and will Remember Main ever making a comeback?
W: Thank you for knowing about that. It seems like people out here [in Seattle, WA] actually know about it, like someone was yelling it out in the crowd today and I was like what? It is always wild. I love performing solo and Iâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢m not thinking about music and this project and that project, Iâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢m thinking about it as my creative release and what I do as my release. Am I going to record under the name Remember Maine anymore? I donâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢t know, maybe. Am I going to perform stuff of my own? Everyday. I donâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢t know, weâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢ll have to see, all I know its going to be a really long future of songwriting whether if itâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s with me or this band.

C: What do you think about the RIAA still suing kids for downloading music to this day?
W: While I found out a lot of the bands I love through downloads through like mp3.com or purevolume. Thereâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s that and I think thatâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s the right way to go, there doing it the right way, purevolume and mp3.com, are doing it the right way, but these other guys like Kazza and Napster, arenâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢t doing it the right way and it is stealing music. Itâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s like stealing paintings off a museum wall, it takes away everything rock and roll is about, like going to the record store and coming home like â┚¬Ã…”Now Iâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢m broke, but I spent all my money on these records that are going to change my life,â┚¬? for me it just doesnâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢t make sense, but for young people who are just are coming up in this new generation of music and the way it is socially accepted, like how it goes about. Thatâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s all they know, they donâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢t know about buying records. Thatâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s what we are trying to do and what record labels are trying to do is cracking down on this. Like they donâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢t see as big as turn like they did in the 90â┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s because everyone is burning CDs, no ones making any money, so how are going to have rock and roll bands that are going to change the world if labels canâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢t stick around long enough to build a career for them. So, for me Iâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢m a supporter.

C: What have you been listening to lately?
W: Well, I listen to tons of Jon Lennon â┚¬Ã…”legendâ┚¬? that record. Don Henleyâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s greatest hits, he wrote so many hits itâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s beyond belief. A lot of Simon and Garfunkel, the new Kings of Leon record, is so good, if you havenâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢t picked it up, pick it up, itâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s really, really good, itâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s rock and roll. Listening to a lot of old David Bowie. Listening to Peter Gabriel. Thatâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s pretty much what I have on rotation.

C: Anything else you would like to say?
W: Check out our record, our website is theacademyis.com, go there and see where we are going to be around in your city. Thank you so much.

Don’t Look Down Interview July 25th, 2004

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Don't Look Down

VALIDA: So to get started, please state your name, age, and what play…
JESSE: Jesse Rendell, I’m 24, and I play the bass for Don’t Look Down.

VALIDA: You guys seem to have a very varied sound on both debut full-length and last yearï¿Â½s EP. You’ve got poppier songs, harder songs, and slower, acoustic songs all on the same album. When a lot of bands out there today are picking one niche and sticking to you it, what’s inspired you guys to just put out such diverse albums?
JESSE: Well, definitely, y’know for us it’s about our influences musically. We listen to all kinds of stuff and we definitely don’t like to listen to records where all the songs sound similar and blend together. So we try to make them as diverse as possible, basically. That’s most of the reason why.

VALIDA: With the new album coming is that going to have as much diversity on it?
JESSE: It’s pretty diverse, actually. We like to have, especially on the albums, a couple ballads, a couple slow songs, then your upbeat stuff, and then some just real-hard-rocking songs. We have a lot more of the hard-rock songs on this album. It’s a lot more mature and definitely rocks harder than any of the stuff that we’ve done. But at the same time, it’s got those slower songs as well. No matter what we do, we just try to keep it as melodic as possible, whether it’s slow, or hard, or fast, or whatever.
VALIDA: So will there be any acoustic songs on the album?
JESSE: There’s no acoustic songs, but there are some slow songs. They’re not acoustic, but they’re ballads, for sure.

VALIDA: What are your plans for this fall? Obviously you’re going to want to be out on tour in support of your the album that comes out on September 21st.
JESSE: Definitely, definitely. As of right now we’re weighing our options. We’re just trying to get on some really good tours. It depends on what happens, y’know if we get on a really good support tour we’ll go out on that. If that doesn’t happen, we’ll probably go out and play some really small clubs as a headliner with some smaller and local bands. Either way, you can count on us getting to your town, no matter what.

VALIDA: If you could go out on tour with any three bands, who would you pick?
JESSE: Thrice, [thinks for a long time]. Alright I gotta think. [pauses] That’s a tough question, y’know. Thrice, Recover. I like Recover a lot. [pauses again] Sorry, Thrice Recover… Let’s just do Thrice and Recover for now, I don’t know who else. [laughs]

VALIDA: You guys have that harder edge, but like you said, your music is very melodic. Do you have objections to being labeled as pop-punk?
JESSE: Not really because, admittedly, we have been. I mean, we grew up on it. When we first started making music, we were really into it. As gay as it sounds, I grew up on bands like Blink and Green Day and Offspring and stuff. So that definitely factored into it. And, we’ve always been huge New Found Glory fans, and for a while we were trying to emulate that style. But, more so with our new record than anything else, I think we’ve been breaking away from that. It’s not going to be able as easy to label this us pop-punk band with this record. But in the past, I haven’t objected to being labeled as pop-punk because I felt like that was justified. I think we’ve grown out of that now, and it’s definitely going to be harder to just say we’re a pop-punk band, I think we’re more of a rock band now. So, we’ll see what happens.

VALIDA: We’re also talking to Rufio, you guys are kinda friends with them…
JESSE: Yea, we just did at tour with them in April.
VALIDA: Yea, do you have any funny stories about them? We’re going to ask them the same question about you, so…
JESSE: [thinks] Jeez, people always ask those kinds of questions, and I feel like I’ll never remember any of them unless I was talking to them at the time. I can’t think of any off the top of my head.
VALIDA: That’s alright.

VALIDA: What’s the most overused or annoying interview question that you get?
JESSE: I dunno, I just hate when you start off an interview and it’s just questions like “how long have you been together”, “how did you meet”, “what does your band name mean”… Y’know that stuff’s just really boring. I like people like you that know that we got a record coming out and you’re asking important questions that people want to know, y’know, not stupid stuff.

VALIDA: This is kind of silly but, if you had to stereotype each member of the band, y’know like the “chick-magnet”, “the shy one”, stuff like that, who would you say fits which stereotype the best?
JESSE: Alright… Well I guess Ryan, I don’t know if I’d call him the chick-magnet, but he’s definitely the most comedic and most outspoken in our band. He’s just off the wall all the time, hilarious to be around, and super passionate about music. Matt is just your quiet, but funny, good guy. Tom’s pretty much the same. Matt and Tom are very similar in that they’re both very reserved, they’re not very outspoken. They’re just kind of shy, but once you get to know them they’re super nice guys, just good guys.

VALIDA: What’s the craziest thing a fan has ever done for you guys?
JESSE: We got a couple fans with tattoos out there, which is cool. We got this one fan who made this really cool necklace out of one of our logos. She got like a jeweler to make it, it’s really cool. And then her and her mom made us a cake with all of our charicatures made into it, which is pretty funny.
VALIDA: So it’s just like bling bling “Don’t Look Down”?
JESSE: Yea, it’s sick, it’s really cool.

VALIDA: What goes on during a typical 24-hour period on Warped Tour?
JESSE: If we start at midnight, from midnight til 7 or 8 we’re either driving to the venue, rotating and sleeping, or sleeping in the van in the parking lot, which is not always the best thing to do. At around 7 or 8 we get up, some of us get up, sometimes some of us just end up sleeping. We get our merch guys out there, get our tent set up, go over to catering and get some cereal, find out what time we play, make sure our equipment is at the stage, make posters and flyers and hang them up, and then we just hang out and wait for the doors to open. When it gets close to playing, we get ready to play, go over make sure all of our stuff’s set up, then we play, take it down, shower, hang out with friends, eat – we go to catering and have food, and then we just hang out, y’know stay out of the sun.

VALIDA: Awesome, we’ll close it off with an ultra-random/crazy question. I’m going to need you to pick a number between one and 18 and the number will dictate which question you get.
JESSE: 16.
VALIDA: What country’s cuisine is, in your opinion, the best?
JESSE: Well, I’m really not that much of an exotic-foods connisseur, but I’ll have to say Italy, because they’ve got spaghetti and pizza. I want to go to Italy really bad and eat in their restaurants, because I think it’d be really good. So I’d say Italian food, but I do like Chinese food a lot, too. And salsa.

VALIDA: Alright, thank you.
JESSE: Awesome, thank you.

Matchbook Romance Interview July 25th, 2004

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Matchbook Romance

This was a group interview conducted at Warped Tour. We decided to split off into groups after a few questions. Check out more Matchbook Romance information at their website, www.matchbookromance.com.

VALIDA: What’s a typical day like on you for on the Warped Tour?
ANDY: For me it’s mayhem. We’re on a bus now, last year we weren’t. When you go into any new environment, like Warped Tour, where nothing is like it is at home, y’know, where you always keep towel here and you always keep your bag there. It’s never constant; everything is constantly changing. I find myself so confused all the time. I’ll probably spend like an hour just getting ready to go to the showers after getting outta bed, because I’m just so absent minded, it’s crazy. Then we play, we sweat, take a shower after that, we do interviews like this, we hang out with friends, and that at night-time, it’s usually like a barbecue, and everyone just hangs out and has a good time. It’s a big thing, it’s fun.
AARON: Punk Rock Summer Camp.
RYAN: Then we get on a bus and play Halo and things like that til we arrive at the next city!
JUDAS: That’s right.
RYAN: Ryan Key is going to get his ass whooped in Halo by this kid [points at Judas].
ANDY: We are seting up tournaments. Judas is very good at Halo, if you guys are familar with the game, he’s probably the best. We have faith in our boy. Ryan is now his representative.
RYAN: Yes, I’m now his manager. We have plans to take the Yellowcard and New Found Glory bus this week.
JUDAS: Motion City Soundtrack.
RYAN: Motion City Soundtrack is not a problem. Motion City Soundtrack is like a warm up.
ANDY: Which reminds me, we have to go over there later.
RYAN: I already brought the deal to Yellowcard.
JUDAS: I spoke to Ryan about it too.
ANDY: Alright, let’s talk about this later.
ALL: [laugh] That’s warped tour!

[Since there are 4 band members and 3 interviewers, we discuss splitting off and each interviewing a member or two, instead of doing a group interview. It’s hectic with a lot of discussion, but we decided to split. First the third interviewer asked her first question to the whole band]

OTHER INTERVIEWER: The thing that we’re oriented on over at RebelNoise is politics…
ANDY: Fuck Bush. [laughs and says under his breath] There’s a sexual connotation with that too, and uhh, I fully recommend that too.
RYAN: Quote of the week.
ANDY: Fuck Bush.
OTHER INTERVIEWER: So what’s your stance on the whole war situation, everything that’s going on with the election, who are you for, who are you against?
RYAN: I’m not for anybody. I’m against Bush. The war is stupid. A bunch of my friends are over in Iraq, and it pisses me off. The end.
ANDY: I think the one thing that really sucks is that there are so many hidden truths about the country, ever since the beginning, when the country first started. And this doesn’t make me unpatriotic, I love my country, but obviously everyone knows that there’s so much shady shit going down 24/7. And that’s going to happen whenever there’s a person in power. For instance, the President is just a puppet, y’know he’s got all his wigs telling him what to do and he just basically gets up there and says what he’s told. And Bush just sucks at doing that, he can’t even represent…
RYAN: He can barely speak the language.
ANDY: And I mean, I won’t even bring up Fahrenheit 9/11. That movie opened people’s eyes. THis is something that should be done all the time just to keep the country in check. But I mean, it shouldn’t even be propaganda. It should just be based on pure, hard facts, kinda like Fahrenheit 9/11, but with no propaganda-intentions behind it. Things should be released like that from people that are like almost against the government, because then you get to see what the hell is going on from different sides of it. Personally, the war, I think, I believe in my heart that it’s an oil war. I don’t believe that going after Iraq was the smartest thing to do. And just for that, and because of Bush’s beliefs about the environment, like all the bills he’s passed… He’s approved logging in national forests; like it’s a national forest it’s not supposed to be used like that. He’s approved bills to put roads through the forests, because these forest are so big and there are little towns on the outskirts. And because of the dense forest, the towns lose money because they are so hard to get to. He wants to make highways going through these forests to boost the economy. But it’s a fucking national forest, it’s not for that, it’s supposed to be untouchable, that’s the whole point. Just because of that, that one reason only, I want him out of office. I mean, there are a lot of other things too, but…

OTHER INTERVIEWER: Are those political feelings that you have, they’re obviously very strong, are those anything that you try to bring out into the open with your fans or does it musically influence anything?
ANDY: Yea, actually I’ve talked to a bunch of really big websites that actually wanted to launch with us and other huge parties, we’re basically going to launch this thing on a bunch of websites with a popup with all the things Bush has done, like just strictly facts, not my opinion or anybody’s. And if kids want to read it, that’s that, it’s up to them. I’ve put things on message boards.
AARON: Don’t vote for Nader, you’re just wasting your vote.
RYAN: Just vote for John Kerry, [laughs] there we go, made it easy for you.
[here we split up]

VALIDA: Alright, so you are Judas and you play guitar… how old are you?
JUDAS: I’m 20.

VALIDA: What’s the biggest difference between playing to a Warped Tour crowd and out in a regular club?
JUDAS: Well with a Warped Tour crowd, theres a whole lot more competition, because there are a lot of other bigger bands here. And sometimes we’re on at the same time, so sometimes fans have to choose between us and like Yellowcard or Taking Back Sunday, so that can hurt sometimes, it really depends on who is playing at the same time. Plus, it’s outside and all day long, so that wears people out. Usually the crowds aren’t as energetic at the warped Tour as they are out in the clubs just because it’s hot all day and that gets tiresome.

VALIDA: A lot of touring bands are infamous for their cellphone use, how many hours, I mean minutes, a day do you spend on average on your cellphone?
JUDAS: I hate talking on my cellphone. I’m not a phone person at all, I like to be able to look at a person when I’m talking to them. I also think it’s kinda rude to be hanging out with people and walk away to talk to someone on your cellphone. So I’m not on the phone much, I don’t use it unless I have to, so I don’t even spend an hour a day. But it’s ringing right now, and I don’t want it to, so I’m going to to turn it off. Sorry.

VALIDA: If you had to stereotype each member in the band, y’know like one is the “chick-magnet” another is the “shy one” etc. who would you say fits which role the best?
JUDAS: Well none of us get chicks, so there’s definitely no chick magnet. We’re really just a happy-go-lucky band, we just like to hang around, play on the bus, and drink beer.
VALIDA: Is there anyone that is the biggest partier?
JUDAS: I’d say Aaron, Aaron and Ryan are probably the biggest partiers. They drink the most, at least. I don’t drink that much, well until this tour, anyway.

VALIDA: Do you guys carry out any rituals each time before you go on stage?
JUDAS: We always hi-five before we go on stage, everyday, and like stretch and do warm-ups too. The weirdest thing is probably the hi-fives. We used to do movie quotes, like one of us would say a movie quote and the rest of us would guess which movie it came from. That really helped to keep us from getting nervous and stuff. But we don’t have a problem with getting nervous anymore, because we’ve been doing this for so long.

VALIDA: You guys are sharing a bus with Rufio, do you have any funny stories about them?
JUDAS: I love those guys, they’re great. I mean, we’ve only really been on the tour for like five days now. So nothing really crazy cool has happened yet. We’ve just been hanging out on the bus, drinking beer, and playing Halo, so… they’re good guys.

VALIDA: What’s your favorite thing to eat while out on tour? I know they provide meals on Warped Tour, but when you’re out on other tours, do you have any favorite fast food joints?
JUDAS: I don’t like to eat fast food. We eat so much fast food out on tour, it’s disgusting, it always makes you feel like shit when you eat that much fast food. We try to find healthier places to eat, like have you ever heard of Panera Bread? Yea, Panera Bread is good. Subway, sometimes we stop at, which is better than getting a burger at McDonalds or Taco Bell or anything like that. For the most part, anywhere which isn’t fast food, so we can just feel about ourselves and eat healthy.

VALIDA: What international touring have you guys done?
JUDAS: We’ve been to Europe twice, we went once with the Ataris and we did a UK tour with a band called Jackson. And we’ve been to Canada a few times.
VALIDA: If you could go play shows in any country, where would you go?
JUDAS: I’m looking forward to going to Japan and Hawaii definitely, which we’re hoping to do in like January.
VALIDA: Awesome.
JUDAS: And New Zealand, I wanna go to New Zealand… And Australia.

VALIDA: What’s been your favorite tour so far?
JUDAS: Favorite tour… That’s tough. I’m going to have to say the Warped Tour. There are so many bands, and we’re friends with so many. Everyday we just hang out and have a great time. Plus we’re on a bus, so we don’t have to worry about driving our van across the country.
VALIDA: If you could to pick three bands to go out on a dream tour, they could be dead or anything, who would you choose?
JUDAS: Um.. Yellowcard, Alkaline Trio, and Bad Religion.

VALIDA: Are there any smaller bands that you’d like to recommend?
JUDAS: Letter Kills, definitely. Motion City Soundtrack. Northstar. Bleed the Dream. The Matches. That pretty much covers it. Oh and A Faith Called Chaos, I just found out about them not too long ago and they kickass.

VALIDA: What’s your favorite Matchbook Romance song, or what song means the most to you?
JUDAS: My favorite song of ours is “My Eyes Burn,” just because I like the vibe of the song and the way it feels to play it. It’s fun and I just like it.

VALIDA: What’s the craziest thing that a fan has ever done to/for the you/band?
JUDAS: Yesterday in Chicago a fan brought us a scrapbook that all of our fans had made. It’s probably like 50 pages long with just pictures and fan letters and stuff like that. I was really shocked, it was so cool. It shows that our fans are really supportive of what we do.
VALIDA: That’s really cool.
JUDAS: Yea it’s awesome.

VALIDA: Alright, I’m going to have you pick a number between 1 and 18, and it will give you some random, silly question and that will be it for the interview.
JUDAS: 7.
VALIDA: 7? What’s your favorite kind of tea and what’s your favorite kind of candy?
JUDAS: I don’t like tea, I’m scared of tea. I don’t drink any kind of tea ever.
VALIDA: Coffee?
JUDAS: I drink coffee. Black coffee, no milk, no sugar.
VALIDA: Whew. And candy?
JUDAS: Candy… I like Jolly Ranchers.
VALIDA: Favorite flavor?
JUDAS: Grape. Anything grape is cool with me. I’ve got a big grape thing.

VALIDA: Alright, I think that’s about it. Thanks a lot.
JUDAS: Yea, thank you!