Motion City Soundtrack Interview July 23rd, 2005

July 27, 2005 By Leave a Comment

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.

Filed Under: Interviews Tagged With:

The Goodfight Interview July 27th, 2005

July 27, 2005 By Leave a Comment

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!

Filed Under: Interviews Tagged With:

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

July 26, 2005 By Leave a Comment

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!

Filed Under: Interviews Tagged With:

Fall Out Boy Interview July 23rd, 2005

July 25, 2005 By 2 Comments

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.

Filed Under: Interviews Tagged With:
WordPress Hosting