Driven Far Off

The latest on the indie, alternative, and rock music scene including news, music, contest, interviews, and more. Best described as your favorite place to find new bands.

Underoath Interview – October 4th, 2008

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 After coming off of their world tour, Underoath had every right to be exhausted and dread more interviews. This was not the case, however, and the band willingly lent the down-to-earth Christopher Dudley, keyboardist, to Driven Far Off to answer our questions. Fans from across the country were also able to submit their questions, and Christopher graciously answered a few of them at Pipeline Cafe in Honolulu, HI.

Huge thanks to Chelsi Schriver and Christopher Dudley for setting up this interview!

– How did you guys find eachother and decide to start a band?

C: In a nutshell, we were all friends from being really young. We met each other at different local shows and decided we wanted to get together, but a lot of that was different guys. We’ve gone through a lot of member changes and stuff in the past…quite a few years, but that was about 10 years ago.

 – How did the band find the name Underoath?

C: Well, the guy who thought of it was a guy who was never actually on an Underoath record. He was in the band for 8 months right when we first started. I know it came from the Bible somewhere, but no clue where. He’d be the one to ask, but I don’t think anybody knows where he is–he’s off like living in the woods somewhere. He kind of went nuts [laughs].

 – How does Lost in the Sound of Separation differ from your previous records?

C: Better, and more fun. The songs are better, so in turn they are more fun to play.

– What is the underlying message of the album?

C: I don’t know if I’d say there is one message per say. A big thing with us is like, Spencer’s lyrics are really personal to him and we try as best as we can to be really honest about what we write about and not try to write a song about something just to write a song about it. Everything that is on our record is something we’ve gone through or something Spencer’s gone through, and I think the main focus of all of that is: look, we are all people and we all go through crappy times, but with us being a Christian band we are all really adamant about being like, look, this sucks, life sucks sometimes, but God is always there and no matter how bad it gets it can always be worse. Like, there is always–a cheesy saying–a light at the end of the tunnel.

 – What is the process for writing the music and lyrics?

C: It’s different for every song. Sometimes Tim will come to the table with the guitar part and then be like, “let’s try and do something along this line.” Sometimes Spencer will come and be like, “yeah, I was thinking we should have something that sounds like this,” and just kind of like mouth it. Like today when were sound-checking and we were just riffing around, just all together messing around and stuff, and every song has a different story and a different way it came about. Different songs start with different people in it, but usually by the end of it it ends with all of us in a room like riffing on it trying to make it as good as possible. It usually just ends with all of us jamming.

 – Who have been your greatest influences?

C: For us there are a few bands that we all are able to agree on that once we heard that band we knew that we weren’t going to see music the same way again. Radiohead is a really big band for us, At the Drive-In was a band that when all of us heard it we knew things had changed, and Refused. As far as all of us collectively those are probably the only few that we can agree on. It really runs the gamut as far as all of us goes. Aaron listens to Keith Urban, Tim listens to Iron and Wine, James listens to Tom Petty and Bruce Springsteen, and I listen to Imogen Heap, Guns N’ Roses and Creedence Clearwater.

 – Does Solid State control most of your music or–

C: –none. That’s probably the biggest thing why we decided to resign with them, because a lot of major labels give you a lot of money and you get a lot of stuff but at the end of the day they have control over whether they are going to put out what you write or not. There’s a certain band that I talked to who is on a major label and they wrote an entire record and were really really stoked on it, and gave it to their label and their label said, “no, go write another one.” That’s just ridiculous. Solid state has, for a really really long time, been comfortable with saying, “who do you want to record with, where do u want to record, give us the record when you are done.” Most labels, while you are recording, will be like, “send us a song, send us three songs to see where its going,” and with Tooth and Nail we will straight up be like, “no, you’re not getting anything until we are done with it,” and they are fine with that. Which is really important to us because we just really want to focus on doing what we are doing and after everything is done show it to someone.

 – For first time listeners of Underoath, what song would you suggest they listen to and why?

C: I’d have to say Returning Empty Handed; it’s a song off of Define the Great Line. There are a lot of songs I would want them to listen to more, but I think that’s the song that encompasses what we do the most. There are a lot better songs but I don’t think there are any better songs to completely sum up what we do.

 – What is the story behind Underoath’s documentaries, like Survive, Kaleidoscope?

C: Two years ago we came to our label and were like, “hey, we want to put out an actual documentary,” like we wanted to have a film crew follow our tour, and pretty much document what it’s like on tour. Tour is awesome but a lot of times its not–there are hard times and stuff–and we really wanted to have something that was shot from a 3rd party perspective of the entire tour to show what it’s really like.

 – A lot of members have come and gone in the band. Was it difficult to adjust each time someone left?

C: I think it depends on who you are talking about. We haven’t gone through a member change in almost five years now. Some guys were harder than others, some guys came out of the blue and said, “hey, I’m going to be leaving;” others were asked to leave; so with every dude it was a different story. But I think all those things led up to where we are now and I think that’s a really important thing and I think the six of us are supposed to be here. I think every person that left was supposed to leave and we feel really comfortable with that.

 – Do you think that being a Christian-based band has been an advantage or disadvantage at all?

C: If you’re talking about in the industry per say, like if it’s helped us sell records or anything, I don’t think so at all. But if your talking about just being a person, being in a band, then you know, we wouldn’t be a band if we weren’t doing it to talk to people about what we believe. So I guess in that aspect it has helped us because we are in a band where we wouldn’t be in a band any other way.

 – Do you guys have any side projects going on?

C: Aaron has a side project going on that he’s doing and they are called The Almost, and the rest of us have small things that we are doing here and there. The thing is, like, with Aaron’s side project, he’s got a record out and he plays shows and stuff, and Underoath tours a lot, and when we’re off, like when we get to go home and actually see our wives and see our families, he’s gone on tour again. So it’s one of those things where we all play music but I don’t think any of us at the moment are willing to take it to that next level of recording and putting out a record and playing shows because we take the time that we have to actually be at home. That’s a really crucial thing because we are gone so much, like we will probably be gone nine months this year, so those three months that we actually have at home, I’m going to be sitting on the couch watching TV with my wife. I’m not going to be going into the studio and recording another record. It can be difficult, but it’s one of those things where we know that this is what God has for us and we feel very confident in that, and all of our wives/girlfriends are very supportive of that.

 – Although you have had fame for a while, was it strange getting used to the media and coverage of Underoath?

C: I don’t know, we are in a band and we’ve sold records and some people know who we are, but I don’t really see us as being famous. It’s not like I can’t just go to the supermarket or mall and just can’t get away from myself, like I’m not just reading about myself in all these different places. It’s definitely different now than it used to be, because people actually come to our shows, but I don’t see it as this burden that is just horrible. People actually watch us play where before we would go on tour and nobody would be there. Granted you get some weird people and people who are kind of off, but for the most part people are cool and they like to hang out and we like to hang out, so it works out. We’re really thankful and really blessed that people enjoy what we are doing.

Fan Q&A:

 From beginning to end, how long do you spend on an average song before it sounds like it does on the CD? -Tim, IA

C: It’s different things for different songs. There is one song on our new record that we actually wrote in one practice, from beginning to end, everything except for the lyrics was done in one practice which took us about three hours. There are other songs that take a year to two years. It just depends on the song.

 What’s the best show you’ve ever played? -Danica, CA

C: Some ones that come to mind are: we played in Birmingham, Alabama in 2006 and that was an amazing show. The London show on this tour we are on now was great. One of my personal favorite shows we’ve ever played was in South Africa on this tour. The shows itself was good, but the venue was out in the middle of nowhere, just a field with like a hut and nothing else. But these kids had made this venue and there were these big bonfire things and they had random people come and selling drinks. It felt like a New Years Eve party. It was just insane; it was a great.

 How do you feel about the illegal downloading of songs? -Jessica, MA

C: It depends on who the person is I think. I don’t think there is anything wrong with downloading per say, but when downloading makes people not buy records, I don’t like that because obviously if I like a band, I’m going to want to go and buy their record. Not saying that just because I’m a band, but I’m going to want to support what they are doing. I just never really understood the “I like that band, but I’m don’t want to support them. I’d rather just take it.”

 What are your favorite movies? -John, AZ

C: Wizard of Oz, The Shining, Psycho, Vanilla Sky, One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest, Rear Window-I’m just a movie guy. I’m a fan of movies that disturb me in general.

 How has your faith helped you get to where you are now? -Stephen, IA

C: The only reason why I am here, here in the sense of being in this band and here in the sense of where my life is in general is because of God and because He has completely pulled me out of being in a completely different place. So I guess it’s kind of cheesy to say, but I completely owe credit for everything in my life up to this point to God. So it’s not like he’s helped me out or I’m a little better because of it. No, I wouldn’t be here at all.

 Which album do you think you’ve spent the most time working on? -Kate, GA

C: The last two records we’ve spent a great deal of time on. It took us about two years to do both records, so I’d say the last two records in equal amounts.

 Do they think a band should tell their fans who they support [in the election] and encourage them to vote the same way, or just emphasize the power of voting in general? -Bryce, MN

C: If you are going to emphasize anything, you should be educated. I’m not necessarily going to tell someone that they should go out and vote if they don’t believe in what they are voting for. I definitely think it’s really important to be educated and know where different candidates stand on different things.

 What are some foods that you can’t live without on tour? -Sam, CA

C: I don’t know if there are any, honestly. We go to so many places and just have to eat whatever is around. There is a lot of stuff I’d like to have constantly though.

Ask Underoath A Question!

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Hey Underoath fans,

DFO has an interview with the band Saturday night and we are going to try a little Fan Q&A. Leave your questions for the band here (please include your name and state) and you may get a response to your question Saturday night!

Now’s your chance to ask the band what you have been wondering!

Thrice Interview – September 5th, 2008

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I had my doubts when Thrice repeatedly changed the schedulued time just hours before the interview at Pipeline Cafe in Honolulu, HI, but was shocked when I found out why: lead vocalist Dustin Kensrue had something come up but was cooperating as much as possible so he would not have to cancel on Driven Far Off. It’s not often that a band will work around their schedule for a little interview like Thrice did, and I was pleased to see that after ten years the band still has a tremendous amount of dedication to their fans and music.

Special thanks to Katy Hardy at Vagrant Records and to Damon, the very accommodating tour manager

– What is the story behind the name Thrice?

Dustin: It was an old inside joke when a bunch of us were still in high school, not really any major significance. Someone said it once and then we all used to say it. Then we needed a band name and defecto, that was it.

– How did the band form?

D: I knew Teppei from school, and then he knew Eddie from skating, and Riley is Eddie’s brother so it just kind of all linked through. We started playing back in ’98 and we’ve just been slowly moving along, making records, playing shows.

– What is the process for writing the music and lyrics?

D: Music–we all collaborate and every song seems to be different; how it forms, whether it’s someone’s idea and then we go and jam on it, or someone has a full demo and we deconstruct that. As far as lyrics, I write all of the lyrics and I’ll have just a little idea of something, and I’ll write it down and kind of play with it and eventually build that song off of that, then go back and re-edit and re-edit until I’m happy with it.

– If you could choose one song off of your albums to broadcast to everyone in the world, what would song would you pick?

D: We all really like the song The Earth Will Shake, on Vheissu–though that might not be a good choice for the world because there is some screaming involved–but it’s a pretty unique song; it’s got a good groove to it.

– Do you string an intentional theme throughout all of your lyrics?

D: No, but after I’m done with records I can go back and see themes running through it, but it’s not something that I was trying to do; it usually just happens over stuff I’m dealing with at the time. I just try to write stuff that feels honest to me at the time. Even if you’d rather write something else, I think when you are honest about where you are at, it just comes out. Even when the songs are dark, I want there to be a point to that darkness, either it’s a point that needs to be looked at, or it’s there to contrast something good.

– What artists or individuals have been influential to you and the band from the start?

D: I grew up listening to the Beatles a ton, so I think that has always been the bedrock of my musical understanding, and as a group I think Radiohead has been a large influence for us. We all love their music and I’d say that they are probably collectively our favorite band, but also they’ve made some interesting choices in their career. They have made sure what they wanted to do and have been successful doing it; it’s something to admire.

– Are you trying to accomplish anything through the fame that you have?

D: Oh I don’t think I have much fame…but hopefully not get more fame [laughs]. I don’t know, anytime you’re in any kind of spotlight it’s good to try and use it for something positive. We did various stuff with it for charities for each record, and we try to use the pedestal to get people involved in more things or at least knowledgeable about certain things that are happening.

– Have there ever been any times when you have just wanted to quit?

D: Yes. It’s hard being away from family and it’s frustrating not being able to pursue some other things, like you’re just not home long enough to go to school at all or work in a job. There are a lot of frustrations with that stuff, but I love doing it despite all of the hard stuff.

– Do you still get nervous before shows?

D: No, but random occasions I get nervous. Like I played a song for my wife’s graduation from nursing school, and I was super nervous. It’s just a weird formal setting, so weird stuff like that I’ll get nervous about.

– What do you guys do in your free time?

D: I have a little daughter, so I don’t have much free time anymore, but I just write music and hang out with her and my wife. Teppei has a little boy now, so he does that and he tries to do a little recording on the side; Eddie surfs and rides his bike; and Riley plays his sports and does a blog.

– The majority of new bands seem to be in their late “˜teens and early twenties, while you guys are nearing your thirties. Do you feel that your age gives you advantage or does it even affect the music?

D: The way it seems like popular music is going, I don’t think it is an advantage, but having been around for a while we have some people who have been with us for a long time. I don’t think we are going to appeal to new up and coming audiences unless they have an older sibling or something that had introduced them. It seems like the younger generations are focused on the new thing that’s happening that coincides with whatever fad is happening at the time.

– What can we expect to see from you guys in the upcoming years?

D: Some more music–but I don’t know what it’s going to sound like! We’re getting ready to start sharing ideas and getting ready for whatever our next recording project is going to be. I’m excited about it; there’s definitely stuff in the air.

Congratulations To The Newly Married Bryce Jacobson!

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Driven Far Off’s Bryce Jacobson tied the knot today with long time love Lora Binsfeld at the St. Francis Xavier church in Sartell, MN.

After years making DFO readers happy, I am sure he will do the same for his bride.

The couple is registered at Target and Bed Bath & Beyond. You can view the links to their registeries below and hopefully show a little love and get something for the newlyweds!

Target

Bed Bath & Beyond

The Gallery Set To Release New Album Next Month

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The Gallery is releasing their debut full length “If You Know What I Mean” on Blue Duck Records on August 12th. Currently they have 3 songs from that album posted on their myspace www.myspace.com/thegalleryrock and have released their track listing as well:

Track Listing:
1. Drift
2. Consider This
3. Where We Began
4. Kingdoms
5. The Introduction
6. Surroundings
7. My Rhythm
8. Circus Song
9. The Lonely Disease
10. If You Know What I Mean

Be sure to check it out!

Camera Can’t Lie Interview – June 21st, 2008

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When the interview plans fell through, Camera Can’t Lie graciously offered to conduct an interview with me anyway. I was able to chat with singer/guitarist Eric, and pianist Tim about their growing popularity and aspirations before they played Bash on the Farm in Garner, IA.

I want to thank Eric and Tim for talking with me and making this interview possible.

~ How did you get started in Camera Can’t Lie?

E: Tim and I had been playing for about four years in different bands, and this band started up last March with the addition of two new guys from the Twin Cities area in Minneapolis. Then our high school friend that had been playing bass with us, Kyle, joined. That’s how the five piece Camera Can’t Lie kind of started.

~ The band’s fan base has grown considerably since it first started. Has that popularity affected you guys at all?

T: Nothing has really changed and we definitely aren’t famous yet, but we’re still just taking it one step at a time. Being signed isn’t the end of the race. There’s plenty more to do and we still have a lot of work ahead of us.

~ How does it feel to have recently signed with a major label like Atlantic Records?

E: It’s really surreal. It’s a dream come true basically. We feel very blessed and we’re not taking this for granted. We’re certainly happy to get there and now we will hopefully see a lot more progress.

~ What goals pertaining to music have you set to accomplish within the next few years?

E: We’re going to put out a new record, and I guess as a musician and song writer, my number one goal would be to create an album that is timeless. An album that someone can put on and listen to all the way through, from track 1 to track 12, and become something that speaks to them and becomes the soundtrack to their life.

~ As the main songwriter, what is your process for writing the lyrics and melodies?

E: There’s like two different processes; sometimes I’ll be journaling and have something that’s in my heart and I want to say, and that sparks a lyric or an idea for a song, but most of the time I write a song I write the melody and then the lyrics come after. I like to write about experiences that other people have, people that are close to me, because my life is kind of boring and uneventful. I just want to be a voice for other people.

~ What theme would you say runs throughout all of your music?

E: I guess to sum it up would be a theme of hope. There’s so much evil in the world but eventually we hope that with our passion we can achieve something. You can change the world just by showing kindness and love.

~ Do you face any difficulties that come with being in a band?

E: Oh there are tons. People think that it’s really glamorous, but it’s not always. I want to do nothing but play music, and getting on stage is the best feeling I’ve ever experienced in my life, but spending six or eight hours in a van everyday, cramped and eating Taco Bell and Burger King and sleeping on people’s floor is difficult. There are guys that have long distance relationships and I think that relationship can be one of the hardest to maintain while being in a band. We sacrifice a lot to get up and go wherever we’re needed and I spend a lot of time away from home. I miss my family and have to bail on a lot of things, and that sucks, but fortunately there are people in my life that have been very understanding and supportive enough where they know that you still care about them and they would rather you be doing your dreams than sitting at home and playing it safe. We’re taking chances and putting ourselves on the line, and we just feel so blessed. We’re very lucky.

~ For first time listeners of Camera Can’t Lie, what song would you suggest they listen to first and why?

E: Losing You, it’s a song off of our EP last year, and it will be on our new record as well. It’s a song that means a lot to me personally, and it keeps us in check. We’re no one; we’re just some blessed boys. Even after signing with a major record label, nothing has really changed. We’re still the same people, and that song is about not losing sight of that, not losing sight of who you are. Next song I would go with is Dakota. Dakota’s a ballad and we’re a rock band, but it seems to be a fan favorite and it will also be on the new record.

~ Have you met anyone that has acted differently around you solely because you are in a band?

E: Yeah, it happens. It’s kind of weird, we signed the deal and you kind of see three different types of people: There are the people that truly loved you before and support you, it didn’t matter if you were famous or not; people who were your friends and you thought they were your friends and they are no longer, they think you sold out or don’t see you; and the people that want to be your friend all of a sudden and your like, “Dude, I would have been your friend three months ago.” We really don’t feel like we have changed at all, we just feel blessed. We don’t take it for granted and we’re still all about the fans.

~ Did you always aspire to be in a band?

E: When I was a kid I wanted to be a professional baseball player, but once I hit high school I just wanted to write songs and play music. My family is very musical; my mom was a piano and vocal major in college, so I started piano lessons at a very early age. Tim has been playing piano since he has been four, so he and I both wanted this career from the beginning. We weren’t really in it to settle for anything less.

~ Any advice you would like to share with Driven Far Off readers?

E: Take chances and follow your dreams. If you have a passion and you’re willing to make sacrifices and take the punches, stick with it. It doesn’t matter what the situation is financially, where your location is growing up, because everything can be overcome if you have enough drive. Meet as many nice people as you can and make as many friends as you can and just enjoy it along the way.

Cobra Starship Interview – June 13th, 2008

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After braving a flood and grid-lock traffic that caused them to arrive two hours late to their concert, Cobra Starship still found time to conduct an interview with Driven Far Off. I was lucky enough to sit down with the genial and articulate guitar and keyboard player, Ryland Blackinton (far left in picture), at the Picador in Iowa City, IA, and ask him a few questions.

A huge thanks goes out to Kelly McWilliam of Atlantic Records, Dan Lipski, and Ryland Blackinton for making this interview happen.

– How did you and the others get involved in the band?

R: Alex and I went to high school together in Florida, and we had our own band together that Gabe came to see a couple of times on a recommendation from his old drummer Rob Hitt, who lives downstairs from Alex, and he asked us to join.

– Did you always aspire to be in a band, or when did it become a goal?

R: It just happened by accident. I’ve always been a musician, but I never wanted to be in a band professionally. I never really thought it was very practical or realistic-I still don’t-but somehow it worked out. So I’m just very fortunate and I feel very thankful that it has worked out for me thus far. I always wanted to be an actor; I wanted to do movies.

– You guys released your most recent album, ¡Viva La Cobra!, at the end of last year. How does that album differ from the previous one?

R: The record before was one that Gabe did by himself with some producers, and even though there were some really good songs on that one, he was working under a deadline and had to do it very quickly. We, however, were able to spend a lot of time on tour as a band writing ¡Viva La Cobra!, and I think the songs are little bit more diverse, and there’s a wider spectrum on the album in terms of the sound of the songs, which sounds different to me.

– What is the process for writing the lyrics and melodies?

R: Gabe does the lyrics for the most part and melodies, and we split up the duties for the music amongst us.

– Who or where do you draw your inspiration from?

R: Other music inspires me. I like Ratatat a lot, and for writing and stuff as well we’re really influenced by Chromeo and Justice and Cassius; bands like that. We’re big fans of that kind of music so that’s usually a reference point for us.

– What is the main theme running throughout your music?

R: Well, we like to have a lot of fun when we play, so we try to make songs that will be fun for us to play on stage, so I guess fun would be the theme. We take into consideration what it’s going to be like to play songs live when we write them, and that’s a big part of our edict in terms of song writing.

– Your music reaches out to a wide audience; do you ever have any fans that surprise you in terms of their demographics?

R: Yeah, absolutely. Last night a 46 year old couple wanted an autograph on a t-shirt, and I thought that was really cool. I think it’s interesting the way that obviously young kids like it, but also their moms like to like, work out to it and be like, “I was on the treadmill for two hours listening to your record, and I loved it!” If our music helps you lose a few pounds, I think that’s pretty cool too; stay in shape. That’s what we do.

– What emotions do you hope the band’s music evokes in fans?

R: A sort of frivolity; we hope that they feel like it’s not too serious, because we don’t take it too seriously. So hopefully if someone’s having a really emotionally heavy, serious week, they can listen to something really fluffy and lighthearted like our music and it will maybe give them new perspective. Maybe they will forget their problems for a little while, hopefully. That’s ambitious, but maybe.

– Are you working on any side projects currently?

R:  Yeah, Alex and I are in a band called This is Ivy League.

– Do you find it difficult to divide the time between both bands?

R: Yeah, it can be tough, but we’ve already been able to have two releases; we just released a record in April. The only thing that we’re not able to do, unfortunately, is tour as extensively with Ivy League as we do with Cobra, but it hasn’t been a hindrance thus far. We know that eventually we will have an opportunity to tour, and when we do, we will.

– Who came up with the Cobra fangs up gang sign?

R: It was Gabe. Gabe had the bright idea of having some sort of a gang sign that lets everybody know that they are a member. It catches on because it’s good to have a signal, I think. It’s like Jay-Z’s “throw your diamonds up” type of thing, except not that gangsta, sorry. That’s where the idea came from though.

– Music-wise, what do you hope to accomplish within the next few years.

R: Just to continue to make music and continue to tour is really a blessing to me and to the rest of us as well. I don’t think we have any real solid goals; we’re not trying to take over the world. We’re just trying to continue to write music that is fun and people can dance to and it’s catching on. We’ve been openers for a lot of other bands, and to see their fans come and become our fans is a really cool thing. So hopefully just to continue to make fans and to continue to tour.

– What do you find the most challenging aspect of being on tour?

R: I like to shower a lot; I love hygiene. I like to smell nice; not be too greasy. So that’s a problem because we don’t have opportunities to shower very often, and sometimes we play a show and it’s hot, and you’re sweating, and you just have to deal with it. It’s really gross. I also bore pretty easily. There’s a lot of downtime, and sometimes I just get really anxious. So that’s the only tough thing for me, but I just got some gear and a new computer-my new Mac-and that’s keeping me pretty occupied.

– Is it difficult being in small living quarters with the same people everyday?

R: It’s not difficult; it can get dicey sometimes. You can put two of the best friends ever in a room for three months without giving them the chance to go anywhere else, and there’s probably going to be some menial conflicts, nothing too serious, but every once in a while we just need to do our own thing. We all get along really well; we’ve never had any big fights.

– Is there anything else you would like to add?

R: I was going to give a shout out for all the people that got flooded today. On the way in we got to see all of the devastation and how bad the flooding really was, we’d heard about it on the news but we didn’t really get the scope of it until we were stuck in traffic. I just want to say that everyone that had property damage, and people at the venue here that had to go and help their parents bail water out, my family is from New Orleans and they had to go do stuff like that, so my heart goes out to them. I hope that everything is reconstructed quickly and everything is cleaned up. We might get stuck here tonight, so we may be getting on our water boots, get some floaties, and helping people out.

Minus Six Interview – June 6th, 2008

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A pop rock band with a saxophone instead of a guitar? When I found out that Minus Six was playing near me, I jumped at the chance to interview them. I was lucky enough to talk to the band over dinner at the Riverhouse Bar & Grill in Moline, IL, where the sweet small-town guys told me just how the unique group came to be.

I would like to thank the band for taking the time to make this interview possible.

– For the record, can you state your name and specific part you play in the band?

Kevin: My name’s Kevin Carton and I play piano and sing for Minus Six.

Matt: I’m Matt Sivertsen and I play all the saxophones as well as the EWI, Electric Wind Instrument.

Kameron: Kameron Rummans, bass guitar and backup vocals.

Rob: Rob Baner, drums.

– How did each of you get into music?

Matt: Started playing saxophone in 5th grade, and got really interested in high school with saxophones in particular and rock bands like Dave Matthews Band, who I really admired because they had a saxophone player. Then I got quite a bit into jazz as well, and was a saxophone performance major at the University of Illinois, and then got with these guys, these spirited young musicians, and now I just aspire to be in a rock band while incorporating a saxophone.

Kevin: From the time I was an infant my mom said that I would sing inside the cradle, so I guess you could say it’s been in my blood ever since I was born, and I guess my whole life has been aimed toward becoming the best musician I can be. I started piano lessons in second grade, and I haven’t looked back since I’ve started. I love what I’m doing and it’s awesome because I’ve gotten to make three new brothers along the way.

Kameron: I started singing professionally when I was nine years old in a boys’ choir, and I started playing bass guitar my eighth grade year of school, and influenced by Kevin Carton, I struck the urge to pick up that instrument and help him and his music endeavors.

Rob: I started playing drums back in fifth grade, when I was about eleven, and I’ve been playing ever since with any kind of ensemble I can get my hands on. I’ve been playing with these guys now for about three years, and it’s been awesome.

– What is unique about Minus Six?

Matt: Definitely unique in that we don’t have a guitar for being a pop rock band, and that’s kind of the first thing we sat around and talked about, like five years ago, trying to incorporate a piano based rock group. Most rock groups don’t have that and don’t have a sax and don’t not have guitars. Hence the name Minus Six, for the six string guitar absence.

– Is it difficult playing without a guitar in the band?

Kameron: No, our rhythm instrument comes from the piano, and the drums and the bass fill in as the rhythm section. I think the three of us together solidify what we are doing as musicians under vocals and lead instruments. I don’t think the guitar is missed much.

Rob: I don’t think it’s difficult, I think it provides us with the opportunity to get our sound base a little different and get a unique sound and test some new areas that don’t necessarily get hit that often in this genre.

– You released your third album, Hidden Deep in the Green (2007), last year. What can you tell us about the first two albums and how they differ from the most recent?

Kevin: I think the most obvious change in the most recent album compared to the last two albums is that our drummer Rob appears on the album for the first time with the band, and that alone has made the band 100% better because Rob is so good at keeping the rhythm. Not only that, but he makes the music really come alive and makes a visual. I guess what I am most proud of in the third CD is it’s a lot more visual, where you can almost close your eyes and go into your own world and experience that. The new album is more written from life experiences; from childhood to love and heartache. We do try to stay away from writing a lot of love songs on the new CD, so we also have songs about the end of the world, and peace, and how the world should come together because right now there is so much shit going on.

Matt: Our third album, Deep in the Green, was an opportunity to work on a little higher level for over week in a recording studio with a higher budget, we worked with a producer named Joe Hand down in Nashville. Our other two projects were much lower budget, so Deep in the Green was definitely one we spent a lot of time on with the writing and the production of it. Now this summer we are going to progressively start working on our fourth CD as a band, but also our second bigger budget CD. It’s been a fun ride.

– Is the band your main focus right now or are you each working on separate side projects?

Kameron: I think we are all musicians just striving to play. Minus Six is a big commitment for all of us, but some of us at different parts of our lives played jazz ensembles at school, or got together with friends just to jam, but this is a big commitment for us.

Matt: Yeah, I would say musically the focus is definitely Minus Six. I mean, I have a day job and these guys are all in school, so we have the Monday through Friday stuff, but we definitely play every weekend, and Friday and Saturday we really commit to playing. Pretty much anything else that we do have come up would be secondary.

– Music-wise what do you guys hope to accomplish in the next few years?

Rob: Right now we are really focusing on playing as much as possible wherever we can to give everyone a chance to hear us. But I think in the next few years our goal is to really take this as far as we can and get as much exposure as we can and get more material going.

– What bands or albums do you usually use for inspiration and why?

Kevin: I would have to say that my favorite bands are Ben Folds 5, Dave Mathews Band, and The Beatles. I think the biggest inspirations for the most recent writings would be The Beatles’ really melodic melodies and the Dave Mathews Band’s bizarre attempt at making really diverse songs that really don’t sound the same at all. At the same time, I think we are trying to move in a direction of trying to start something new with the music, in that we are incorporating almost a broadway-esque style into the songs. With that, we can take the music and tell stories and make longer songs, so that like I was saying with our last CD being visual, our next CD can be ten times more visual because we’re adding that plot to the songs. It’s like a mini movie in your head where you can shut your eyes and see it through the music. But everything from classical music to jazz really influences Minus Six because I think that we all try to listen to as much music as we can so that we can pull from different ideas and really hit all of the areas we find entertaining.

Matt: Yeah, we draw from every genre possible and I think Rob was a huge catalyst for that happening. He’s a drummer that can draw from anywhere and anything, versus a drummer that may just be rock genre based. So I really feel that Rob’s capabilities allow us to then have no boundaries and make the fans listen really well and incorporate the instruments and pull off a lot of different things. Like Kevin says, it makes it very visual.

– What does each of you like to do in your free time? Any hobbies?

Matt: What free time?

Kevin: I like to do a variety of activities. Writing the music for Minus Six is a big thing that I love to do with my free time. I go to school and I have a job, but when it all comes down to me having time to do whatever I want to do is walk to the piano and try to write out a new melody or new lyrics. If I’m not doing that, I like to hang out with friends and party and have a good time like any other college student.

Matt: Pretty much just run, work, and try to stay in shape. Minus Six pretty much encompasses a lot of my free time for sure, but I do have a Border Collie that keeps me busy too, playing with him.

Kameron: Hobbies? Yes. I have hobbies. My hobbies include playing music, of course, and I guess I’m a closet videogame nerd. I hang out with my fiancé a lot, and played football for a long time and did sports, but I don’t do that as much anymore.

– Are there any plans for music videos in the near future?

Kevin: I think right now we are focused on spreading our word, but not through professional music videos, more through videos like on YouTube, where it shows crowd participation and the high energy level on stage. I think that says more about us as a band at this stage, as opposed to trying to make a really artsy music video when we don’t have any kind of budget to do so, so it would probably come off looking not very professional. Right now if we do take any videos of the band, it’s at live shows and then putting them on YouTube to try to spread the word that way.

– For fans that are listening to Minus Six for the first time, what song would you suggest they listen to first?

Rob: I would say Anchorage would be a good song to start with, because I knew that’s what everyone else was going to say and I think it’s a neat tune. I also suggest that everybody give the CD one total listen down, because I think there is one song that will reach out to different people and I think that would be a cool way to find the song you like.

– What do you hope listeners take away from your music?

Kevin: We hope that our music makes people feel.

– Do you think the music community will accept you guys or will you need to prove yourselves a bit more because you have grown up in a small Illinois town?

Kevin: The longer I play, the more I question that because we’re trying to develop a new thing, like going with the Broadway rock style, and trying to incorporate longer songs with crazy plots. Personally, I know we all dig it, and we are excited to see people’s reactions to it, but I think we are so excited because we have no idea how people are going to react to it. So if we end up making a new CD and it doesn’t catch on because the songs are way too Broadway and out there, I think that we may then need to think about changing the way we write the music. For right now though, we are excited to see people’s reactions because it is different. In general, at live shows it seems to be catching on fairly quickly, and people like to dance. I don’t know if that’s because of the energy or our songs, but I’d like to think it’s a mixture of both.

Kameron: I think what every kind of music one would listen to, in like a big city or for someone else to accept us, is one thing, but I think people could definitely accept us as musicians individually and as a group together. Whether they like us as a group, they definitely acknowledge the fact that we do take a lot of pride in the way we play all our instruments.

– So have you guys already started working on your fourth CD? Have you done anything differently than before?

Rob: We have some new material that we are working on, and we have a lot more ideas that we’re still tossing around, not sure what’s going to happen yet. I’d say the one big characteristic of what we’re trying to do now is we’re trying to be adventurous and we’re trying to lead the listener on a journey, and take them somewhere. Where that is though, we’re not sure yet, but we want it to be somewhere.

– Currently the band is with M6 Records, but do you hope to someday sign with a major record label?

Matt: I don’t know, I think it depends because things are changing so fast. Right now record labels just aren’t what they used to be. Certainly, having advertising and exposure power would be nice, but we also know that a lot of times those things can be so short focused that they may be able to get one song out, and that’s where we’ve seen a lot of bands come and go, with just one tune. I think we’d rather do the leg work of getting true fans who go through our whole sets of music, and not just try and channel one hit tune. We would rather build it up from the bottom to get that core exposure. It was kind of cool because we started with high schools, but then what happened was all of the kids went away to college, and they go to all of these regional colleges, so that helped us jump to the next level. We are trying to branch out and play that college circuit, and we just hope it goes off to the next level. There are plenty of bands that have done it without record labels, and it might be a good thing eventually, but it’s not a hindrance now.

– What has been a difficulty that you have worked to overcome throughout the making of the band?

Kameron: I think the hardest thing is that all of us take a lot of pride in our talent, and with all of us in day jobs and college it’s hard for us to practice together. So we have to rely a lot on individual practice time and have confidence in the other people and their abilities to stay tight, because it kind of sucks not being able to practice on a regular basis together.

Matt: The toughest is anytime we’re in a new marketplace, because you can’t expect to go to a totally new venue, in a totally new town, and just have all of these people come out. You have to find the right spots where there are going to people out there already or maybe have another band that has a draw. It’s kind of frustrating because you get into the areas where you have a really good following, but at new places you have to start all over and it can take three to four shows to get back. Usually we get a good enough response so that it fills up pretty quick, but it does suck starting over at a new place where you have to branch out.

– Is there anything else you would like to add?

Matt: As far as our resources go,
Website: www.minussix.com
Myspace: www.myspace.com/minussix
E-mail: minussix@mchsi.com

And our songs are on iTunes as well as all other download sites.

The Hush Sound – Goodbye Blues

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Goodbye Blues

Artist: The Hush Sound
Album: Goodbye Blues
Label: Fueled By Ramen
Purchase: Fueled By Ramen
Release Date: March 18, 2008

Overall: 8.5
Music: 9.0
Lyrics: 8.5
Production: 8.0

Don’t bother rechecking the artist of the Goodbye Blues album, this new sound is indeed The Hush Sound. Lovers of Like Vines (2006) and So Sudden (2005) may be shocked by what they hear–or who they do not hear. Greta Salpeter noticeably carries the album, singing lead in 9 out of the 13 tracks with Bob Morris, Darren Wilson, and Chris Faller sinking into a rhythmic chant in the background. Aside from the plethora of estrogen, The Hush Sound have also adopted a darker and sassier tone, thanks to the primarily minor tonality, and are noticeably more emotionally connected and confident with their songs than ever before.

While fans will be surprised to find that they have altered their style, they will also appreciate the immense maturity and depth heard in the instrumentation. Salpeter’s voice has lost its airily sweet tone from Like Vines, and now resembles that of Regina Spektor and Fiona Apple. Although two very large names to measure up to, she exceeds expectations with her sultry, bluesy flavored vocals and soulful piano ballads. She sets the haunting tone for the rest of the album with “Intro”, but no other songs seep with such sincerity and heart-wrenching passion as “Hurricane.” Although her range has undeniably expanded, she does occasionally push her voice to resemble a genre that it simply is not. Bob Morris thankfully leads as well, yet all three songs have the same theme and tone. Starting with “As You Cry”, a blunt break-up song, Morris croons two more teenage angst numbers with the same lyrics of insensitivity towards the same lyrical ex-girlfriend. However moody these are, they provide a refreshing change from heavy Salpeter songs and highlight his musical maturity.

Although the album mainly consists of brooding vocals, it does have its share of upbeat songs. “Medicine Man” stands out from the album as the most mainstreamed and has been featured in commercials for the hit TV show “House”, yet the first ragtime feel appears in “Love You Much Better”, where vocals spring energetically over the show tune piano and cadenced clapping. “Molasses” is another relief from the others, yet there’s no milk and sugar to be found in this song with Salpeter sassing her way through the melody of swanky backings and lyrics. “The Boys are Too Refined” has Salpeter competing against “the boys” and their electric guitar slides, and portrays obvious promiscuity with her sultry vocals of “And if the timing is right / to sneak off into the night / I’ll let myself to be taken just for the thrill.” This is just one of the songs in which Salpeter displays her subtly increased sexuality, adding a new deflowered flavor missing from the previously chaste albums.

Have an open mind while listening to Goodbye Blues, as it may take a few tries before the rich songs do not leave you with a melancholy feeling. This underrated band may have taken a different path than expected, but hopefully it is one that will result in the recognition it deserves. So Sudden and Like Vines were the cautious young albums of wistful and poppy lyrics, seemingly searching for something. Whatever they were looking for, they definitely found it in Goodbye Blues.

Track Listing
1. Intro
2. Honey
3. Medicine Man
4. The Boys Are Too Refined
5. Hurricane
6. As You Cry
7. Six (Interlude)
8. Molasses
9. That’s Okay
10. Not Your Concern
11. Love You Much Better
12. Hospital Bed Crawl
13. Break The Sky

Say Anything Interview – April 16th, 2008

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Say Anything

I had the chance to interview Say Anything’s Parker, Coby, Alex and Jake before their show at Pipeline Cafe in Honolulu, HI, where they discussed everything from music to marriage, along with their goals for the future. This incredibly outgoing band truly did say anything, and showed their dedication to their fans as well as their music. Make sure to catch Say Anything playing in a show near you!

A huge thanks goes to Sheri Ladner of RCA music group, Kyle Gebhart, Josh, and of course, the guys of Say Anything, for making this interview possible.

– How did Say Anything come to be the band that it is today?

Coby: Say Anything started a long time ago, like 9 years ago, when Max was in 10th grade and I was in 9th. We met at Jewish summer camp, and we have been playing together ever since. Everyone that’s in the band now, we met on tour after high school when we were touring with an old lineup that wasn’t good. We met Alex when we were touring with his band, Lance’s Hero. We met Parker at a train station, randomly, on the way to our manager’s wedding, and we were like, “Hey do you want to play in our band? We’ve got this guy from Lucky Seven who might play, but we’d rather have you.” We met Jeff and Jake, the twins, when we were on tour, and a year later we asked them to join the band after our two guitar players quit. We’ve had this lineup now for like two years and two months.

– Where did the name Say Anything come from?

Alex: From the movie

C: Yeah…It’s definitely from the movie.

– Have there been any major changes since your first album?

C: The first being Is A Real Boy? Well, that record was mostly just Max, me on the drums, and some vocals, but everyone since then has been added to the roster. Like Alex plays base on the new record and everything. It’s just a whole new lineup, basically a whole new band. We’ve signed a major label since then, so definitely a lot has changed.

Parker: This current configuration started when Is A Real Boy got re-released on J Records. It had been out on Doghouse for a while.

– What do you want your listeners to feel when they hear your music?

A: I don’t write the lyrics, and about as far as I go is writing the base for the song, but vicariously through Max, I’d like the listeners to be influenced and inspired to create art of their own through music or whatever in an honest and passionate way. There are a lot of bands out there now a days that are possibly writing music for the wrong reasons. I view Max as a really passionate and honest performer, and that’s at least what I’d like kids to feel.

– Is there a theme that runs throughout your lyrics or music?

A: I’d just say that the general theme is autobiography. Like I listen to a song, and it is a song about something that we were all there for or heard stories about. It’s all biographical, at least from how I view it.

C: The thing that is different from the first record is like, I was there for some of it, but I wasn’t at the same time. We weren’t on tour yet and Max is a year older than me so he was in college while I was still in high school and we were kind of apart while he was writing the songs for the first record. But the second record he wrote most of it on tour and a lot of it is like experiences that happened to him when we started touring and when it finished it was basically about his first ever girlfriend that lasted like two years. I never thought about it, I’m just thinking about it right now, but since it’s a double record, one record for each year I guess? Makes sense in a weird way, kind of? But like, with the songs, we have been through it. The song, We Killed It, is about being on a cruise. We were there when he tried to book the cruise, and kept canceling it because his girlfriend was crazy and didn’t want to go on it with him, and they finally came back and he wrote the song on the cruise. So when we play that song we know what he went through, and when we play it live, we can’t ever feel exactly what he felt, but it’s metaphorical enough and not to the point where we could make it our own, live with our own instruments and stuff. You know what I mean?

P: I absolutely concur.

– What’s the hardest thing about being on tour?

A: Sound check’s pretty fucking hard! The hardest thing about being on tour is the instability. Basically, the space you can call yours, is about a small rectangular box, sort of like a coffin, with a mattress and a curtain. That’s your space. You’re literally living in a really really really small tiny tiny apartment that’s like a hallway, and sharing a communal space with 11 people. So you kind of get used to it and it’s cool. You just have to find those times when you need your solitude and walk off somewhere or just find the balance. Although there are the hard times, there are also the amazing times like when you find that amazing Thai place down the street. There is a lot of great stuff too, but that’s what I would say is hard.

C: It’s one of those things where you can’t really complain because you’re on tour and you’re on a bus, and everyone would love to do that, and say, “Wow I wish I were on tour,” and they come on the bus and say, “Wow this is amazing,” but then they are like, “I could never do it.” You have to be that kind of person to put in the back of you’re mind that you’re on tour and living out what you want to do, but this is what you have to do to do it. Yeah you have your bunk, but you can go to the venues and look around and it’s a new thing everyday. It’s stable and unstable at the same time. It’s stable in the fact that everyday is the same, like every day you have set time. By four o’clock you have sound check and by nine o’clock you go on stage. Then you go to your bus and chill out and do whatever you want to do. But at the same time, everyday is not stable because it’s a different city and you don’t know what’s around you, and it’s totally unfamiliar. There are new people everyday and new surprises, like someone coming out from your history that you don’t want to be there…and it’s fucking terrible…and you’re forced to just hang with that girl…

A: Another thing I wanted to add is that when you’re sick, it’s really hard. Because you don’t have your girlfriend or wife to make you soup or get you medicine-

C: -you’re in the same coffin and you can’t sleep on the couch or anything, and you have the same sheets and the same pillow-

A: -it’s just rough when you’re sick.

P: Another thing that’s crazy is you just get on this schedule that only exists with people in bands. You go to bed at the most insane hours and you just sleep twice as long as you normally do and then wake up in the afternoon.

– Who have been your biggest influences?

P:  Mine are all over the board. I guess I will always be influenced by the stuff that got me into music, which was early 90’s rock, like Nirvana, Foo Fighters, and all that kind of stuff. Then it kind of branched from there, going backwards, and I liked stuff like 80’s new wave music, stuff that is kind of silly and party music because I am always playing such aggressive music. Everything though. I like the Beatles, and all good song writers. All the classics.

C: When I started out listening, it was like Green Day-the first rock band I ever got into-which pretty much got me into music, because I used to listen to Broadway stuff when I was little.

P: I didn’t know that.

C: Oh yeah; Oliver, Les Miserables, that’s my favorite. I have videos of me singing from when I was two with a stick like Oliver and dancing. But drumming-wise it was Dave Grohl, Travis Barker was a really big influence on me for a couple of years, Taylor Hawkins, Keith Moon, Spencer Peterson, and Justin Green’s a really good drummer too.

A: I am currently very influenced and inspired by David Bazan of Pedro the Lion who has been an influence in my life ever since I listened to Control front to back. Some people who influenced my early on in my life were Bush, Nirvana, Dave Grohl in general is just an amazing musician whether he’s singing or on the drums.

– What’s the craziest thing you guys have done on tour?

C: I got into a personal long-term battle with the guitarist of Dashboard. He still hates me. I won’t go into it, but if he reads this, he hates me.

P: Ok. The craziest thing was: one time, our bus driver showed up 15 minutes late to bus call.

Jake: Hi, this is Jake… just live the dream.

P: That’s lame. Jake, what’s the craziest thing you’ve seen on tour?

J: Probably the craziest thing I have seen on tour is, I walked into the bus, it was just casual, and I had had a couple drinks. Next thing I know, my brother and parker are fucking. No I’m just kidding, I’m just kidding. I’ve seen some crazy shit on tour though. Am I allowed to cuss on this? Ok, well there was this really funny thing that happened last tour. Our-I’ll keep his name quiet at this point-he had hooked up with a girl and they are just hanging out on the front lounge, just chilling, and I overheard him say “Hey, who’s on your phone?” And she goes, “Oh that’s my boyfriend,” and I was like, wow, that’s really gnarly, and he was drunk so he didn’t care, but I was like, wow, that’s kind of crazy, that girl has been on our bus all night and has a boyfriend. But then she leaves and I’m like, wow, she left her phone here. And she had in her phone, as her boyfriend’s name, asshole. So I had to call asshole and get him to come back and get her phone. He had just picked her up from our bus. It was pretty gnarly. But either way, that’s a really crazy story. It’s kind of weird right? That’s all.

– Do you guys have groupies or anyone that follow you around?

J: We have a weird crowd. We actually have this cult following, they are part of this clan, not the KKK, it’s the SAK, and it’s really weird. But for all you guys that don’t know about the SAK it’s the Say Anything Klan, and they weird this face makeup, like armor makeup, like our record, you know what I’m talking about? In Our Defense, and they are like an army. So the SAK are crazy, dude. Last time, I met a dude from SAK and he came up to me, gave me this bracelet, and told me never to take it off. So I took it off. He told me if I took it off I was going to have bad luck for the rest of my life. Of course, I have. No, I’m just kidding, he never gave me a bracelet. It’s just like, a club. It’s not a clan at all. Clan just makes it sound really bad and racist, and our fans aren’t bad and racist…

C: Jake. The battery is going to like die. Groupies? Okay. Honestly, there are no like groupies that are like, oh hey you’ve come to fuck us. But we have girls that we know and they come hang out and whatever happens happens, and they are nice; they bring us cookies and milk sometimes. Or we go to Detroit and they take us out to sushi. It’s all nice and a good time no matter what.

J: Ok this is serious. Groupie-wise. There’s this girl, and she’s not a groupie, she’s just friends with us, and she was on our bus, and there was another band that was playing in town that night, and that guy decides to come on our bus and hang out for the night. We were chilling and I was drinking, and I got two drinks down, which by then I’m pretty tipsy, but I felt like I was going to throw up. So I was talking to one of the dudes from another band, and I was like, man I’m going to throw up. Then I noticed the guy had walked away from me, and the next thing I know, Ben from Biffy Clyro was like, “There’s a blue thing in your drink.” So obviously that guy was trying to get with the girl that was on our bus by putting the thing in my drink. He’s from another band, but I’ll keep that name unannounced.

– Are there any hobbies you enjoy other than dealing with music?

A: I like to read and play chess.

C: After this whole tour, I’m going to start riding a bike a lot. I don’t know how to ride a bike, I never learned. I was really fat growing up, and I was like, fuck the outside world. Sit at home, watch basketball games, and eat spaghetti. But when I get home I’m going to learn how to ride a two-wheeler, ride down to the beach with my girlfriend. We’re going to go all out, it’s going to be nuts.

P: I like playing video games a lot. I love them, I buy all the new ones. I also surf.

– Are there any other long term goals that you are working to accomplish?

C: I basically want my life to end up like I want to own a condo or a house out here, rent it out-

A: Is this new?

C: -This is what I want. This is from today. From me coming out here and loving it. I want to get married eventually, be successful in music, maybe real estate on the side, maybe own a couple things. I want to do some shit. I want to own a house out here and lease it out during winter, and all the shitty months. I would come out here during the summer, because I would live in Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, maybe West Hollywood. I don’t know, Daddy’s got big plans. Then I want to have an apartment in NY. Upper West side probably, and I could lease that out when I’m not there also. And I would love to own an airplane. Maybe not fly it, but have a Coby Linder airlines, it would be great. But one of my dreams came true on this tour; I got my own signature drumstick, and that was one of my goals in life. I would also like to be Parker’s friend for a while. Like, after the band. After our 5threcord, when we have our big blowout and we all go away. Like after Van Halen and they all hate each other, I’m down to hate other people in the band, but I’d like for Parker and I to be cool.

P: Thanks Coby. For me, I don’t want to get married. For a long time, a long time. At least into the second half of my life, maybe even the third trimester of my life is when I will get married and enjoy that. At least until I am 40, which is early for me.

A: So you’re not going to have kids?

P: I don’t know. But check this out, I’m also getting more into this goal of not living in the same place for more than a year. Just keep going on the move. If I live in New York, I’m going to Kansas. If I’m living in Kansas, I’ll move to Canada. If I go to Canada, I’ll come to Hawaii.

C: I want to reiterate one thing. One thing about my long-term goals is how Parker said he doesn’t want to get married for a while, and I don’t either. I’m 22, maybe I want to get married when I’m 25. I told myself that if I’m with a girlfriend when I’m 28, ill start thinking about it. So probably when I’m 29 or 30.

P: I’m an Aquarius, I just turned 27, and I’m the oldest member of the band, and it’s very hard for me to hear some of my younger members of the band talk like that and set such big goals, because I just feel that when he reaches that echelon of 25 years old, the quarter century club, I feel like he will be in a much different place, and I wish he would just reevaluate those statements and play it by ear.

C: We are in America, you have to think big to be big. Daddy’s 22 years right now, and if he thinks he can get married at 28, he’ll think it. If God says, “Oh hey, you’re 25 and your girlfriend you’ve been with since 21 has broken up with you,” then I will reevaluate things. But for right now, this is my longest relationship I’ve been in, it’s been over a year, and I love her. She’s with me in Hawaii right now and we are having a great time. If I am with her when I’m 28, I might spring for a ring. I don’t know. I hope to be married by 30.

A: Here’s the thing. Parker, you’re telling Coby to reevaluate his statements of hoping to be married at a certain age, but the thing is, he set a goal, and he hopes to accomplish it. It’s just about meeting the right person. You will know if you are to be married or not.

C: I think Parker’s thing is he thought he met the right person and it didn’t pan out. Like Daisy says on Rock of Love 2, sometimes life throws you a curveball.

A: Parker would you say you feel a little bit jaded from your last relationship?

P: Yes and no. You just can’t be sure about that stuff. Anything can happen, and you just don’t know.

A: Coming from a married 22 year old, I couldn’t be happier knowing that I’m going to have a 2 year anniversary this summer because I met someone who I wanted to be married to and am going to grow with them in life. That’s how I view it.

C: There’s give and take for everything, it just depends on the person. I can’t say that I’ll be married by 28. I’d like to be, but I can’t say that I will be. I recently lost a lot of weight, and who knows if I’ll go out on the town and find a really cute girl when I’m 24, who’s all into me because I’m really skinny and I shave my chest. I mean, who knows.

P: She might not just be a cute girl though. You’re going to meet someone that will mentally challenge you and change your whole thing.

– Do you guys have anything going on business-wise besides Say Anything?

P: I have a side project, www.myspace.com/iandtheuniverse

C: Me and Max have a project with Chris and Dave of Saves the Day, you will hear about it soon.

A: I own a record label, Gnome Records, and I have a side project that is just my name, Alexander T. Kent, and I’m going on tour of the west coast, May 8-May 17, if you’re interested.