INTERVIEW

SH: How old are you guys?

FS: 21. We're all 21 except the bass player. We're all 21 except [Zac], he's the one that gets left out of bars.

SH: How's the tour going so far?

FS: Good. Really good.

SH: How's it playing such big shows?

FS: It's fun, ya know.

SH: Have you had a favorite place yet?

FS: Montreal. That was fun.

FS: We have a lot of favorite places, it's not just like one favorite place.

SH: What happened in Montreal?

FS: The people there were just cool. They can barely speak English and they're singing along.

SH: I've heard so many good things about Canada.

FS: Yeah, Canada's a cool place. Especially on the east coast. Like Ontario and Quebec. Real good places to play.

SH: So are all you guys from Riverside?

FS: Yeah, except the roadie, he's from L.A. He's [Gabe] from Mexico (laughter).

SH: Cool. So how's the response to "Right on Time" been?

Zac: So far pretty good for three months.

SH: How many have you sold?

Zac: We've sold out of our first press of CD's, that's all I know. What's in a press?

Chris: I don't know, we've sold a lot.

SH: Is there anything new coming out?

Chris: Um yeah, there's a comp that just came out called "Hopelessly Devoted to You." We're doing a split 7" with a couple bands, but that won't be out for... yeah, there's nothing that's going to tbe out for the next 6 months.

Zac: Isn't there an EP 7" with four bands on it?

Chris: Yeah, I don't know what that is really.

Zac: I think he's doing a 7" compilation with 2 bands from Japan and 2 bands from America.

SH: Do you know who the bands are?

Zac: No, like ska/punk type bands.

SH: So is this your biggest tour so far?

Chris: Yeah, pretty much.

SH: How long have you actually been a band?

Chris: Six years.

SH: All original members?

Chris: No, just me and [Gabe].

Zac: It took them a long time to get a good drummer and a good bass player.

SH: How come it took you so long to record?

Chris: We're not picky. We don't have any money, and we just all of a sudden got an offer to record.

Zac: That's not really long to record. Some bands take a month to record, we only took six days.

Chris: Nahh, Zac..

SH: No, I meant why were you a band for so long before you recorded.... So how did you guys (Zac and drummer) get involved with the band?

Zac: Involved with that (points to his beer)?

SH: No, how did you get started with the band?

Zac: Oh, I thought you were pointing at my beer. Involved with this.. oh well, my dad was a big drinker and uh... Well I knew these guys from around the neighborhood and from different shows and stuff.

Chris: He used to be in another band called the Numskulls, and they were pretty good. And he played bass for them, and he was good. We just asked him to jam, and it just worked out from there.

SH: How 'bout you (drummer)?

Chris: He started like five years ago. Our old drummer just never showed up and he (drummer) was in the room. Gabe: He'd never played drums before and it just happened. Drummer: He was like calling me for a week. I was at my girlfriend's place and I went home and my grandmother was like, call that guy Chris, he's been calling me and calling and calling. She was kinda mad. He was calling a lot. When I got the message I called him, we just started jamming. There was some other people who wanted to come over and try out, but by the time those people came over I already had down like three songs.

Chris: It was good though, it worked out.

SH: Any surprises on the tour so far?

Chris: No, this tour is going real smooth. We haven't had any problems.

Gabe: Everything's all ready. We just show up. Chris: No problems man, everything's cool. No breaking down. We've had places to stay. We get hotels every night.

Gabe: Well they (Voodoo) get beds, we get floors, but still. Zac: We're crashing on Voodoo's floor.

SH: You guys get along with them pretty cool?

Chris: Yeah, really cool guys.

Zac: They get drunk and they like to de-pants people and stuff. That's why I changed. I didn't want to get pantsed. Put a belt on. I'm gonna do some pantsing tonight.

SH: Do they ever harass you while you're on stage?

Zac: Oh no, no. There'd be nothing you could do when you're on stage. Just keep playing, stand there naked.

SH: I've seen it happen.

Zac: I pantsed Digger. I pantsed Phil while he was playing.

SH: So how about the split with the Nobodys? Did you guys play some shows with them after that?

Zac: We played some shows with them. We're gonna play some shows with them on the way back.

Chris: They're really good. They'll play 20 songs in a row.

Zac: They don't have to tell peole what their songs are about. They'll be like this song's about jacking off... 1 2 3 4...

SH: Do you guys have a set down or have you been mixing it up?

Gabe: We've been mixing it up.

Chris: Pretty much the same shit though. He can't sing some of the high songs at night.

Gabe: Especially after a night of hard drinking.

SH: So how'd you guys decide on Hopeless?

Chris: We didn't, they asked us.

Gabe: We didn't have any other offers.

Chris: It sounds like there's a lot of people here.

Zac: The guy'll come up and get us when he wants us to play. And then I'm gonna say, "Oh I gotta take a shit real quick."

SH: Well is there anything else you want the world to know?

Gabe: Tell them we're coming to their town someday. Thank you.

Continued after they played....

SH: How is it that you're most influenced by Crimpshrine?

Gabe: Just everything about that music. When that shit came out it was like we were in high school and we were just getting into all sorts of different kinds of music and when that whole East Bay thing took off. Those fucking bands were all amazing. Sewer Trout and I saw Cristy Crimpshrine, Op Ivy. That's what really inspired us to want to do this shit.

SH: So that's what inspires you the most. The East Bay stuff?

Gabe: Yeah, basically that's what we like and that's what we're into.

SH: So how's Hopeless treating you guys?

Gabe: Hopeless is really good. They act like our fuckin' parents, which is good for us because we're kinda fuck-ups. They really push, and they really support us a lot.

SH: And what about other bands you played with? Are there any exceptional ones on this last tour?

Gabe: Nancy Flag's fuckin' awesome. Who else have we played with? The Nobodys are great. A lot of good bands we've played with?

SH: What's your favorite candy?

Gabe: Aba Zaba. I like the little peanut butter thing in the middle.

SH: Any advice for young aspiring bands?

Gabe: Just keep at it man. It took us six years to do this. Fuckin' when we started none of us knew how to play our instruments at all. It can happen.

Zac: If we can do it anybody can fuckin' do it.

SH: Any famous last words?

Gabe: Don't take any shit from anybody.

SH: Oh, how was Canada?

Gabe: Canada was really good. Montreal was like really really cool, and fucking Quebec. Fuckin' people speaking fuckin' French, something about that just turns me on.

SH: Do you speak French back to the crowd?

Gabe: No, the only thing I learned was "Will you go to bed with me?" That was the only phrase.

SH: Did you guys go to the east coast?

Gabe: We played a little bit of the east coast. Not the northern part though. We're going to be doing that with Voodoo. Playing NY, Boston.

SH: Is it intimidating playing in front of big crowds that Voodoo plays with?

Gabe: Not really. I don't like big places. Like big echoey theater type places like this place. I like small intimate. I don't like barricades separating the audience. I feel like a fuckin' rock star yah know. I like the kids to be right there. For you to be right there, the whole fuckin' participation thing.

SH: Well Voodoo's going on so...

Gabe: They have a rad Motley Crue intro, it's all black and shit and they come in jumping and stuff.

SH: So you wanna go inside?

Gabe: So do you have anything else? Nah thanks.

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