Californian rockers RX Bandits have been around for over a decade and have a reputation for being a great live band. On the first night of their European tour they kicked things off in style by doing an interview with Scene Slut.
Hey guys, welcome back to the UK, would you like to start by introducing yourselves to our readers?
CT: Hi, I’m Chris and I play drums.
JT: I’m Joe, I play bass and sing… a little bit.
SC: I’m Steve, I play guitar and keyboard.
Tonight is the first night of your European tour, how are you feeling?
JT: Very excited.
SC: We’re feeling good, a little bit jetlagged, we only arrived in the UK on Sunday morning.
What can we expect to see from you at a live show?
JT: Us sweating.
CT: Yeah, a lot of sweat, sticks breaking.
SC: We try to keep it exciting from song to song, we make sure there’s not too much stoppage time. Playing our asses off. We’ll be playing material from the new album.
JT: This is our first time over here playing tracks off the new record, so there’ll be a lot of new music.
Earlier this year you toured the States with Gym Class Heroes, was it strange playing a support slot when you’ve headlined for so long?
SC: It’s very familiar to us because that’s how you establish yourself, you go out and play on bigger tours as a support act, it was a lot of fun.
JT: We still played for 45 minutes at each show.
CT: Yeah, we still got to play a pretty long set for a support slot but we had to slash half our normal set.
Being in a successful band has given you the opportunity to travel the world, what has been the most fulfilling experience for you?
SC: The whole thing itself is pretty fulfilling, getting to see different places and going to perform for people because they want to see you is pretty amazing.
What do you think sets you apart from the hundreds of other bands out there?
SC: That’s like a set up to sound arrogant (laughs) you’re trying to set us up to sound pompous. I don’t know…
JT: Say it!
SC: I don’t know, we just are.
CT: We don’t have songs on the radio or videos on TV.
SC: That makes us different to those bands, but that makes us the same as thousands of other bands! (laughs).
JT: We’re in Portsmouth and they’re not.
SC: I think we try to approach our music with no regards to genre, we really do not care what is happening in the current state of music, what the musical climate is, sure we’re effected and influenced by it but we try to make music in spite of it. That’s what sets us apart, honestly. I’m sorry if I sound pompous it’s her (pointing at me) fault.
CT: Arrogant bastard!
At this point trombonist Chris Sheets enters the room and joins in the fun. You released your latest album ‘…And The Battle Begun’ in October, do you enjoy the writing and recording process?
JT: I do, yes.
SC: It’s a double edged sword for me.
Let me guess you don’t like recording.
SC: That’s right.
CT: I enjoy it.
CS: Recording this album was fun.
SC: We were in this giant aeroplane hanger that had been converted into a studio.
CS: The rhythm sections were laid down pretty quickly, but the rest dragged on a little bit longer than I would have cared for, but it happens. I still think one of the best feelings is hearing a finished record, the finish product, what you’ve done and created. It’s nice to go back and hear all the songs you’ve recorded over the years.
SC: At the start it’s such a daunting thing but when you finally get to the other end it’s so satisfying because a year of your life can be spent on one creative project.
CS: But, it’s well documented so it’s worth it.
SC: True, even if nobody remembers it it is still immortalised, it’s still going to live forever.
JT: Now you sound pompous.
How important is RX Bandits to you?
JT: Try everything.
SC: It’s pretty much our life so it is like the most important thing.
JT: Girls come and go
SC: I think that level of commit you have to give to be in a fulltime touring band is beyond the realm of it just being important or a priority because you’ve committed your life to it, so it takes it to an entirely different level. To call it important is an understatement.
CS: I think a lot people have their work and their hobbies and with what we do it’s combined, it’s what we do to survive and what we do for enjoyment.
This is where you really get to sound pompous and arrogant, how important are you to RX Bandits?
SC: (Laughs) No comment!
CT: I think we are all equally important.
CS: I don’t think RX Bandits would be RX Bandits without the five RX Bandits, it just wouldn’t be the same. That’s really deep I know.
SC: I still refrain from answering that question.
Ok, lets move on. You guys seem to have a strong political stance, do you think it’s important as a band to take an active role in subjects that interest you?
JT: Absolutely, especially in this day and age with everything that’s going on right now, it’s an important time to be aware and it’s an important time to take action where you can.
Why do you think so many young people have an apathetic view towards politics?
SC: It’s something they can’t be guaranteed the truth on so how can they care about that?
CS: I think people only see the big picture and it’s to daunting to correct and change what’s happening right now, it just seems like to much to swallow. You might not be able to change something in your lifetime, you might only be able to plant a seed so it’s very easily to become apathetic.
SC: That has to be a reason for sure. There’s so many personalities, there are so many reason why people feel like that. One being what Sheets said, one being that there are not enough solutions, people are not given enough resources and means to feel like they can do something and/or not being able to trust the information you can get.
CS: Yeah, the sheer frustration of not having the truth. It’s getting better in this day and age because if you look you can get real answers but it seems like the mediums that provide information also provide distractions.
SC: It’s unfortunate but I feel like the best way to get the truth is out of the spite from another nation. I mean, I can get way more of an honest look at US news from the media here. Do I think it’s a genuine attempt at giving someone the truth? No, I just think things are exposed in a different light, like the way Tony Blair was depicted in the States and visa versa.
Do you feel that as a musician you have a responsibility to make people aware of what’s going on around them?
SC: I think if you’re aware that you have that power and ability than you should. I think that when people don’t see it like that, they think they’re just here to entertain and play music that is legit too. I think as soon as you become aware that you could do that than you have a responsibility to.
What’s your overall view on the music industry at the moment? Everyone seems to think it’s going down the pan.
CS: It’s a very interesting time.
SC: It’s getting pretty fucked up, it’s breaking down essentially.
CS: The higher-ups at major labels don’t want to believe what is going on, they’re still hanging on to the hope that it’s going to be like it was in the 70s or 80s. They can either give up or they can change and I think they’re trying to hold on for as long as they can before they have to change.
SC: I think the bottom of the music industry is falling out because they’re not putting back into it in the right way and now the power is going back to the individual musicians and bands themselves with home recording technology the labels need to reform or die. My guess is that because it involves money they’re not going to go down because everybody is greedy and they will learn to adapt but right now they’re figuring out how to do that.
Have you seen a dramatic change in the music industry since you started out?
JT: Absolutely.
CT: Totally.
CS: When we started doing this it was in the prime of labels being overbearing.
SC: We were getting recording budgets that were small by those standards but now by label standards would be huge and we’re still only in our twenties, and that was just four years ago.
CS: Now if you can sell 100,000 records it’s a big deal but back then that was seen as barely any records sold for a major label band.
How do you feel about the switch to the digital era where more and more bands are releasing download only material?
JT: I think it’s cool.
SC: I think it’s cool how the government, especially in America, is not admitting that they don’t know how to deal with it so they’re manifesting some kind of discipline in fucked up ways. They’re taking down these 20 random college kids that downloaded free albums and shit, and these kids are getting tried and persecuted. I think organisation is called the RCAA, they’re the ones that are taking the action and are pushing for these people to be prosecuted for digital downloads for sites like LiveWire.
CS: Then you have the big guys that provide these digital downloads that aren’t paying any of the royalties even though they’ve made deals to pay the artists a percentage. No-one is getting paid for selling their music online.
SC: Greedy bastards like Metallica are not helping, going to court and trying to put that shit on the news.
JT: I think also all of us still like the idea of albums, I still buy records, if it’s something that I like I definitely want the CD or vinyl.
SC: I think those things will stay, it maybe taking a dip right now but I think people will realise that it brings a whole other aspect to the album.
CS: There will be another forum to release to because all the major record stores are going out of business so something is going to have to change, it can’t all go down like Virgin and Tower did.
CT: Hopefully it will become like the way a t-shirt is sold, someone could go to the local 99 cents store and buy a dollar t-shirt and write a band’s name on it, or they could go and support the band and buy their actual product it may cost more money but it’s worth it. You could just download and have just the music or you could go out and buy the actual album and have it in your hand.
JT: Having the actual album is all part of the experience.
CS: It’s like there are some bands that can sell a million records but can’t sell out a small club because there are no true fans.
Are you happier now you’re independent in comparison to your days on Drive-Thru?
All: Yes
What are the benefits of being an independent band?
JT: We control everything, it’s ours, the product is ours we don’t have a higher-up, sure we have a manager but we’re in control and if we make a mistake it’s our bad. It means we’re in control of our lives because this is our livelihood, it’s what we do.
CS: It’s great.
What’s your view on scene sluts?
CT: We’re not in the scene.
SC: We don’t really come into contact with that any more to be honest.
JT: We never really did.
SC: We did on support tours for other bands.
CS: That’s a really bold question, but I think we only see that thing when we are doing support tours for bands that might have such activities going on.
SC: There are sluts everywhere, lets be honest, there’s basketball sluts, scene sluts, car sluts, if you’re going to entertain that word in context and chose to acknowledge the concept of a slut then yes, there are sluts everywhere.
JT: Seeing as all our fans our guys that eliminates that whole aspect. (All laugh)
CS: There’s man sluts that’s for sure…there’s a few in here… two. (All laugh)
Luke Wilson or Owen Wilson?
CT: Luke.
CS: Owen for sure.
SC: That’s tough
CS: Well think of it like this, who just ruined the best western to come out since Unforgiven?
SC: I haven’t seen it so shut up!
JT: I’ll go with Owen.
What’s your proudest career moment to date?
CT: Bonnaroo
JT: I think putting out a record on our own label, that was a pretty big achievement and even though that was a year ago, so much has happened in the past year I feel like we pioneered that, a lot of people are doing it now and getting the encouragement to do it because we did it. I mean, I’m not saying that we started it but it was a big deal to get off a label and to go for it on your own. A lot of bands are afraid to do that, a lot of bands can’t function and they need a label.
CS: I think one of our biggest achievements is being recognised as the band we are and not the band we were perceived as. It’s been an uphill battle for us but it has finally come around and we all take a lot of pride in that.
SC: Totally, and not being lumped in with other bands and not being thought of as just a ska band or whatever band.
What do you still have left to achieve?
CS: Obviously worldwide mega stardom.
CT: Playing a show on the moon.
JT: That would be kind of tight.
CS: Who’d hear you? There’s a vacuum.
SC: I’d like to tour in some more obscure places, like Kuala Lumpur and Morocco.
CS: I’d like to go to Australia and South America.
SC: Lets go to places that are in political turmoil and rock! Burma, Tibet.
CT: I think when all five of us get simultaneously elected as president that would be pretty good.
What can we expect to see from you over the next year?
SC: A new RX album.
CT: Lots of music, from us and our side projects. Sheets has got a side project album coming up, it’s called And This Time I Gave To Me.
Awesome, thanks for your time and have a good show tonight.
Orange County rockers Takota are back in the UK for the third time, so we figured it’s about time we caught up with them.
Welcome back to the UK, can you guys start of by introducing yourselves to our readers.
GA: I’m Grant and I sing for Takota.
J: I’m Jason, I play guitar.
DR: I’m Danny and I play bass.
BA: I’m Brett, I play guitar.
JF: I’m Justin and I drum.
How’s the UK been treating you so far?
GA: It’s been great, we really love it here.
JF: Every show has been sold out.
GA: This is our third time in the UK so it doesn’t feel so foreign anymore, it feels like we really know where to eat and what to do. We all really like Indian food, so that’s been really good.
DR: We eat a lot of Indian food.
Are you seeing a lot of familiar faces?
GA: Yeah, a lot of people have come out from past shows. It’s funny because we’ve come twice before, once on our own and then once with Bullets and Octane and Zebrahead and we’re seeing people from both of those tours but separately, so it’s been pretty cool.
How did you get involved in the Plain White T’s tour?
GA: We’re just friends with the Plain White T’s and we did some shows with them in America and heard that they were coming over and just asked and they bought us.
How have their fans reacted to you?
GA: Yeah its been great. You never really know when you tour with a band how their audience is going to be, it can be great and other times it’s not so great. The Plain White T’s fans have really warmed to us so its been a good series of shows. We’ve made a lot of new friends so we’re excited to come back again.
How does this tour compare to the UK tour you did earlier this year with Bullets and Octane?
GA: It’s a different genre of music, the crowds a lot younger I would say at these shows, and there’s a lot more girls. It’s been great because we’ve been playing a lot of the same venues but to different audiences.
What can we expect to see from you at a live show?
GA: Big rock ‘n’ roll, we try to put on a big performance.
JF: A lot of fireworks and pyrotechnics.
BA: A lot of hip thrusting.
GA: Big, big melodic rock ‘n’ roll shows with a lot of energy.
What do you think sets you apart from the hundreds of other bands out there?
GA: I just think we’re a lot better than a lot of bands, I think we’ve got better songs. We’re not trying to do anything new, we’re just trying to write really good songs. With us it is music to mark important moments in your life, with a lot of other bands their songs don’t sit or they’re not as poignant.
JF: I just think we’re a lot different there’s like a thousand bands that all sound the same.
You guys just signed to Island Records, it must be a pretty exciting time for you, how did the deal come about?
GA: We’re very excited, it’s a very good label, we’re happy and they’ve been very supportive of us. We’re making a record now that will be released sometime in spring. We’re right in the middle of the process now, so we took a brief vacation from the recording process to come and do this tour. The first two tours we did in the UK were all booked and paid for ourselves, eventually when bands start doing enough stuff I guess labels become aware of them, so, at that point we met with a bunch of different labels and Island was by far the place we wanted to be. It was a great opportunity because some of our favourite bands are part of the label.
Do you enjoy the writing and recording process?
GA: Yeah, it’s challenging that’s for sure. It’s great because we’re all really growing creatively but everyday is a different fight.
BA: It’s fun, I like recording, it’s fun to be creative and figure out new ways to do things.
Are you working with Brandon again?
GA: No, we wanted to but his schedule is really busy with all the Atreyu stuff. We’re working with a great producer called Bob Marlet, he has worked with a lot of really great bands and he really understands us and gets our music so working with him has been great.
You guys come from the OC, loads of good bands come from there, what is it about that place?
BA: The sun and the women (laughs)
JF: I just think it’s where there’s so many people in such a small area of Southern California it’s very competitive.
GA: It’s also probably the proximity with Hollywood because it’s close enough that you get exposure to the performing arts and stuff like that but it’s not like right in the heart of it so it’s not totally full of shit but you get the trickle back effect where it’s so near to Hollywood.
When you play shows in the LA area do you find that the people are a bit more jaded?
GA: Sometimes, but they’ve been really nice to us. A lot of bands from Orange County tend to motherfuck LA and say that all the people stand with their arms folded and stand at the back of the venue but we’ve been really fortunate in that the people that see us from LA aren’t really like that. I suppose it’s different if you’re playing really scene specific music, if you’re trying really hard to be indie or something that we’re not, but people have been really cool to us.
Atreyu are known for their Bon Jovi covers, if you were going to cover a cheesy 80s track, what would it be?
DR: It would probably be different for all of us, I’ve never really thought about it.
GA: I don’t know there’s a lot of really good songs, it’s tough to chose a cover.
JF: ‘Africa’ by Toto.
GA: That’s a good one.
BA: We were born in the 80s, so I don’t know.
GA: I can’t think of a good one.
DR: ‘Walk Like An Egyptian’ by The Bangles.
J: Asia’s ‘Heat Of The Moment’.
BA: I would do ‘King Of Wishful Thinking’ from Pretty Woman
JF: That’s 90s, way to blow it!
GA: ‘Eyes Without A Face’ by Billy Idol.
So, Grant you’re classically trained in opera, how did you switch from opera singer to rock vocalist?
GA: It’s really hard to have a career in opera, you’ve got to do a lot of stuff. It was easy for me because I wasn’t listening to opera, I was just singing it so I eased in singing with bands more than singing classically. I like opera a lot, it’s just I didn’t feel like learning half a dozen languages.
What did your instructors think of your opera by day, rock by night lifestyle?
GA: They hated it, I had to hide it. When I was in college I was playing with bands at night and the school thought that I was participating enough in school musical endeavours but I was singing every night, so I had to hide the fact I was singing in bars because they didn’t see any value to it at all.
And look how wrong they were.
GA: Yeah, I know.
How important is Takota to you?
GA: It’s everything.
DR: It is our life.
GA: There’s no way to overstate how important it is, there’s no backup plan for any of us.
BA: We’re so far past the point of just seeing what happens with this, it needs to happen or we’re all screwed.
How important are you to the band?
J: We’re all really important.
JF: I’m the most important (all laugh)
GA: We actually had one of our members quit a few months ago and for me it really made me understand how critical every member of the band is to the band functioning. We all have a million ways to pick up slack in different areas and we really work as a team very well, without one of the members there I don’t think we would function.
How do you feel about the switch to the digital era where more and more bands are releasing download only material?
JF: It’s good and bad because of this whole digital switch record sales are crap now, but now more and more people can get to your music.
DR: I don’t think it’s good or bad it’s just times are changing and that’s what’s happening, you can’t say it’s good or it’s bad.
GA: It’s a little bit scary because it hasn’t totally evened out yet, I don’t think anybody knows what the next chapter of the music industry is going to be. Obviously, people aren’t going to stop buying music it’s just the way that they buy it and where they go to buy it that’s changing because that hasn’t totally been established yet I think there’s a lot of fear from the record labels. On the band side, bigger bands are probably a lot more scared of it because they are so dependent on record sales and smaller bands like us can really do whatever we want, we could give our music away free online if we wanted to and just have people come to our shows. It’s kind of like the wild west, anything will go.
When you’re buying music do you prefer to download or buy the hard copy?
JF: I prefer to buy an actual CD.
GA: Yeah, if I’m going to buy a CD I like to have the artwork.
J: I like CDs to because you get a tangible product.
GA: It’s getting harder and harder because downloading is just so convenient.
DR: There’s less and less places especially in America where you can actually go and buy CDs.
GA: Yeah our biggest retailer was Tower Records and that folded, they were everywhere and specific to music and entertainment. Now we have stores that sell music and televisions, and in WalMart’s case music and anything else you want.
DR: The only real music store left is Virgin
GA: Which I’ve heard are closing down too. If you have to go to Best Buy or something like that you don’t even know they’re going to have that CD and if it’s an obscure record they’re probably not going to carry it on their shelves, so supply is going down.
What’s your view on scene sluts?
DR: That they’re people.
BA: If I didn’t have a girlfriend I’d probably like them a lot more.
GA: Scene sluts… I would never designate a person as a slut, I would much rather call myself a slut.
All: What? What does that mean?
GA: I would just never look at somebody and say “that person is a slut”.
JF: We’ll go with Grant’s answer that we’re sluts.
BA: I’m a fucking slut!
JF: I’m a groupie actually, I go to shows and hang out scene sluts, I’m a scene slut slut. Let’s interview you, what’s your view on scene sluts?
It’s not something I would personally do
GA: You wouldn’t want to hook up with someone from a band you were going to see?
Nope, I wouldn’t want to sleep with someone just because they’re in a band.
JF: I would, that’s the whole reason I got into this business, to meet the cute guys (All laugh)
GA: I don’t know, we’re not really the band to talk to about that kind of thing, it’s not really our scene. We’re good boys.
BA: Scene sluts are not our scene.
Luke Wilson or Owen Wilson?
JF: Luke Wilson
GA: I hope Owen Wilson feels better after he almost killed himself.
BA: I think Owen Wilson is funnier but I like Luke Wilson better.
DR: Who is Luke Wilson?
All: His brother
BA: He’s in Old Skool, he’s not as funny though.
GA: Do you know who was funny? Richard Pryor, he was badass
BA: He’d kick your ass in a second.
GA: He’s dead.
BA: Touché.
What’s your proudest career moment to date?
JF: Mine is signing to Island Records.
DR: That’s mine too.
GA: We played a show last year with Atreyu at a venue called the Brent Center in our hometown, it was really awesome.
What have you still left to achieve?
GA: We have a lot left to achieve, we haven’t accomplished a fraction of what our dreams are. We’ll be recording this album and putting it out, then touring and touring and touring and building things up. We want to be in this band in 30 years from now, so this is a very small fragment of where we’d like it to go.
What can we expect to see from you over the next year?
GA: We’ll be putting the new record out some time in spring, then touring like crazy. Hopefully we’ll be back over here sometime within the next few months, we’ll just be playing a lot of shows.
That’s great guys, thank you for your time and have a great show tonight.
Paramore are quickly becoming the hottest band of 2007, so we caught up with frontwoman Hayley Williams and guitarist Josh Farro on the opening night of their headlining UK tour.
Welcome back to the UK guys, tonight’s the first night of your headlining UK tour, how are you feeling?
HW: Pretty stoked.
JF: We’re excited, especially as this room is really big so I think it’ll be good, plus the line-up is awesome. We’ve got Lost Alone and This Providence with us who are two great bands and really good friends of ours so it’s going to be a lot of fun.
You’ve sold out every venue on this tour, how does that make you feel?
HW: It’s ridiculous. I don’t think I really understood it until we walked in today and I was like “Where are we? This is way to big for us” and then it’s sold out, it’s weird, it’s just amazing.
Would you say you’re more successful here than in the States, or is it pretty equal?
JF: I think it’s equal, it’s weird, it’s different because it’s so much smaller here.
HW: Before we did Warped tour in the States this year the UK was a lot crazier, but now the new record is out and everything it seems to be a lot more balanced.
What can we expect to see from you at a live show?
HW: Well tonight we’re playing a ton of new songs, just trying to get kids into the record and have a great time with it because it’s the first time a lot of these kids are seeing the new songs. We’re just having fun you know, it’s just a big old rock show. There’s not a ton of lights, there’s not a ton of flashy stuff, it’s just us playing music and having a great time with it.
JF: We tried to get some screens and backdrops, we ordered them and the company that did them sent them to us and it looked horrible, it looked like a three year old did them, so we had to order more. So, we’ve got them for tonight.
HW: Just in time!
You played Reading and Leeds last weekend how did that go?
HW: Oh my gosh, it was so much fun! We were really nervous and obviously everyone has been posting all these articles about how we nearly missed it and that our flight was delayed so many times. The whole weekend was kind of nerve-racking but once we got up on stage and saw all those kids it was amazing. The line-up was ridiculous we stayed to watch, it was so much fun.
And you had good weather for a change!
HW: I know right, everyone was telling us that it always rains, every time, so it was awesome.
You guys just completed a long stint on Warped Tour, how does that compare to playing something like Reading and Leeds?
HW: Warped Tour is the hardest tour you’ll do as a band but we make the most memories and have so much fun on that tour. But like, it’s a lot different to the festivals over here, there are a couple of festivals in the States that resemble UK festivals a lot more. Warped Tour is a little more spread out obviously, it’s like a whole summer long and it’s a completely different feel with all the different bands. When you come to Reading and Leeds every band is freaking legendary, every band is huge, we were walking around in awe because there were so many bands there that we love. On Warped Tour it’s more of a time where a lot of new bands get to be discovered and heard. It was great, we love both of them.
You guys also played Download back in June
HW: Oh yeah, oh my gosh, that was insane too!
Could you see the difference in people there? Obviously, Download predominantly metal festival.
Both: Yeah! (laughs)
HW: Our crowds at Reading and Leeds were different than I expected, I expected it to be a lot more indie and… I don’t know the right word for it. It was a lot more laid back and there were a lot more younger people than I thought would be at Reading and Leeds and Download was testosterone city, I freaking loved it though because we like a lot of metal bands.
Did you guys get a good reception at Download.
Both: Yeah!
HW: I don’t know how but we did (laughs) it was really cool.
JF: It was crazy.
What crazy antics do you guys get up to on the road?
HW: There’s a lot. We do this thing that we started on Warped Tour but we haven’t really kept it up the way we should but we get in a huddle, like American footballers in movies, we take on pair of drumsticks and we jump then run on the spot. Whoever is holding the drumsticks plays on the next person’s hands and then you jump you pass it and it goes round one whole time and then you’re done. I don’t know why we started doing that but it’s great to pump up the adrenaline.
Do you find it different here because you can drink whereas in the States you’re not old enough to?
HW: We don’t drink a lot while we’re here, it’s cool that we’re able to because we’re not people that make a huge about drinking so it’s nice that’s it’s not a big deal if we want to have a drink. Josh here likes to get wasted on vodka… just kidding!
When you were starting out did you find it hard to break onto the music scene because you’re a female fronted band?
HW: I don’t think so, we were tarred as a band for being what we were but we didn’t ever think that we wanted to be good as a female fronted band, we’ve always wanted to be thought of as great band. I think that that mindset has bought us a lot further than we would have gotten if we had relied on my sexuality.
Did you find it hard adjusting to life on the road where you guys were so young when you started touring?
HW: We’re like a big family so it felt kind of natural, even when we’re at home we’re always together. So, the touring life is hectic and busy, you miss home a lot but it’s such a gift, for sure.
Were your parents really supportive as well?
JF: Yeah they were, it’s funny because when we first went out we did really, really well and it was just like “Cool, this is awesome!”. As you go on it starts to take a toll on your body and everything, so when you go out on a tour it takes a while to get adjusted and you want a break, but it’s still a blast, you’ve just got to keep yourself happy and positive. It’s hard not to get down on the road because you’re in a bus with the same people all the time, not that that’s a bad thing we love everyone who’s with us, but you start to feel a bit jerky.
I guess a bit of tension must start building up as well.
HW: Sometimes, I mean we love each other like brothers and sisters and we fight like brothers and sisters sometimes. We try to understand that this is a big family and we have to work together at it.
You released ‘Riot!’ Earlier this year, were you pleased with the reaction it got?
JF: Yes, its been a lot better than we expected. We were hoping it would do well but hoping for something and expecting is totally different, so now it’s doing well we feel really blessed, a little scared but it’s fun. It’s cool to sell records. Our last album we toured with for two years and in the States it took us right before ‘Riot!’ came out, or maybe even the week ‘Riot!’ came out for ‘Falling’ to hit 100,000 records sold, which is huge for us. Then, ‘Riot!’ passed that up in a few weeks, it’s just cool. Two years for 100,000 then less then two weeks, it’s cool but it’s a little weird, that’s a lot of records.
The sophomore album is often the making or breaking point for a lot of bands, did you feel more pressure with ‘Riot!’?
HW: Yeah, but Josh writes a lot of the music and is really, really good at writing under pressure and he was cranking out music left and right. I was putting a lot of pressure on myself and I think that hindered the beginning of writing the second record. Once it started rolling the songs were just coming out non stop and they were all songs that we felt represented us perfectly and I think that gave us the confidence we needed to make it through without feeling like the world was on our shoulders. We had a lot of fun with it and I think that that is why it turned out the way it did and why we love it so much, because we just did what we wanted and had a fun time with it.
How important is Paramore to you?
HW: It’s like all we have.
JF: It’s like the most important thing to everyone of us.
HW: This is our hearts and our happiness. It’s so much fun because you put so much work into something and we were perfectly content with ‘All We Know Is Falling’ working really hard and obviously by the end of it we were doing sold out shows which was amazing and we were perfectly content with that and nothing more. Now to have all this craziness going on is like a big bonus, this is everything we could have ever wanted and way more.
How important are you to the band?
JF: Everyone in the band is just as important, obviously, if we didn’t have Hayley and Hayley’s voice we wouldn’t be set apart from everyone else. I don’t feel like she could write the way she does or sing the way she does or be the same person she is without Zac, Jeremy or me. I don’t think I could do this without Hayley, it wouldn’t be the same with another lead singer. It’s the same thing for each one of us, I feel that we all fit our roles the right way and that’s what makes this band work.
HW: Well spoken!
JF: So basically, the band needs me, if the don’t have me they’re going down (laughs).
What’s your overall view on the music industry at the moment? So many people think it’s going down the tubes.
HW: It is a little bit sad to watch people squirming. It’s just different now to what it has ever been but I don’t think that’s necessarily a terrible thing, I think it’s leaving room for growth in other areas. It’s pushing people to be more creative after a while labels were just manufacturing companies that would mould something and put a sticker on it.
JF: Mould-a-band
HW: I think now a lot of labels are getting smarter and realising that they have to go back to how it started, they’ve got to develop bands and be there to listen to what they want. I guess it’s pushing people to be more creative about the business and I love that.
JF: It’s not so easy to sell records now. You can’t just have some guy come in and write a song for a band and then sell five million records, it doesn’t work like that anymore, it’s rare that you find that. It’s cool because bands actually have to work now, it’s a blessing in disguise.
HW: Totally.
JF: Labels are like “Oh no, it’s going down!” but it needs to happen I think.
HW: Totally, and Myspace obviously is there to help a lot of younger bands that can’t get a label to listen to them, it doesn’t always mean they’re the greatest band in the world but they’ve got to be heard too. I think there’s just all kinds of opportunities in the business right now but they’re just hidden like Josh said.
How do you feel about the switch to the digital era where more & more artists are releasing download only material?
HW: I love CDs, I mean I still go to the record store and buy tons of them whenever I go home. We became really good friends with New Found Glory and I just went home and bought all their CDs for my little sisters, like the real thing, and that is so much better to me than downloading. That’s not for everyone, some people like downloading.
JF: Downloading from Live Wire is completely boring, iTunes is a little better because there’s some form of art that comes with it, but for me I like the art bands come out with. I like to look at the CD booklet and read the lyrics and read credits, thank you’s and all of that, for me that’s the best part about buying an album.
What’s your view on scene sluts?
HW: Oh gosh!
JF: I don’t want to offend anyone.
HW: I don’t care if we offend people, lets start offend people right now! I think that…
JF: Scene sluts shouldn’t exist.
HW: They shouldn’t but they always will and it sucks.
JF: Basically they’re a bunch of girls, sort of like Mean Girls but in the music scene who latch onto bands. Sometimes they’ll use their bodies and stuff to get to guys in bands and basically they’re really seductive like “Oh look at me, you want to sleep with me?” and once they sleep with them they “know” this guy or whatever and then they become famous off of that or Myspace which is just totally lame.
HW: I think if you’re going to be acknowledge or credited it should be for something other than how many dudes in bands you’ve slept with, or how many MAC makeup pots you have. It’s a little bit frustrating, especially because girls don’t get to see my side of it a lot of times, we’ll walk of stage and girls will be waiting for them and it’s sad, it really sad. Sometimes I’ll see them and be like “Dude, your eyebrows look great!” because I really like makeup, maybe we should just use them for makeup tips then throw them away.
This will probably sound a bit dumb, but do you get guy groupies?
HW: Yeah but it’s not the same guys will run up and be like “Hayley you’re so hot, take off your top!” and then they’ll run away and then girls will do the whole sneaky thing. The dudes are just more like “Duh!” (laughs).
Luke Wilson or Owen Wilson?
HW: Ohhh… gosh, how can you chose?
JF: Owen, Owen is so much funnier!
HW: Really? I can’t decide they’re both so great! Are Luke and Owen in Wedding Crashers?
That’s just Owen
JF: Yeah, that’s Owen. Owen’s funnier because he’s just funnier looking, Luke’s a pretty good looking dude and it’s hard for a good looking dude to be funny. Do you know what I mean?
HW: You don’t think Conan’s good looking?
JF: Conan? No!
HW: I’m just kidding
JF: Since Owen’s not good looking, he’s not ugly but he’s sort of goofy looking it sort of helps, he’s so funny, he’s sort of cartoonish.
HW: Well, since he said Owen I’ll say Luke to even it out, love you Luke!
I was so bummed to read about Owen in the papers, it ruined my day.
Both: What?
He tried to commit suicide last weekend, haven’t you heard?
Both: No way!
HW: We seriously are in this bubble called “Rock Band” and it’s a bubble we can’t get out of. Dude, that is so sad, what happened? Do you know?
I know he slit both his wrists and tried to OD, their other brother Andrew found him
HW: Oh my gosh, that’s frigging awful!
JF: Is he ok?
Yeah, he’s alive but still in hospital
HW: Dude that is so sad, I hate that stuff it makes me sad, I’m going to be sad for the rest of the day. We should write to that guy.
JF: You would never expect that from someone like him.
HW: He’s a human, a real person that’s what crazy… I mean, it’s not crazy that he’s a real person, it’s just so sad.
Now I’ve put a dampener on your afternoon lets move on. Have you ever spotted kids with Paramore tattoos?
HW: Yes!
JF: One girl has lyrics up her side and some guy has ‘All I know Is Falling’ and ‘Riot!’ it’s weird.
HW: We’ve seen those two in person but kids will send pictures and it’s crazy because those wont go away, they’re stuck on those people forever. It’s kind of cool, I kind of like it. It’s a little bit freaky but just to think that once upon a time wasn’t a thought in our heads and all of a sudden it was and now it’s permanent.
JF: I would never get a band’s name tattooed on me.
HW: Me either
JF: Lyrics is another story though, maybe if they meant something to me.
HW: I might get some Sunny Day Real Estate tatts… just kidding!
What is your proudest career moment to date?
HW: Any of my favourite moments would probably come from Warped Tour because anytime we play Warped Tour it always takes us to another level. Whether it’s personally or as a band, it always boosts us to the next thing. I think as far as the actual band goes we played main stage at Warped for the first time in our hometown and that was because of Kevin Lineman feeling nice that day. Then there’s also really personal stuff like when Kevin Lineman took us fishing in Tampa, that was the first time we actually got to hang out with him and it showed us how much he cared about our band as people. So, things like that I can’t really replace.
JF: A lot of cool things have happened to us, like the being up MTV Times Square windows, that was cool. What’s cooler to me is going home and in the mall I’ve been going to in the 14 years I’ve lived in Tennessee is seeing stores with our band name and pictures up.
HW: It’s crazy, I forgot about that.
JF: I heard our song on the radio once, that was cool, that was crazy. They don’t play it in Tennessee yet because we’re only on alternative radio and we don’t have an alternative station, so I’m waiting for that something to start so I can hear my song, just once, while driving.
What do you still have left to achieve?
HW: Everything, as a band we want to be boundless. This year we’ve done a lot, we’ve taken a lot of opportunities, probably a lot of opportunities that last year we might have thought were dumb or too commercial for us. I can honestly say there’s not one thing we did, not even all the MTV exposure, that we’re not proud of and we felt that it represented us really well. Just knowing that a year ago we probably would have passed on some of that stuff and MTV has given us everything this year and it goes to show that people grow. It’s just awesome to not have any limits and know that anything we’re part of it going to be a blast and going to be fun.
What can we expect to see from you over the next year?
HW: I don’t even know.
JF: We’re just going to be touring, we’re going to Japan and Australia after this then we have a US tour until the beginning of December. We have December and half of January off just to be with our families for Christmas and stuff. Then I think we’re coming back over here to do some sort of Europe tour, after that I don’t know, probably more touring.
HW: We love touring, it’s nice to be home for that time but I’m sure that we’re going to tour on this record for as long as we can.
JF: If we have time I want to record a Christmas song.
HW: That would be so much fun we should do that.
JF: It would be cool to do a whole Christmas EP, sort of like Hanson did, they did a whole album, I love that Christmas stuff.
HW: I bought that, I was ten years old and it made me feel good so we should probably do that too.
Awesome, that’s all I need so thank you for you’re time and I’ll see you at the show tonight.
When did you realise you had a talent for comedy?