Well how do you feel about it coming up in the mainstream then?
Well I think it’s awesome. Hopefully the idea is to open as many people’s minds as you can to alternatives to things like Ashlee Simpson or stuff like that. I don’t have any qualms.
I’ve heard a lot of people bitter about the fact that it’s getting more into the eyes of the public, but it’s just because they’re selfish and maybe they feel like the mainstream is taking it away from them, but I just feel that they’re making it more accessible, because the more popular it gets, the more bands that are stuck playing in their home towns are going to be able to afford to go out.
What do you mean by selfish?
When I was younger, a lot of my friends and I, we were too punk rock for our own good, you know? We would only listen to certain bands, and then when certain bands got too popular, we’d be like, ‘fuck them.’ And looking back on that, I think the reason why we were saying that is because we felt like we were onto something special that nobody knew about, and then as more people got to know about them, instead of being happy for the band, we would just be mad at them for not being our special secret. When you spend all your time trying to get away from what everyone else was doing back then, it was a bummer. But then I realized that I was being selfish.
LI has become the hotbed for the emo scene. How did it get started?
The same way it got started everywhere else. There was a bunch of bands from Long Island that decided they weren’t going to sit around Long Island anymore and they decided to leave, and everybody really started touring right around the same time, and every band from there that’s doing well is really hard-working.
I just feel like the bands work and things force people to pay attention a little bit. And then, once there’s one or two bands that get swept up from any place, people start looking there for more stuff. Same with the Seattle scene, or the North Carolina indie rock thing.
Do you feel any pressure as being perceived as the leaders of that movement?
No because I don’t look at us like that. There’s no pressures because I don’t think of us like that.
I’m interested to get your thoughts on Victory’s decision to stay indie.
(laughs) I don’t really want to talk about that, but I will say that it wasn’t a decision. He just didn’t get what he wanted.
Okay…Well, how about you guys? You must have been fielding offers at some point.
We spent as much time trying to talk shit to major labels as we could, but then we kind of realized what we wanted to do, and we toned down with all that. We’ll see what happens.
It’s kind of like a necessary evil at this point because you want your music to be accessible to as many people as possible, and I think if we could build a relationship where both parties know they’re not going to be taking any shit, it’s beneficial for everyone all around, with the resources and things.
How do you mean?
There’s lots that a major label can do for you that an indie label can’t. And I think it’s possible for their artists to know their artists are going to be taken advantage of.
Where do you guys go from here? You do the tour and then what?
Yeah, we’re doing the tour with Jimmy Eat World and then we’re coming home. We’re writing now, trying to get a new record ready, and that’s really all that we’re focused on right now?
Any specific plans or new songs written?
Yeah. Whether they’re good or not, I can’t tell you because it’s all at the early stages, but we’d like to have a new record out soon, so we’re just writing and playing it by ear, seeing how things go.
Taking Back Sunday will be appearing at Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, NJ on April 14 with Jimmy Eat World. For more info on the band check out victoryrecords.com and takingbacksunday.com
