So for some of our readers who are coming out to your shows that may not have for whatever reason had a chance to see this version of TBS, what can they expect to see by way of differences?
Umm…well, I think that now we care a lot more about how we sound. Before, we just flailed away and we really didn’t care that much about our live sound.
So now we are paying attention to that as much as we can, but I mean, we’re still TBS, so those fans should not expect to see anything less.
As far as your scene is concerned, there have been so many bands that have not survived the first wave of popularity, others who didn’t live up to expectations and then bands such as yours who could stand up and be around for awhile. Do you think at the end of the day it’s really just about what a band is capable of on their own?
Well, as far as the scene goes now, there are certain things that just got shoved in the faces of a lot of bands. I guess, you know, you would call us an emo band.
Oh I hate that word.
So do I and I suppose grunge bands hated that word as well. But you know…Things have become different. It’s like this for us and a whole lot of other bands, it’s not about playing shows and hanging out anymore.
It has become a competition thing with all of the pressure and the bullshit that they keep throwing at your feet.
It’s like you are a bunch of young kids and you get to start playing in front of three times as many people than before and you’re being told that you are this and that maybe already fucks with your already fragile ego. It becomes all about the numbers and that is not what it’s all about. But some kids buy into it and it sucks.
Did you?
I don’t think that we did so much. We have had to deal with a lot of pressure but that we have openly discussed, that we will do whatever we need to do to keep ourselves happy. This should not bum you out.
I read somewhere that you guys were The Beatles of this genre…
Oh God, no! Really? That’s horrible.
I was thinking, if you knew anything about this music then you would know that could be taken as an insult by these guys.
Oh totally. You know, I hate it how they are making it seem like this style of rock or whatever is so new. I have been listening to it myself for over eight years. There are still so many bands that we look up to that we don’t think we are as good as and it’s just so lame. Maybe it’s because so many people made fun of us at first that somebody decided to give us a break and then it just spread , who knows?
So, I know the next record is a minute off, but what will you do differently next time with more time and a bigger budget?
Well, we are a long way off from getting back into the studio. I don’t know. I would like to experiment with different instruments maybe. It’s hard to tell right now. A lot of it has to do with scheduling. We are gone 9-10 months out of the year so I’m not sure what we will be able to get away with.
Based on your records, I figured you would run off and get Mutt Lange to do 96 tracks of vocals on each song. (laughs)
Well, you listen to records on headphones so you should hear that, yeah, if we had nothing but a month to fuck around, then we would definitely do something like that.
Finally, I know this is a broad question, but what does your band mean to you?
Everything. It’s incredible and we are doing everything that dreams are made of. I would be a bigger asshole than I already am if I did not feel like I was as fortunate and blessed as I do. I think if you talk to any of the other guys in this band they will tell you the same thing.
