Were you aware of the album’s beginning and end when you were making it?
No we definitely came into the studio unprepared. But on purpose so we could have this room for spontaneity. We’ve always gone in the studio knowing we have this much prepared, we have this much time to do it. This record was like, ‘Hey let’s put everything we’ve ever dreamed to fit on an album on this album.’
How do you fit all that on one album?
Well I think of course you have to be selective, but everything that made sense we tried. We had a choir jump on one track. This is us jumping into our sound. I think this is the record where we stepped into our sound. In the past we’ve been compared to our contemporaries and this time I think it’s going to be, ‘Who sounds like the Rejects?’
Does that bother you that you get those comparisons?
Hell no. That happened with the Stones, it’s going to happen throughout history. It’s just who’s still there at the end of the day.
And you’re still going to be there?
We’re always going to be there. I’m not worried about that.
Do you think this record is a reaction to your two previous records?
In general, I think bands get off the road, they shit out a record, there’s about 50 skippers on it and like one good song. I think it’s sad when bands buy into the label attitude of ‘Hurry up and crap out this record so we can capitalize on it before you go away!’ But we go away every time. We disappear into the abysses every time, only to come crawling back out of the cave with our throbbing cocks.
