Rohan Kohli
07/11/06, 05:19 PM
This interview was conducted with The Click Five (http://www.theclickfive.com)'s drummer, Joey Zehr, via AIM on July 11th, 2006.
First off, thanks very much for doing the interview. What've you dudes been up to as of late?
Joey: We've been in the studio working on the next record and doing a lot of international stuff. It’s weird because while we are gearing up for our next record here, it’s just being released overseas (it being our first record).
A lot of people have been like "I haven't heard of The Click Five in a long time... their 15 minutes are up.” Have you just been busy writing/recording the new album?
Joey: Yeah, I mean everyone’s 30 minutes are up all the time, and then you get to come back and try to get another 30 minutes, and we're hoping we'll get them. Listeners, especially the ones in our demo[graphic], are extremely fickle and really only pay attention to what’s in front of them. And we know that and we realize that people get tired of things, and so you take calculated breaks from the public and then come back at them with something that’s fresh enough to make them go “Okay I’m down for record 2.” I mean everyone’s 30 minutes are up—look at all the biggest people of this year. People don’t care about them right now; all they care about is Gnarls Barkley, but do people say Fall Out Boy’s 30 minutes are up or Ashlee Simpson’s 30 minutes are up? No. But they aren't out there much anymore. I mean, they are on a bigger level than us for the most part but it’s still the same thing. Everyone flows with the wave of what’s being put out there by radio. It’s just something you have to accept if you’re gonna be in commercial entertainment. I mean, everyone's 30 minutes are longer than each other’s, but that’s a different story.
AP.net: What can fans expect from the new record?
Joey: Well, it’s gonna be different, that’s for sure. It’s got a lot more vibe I think, and a lot more heart than the first one. Making a 1st record and a 2nd record are two completely different beasts. The first record is really easy actually because you realize your chances of anything catching on is like zero, so you just put your best stuff forward and see what happens. If you make it to the 2nd record, it means you've had some success and now you have a place to fall from so you tend to be much more of a head case about it. So, it’s really intense but it’s really fun. And I think everyone will be happy to hear how serious we are being in making this record as good as possible.
AP.net: Do you think the new album will convert any non-fans, or do you think it will still only appeal to the same demographic?
Joey: Well, I think if we only appeal to the same demo we will all be very disappointed. I personally see so much more potential with the stuff we are recording right now. I mean, I loved the first record for what it was, but I think we have the task of convincing people that we are a long term investment and the stuff on this next record is gonna have the ability to have a huge audience. I mean the sound alone will not be the same demo; it will really be up to the public to decide if they are willing to expand their minds or not. And that’s a hard thing for them to do, but it takes a lot of steps to bring them there and we are def gonna be doing our thing out on the road to make sure to expose ourselves to as many people as possible.
AP.net: What are some influences for the new CD?
Joey: Um, well, I think the influences would be more exciting. Our first record we really limited our influences to pop bands because that’s what we wanted to be perceived as, but I think on this record we are wanting to become more defined as ourselves so we're really letting our musical desire flow more. Lots of dancy stuff, lots of guitar rock stuff. We will always have the influence of the poppy melody, but we aren't going to be scared to try to bring in a wider view. I mean, me and Ben sat in my room the other night and listened to Gwen Stefani and Queen for several hours and really let the uniqueness of that stuff hit us. Those are two records that broke every rule in the book, yet they were both huge records.
AP.net: Why do you think people are so hostile towards pop music? I mean, clearly there are tons of people who love pop, but when it comes to the underground, people get MAD when they hear that word.
Joey: Yeah,.I think it’s just because people are scared to admit they like it. Not sure why they do it. I used to be outspoken to pop music when I was listening to Saves the Day and Get Up Kids and stuff like that, but I had no idea that I was listening to pop music for the most part. I think really it’s the word pop that people are so scared of, but that’s just messed up. I think people are starting to realize that pop doesn’t mean Britney Spears. It’s amazing the resurgence of bands that are hip calling themselves pop. Music is definitely a fashion today, and so people are very concerned about what they listen to. I mean, I guess it always has been like that, and I’m sure that back in the day people weren't cool with being a Beatles fan. It’s really a guy thing; guys don’t want to admit to liking stuff girls like. But the reality is they do. I don’t know, really, pop has always been pretty uplifting too, and a lot of people want their music to represent how they feel and a lot of people want to feel pissed. I’m probably getting a little too overboard and am starting to say stuff that I really don’t know anything about and probably wont agree with in two days so ill stop on that subject haha.
AP.net: Speaking of music and fashion, you guys are notorious for your matching suits; whose idea was that - yours or the label's? And what's the reasoning behind it?
Joey: It was actually Ethan and Joe’s idea; Ethan and Joe worship suit bands and just wanted to do that, and we were all into the idea of doing something a little bigger than just the normal band wearing street clothes. So we did it.[/b]
AP.net: Do you get people telling you that you sound/look like The Beatles/The Wonders/etc a lot?
Joey: Yeah, it’s funny because we really didn’t try to. I mean, there was really no way around it. If we had regular clothes on we probably woudn't get that. I mean really it’s the combo of suits and mops, but everyone has mops.
AP.net: I don't know really know how to phrase this as a question, but I think its really interesting how The Beatles are one of the most respected bands in the world, yet they were pop, they were a boy band, they wore matching suits, etc, yet you guys get an infinite more amount of shit than them.
Joey: Beatles, yeah man, crazy. I just got done reading a book called "I Should Have Known Better" by Geoffrey Ellis (sp?) who was basically Brian Epstein’s right hand man, and it was just crazy. I think the thing about The Beatles that people liked was they weren't putting on a front, or at least that’s what I like, and they make amazing music...stops there. But like I said, I’m sure plenty of people wouldn’t listen to them when they were big because they were this big band that girls liked, but I don’t really know that to be true, just guessing. Yeah, we actually operate in a pretty non defensive sector of the music industry so for the most part people really respect The Beatles, but I understand from the punk perspective. Ultimately though, I think that it’s really just a lack of knowledge on the subject. People now a days can be completely anti-Beatles because they aren’t around anymore, but when people challenge themselves to dig into The Beatles, they usually come out superfans. A lot of it comes down to being defensive though.
AP.net: Why do you think people are defensive about it?
Joey: More human psychology, I think. Because it doesn’t line up with what is being served to them as this is what’s cool, and really because people get focused on a certain sound. I do it all the time, and so they are only going to get into something when they are at a place where they are ready for it. I don’t know, I’m not really very versed on the psychology of musical tastes.
AP.net: Most people know that you guys attended Berklee; what were your majors there and was attending the school a valuable experience?
Joey: I was a music business management/audio engineering major, Ethan was an audio engineering major, Ben was a songwriting major, not sure what Joe was, he dropped out half way through, and Eric went to Purdue and was a computer science major I think. I think Berklee was amazing, it was a place were everyone wanted to be a part of the musical community. There were no doubts that everyone you were around was hungry to be able to survive on some aspect of music. The teachers were amazing. I mean, a lot of the stuff you learned in class you'll never use, but you learn from the teachers’ life stories more than anything I think. And it gives you time to do something that society frowns upon, which is be in bands, because hey at least you’re in college, right?
AP.net: How do you respond to people who claim you were manufactured by your label?
Joey: Our label experience has actually been so strange. I don’t think our label has ever told us to do one thing, and I’m being completely honest. It really suprised me; the A&R guy never said no to any songs, no one ever said anything about our clothes, no one ever said anything about our stage show. It was a mutual relationship of “We'll do what we do good and you guys do what you do good,” which is getting seen in public, radio staff, video staff, marketing staff, publicity staff. That’s what labels are really good at, not telling you how to do your show. I think one of the reasons our label signed us is because they saw they didn’t have to do much because we were already concerned about many of the things that bands sometimes don’t concern themselves with, such as how we are perceived by the public, or how our shows flow to be as impactful as possible, or how our songs can draw as many people in as possible. I mean, that was one of the big things about going through Berklee. You see thousands of bands trying to do it, and you see what works, what doesn’t, and most importantly, what’s missing. And Berklee is the biggest fan of talking shit about labels, so you learn to do it all yourselves.
AP.net: When you talk about how you guys are concerned about how you're perceived by the public and how you can draw in as many people as possible with you songs - that's exactly what people in the punk scene don't want to hear. I realize that it's not your scene at all, but can you see where people might get angry at your band because you're trying to be as popular as possible instead of just writing whatever comes to you?
Joey: Yeah, totally. The thing is this: we will always have music for ourselves that we create in our rooms and play on the sides and what not. And 9 times out of 10 everyone else will think it’s horrible, but all that matters is that it makes you happy. But fortunately we all love pop music so we enjoy every note we are playing, but ultimately it’s also just as enjoyable to try to become the biggest band in the world. The reality is that every big band is calculated to some degree. I mean, it would be one thing if we didn’t like the music we do, but we do. Ultimately, we get off on making other people excited. I mean, if we started playing a crazy polka song or something and everyone was totally getting off on it, we'd probably keep playing it because we'd be one big room of people getting off.
AP.net: Haha
Joey: I mean its right, right? It’s all about just doing what makes everyone feel good, at least that’s how I view it. But you know the truth is that we are all pretty broad in the music we like so we do things on the side and stuff to fulfill that desire.
AP.net: Yeah, but a lot of people don't see it that way I don't think; it's about doing what makes yourself feel good. But in your case, I think you're doing that, because you’re making other people feel good, which is what makes you feel good.
Joey: Exactly. That said though, I can listen to pop music and it makes me feel good. For some people that’s just not the case, and that’s fine.
AP.net: Reader question: Did you sell your souls to the devil to become so catchy?
Joey: No, but there was talk about doing that once when we were in New Orleans, and it scared the shit out of me.
AP.net: Haha
Joey: I personally don’t think of major labels as the devil. A lot of the people at major labels are my great friends, and for the most part I like the organizations they work at. But that’s a different aspect of me that’s not really related to the band. I mean, most of the catchiness is from Ben, and I don’t think he sold his soul to the devil. In fact, I remember several years ago we were going to a KISS concert and his mom called him to see how he was doing and he told her we were going to KISS and she told him to pray before he went haha.
AP.net: A lot of our readers were wondering if you guys actually write your own songs. It's been well-publicized that Adam S[chlesinger] (Fountains of Wayne) wrote “Just the Girl,” but a lot of people have been telling me to ask that.
Joey: The first record was 90% all us. Adam of course did “Just the Girl” and is also on “I’ll Take My Chances.”
AP.net: Did you co-write those songs with him or were they all just him?
Joey: They were him. It was kind of how we hooked our producer in, because he didn’t know who we were and so we said “Yeah, but listen to us play this Adam S song,” and he "got it" because it gave him something to relate to.” This record so far is all us, except for a couple co-writes, but really the co-writes come out of a love to work with other people. Ben just wrote with Adam last week; not sure if anything came of it, but we love his talent with a passion.
AP.net: How did you get involved with Adam S?
Joey: Actually it’s pretty involved, I think it goes something like this: one of our friends gave us the track “Just the Girl” and it was really Dawsons Creek with twangy acoustics and stuff when we got it and we decided to change it around and play it because we needed more songs for our live show and we liked the song and thought it would be an honor to play one of his songs and ultimately we knew it would be a hook to get people's attention...and it worked. Then once we started playing it we were like, “This works really well,” and got our producer on board and we decided to play another of his tracks, and now we are all friends. I think some of it had to do with a certain level of wanting to hedge our bets, but ultimately it was awesome because we are huge Fountains of Wayne and Ivy fans, and everything he's done for that matter.
AP.net: What music are you into at the moment?
Joey: Well, I’m kind of not into any specific genre right now. I've been listening to a lot of Queen, I just got the Head Automatica record, some Police, The Dissociatives, tons of Aerosmith because we went to the studio where they wrote lots of their stuff and it really inspired me. Um, lots of stuff. I’m a pretty spastic listener.
AP.net: Does anyone in the band listen to stuff that might surprise some people?
Joey: Oh yeah! Dude, we listen to everything imaginable.
AP.net: Bane?
Joey: Eric listens to a lot of hardcore, I listen to the radio a lot, so I like stuff that I shouldn’t, like that new Christina Aguilera track haha. Joe listens to tons of country and folk, Ethan is pretty straight down the pop field but he likes to listen to everything so that he knows the current landscape, and Ben listens to the weirdest stuff he can get his hands on and then listens to classical music a lot… and all the standard rotations for all of us are pretty obvious.
AP.net: What's the craziest/funniest story you've got from the road?
Joey: Hmm, well, we've had a lot of crazy fan experiences. We had a mom cut off our bus with her car and her daughter ran onto the bus, and we were all sleeping in our bunks and like “What's going on?” and we walk out to the front in our boxers and all I see is our tour manager trying to get this girl off the bus with a car parked in the middle of the street in front of us and here comes the mom now trying to force herself on too. It was really bizarre, but fun.
AP.net: What do you think is the biggest misconception people have regarding The Click Five?
Joey: Just that we suck haha. We've met so many bands on the road that had all these conclusions already made up about us, and the first thing that happens is we meet each other and they realize we're just a bunch of normal dudes. Then they see us play and they realize we are a full blown rock show with all the heart of any other rock show, and then we all hang, drink beers, and everyone is like, “Dude, sorry I thought that,” and we go, “No man, it’s all good, it’s not like we didn’t expect that.” Haha it’s kind of funny because I just realized I talk about other bands when you asked me that. Those are our peers and we tend to be concerned about our peers.
AP.net: What do you mean?
Joey: I mean ultimately we sit around and go “Man, why does so and so band not like us?” instead of what we probably should be doing which is “Why doesn’t so and so listener not like us?” It’s always a need to be validated by someone else haha.
AP.net: Do you guys ever get bummed out about being called a boy band?
Joey: Well to be honest we never really hear that, except when people go, “What do you guys think about being called a boy band?” So all we know of it is people telling us that’s what people think, and for the most part I don’t think we get bummed because we know it’s usually always the case that people have all kinds of opinions that aren't based on any kind of real experience. You can either choose to get mad about that or just get excited for the time you get to meet them face to face and show them who you really are.
AP.net: I dunno, I just always hear people calling you a "boy band w/guitars."
Joey: Yeah, well, I guess.haha. Whatever. No hair off my balls.
AP.ne: Do you guys think you got too big too fast?
Joey: Hmm do we think we got too big too fast for our own good? No, I don’t think so, but who knows. I mean, it could have happened several different ways, but really we got what we set out to do, which was to become really big really fast. I think most musicians operate out of that place though.
AP.net: But don’t you think that some fans like that feeling of knowing a band before they explode, and if you get too big too fast, that they won't feel that personal connection?
Joey: Yeah, probably, but the reality is that we have a lot of fans that used to watch us in the dive bars around Boston that are still with us.
AP.net: Yah, but people don’t know that haha
Joey: Well that’s because they don’t dig. I mean, the reality is you can try to build a strong base as long as you want, but when does it become “you’re big.”
AP.net: So what are The Click Five's plans right now? When will the new album be done? Any set release date?
Joey: Well right now I think we are looking at taking our time with this record and getting it out by 2007 because we have so much going on overseas that we want to address that and not let that force us to rush our next record. Near future, we're going to Japan next week and doing some one off shows here over the next month or so and then some other plans that we will be announcing soon. More touring and stuff.
AP.net: How much of the record is actually tracked?
Joey: We've recorded 6 songs so far, and we'll probably try to record 14-16, cut it down to 11, and use the other 3 for b sides.
AP.net: Was "Pop Princess" written about Jessica Simpson?
Joey: No, Ben wrote it about someone, but I think he wants to never tell.
AP.net: Understandable.
AP.net: What's your favorite Click Five song and why?
Joey: Hmm, probably “Say Goodnight.” It was a track that I always wanted us to record and we decided at the last minute to do it and I think it turned out great, and really fulfills me as far as my desire to have some moodiness. I also love “Catch Your Wave” because it represents everything stupid about us, which I love. It’s just a dumb catchy pop song, but it’s fun to play and fun to listen to.
AP.net: That about wraps it up, thank you so much for the interview. Anything you'd like to say to the readers of AP.net or in general?
Joey: Uh, Yahoo Widgets are amazing, so is the book “Bono: Conversations With,” rainy days rock, so do sunny ones, and if you ever see us, feel free to say hi instead of beating us up.
First off, thanks very much for doing the interview. What've you dudes been up to as of late?
Joey: We've been in the studio working on the next record and doing a lot of international stuff. It’s weird because while we are gearing up for our next record here, it’s just being released overseas (it being our first record).
A lot of people have been like "I haven't heard of The Click Five in a long time... their 15 minutes are up.” Have you just been busy writing/recording the new album?
Joey: Yeah, I mean everyone’s 30 minutes are up all the time, and then you get to come back and try to get another 30 minutes, and we're hoping we'll get them. Listeners, especially the ones in our demo[graphic], are extremely fickle and really only pay attention to what’s in front of them. And we know that and we realize that people get tired of things, and so you take calculated breaks from the public and then come back at them with something that’s fresh enough to make them go “Okay I’m down for record 2.” I mean everyone’s 30 minutes are up—look at all the biggest people of this year. People don’t care about them right now; all they care about is Gnarls Barkley, but do people say Fall Out Boy’s 30 minutes are up or Ashlee Simpson’s 30 minutes are up? No. But they aren't out there much anymore. I mean, they are on a bigger level than us for the most part but it’s still the same thing. Everyone flows with the wave of what’s being put out there by radio. It’s just something you have to accept if you’re gonna be in commercial entertainment. I mean, everyone's 30 minutes are longer than each other’s, but that’s a different story.
AP.net: What can fans expect from the new record?
Joey: Well, it’s gonna be different, that’s for sure. It’s got a lot more vibe I think, and a lot more heart than the first one. Making a 1st record and a 2nd record are two completely different beasts. The first record is really easy actually because you realize your chances of anything catching on is like zero, so you just put your best stuff forward and see what happens. If you make it to the 2nd record, it means you've had some success and now you have a place to fall from so you tend to be much more of a head case about it. So, it’s really intense but it’s really fun. And I think everyone will be happy to hear how serious we are being in making this record as good as possible.
AP.net: Do you think the new album will convert any non-fans, or do you think it will still only appeal to the same demographic?
Joey: Well, I think if we only appeal to the same demo we will all be very disappointed. I personally see so much more potential with the stuff we are recording right now. I mean, I loved the first record for what it was, but I think we have the task of convincing people that we are a long term investment and the stuff on this next record is gonna have the ability to have a huge audience. I mean the sound alone will not be the same demo; it will really be up to the public to decide if they are willing to expand their minds or not. And that’s a hard thing for them to do, but it takes a lot of steps to bring them there and we are def gonna be doing our thing out on the road to make sure to expose ourselves to as many people as possible.
AP.net: What are some influences for the new CD?
Joey: Um, well, I think the influences would be more exciting. Our first record we really limited our influences to pop bands because that’s what we wanted to be perceived as, but I think on this record we are wanting to become more defined as ourselves so we're really letting our musical desire flow more. Lots of dancy stuff, lots of guitar rock stuff. We will always have the influence of the poppy melody, but we aren't going to be scared to try to bring in a wider view. I mean, me and Ben sat in my room the other night and listened to Gwen Stefani and Queen for several hours and really let the uniqueness of that stuff hit us. Those are two records that broke every rule in the book, yet they were both huge records.
AP.net: Why do you think people are so hostile towards pop music? I mean, clearly there are tons of people who love pop, but when it comes to the underground, people get MAD when they hear that word.
Joey: Yeah,.I think it’s just because people are scared to admit they like it. Not sure why they do it. I used to be outspoken to pop music when I was listening to Saves the Day and Get Up Kids and stuff like that, but I had no idea that I was listening to pop music for the most part. I think really it’s the word pop that people are so scared of, but that’s just messed up. I think people are starting to realize that pop doesn’t mean Britney Spears. It’s amazing the resurgence of bands that are hip calling themselves pop. Music is definitely a fashion today, and so people are very concerned about what they listen to. I mean, I guess it always has been like that, and I’m sure that back in the day people weren't cool with being a Beatles fan. It’s really a guy thing; guys don’t want to admit to liking stuff girls like. But the reality is they do. I don’t know, really, pop has always been pretty uplifting too, and a lot of people want their music to represent how they feel and a lot of people want to feel pissed. I’m probably getting a little too overboard and am starting to say stuff that I really don’t know anything about and probably wont agree with in two days so ill stop on that subject haha.
AP.net: Speaking of music and fashion, you guys are notorious for your matching suits; whose idea was that - yours or the label's? And what's the reasoning behind it?
Joey: It was actually Ethan and Joe’s idea; Ethan and Joe worship suit bands and just wanted to do that, and we were all into the idea of doing something a little bigger than just the normal band wearing street clothes. So we did it.[/b]
AP.net: Do you get people telling you that you sound/look like The Beatles/The Wonders/etc a lot?
Joey: Yeah, it’s funny because we really didn’t try to. I mean, there was really no way around it. If we had regular clothes on we probably woudn't get that. I mean really it’s the combo of suits and mops, but everyone has mops.
AP.net: I don't know really know how to phrase this as a question, but I think its really interesting how The Beatles are one of the most respected bands in the world, yet they were pop, they were a boy band, they wore matching suits, etc, yet you guys get an infinite more amount of shit than them.
Joey: Beatles, yeah man, crazy. I just got done reading a book called "I Should Have Known Better" by Geoffrey Ellis (sp?) who was basically Brian Epstein’s right hand man, and it was just crazy. I think the thing about The Beatles that people liked was they weren't putting on a front, or at least that’s what I like, and they make amazing music...stops there. But like I said, I’m sure plenty of people wouldn’t listen to them when they were big because they were this big band that girls liked, but I don’t really know that to be true, just guessing. Yeah, we actually operate in a pretty non defensive sector of the music industry so for the most part people really respect The Beatles, but I understand from the punk perspective. Ultimately though, I think that it’s really just a lack of knowledge on the subject. People now a days can be completely anti-Beatles because they aren’t around anymore, but when people challenge themselves to dig into The Beatles, they usually come out superfans. A lot of it comes down to being defensive though.
AP.net: Why do you think people are defensive about it?
Joey: More human psychology, I think. Because it doesn’t line up with what is being served to them as this is what’s cool, and really because people get focused on a certain sound. I do it all the time, and so they are only going to get into something when they are at a place where they are ready for it. I don’t know, I’m not really very versed on the psychology of musical tastes.
AP.net: Most people know that you guys attended Berklee; what were your majors there and was attending the school a valuable experience?
Joey: I was a music business management/audio engineering major, Ethan was an audio engineering major, Ben was a songwriting major, not sure what Joe was, he dropped out half way through, and Eric went to Purdue and was a computer science major I think. I think Berklee was amazing, it was a place were everyone wanted to be a part of the musical community. There were no doubts that everyone you were around was hungry to be able to survive on some aspect of music. The teachers were amazing. I mean, a lot of the stuff you learned in class you'll never use, but you learn from the teachers’ life stories more than anything I think. And it gives you time to do something that society frowns upon, which is be in bands, because hey at least you’re in college, right?
AP.net: How do you respond to people who claim you were manufactured by your label?
Joey: Our label experience has actually been so strange. I don’t think our label has ever told us to do one thing, and I’m being completely honest. It really suprised me; the A&R guy never said no to any songs, no one ever said anything about our clothes, no one ever said anything about our stage show. It was a mutual relationship of “We'll do what we do good and you guys do what you do good,” which is getting seen in public, radio staff, video staff, marketing staff, publicity staff. That’s what labels are really good at, not telling you how to do your show. I think one of the reasons our label signed us is because they saw they didn’t have to do much because we were already concerned about many of the things that bands sometimes don’t concern themselves with, such as how we are perceived by the public, or how our shows flow to be as impactful as possible, or how our songs can draw as many people in as possible. I mean, that was one of the big things about going through Berklee. You see thousands of bands trying to do it, and you see what works, what doesn’t, and most importantly, what’s missing. And Berklee is the biggest fan of talking shit about labels, so you learn to do it all yourselves.
AP.net: When you talk about how you guys are concerned about how you're perceived by the public and how you can draw in as many people as possible with you songs - that's exactly what people in the punk scene don't want to hear. I realize that it's not your scene at all, but can you see where people might get angry at your band because you're trying to be as popular as possible instead of just writing whatever comes to you?
Joey: Yeah, totally. The thing is this: we will always have music for ourselves that we create in our rooms and play on the sides and what not. And 9 times out of 10 everyone else will think it’s horrible, but all that matters is that it makes you happy. But fortunately we all love pop music so we enjoy every note we are playing, but ultimately it’s also just as enjoyable to try to become the biggest band in the world. The reality is that every big band is calculated to some degree. I mean, it would be one thing if we didn’t like the music we do, but we do. Ultimately, we get off on making other people excited. I mean, if we started playing a crazy polka song or something and everyone was totally getting off on it, we'd probably keep playing it because we'd be one big room of people getting off.
AP.net: Haha
Joey: I mean its right, right? It’s all about just doing what makes everyone feel good, at least that’s how I view it. But you know the truth is that we are all pretty broad in the music we like so we do things on the side and stuff to fulfill that desire.
AP.net: Yeah, but a lot of people don't see it that way I don't think; it's about doing what makes yourself feel good. But in your case, I think you're doing that, because you’re making other people feel good, which is what makes you feel good.
Joey: Exactly. That said though, I can listen to pop music and it makes me feel good. For some people that’s just not the case, and that’s fine.
AP.net: Reader question: Did you sell your souls to the devil to become so catchy?
Joey: No, but there was talk about doing that once when we were in New Orleans, and it scared the shit out of me.
AP.net: Haha
Joey: I personally don’t think of major labels as the devil. A lot of the people at major labels are my great friends, and for the most part I like the organizations they work at. But that’s a different aspect of me that’s not really related to the band. I mean, most of the catchiness is from Ben, and I don’t think he sold his soul to the devil. In fact, I remember several years ago we were going to a KISS concert and his mom called him to see how he was doing and he told her we were going to KISS and she told him to pray before he went haha.
AP.net: A lot of our readers were wondering if you guys actually write your own songs. It's been well-publicized that Adam S[chlesinger] (Fountains of Wayne) wrote “Just the Girl,” but a lot of people have been telling me to ask that.
Joey: The first record was 90% all us. Adam of course did “Just the Girl” and is also on “I’ll Take My Chances.”
AP.net: Did you co-write those songs with him or were they all just him?
Joey: They were him. It was kind of how we hooked our producer in, because he didn’t know who we were and so we said “Yeah, but listen to us play this Adam S song,” and he "got it" because it gave him something to relate to.” This record so far is all us, except for a couple co-writes, but really the co-writes come out of a love to work with other people. Ben just wrote with Adam last week; not sure if anything came of it, but we love his talent with a passion.
AP.net: How did you get involved with Adam S?
Joey: Actually it’s pretty involved, I think it goes something like this: one of our friends gave us the track “Just the Girl” and it was really Dawsons Creek with twangy acoustics and stuff when we got it and we decided to change it around and play it because we needed more songs for our live show and we liked the song and thought it would be an honor to play one of his songs and ultimately we knew it would be a hook to get people's attention...and it worked. Then once we started playing it we were like, “This works really well,” and got our producer on board and we decided to play another of his tracks, and now we are all friends. I think some of it had to do with a certain level of wanting to hedge our bets, but ultimately it was awesome because we are huge Fountains of Wayne and Ivy fans, and everything he's done for that matter.
AP.net: What music are you into at the moment?
Joey: Well, I’m kind of not into any specific genre right now. I've been listening to a lot of Queen, I just got the Head Automatica record, some Police, The Dissociatives, tons of Aerosmith because we went to the studio where they wrote lots of their stuff and it really inspired me. Um, lots of stuff. I’m a pretty spastic listener.
AP.net: Does anyone in the band listen to stuff that might surprise some people?
Joey: Oh yeah! Dude, we listen to everything imaginable.
AP.net: Bane?
Joey: Eric listens to a lot of hardcore, I listen to the radio a lot, so I like stuff that I shouldn’t, like that new Christina Aguilera track haha. Joe listens to tons of country and folk, Ethan is pretty straight down the pop field but he likes to listen to everything so that he knows the current landscape, and Ben listens to the weirdest stuff he can get his hands on and then listens to classical music a lot… and all the standard rotations for all of us are pretty obvious.
AP.net: What's the craziest/funniest story you've got from the road?
Joey: Hmm, well, we've had a lot of crazy fan experiences. We had a mom cut off our bus with her car and her daughter ran onto the bus, and we were all sleeping in our bunks and like “What's going on?” and we walk out to the front in our boxers and all I see is our tour manager trying to get this girl off the bus with a car parked in the middle of the street in front of us and here comes the mom now trying to force herself on too. It was really bizarre, but fun.
AP.net: What do you think is the biggest misconception people have regarding The Click Five?
Joey: Just that we suck haha. We've met so many bands on the road that had all these conclusions already made up about us, and the first thing that happens is we meet each other and they realize we're just a bunch of normal dudes. Then they see us play and they realize we are a full blown rock show with all the heart of any other rock show, and then we all hang, drink beers, and everyone is like, “Dude, sorry I thought that,” and we go, “No man, it’s all good, it’s not like we didn’t expect that.” Haha it’s kind of funny because I just realized I talk about other bands when you asked me that. Those are our peers and we tend to be concerned about our peers.
AP.net: What do you mean?
Joey: I mean ultimately we sit around and go “Man, why does so and so band not like us?” instead of what we probably should be doing which is “Why doesn’t so and so listener not like us?” It’s always a need to be validated by someone else haha.
AP.net: Do you guys ever get bummed out about being called a boy band?
Joey: Well to be honest we never really hear that, except when people go, “What do you guys think about being called a boy band?” So all we know of it is people telling us that’s what people think, and for the most part I don’t think we get bummed because we know it’s usually always the case that people have all kinds of opinions that aren't based on any kind of real experience. You can either choose to get mad about that or just get excited for the time you get to meet them face to face and show them who you really are.
AP.net: I dunno, I just always hear people calling you a "boy band w/guitars."
Joey: Yeah, well, I guess.haha. Whatever. No hair off my balls.
AP.ne: Do you guys think you got too big too fast?
Joey: Hmm do we think we got too big too fast for our own good? No, I don’t think so, but who knows. I mean, it could have happened several different ways, but really we got what we set out to do, which was to become really big really fast. I think most musicians operate out of that place though.
AP.net: But don’t you think that some fans like that feeling of knowing a band before they explode, and if you get too big too fast, that they won't feel that personal connection?
Joey: Yeah, probably, but the reality is that we have a lot of fans that used to watch us in the dive bars around Boston that are still with us.
AP.net: Yah, but people don’t know that haha
Joey: Well that’s because they don’t dig. I mean, the reality is you can try to build a strong base as long as you want, but when does it become “you’re big.”
AP.net: So what are The Click Five's plans right now? When will the new album be done? Any set release date?
Joey: Well right now I think we are looking at taking our time with this record and getting it out by 2007 because we have so much going on overseas that we want to address that and not let that force us to rush our next record. Near future, we're going to Japan next week and doing some one off shows here over the next month or so and then some other plans that we will be announcing soon. More touring and stuff.
AP.net: How much of the record is actually tracked?
Joey: We've recorded 6 songs so far, and we'll probably try to record 14-16, cut it down to 11, and use the other 3 for b sides.
AP.net: Was "Pop Princess" written about Jessica Simpson?
Joey: No, Ben wrote it about someone, but I think he wants to never tell.
AP.net: Understandable.
AP.net: What's your favorite Click Five song and why?
Joey: Hmm, probably “Say Goodnight.” It was a track that I always wanted us to record and we decided at the last minute to do it and I think it turned out great, and really fulfills me as far as my desire to have some moodiness. I also love “Catch Your Wave” because it represents everything stupid about us, which I love. It’s just a dumb catchy pop song, but it’s fun to play and fun to listen to.
AP.net: That about wraps it up, thank you so much for the interview. Anything you'd like to say to the readers of AP.net or in general?
Joey: Uh, Yahoo Widgets are amazing, so is the book “Bono: Conversations With,” rainy days rock, so do sunny ones, and if you ever see us, feel free to say hi instead of beating us up.