Jon Foucart
09/20/06, 12:44 AM
The bands new album, Suck Out The Poison, is out on October 3rd. What can you tell us about it?
Steve: Oh man, our new record has tons of songs. Like 14 songs of music. Drum parts
Schuyler: It has vocals.
Steve: Singing and guitars and stuff. Most of them are done pretty well. It's um uhh, you probably want to know what it's like in comparison to the last record.
Me: Haha sure.
Steve: I think it's louder. It's a little more aggressive I would say.
Schuyler: It's umm, I think it's a little bit more smarter.
Steve: It's a lot better.
Scuyler I think now that we're figuring out that kids don't like it, it's kind of proving that it's smarter (laughs).
Steve: My dad likes it. He only likes good music.
Schuyler: So does my dad.
What was it like working with Steve?
Schuyler: Steve's been my friend for like...oh Steve Evetts, sorry. Steve's cool man. He's a very strange guy.
Steve: He's just a crazy dude.
Schuyler: He likes Ben Folds and we like Ben Folds.
Steve: He likes name dropping every record he's done. That's not really true (laughs).
I was reading an interview from a ways back and in the interview you guys had said that your label wasn't to stoked on the band after a certain festival.
Steve: Oh, you're probably talking about Cornerstone. Well they acted like they were into us, but we knew they weren't because we were so horrible.
Has their opinion changed after hearing this record and do you think that they're impressed?
Steve: Solid State seems to really enjoy our new record. But take that for what it's worth. They are a record label and we are a band on that label. Soo...they seem to enjoy it alot.
Alright, I also read that you wanted this record to come out and be nothing like what's out there. Do you think you accomplished that?
Schuyler: That's one of those things that you kind of have to wait and see. I think we did and are doing a different kind of record than most bands. We're slowly doing it the way we want to and it took alot of changes and changes are still happening. I think we're happy with the way things are going.
Steve: That's one of those things that every band says. Every band says their record is different than what is in the scene, but I truly believe ours is. The songs we put online so far, kids are calling each other stupid and saying they hate eachother over our new songs. Our loyal fans are saying "No matter what, He Is Legend's new shit is awesome." There's also people out there saying our new shit sounds like Korn, which we think is awesome, but saying your new album sounds like Korn in the scene is faux pas, you can't do that. Korn does in fact rule.
Why did the band decide on Suck Out The Poison as the title. Is there any story or meaning behind it?
Schuyler: Not exactly.
Steve: We probably decided on it before I Am Hollywood came out.
Schuyler: (laughs) We did actually. We had like three names we were throwing around and I Am Hollywood just worked because of the song. Suck Out The Poison just sounds dirty.
Steve: It just sounds good.
Schuyler: It sounds sexy, good and well all of the things we are in one way or another.
Steve: We didn't even know it was some kind of sexual thing until someone pointed it out (laughs).
What can you tell us about the lyrics? Is there a concept or a theme throughout the record?
Scuyler: Not really a theme. I kind of just threw stuff out there. I think with this record I was more focused with writing short stories rather than just having songs be songs. I want someone to accidently just find the CD booklet in someones car and be like "I really wanna listen to that record." I think i accomplished that.
Steve: I think they're awesome. How many times do you say "blood" on the record?
Schuyler: I think 14 times.
Steve: That's cool.
Schuyler: There's only a few bands with the word "blood" in their name.
Steve: Bleeding is such a natural occuring thing, I'm surprised that more bands don't use the words "blood" or "bleeding" in their lyrics.
Schuyer: I have heard alot about fire, but not enough. Fire and blood...what are the other ones?
Steve: Like black. You see alot of black but you don't hear enough about it.
Schuyler: Nobody ever sings about the color black.
Steve: Wish people would sing about what they see.
(everyone's laughing)
Schuyler: I wish somebody would write a song about it actually raining blood.
Steve: Yeah! Ah! wait...
Schuyler: They could actually call it "Reign In Blood."
Steve: Don't record that (laughs).
Are you guys at all araid that some fans might dismiss the band because of the change in sound on this record (musically and vocally)?
Schuyler: I don't think we're afraid at all. Nothing against the fans but the people who just like He Is Legend for just the one or two songs are the people who we're trying to weed out with this record.
Steve: Those are the people who really don't like He Is Legend. They like that band on Solid State who toured with so and so.
Schuyler: I think that with this record we're going to gain the fans we want and always wanted to have and lose the people who never really got us in the first place.
Steve: I think for every fan that doesn't listen to the record because it doesn't have one breakdown in it, I hope we gain 5 fans who like actual music.
So you basically answered my next question which was "what do you want the fans to get out of the record?"
Schuyler: Exactly that. I mean you gotta look at it from a stand point. Alot of people were talking about how our music has changed or how our mindset has changed musically but like...we've been on the road for almost two years now. Of course everything about you is going to change. I think musically we went back to what inspires us to play music in the first place. When we wrote I Am Hollywood, we were just stoked to be making a record for a label.
Steve: It was that weird "this is our debut, what should we do" thing.
Schuyler: Yeah, exactly. We had to show people what we could do and we did that, but around 6 months later our mindset had changed because we saw what the industry was about and what touring was about. Not that we've become jaded about it, but we just know the truth about the music scene and what goes along with it. We're not trying to change anything. We just want to do what we want.
Will "Mushroom River" serve as the first video single?
Schuyler: I think that the single is going to drop on Myspace tomorrow (September 18th). That first joint is gonna drop tomorrow.
(everyone laughs)
Steve: Is it Sunday right now?
Schuyler: Yeah. It's called "Attack of The Dungeon Witch"
Steve: Honestly, "Mushroom River" is just the song that sounds most unlike our last record. It was to get people fighting and yelling.
Schuyler: We're always about throwing curve balls at the kids. We're just trying to do things different.
Steve: I think Chris (keyboardist for Underoath) pretty much summed up our record. What was that thing you said?
Schuyler: You said it perfectly.
Chris of Underoath: It's like piranhas eating you and you can't get away (laughs).
Schuyler: But the piranhas have very soft clean teeth.
Steve: So you don't die.
Chris: It has a love tickle to it.
Steve: The CD is annoying like a love tickle.
(everyone laughs for a good minute)
Schuyler: The love tickle will be our next album. He Is Legend-The Love Tickle
Although this has been asked many times...are you guys a christian band?
Schuyler: This has been asked every interview. It's alright though. We are not a christian band.
Steve: I would say that about a third of my drum beats are christian drum beats.
Schuyler: I think most of the riffs on the record are christian riffs.
Steve: I have that one jewish fill that I'm pretty proud of.
I know nothing about this, but a reader asked what happened with Warped Tour?
Steve: Oh yeah, I saw that. I read Absolutepunk (laughs)
Schuyler: Like...
Steve: I think he means why didn't we do Warped Tour.
Schuyler: Ohhh...I went and saw Tom Waits and we had to cancel.
Steve: I had just went grocery shopping and I didn't want to waste all that bread and mustard and stuff.
Schuyler: I filled my car up with gas and it was like "should I just drive it to warped tour?" Because that gas is just going to sit there.
Steve: Cause you don't want it to evaporate. I think gas evaporates.
Schuyler: God knows I wouldn't let my girlfriend drive my car.
Steve: Doritos are expensive. I wouldn't want my roommate eating doritos while I'm gone.
Schuyler: Forsure...forsure.
Alright well that's about all I have for you guys. Any closing comments?
Schuyler: Buy our record on October 3rd within the first week.
Steve: If a certain number of people buy it during the first week, I can't say what number that is, but our A & R dude said that he would give us anything we wanted.
Schuyler: Seriously, everything we want. We can assure you that if everyone goes out and picks up the record in the first week, what we get will be incredibly awesome.
Steve: For everyone. It'll be good for everyone.
Schuyler: The whole world will benefit from what we get. It's reasonable.
Steve: The number is not too large.
Schuyler: So let's do that America.
(everyone laughs)
Pre-order the bands new album, Suck Out The Poison, right here (http://www.interpunk.com/item.cfm?Item=135400&) and help the guys sell X amount of copies in the first week
Steve: Oh man, our new record has tons of songs. Like 14 songs of music. Drum parts
Schuyler: It has vocals.
Steve: Singing and guitars and stuff. Most of them are done pretty well. It's um uhh, you probably want to know what it's like in comparison to the last record.
Me: Haha sure.
Steve: I think it's louder. It's a little more aggressive I would say.
Schuyler: It's umm, I think it's a little bit more smarter.
Steve: It's a lot better.
Scuyler I think now that we're figuring out that kids don't like it, it's kind of proving that it's smarter (laughs).
Steve: My dad likes it. He only likes good music.
Schuyler: So does my dad.
What was it like working with Steve?
Schuyler: Steve's been my friend for like...oh Steve Evetts, sorry. Steve's cool man. He's a very strange guy.
Steve: He's just a crazy dude.
Schuyler: He likes Ben Folds and we like Ben Folds.
Steve: He likes name dropping every record he's done. That's not really true (laughs).
I was reading an interview from a ways back and in the interview you guys had said that your label wasn't to stoked on the band after a certain festival.
Steve: Oh, you're probably talking about Cornerstone. Well they acted like they were into us, but we knew they weren't because we were so horrible.
Has their opinion changed after hearing this record and do you think that they're impressed?
Steve: Solid State seems to really enjoy our new record. But take that for what it's worth. They are a record label and we are a band on that label. Soo...they seem to enjoy it alot.
Alright, I also read that you wanted this record to come out and be nothing like what's out there. Do you think you accomplished that?
Schuyler: That's one of those things that you kind of have to wait and see. I think we did and are doing a different kind of record than most bands. We're slowly doing it the way we want to and it took alot of changes and changes are still happening. I think we're happy with the way things are going.
Steve: That's one of those things that every band says. Every band says their record is different than what is in the scene, but I truly believe ours is. The songs we put online so far, kids are calling each other stupid and saying they hate eachother over our new songs. Our loyal fans are saying "No matter what, He Is Legend's new shit is awesome." There's also people out there saying our new shit sounds like Korn, which we think is awesome, but saying your new album sounds like Korn in the scene is faux pas, you can't do that. Korn does in fact rule.
Why did the band decide on Suck Out The Poison as the title. Is there any story or meaning behind it?
Schuyler: Not exactly.
Steve: We probably decided on it before I Am Hollywood came out.
Schuyler: (laughs) We did actually. We had like three names we were throwing around and I Am Hollywood just worked because of the song. Suck Out The Poison just sounds dirty.
Steve: It just sounds good.
Schuyler: It sounds sexy, good and well all of the things we are in one way or another.
Steve: We didn't even know it was some kind of sexual thing until someone pointed it out (laughs).
What can you tell us about the lyrics? Is there a concept or a theme throughout the record?
Scuyler: Not really a theme. I kind of just threw stuff out there. I think with this record I was more focused with writing short stories rather than just having songs be songs. I want someone to accidently just find the CD booklet in someones car and be like "I really wanna listen to that record." I think i accomplished that.
Steve: I think they're awesome. How many times do you say "blood" on the record?
Schuyler: I think 14 times.
Steve: That's cool.
Schuyler: There's only a few bands with the word "blood" in their name.
Steve: Bleeding is such a natural occuring thing, I'm surprised that more bands don't use the words "blood" or "bleeding" in their lyrics.
Schuyer: I have heard alot about fire, but not enough. Fire and blood...what are the other ones?
Steve: Like black. You see alot of black but you don't hear enough about it.
Schuyler: Nobody ever sings about the color black.
Steve: Wish people would sing about what they see.
(everyone's laughing)
Schuyler: I wish somebody would write a song about it actually raining blood.
Steve: Yeah! Ah! wait...
Schuyler: They could actually call it "Reign In Blood."
Steve: Don't record that (laughs).
Are you guys at all araid that some fans might dismiss the band because of the change in sound on this record (musically and vocally)?
Schuyler: I don't think we're afraid at all. Nothing against the fans but the people who just like He Is Legend for just the one or two songs are the people who we're trying to weed out with this record.
Steve: Those are the people who really don't like He Is Legend. They like that band on Solid State who toured with so and so.
Schuyler: I think that with this record we're going to gain the fans we want and always wanted to have and lose the people who never really got us in the first place.
Steve: I think for every fan that doesn't listen to the record because it doesn't have one breakdown in it, I hope we gain 5 fans who like actual music.
So you basically answered my next question which was "what do you want the fans to get out of the record?"
Schuyler: Exactly that. I mean you gotta look at it from a stand point. Alot of people were talking about how our music has changed or how our mindset has changed musically but like...we've been on the road for almost two years now. Of course everything about you is going to change. I think musically we went back to what inspires us to play music in the first place. When we wrote I Am Hollywood, we were just stoked to be making a record for a label.
Steve: It was that weird "this is our debut, what should we do" thing.
Schuyler: Yeah, exactly. We had to show people what we could do and we did that, but around 6 months later our mindset had changed because we saw what the industry was about and what touring was about. Not that we've become jaded about it, but we just know the truth about the music scene and what goes along with it. We're not trying to change anything. We just want to do what we want.
Will "Mushroom River" serve as the first video single?
Schuyler: I think that the single is going to drop on Myspace tomorrow (September 18th). That first joint is gonna drop tomorrow.
(everyone laughs)
Steve: Is it Sunday right now?
Schuyler: Yeah. It's called "Attack of The Dungeon Witch"
Steve: Honestly, "Mushroom River" is just the song that sounds most unlike our last record. It was to get people fighting and yelling.
Schuyler: We're always about throwing curve balls at the kids. We're just trying to do things different.
Steve: I think Chris (keyboardist for Underoath) pretty much summed up our record. What was that thing you said?
Schuyler: You said it perfectly.
Chris of Underoath: It's like piranhas eating you and you can't get away (laughs).
Schuyler: But the piranhas have very soft clean teeth.
Steve: So you don't die.
Chris: It has a love tickle to it.
Steve: The CD is annoying like a love tickle.
(everyone laughs for a good minute)
Schuyler: The love tickle will be our next album. He Is Legend-The Love Tickle
Although this has been asked many times...are you guys a christian band?
Schuyler: This has been asked every interview. It's alright though. We are not a christian band.
Steve: I would say that about a third of my drum beats are christian drum beats.
Schuyler: I think most of the riffs on the record are christian riffs.
Steve: I have that one jewish fill that I'm pretty proud of.
I know nothing about this, but a reader asked what happened with Warped Tour?
Steve: Oh yeah, I saw that. I read Absolutepunk (laughs)
Schuyler: Like...
Steve: I think he means why didn't we do Warped Tour.
Schuyler: Ohhh...I went and saw Tom Waits and we had to cancel.
Steve: I had just went grocery shopping and I didn't want to waste all that bread and mustard and stuff.
Schuyler: I filled my car up with gas and it was like "should I just drive it to warped tour?" Because that gas is just going to sit there.
Steve: Cause you don't want it to evaporate. I think gas evaporates.
Schuyler: God knows I wouldn't let my girlfriend drive my car.
Steve: Doritos are expensive. I wouldn't want my roommate eating doritos while I'm gone.
Schuyler: Forsure...forsure.
Alright well that's about all I have for you guys. Any closing comments?
Schuyler: Buy our record on October 3rd within the first week.
Steve: If a certain number of people buy it during the first week, I can't say what number that is, but our A & R dude said that he would give us anything we wanted.
Schuyler: Seriously, everything we want. We can assure you that if everyone goes out and picks up the record in the first week, what we get will be incredibly awesome.
Steve: For everyone. It'll be good for everyone.
Schuyler: The whole world will benefit from what we get. It's reasonable.
Steve: The number is not too large.
Schuyler: So let's do that America.
(everyone laughs)
Pre-order the bands new album, Suck Out The Poison, right here (http://www.interpunk.com/item.cfm?Item=135400&) and help the guys sell X amount of copies in the first week