Frank Giaramita
12/17/04, 09:13 PM
I recently had the members of Forgive Durden in a chat room together and I asked them some questions about their current status and their plans for the future. Never in my life have I ever had to proofread, edit, and change so many things around in an interview. The guys would get sidetracked for about 10 minutes at a time, turning a question about songs, into a discussion about Peter Pan. It was absolutely hilarious, and I suggest you read it.
Note: A lot of my questions didn't apply to Big T because he was just added to the band very recently, hence his lack of responses. Sorry Big T, haha.
Me: Introduce yourselves and what you do in the band
Thomas: I'm Thomas (the better one) - I sing and play guitar
Andy: I'm Andy and I play the drums like Meat Loaf wishes he could sing
Jesse: Jesse Bauer- bass and some vocals, when Thomas lets me.
Big T: I'm Thomas "Big T" (the sexier one) I play guitar and melt faces.
Me: How has the responses been on youre most recent release "When You're Alone, You're Not Alone"?
Jesse: Wait, what? I'm lost
Andy:: So far I've recieved a lot of postive responses from people everywhere over the internet and e-mail and stuff.
Thomas:: We've been getting a great response - people from all over the U.S. and even from Europe just love it
Jesse: Lots of people have said its good but they are excited for our new stuff, but my mom really likes it and she shows all her friends too.
Me: How do you guys feel about it? Are you content with the production and the songs and stuff? In other words, is their anything you wish you could change or do over?
Thomas:: I'm really happy with the production and quality of the ep, i just wish i could've had more time to perfect some stuff. Like on Jamais Vu, Andy learned how to play the drums to that song the same day we recorded it
Jesse: more money=more time
Thomas:: So if he had more time to tweak some little stuff, it could have been a little better
Big T: mo' money=mo' problems
Andy: if you see us live, you can hear some changes to the chorus on Jamais Vu. Its pretty sweet.
Thomas:: But i can't really imagine being 100 percent happy with anything I write, there's always room to improve.
Me: How was it working with producer Casey Bates (Gatsby's American Dream, This Providence)?
Thomas: Casey's a little bitch, he whines all day long, "take me to taco bell", "buy me this".
Jesse: Ya, Casey sucks
Thomas: But other than that, he's alright.
Thomas: Haha, I'm totally joking, he's an amazing producer.
Andy: I think Casey has a cool dog
Jesse: hes a really sweet guy and he will one day rule the world
Thomas: I can't imagine working with anyone else at this point. We have a lot of trust in him. He's really down to earth and knows what sound we're going for, at least he did on the ep, and that's really comforting. I suggest everyone uses him for their record.
Jesse: for sure
Andy: agreed
Me: So im assuming youre using him for your next release?
Jesse: Yes
Thomas: Yea definitely, we've already talked with him and let him know what the deal is.
Me: Haha, What if he says "I dont want to work with those losers again"?
Andy:: I'll steal his dog
Jesse: We'll burn down his house
Thomas: He already agreed to, so it's too late for him.
Big T: castration- by spoon
Jesse: Spork
Me: What's your favorite songs to play live?
Jesse: Watson, Jamais Vu
Andy:: Mine is The Sour And The Sweet
Big T: I like Toxic
Thomas: My favorite is probably The Sour And The Sweet too, even though that's not my favorite song on the EP at all, i just love playing it live.
Jesse: Ya i like that one too,
Andy: Fuck yes
Thomas: God, jesse sucks
Jesse: Cool tom...
Andy: What's a cool tom? I want one.
Jesse: My self-esteem is through the roof right now, I hate my life
Thomas: and Big T and i were just working on some cool covers, so that should be fun to play live too
Me: Who is the most flambouyant one in the group?
Jesse: Me
Thomas: Flambouyantly gay.
Jesse: Good one Thomas
Thomas: Jesse walks around naked a lot
Andy: I guess Jesse since he answered it right away
Jesse: Didn't see that coming, thanks andy
Jesse: Andy=mumbles the most
Andy: Go jump in a pool naked, you loser.
Jesse: Shut up Andy, you loved it.
Thomas: hahaha, Jesse jumped in a trailer park pool naked while we were on our last tour and it was like 3 in the morning.
Me: Speaking of tours, do you guys have any tours planned for 2005?
Jesse: Yeahh, we have a kickass March tour with Rory, Slow Coming Day and Novice, and we're currently kicking it on the road right now with Greeley Estates...great dudes.
Me: How has the response been live? as far as crowd goes
Thomas: I'm really proud of our live show we earn a lot of fans through our live show
Jesse: I agree
Thomas: People who come to see another band and end up with our cd in their hand on the way out.
Jesse: That's when we shine
Me: Haha, Way to be as homosexual as possible Jesse--"That's when we shine like little crystals in the sky"
Jesse: That's it, I'm done.
Thomas: hahaha
Andy: I thought it was cool playing with the Fall Of Troy because we both play different styles but I didnt see anyone leaving while we were playing which was very cool.
Thomas: Yea that was a fun show
Jesse: Awesome show
Big T: Jesse, will you for ONCE, shut the fuck up for like three seconds?
Jesse: Way to chime in with something brilliant d-bag
Big T: Sorry, I haven't played any shows yet with the band, so I can't really answer this question. Jesse is such a loser.
Jesse: Thanks Andy and T, you guys are the best.
Me: Hahahaha, What's the situation with adding Big T and recently dismissing Matt from the band?
Thomas: well we had a lot of fun with matt, our former guitarist, he's a little crazy jumping bean, but he's still in high school, so it wasn't really going to work to tour full-time. He totally understood, and he knew the circumstances would've held us back.
Jesse: I think now we are headed in the right direction though
Thomas: So luckily, jesse knew this big awkward guy who was also named Thomas
Thomas: He was at USC, music school for jazz guitar
Big T: I like guitars a lot
Thomas: He's way better than me at guitar.
Jesse: You aren't that good (im better than you).
Thomas: But yeah, like Jesse said, a lot of times when bands lose a member, it's like they try hard to find someone to 'replace' him, but this was definitely a great addition to the band.
Andy: Big T is an amazing guitarist, I'm very stoked he joined up
Jesse: and he's my bestest friend, and a rad guy
Thomas: Just ignore jesse's comments, he's banned
Jesse: Wow. You guys suck.
Me: What are some of your greatest influences?
Jesse: Brand New
Andy: Meat Loaf, Bob Dylan, and Death
Big T: Queen, Bill Frisell, Joe Diorio
Thomas: Lyrically, i'm influenced by a lot of stuff - books, movies, music, tv. There's a lot of movie references in our songs
Jesse: Shows like ***** Eye For The Straight Guy, right Thomas?
Me: Yeah, it's cool because even the band is named after a movie--Fight Club.
Thomas: Yea i'm a huge Chuck Palahniuk fan
Thomas: Yeah, even the title of out EP "When You're Alone, You're Not Alone" is a line from the movie "Hook".
Me: You guys have been creating some buzz in the scene, any labels taking interest?
Thomas:: Yea we've been talking with some majors and indies
Me: Anything good developing?
Thomas: It's a real slow process, but the ball is rolling for us, so hopefully we'll land somewhere where we feel really comfortable
Jesse: It's a big ball
Andy: We're excited!
Me: Do you guys have any news stuff written? And is it a different direction then your EP?
Jesse: I wrote a song but thomas wont use it...
Thomas: I've been writing a lot lyrically, but have unfortunately really slowed down musically with the whole band member switcheroo.
Thomas: but now that Big T is here, and i'll be at home all alone over Christmas being emo, i'm sure some stuff will start to happen.
Thomas: Jesse, you never showed me your song, idiot. You showed me one line, and it sucked.
Jesse: I'm leaving
Thomas: oh Jesse-pie
Big T: I can't handle this tension! next question
Thomas: Jesse will be gone in Hawaii so hopefully Big T and I can play a bunch together and start getting some new stuff goin.
Me: What are some labels that you would you take really high interest in and like to be on a lot?
Andy: Fueled By Ramen
Jesse: I think the place where we feel most comfortable is the most important.
Thomas: Well i've wanted to be on Drive-Thru since i was like 14, but i feel like any band signed to them immediately has a lot of pressure on them. But some other labels that would be awesome would be Fueled By Ramen, Fearless, Rocketstar, anyone who has good bands on their roster and really treats us well and makes us feel comfortable.
Big T: I would be stoked on something with a lot of artistic freedom. An environment that encourages taking lots of musical chances
Jesse: Fueled By Ramen, Militia Group, Triple Crown - all awesome
Thomas: Oooh yea Triple Crown rules! There's so many labels we like. We just want to be able to express our feelings in music form to as many people as possible and through a label who really cares about us not only as musicians, but people.
Me: What would be a dream tour for you guys? As far as bands goes.
Thomas: Dream tour...hmm.
Andy: Iron Maiden, 86, Time Warp
Jesse: I would love to just do a national tour in the next year.
Big T: I'd like to play with Say Anything, Elton John, and Medeski Martin and Wood.
Thomas: My dream tour would be Gatsby's American Dream, Say Anything, and Brand New and us.
Jesse: It would be awesome to do a "Seattle takes over the world" tour
Thomas: yea i really want to make a Seattle vs. the states tour
Andy: I still think touring with Maiden would be the best
Thomas: Daphne Loves Derby, This Providence, Gatsby's American Dream, Acceptance, Nirvana, Pearl Jam.
Jesse: Soundgarden, Emery
Me: Where do you guys hope to be by the end of next year? As far as size of the band goes and fanbase.
Andy: Living out my dreams from when I was 14 by playing music for people to enjoy.
Thomas: By the end of 2005, I'd really like to be getting ready to release our full-length for a label we're stoked to be on, and planning a nationwide tour with some killer bands to promote it.
Jesse: Amen to that.
Thomas: We're hoping to have our full-length recorded by the end of the year, or at least in the studio and then just spend all of 2006 touring the nation with some great bands.
Andy: I really hope to see the Peter Pan play over the next year on 5th ave. But that's me.
Thomas: I saw last night!
Jesse:I saw it last night too! It was awesome!
Thomas: Jesse and I went on a date
Jesse: Yeah, Thomas paid for my ticket
Andy: It's about time
Me:: Any last words or things that need to be said before we close this out?
Big T: Fallopian tubes
Thomas: Well i hope everyone has safe and loving holidays and keeps checkin us out and comes sees us on tour next year
Jesse: Janurary 8th at Ground Zero!!
Jesse: Awesome show
Jesse: Good Times!
Me: Jesse, What in god's name are you saying? Haha, can you not type out a complete thought? Instead of like...
Me: hey
Me: yeah
Me: show January
Me: acoustic
Me: fun
Me:: It's like you're Yoda or something, speaking backwards and all stupid.
Thomas: Haha...Yoda
Thomas: Awesome this show should be, haha.
Jesse: nerds
Big T: Yoda's one foot eleven, I could fit like five of him inside me, with high heels on.
Thomas: Here guys, January 8th, @ Ground Zero w/ This Providence, Surrounded By Lions, Coma Berenices, and The Crustaceans. Doors at 6:15pm. Show starts at 7pm. $5 w/ a can of food, $6 w/out. Please come down if you're from the Seattle area!!
Me: Any Thanks You's or closing statements?
Jesse: Thanks to Frank and AP.net!
Thomas: Yea thanks to Frank and everyone at Absolutepunk, like Scott and Jared's fine ass. Thanks to everyone for all the support we've been getting, it's been so great. Also, thanks to Tim from Greeley Estates and Pete Wentz of Fallout Boy for the help they've been providing.
Jesse:Thanks to all of our fans, and anyone who even took the time out to listen to us! Thanks so much.
Andy: Thank you Bill Gates for windows software
Thomas: Also, everyone go join our street team by e-mailing your Name, Home Address, Screenname and Age to DurdenArmy@forgivedurden.com! Thanks so much!
---Thanks to Forgive Durden for taking the time out to do this with me. Best wishes to them in the future and everyone should check out their EP "When You're Alone, You're Not Alone"!---www.purevolume.com/forgivedurden.---
Note: A lot of my questions didn't apply to Big T because he was just added to the band very recently, hence his lack of responses. Sorry Big T, haha.
Me: Introduce yourselves and what you do in the band
Thomas: I'm Thomas (the better one) - I sing and play guitar
Andy: I'm Andy and I play the drums like Meat Loaf wishes he could sing
Jesse: Jesse Bauer- bass and some vocals, when Thomas lets me.
Big T: I'm Thomas "Big T" (the sexier one) I play guitar and melt faces.
Me: How has the responses been on youre most recent release "When You're Alone, You're Not Alone"?
Jesse: Wait, what? I'm lost
Andy:: So far I've recieved a lot of postive responses from people everywhere over the internet and e-mail and stuff.
Thomas:: We've been getting a great response - people from all over the U.S. and even from Europe just love it
Jesse: Lots of people have said its good but they are excited for our new stuff, but my mom really likes it and she shows all her friends too.
Me: How do you guys feel about it? Are you content with the production and the songs and stuff? In other words, is their anything you wish you could change or do over?
Thomas:: I'm really happy with the production and quality of the ep, i just wish i could've had more time to perfect some stuff. Like on Jamais Vu, Andy learned how to play the drums to that song the same day we recorded it
Jesse: more money=more time
Thomas:: So if he had more time to tweak some little stuff, it could have been a little better
Big T: mo' money=mo' problems
Andy: if you see us live, you can hear some changes to the chorus on Jamais Vu. Its pretty sweet.
Thomas:: But i can't really imagine being 100 percent happy with anything I write, there's always room to improve.
Me: How was it working with producer Casey Bates (Gatsby's American Dream, This Providence)?
Thomas: Casey's a little bitch, he whines all day long, "take me to taco bell", "buy me this".
Jesse: Ya, Casey sucks
Thomas: But other than that, he's alright.
Thomas: Haha, I'm totally joking, he's an amazing producer.
Andy: I think Casey has a cool dog
Jesse: hes a really sweet guy and he will one day rule the world
Thomas: I can't imagine working with anyone else at this point. We have a lot of trust in him. He's really down to earth and knows what sound we're going for, at least he did on the ep, and that's really comforting. I suggest everyone uses him for their record.
Jesse: for sure
Andy: agreed
Me: So im assuming youre using him for your next release?
Jesse: Yes
Thomas: Yea definitely, we've already talked with him and let him know what the deal is.
Me: Haha, What if he says "I dont want to work with those losers again"?
Andy:: I'll steal his dog
Jesse: We'll burn down his house
Thomas: He already agreed to, so it's too late for him.
Big T: castration- by spoon
Jesse: Spork
Me: What's your favorite songs to play live?
Jesse: Watson, Jamais Vu
Andy:: Mine is The Sour And The Sweet
Big T: I like Toxic
Thomas: My favorite is probably The Sour And The Sweet too, even though that's not my favorite song on the EP at all, i just love playing it live.
Jesse: Ya i like that one too,
Andy: Fuck yes
Thomas: God, jesse sucks
Jesse: Cool tom...
Andy: What's a cool tom? I want one.
Jesse: My self-esteem is through the roof right now, I hate my life
Thomas: and Big T and i were just working on some cool covers, so that should be fun to play live too
Me: Who is the most flambouyant one in the group?
Jesse: Me
Thomas: Flambouyantly gay.
Jesse: Good one Thomas
Thomas: Jesse walks around naked a lot
Andy: I guess Jesse since he answered it right away
Jesse: Didn't see that coming, thanks andy
Jesse: Andy=mumbles the most
Andy: Go jump in a pool naked, you loser.
Jesse: Shut up Andy, you loved it.
Thomas: hahaha, Jesse jumped in a trailer park pool naked while we were on our last tour and it was like 3 in the morning.
Me: Speaking of tours, do you guys have any tours planned for 2005?
Jesse: Yeahh, we have a kickass March tour with Rory, Slow Coming Day and Novice, and we're currently kicking it on the road right now with Greeley Estates...great dudes.
Me: How has the response been live? as far as crowd goes
Thomas: I'm really proud of our live show we earn a lot of fans through our live show
Jesse: I agree
Thomas: People who come to see another band and end up with our cd in their hand on the way out.
Jesse: That's when we shine
Me: Haha, Way to be as homosexual as possible Jesse--"That's when we shine like little crystals in the sky"
Jesse: That's it, I'm done.
Thomas: hahaha
Andy: I thought it was cool playing with the Fall Of Troy because we both play different styles but I didnt see anyone leaving while we were playing which was very cool.
Thomas: Yea that was a fun show
Jesse: Awesome show
Big T: Jesse, will you for ONCE, shut the fuck up for like three seconds?
Jesse: Way to chime in with something brilliant d-bag
Big T: Sorry, I haven't played any shows yet with the band, so I can't really answer this question. Jesse is such a loser.
Jesse: Thanks Andy and T, you guys are the best.
Me: Hahahaha, What's the situation with adding Big T and recently dismissing Matt from the band?
Thomas: well we had a lot of fun with matt, our former guitarist, he's a little crazy jumping bean, but he's still in high school, so it wasn't really going to work to tour full-time. He totally understood, and he knew the circumstances would've held us back.
Jesse: I think now we are headed in the right direction though
Thomas: So luckily, jesse knew this big awkward guy who was also named Thomas
Thomas: He was at USC, music school for jazz guitar
Big T: I like guitars a lot
Thomas: He's way better than me at guitar.
Jesse: You aren't that good (im better than you).
Thomas: But yeah, like Jesse said, a lot of times when bands lose a member, it's like they try hard to find someone to 'replace' him, but this was definitely a great addition to the band.
Andy: Big T is an amazing guitarist, I'm very stoked he joined up
Jesse: and he's my bestest friend, and a rad guy
Thomas: Just ignore jesse's comments, he's banned
Jesse: Wow. You guys suck.
Me: What are some of your greatest influences?
Jesse: Brand New
Andy: Meat Loaf, Bob Dylan, and Death
Big T: Queen, Bill Frisell, Joe Diorio
Thomas: Lyrically, i'm influenced by a lot of stuff - books, movies, music, tv. There's a lot of movie references in our songs
Jesse: Shows like ***** Eye For The Straight Guy, right Thomas?
Me: Yeah, it's cool because even the band is named after a movie--Fight Club.
Thomas: Yea i'm a huge Chuck Palahniuk fan
Thomas: Yeah, even the title of out EP "When You're Alone, You're Not Alone" is a line from the movie "Hook".
Me: You guys have been creating some buzz in the scene, any labels taking interest?
Thomas:: Yea we've been talking with some majors and indies
Me: Anything good developing?
Thomas: It's a real slow process, but the ball is rolling for us, so hopefully we'll land somewhere where we feel really comfortable
Jesse: It's a big ball
Andy: We're excited!
Me: Do you guys have any news stuff written? And is it a different direction then your EP?
Jesse: I wrote a song but thomas wont use it...
Thomas: I've been writing a lot lyrically, but have unfortunately really slowed down musically with the whole band member switcheroo.
Thomas: but now that Big T is here, and i'll be at home all alone over Christmas being emo, i'm sure some stuff will start to happen.
Thomas: Jesse, you never showed me your song, idiot. You showed me one line, and it sucked.
Jesse: I'm leaving
Thomas: oh Jesse-pie
Big T: I can't handle this tension! next question
Thomas: Jesse will be gone in Hawaii so hopefully Big T and I can play a bunch together and start getting some new stuff goin.
Me: What are some labels that you would you take really high interest in and like to be on a lot?
Andy: Fueled By Ramen
Jesse: I think the place where we feel most comfortable is the most important.
Thomas: Well i've wanted to be on Drive-Thru since i was like 14, but i feel like any band signed to them immediately has a lot of pressure on them. But some other labels that would be awesome would be Fueled By Ramen, Fearless, Rocketstar, anyone who has good bands on their roster and really treats us well and makes us feel comfortable.
Big T: I would be stoked on something with a lot of artistic freedom. An environment that encourages taking lots of musical chances
Jesse: Fueled By Ramen, Militia Group, Triple Crown - all awesome
Thomas: Oooh yea Triple Crown rules! There's so many labels we like. We just want to be able to express our feelings in music form to as many people as possible and through a label who really cares about us not only as musicians, but people.
Me: What would be a dream tour for you guys? As far as bands goes.
Thomas: Dream tour...hmm.
Andy: Iron Maiden, 86, Time Warp
Jesse: I would love to just do a national tour in the next year.
Big T: I'd like to play with Say Anything, Elton John, and Medeski Martin and Wood.
Thomas: My dream tour would be Gatsby's American Dream, Say Anything, and Brand New and us.
Jesse: It would be awesome to do a "Seattle takes over the world" tour
Thomas: yea i really want to make a Seattle vs. the states tour
Andy: I still think touring with Maiden would be the best
Thomas: Daphne Loves Derby, This Providence, Gatsby's American Dream, Acceptance, Nirvana, Pearl Jam.
Jesse: Soundgarden, Emery
Me: Where do you guys hope to be by the end of next year? As far as size of the band goes and fanbase.
Andy: Living out my dreams from when I was 14 by playing music for people to enjoy.
Thomas: By the end of 2005, I'd really like to be getting ready to release our full-length for a label we're stoked to be on, and planning a nationwide tour with some killer bands to promote it.
Jesse: Amen to that.
Thomas: We're hoping to have our full-length recorded by the end of the year, or at least in the studio and then just spend all of 2006 touring the nation with some great bands.
Andy: I really hope to see the Peter Pan play over the next year on 5th ave. But that's me.
Thomas: I saw last night!
Jesse:I saw it last night too! It was awesome!
Thomas: Jesse and I went on a date
Jesse: Yeah, Thomas paid for my ticket
Andy: It's about time
Me:: Any last words or things that need to be said before we close this out?
Big T: Fallopian tubes
Thomas: Well i hope everyone has safe and loving holidays and keeps checkin us out and comes sees us on tour next year
Jesse: Janurary 8th at Ground Zero!!
Jesse: Awesome show
Jesse: Good Times!
Me: Jesse, What in god's name are you saying? Haha, can you not type out a complete thought? Instead of like...
Me: hey
Me: yeah
Me: show January
Me: acoustic
Me: fun
Me:: It's like you're Yoda or something, speaking backwards and all stupid.
Thomas: Haha...Yoda
Thomas: Awesome this show should be, haha.
Jesse: nerds
Big T: Yoda's one foot eleven, I could fit like five of him inside me, with high heels on.
Thomas: Here guys, January 8th, @ Ground Zero w/ This Providence, Surrounded By Lions, Coma Berenices, and The Crustaceans. Doors at 6:15pm. Show starts at 7pm. $5 w/ a can of food, $6 w/out. Please come down if you're from the Seattle area!!
Me: Any Thanks You's or closing statements?
Jesse: Thanks to Frank and AP.net!
Thomas: Yea thanks to Frank and everyone at Absolutepunk, like Scott and Jared's fine ass. Thanks to everyone for all the support we've been getting, it's been so great. Also, thanks to Tim from Greeley Estates and Pete Wentz of Fallout Boy for the help they've been providing.
Jesse:Thanks to all of our fans, and anyone who even took the time out to listen to us! Thanks so much.
Andy: Thank you Bill Gates for windows software
Thomas: Also, everyone go join our street team by e-mailing your Name, Home Address, Screenname and Age to DurdenArmy@forgivedurden.com! Thanks so much!
---Thanks to Forgive Durden for taking the time out to do this with me. Best wishes to them in the future and everyone should check out their EP "When You're Alone, You're Not Alone"!---www.purevolume.com/forgivedurden.---