Jamie Pham
09/28/08, 02:55 PM
First of all, what is your name and what do you do in Phantom Planet?
Sam. I play bass and sing back up and use an MPC and tour manage.
What song off Raise The Dead holds the most meaning for you? Or what song off any of your albums means the most?
All of the songs have very different meanings to me, but "raise the dead" (the song) makes me feel a certain inspired and hopeful way every time I hear it.
What song is the next music video for and do you have any idea of what story line (if any) it will have?
I think it's "dropped." still working on the treatment.
Are you working on any other songs, or are you just preparing to record Negatives 3/4 for the time being?
Alex is always writing songs. It’s nonstop for him. He enjoys playing them acoustically and in the van in the form of garage band demos, but we are finding it a little odd that everyone seems to think we have moved on from this record already. We are still pushing it. Worked way to long on this one to already be thinking about the next. Negatives 3/4 would be a collection of demos and b-sides from raise the dead, which we have discussed and are working on. Who knows when, but it will make it out there, in some form or another.
Have you noticed a difference in the fan base since going to Fueled By Ramen? When you guys first signed, a lot of old fans had backlash towards the label, how did that feel?
That felt stupid. Like we would really change our sound by signing to a new label. The only thing we did was find a new home with some great people who know how to work with and promote bands, which is comforting in the current state of the music economy. We don't know how to be anything else than ourselves. We will always evolve and contradict and hopefully inspire.
When do you plan on releasing the next record? And what will it consist of musically?
As I said earlier, it’s way too early to even start discussing this. Lets talk more about raise the dead.
What has been the most memorable part of the Paramore tour? (Either with the other bands, with performing, with the fans, with the acoustic sessions, etc.)
The last night was by far the greatest night of the tour. We all finally cracked, lost our minds, messed around with each other's sets, dressed up or down, played air guitar, etc . . . a great way to end the tour.
You often play acoustic sets after the show. Do you prefer playing on stage or in smaller acoustic shows?
They are very different sides of the brain. I like both. The acoustic sets are nice because it's 100% phantom fans sitting around a campfire telling stories. The stage show is just that. A show. A performance. And when we nail it, there's no better feeling for us.
Will you guys be heading overseas soon? When and where?
I hope so. It’s been way too long. I would assume England and Germany would be first stops, but who knows.
How much does Sam contribute to the overall artwork of Phantom Planet (album art, merch, sounds etc)?
We don't all agree that often on artwork, so we've tended to go outside the band for artwork design. I’ve done a couple things here and there. Secret codes, live at the troubadour cover, etc., but it’s really hard to agree on the bigger things within our band. Much easier to place the blame and success on an outside source.
Is it hard to juggle being the bassist and the tour manager along with being a newly wed?
Very, but it's our only option right now. Tour managing, while it sounds simple, is extremely distracting and stressful to me. It takes a drink and a couple hours to get out of that headspace and into performance mode. But I’m getting better at it. My wife is being extremely cool and understanding. She was in a band for a few years, toured in a van, tour managed and sold merch herself, and so she knows what's going on out here. But I miss her loads.
Sam. I play bass and sing back up and use an MPC and tour manage.
What song off Raise The Dead holds the most meaning for you? Or what song off any of your albums means the most?
All of the songs have very different meanings to me, but "raise the dead" (the song) makes me feel a certain inspired and hopeful way every time I hear it.
What song is the next music video for and do you have any idea of what story line (if any) it will have?
I think it's "dropped." still working on the treatment.
Are you working on any other songs, or are you just preparing to record Negatives 3/4 for the time being?
Alex is always writing songs. It’s nonstop for him. He enjoys playing them acoustically and in the van in the form of garage band demos, but we are finding it a little odd that everyone seems to think we have moved on from this record already. We are still pushing it. Worked way to long on this one to already be thinking about the next. Negatives 3/4 would be a collection of demos and b-sides from raise the dead, which we have discussed and are working on. Who knows when, but it will make it out there, in some form or another.
Have you noticed a difference in the fan base since going to Fueled By Ramen? When you guys first signed, a lot of old fans had backlash towards the label, how did that feel?
That felt stupid. Like we would really change our sound by signing to a new label. The only thing we did was find a new home with some great people who know how to work with and promote bands, which is comforting in the current state of the music economy. We don't know how to be anything else than ourselves. We will always evolve and contradict and hopefully inspire.
When do you plan on releasing the next record? And what will it consist of musically?
As I said earlier, it’s way too early to even start discussing this. Lets talk more about raise the dead.
What has been the most memorable part of the Paramore tour? (Either with the other bands, with performing, with the fans, with the acoustic sessions, etc.)
The last night was by far the greatest night of the tour. We all finally cracked, lost our minds, messed around with each other's sets, dressed up or down, played air guitar, etc . . . a great way to end the tour.
You often play acoustic sets after the show. Do you prefer playing on stage or in smaller acoustic shows?
They are very different sides of the brain. I like both. The acoustic sets are nice because it's 100% phantom fans sitting around a campfire telling stories. The stage show is just that. A show. A performance. And when we nail it, there's no better feeling for us.
Will you guys be heading overseas soon? When and where?
I hope so. It’s been way too long. I would assume England and Germany would be first stops, but who knows.
How much does Sam contribute to the overall artwork of Phantom Planet (album art, merch, sounds etc)?
We don't all agree that often on artwork, so we've tended to go outside the band for artwork design. I’ve done a couple things here and there. Secret codes, live at the troubadour cover, etc., but it’s really hard to agree on the bigger things within our band. Much easier to place the blame and success on an outside source.
Is it hard to juggle being the bassist and the tour manager along with being a newly wed?
Very, but it's our only option right now. Tour managing, while it sounds simple, is extremely distracting and stressful to me. It takes a drink and a couple hours to get out of that headspace and into performance mode. But I’m getting better at it. My wife is being extremely cool and understanding. She was in a band for a few years, toured in a van, tour managed and sold merch herself, and so she knows what's going on out here. But I miss her loads.