1. What were your overall thoughts on Do They Know It’s Xmas?I think it went really well, it was one of those weird things that had to come together at the real last minute and thankfully like, this is not a corporate plug, but, this guy at iTunes, by the name of Lane, was totally on board and helped me with getting the MP3 up. Normally there is like a 6 week lee-time or two month lee-time when you give a song to iTunes from when they put it up. He got it up in like 12 hours - 6 hours. Everyone, every artist involved who appears on the song was a dream to work with, like everyone went like above and beyond the call of duty. In retrospect, it really showed how willing people are to help when you kind of explain a cause to them and they all kind of agree with the cause. I also learned that managers are terrible, terrible people in some cases and management is just there to frustrate people trying to work with an artist. Not in the case of the people who appear on the record, those managers were good, but I found if I, normally if I could get right to the person and explain my cause to them, they were more than willing to help, but a lot of the time I would get stuck dealing with managers and get the run around. With the exception, Tegan & Sara’s manager was really helpful and unbelievable to work with, but a lot of the cases, there were a lot of people who were supposed to be on the record, but didn’t because their management was such a pain in the ass. It just frustrated me to no end.
2. How did your recent duet with Dinosaur Jr. come about?
One of those really weird things. J. Mascis came to see us a couple years ago in Texas (SXSW) and we hit it off, him and I. He and I just kept close and I know they have covered that song and I was like, “we should do ‘Chunks’ tonight, I want to do it, as a joke”. Because he is like a pretty funny guy. A lot of people think he’s like super, “Oh, he’s just a stoner, blah blah blah”. But he doesn’t, he’s pretty much straight edge, y’know, he’s a really funny guy. So we always just joke back and forth and he sent me, like he was like, “Yup, we’re going to do it in the encore. ‘Sludge’, then you”. And I’m like, “No way”. And then, sure enough, we did it and it was like so funny because the first concert I ever went to, like without my parents, like I went to see AC/DC with my stepfather. I went to see Rod Stewart with my mom. But the first concert I went to by myself, when I was like 13 was Dinosaur Jr. And here I was, seventeen years later. He gave me the last song y’know? I ruined everyone’s experience, like having a really shitty thing to eat after a really good meal.
3. How does Polaris Prize attention translate in other places?
It’s really surprising how many people know about the Polaris, over there (Europe). It definitely means more, in Canada to people than it means over there, but I’m surprised how many people have heard of the award and I think it helps that we weren’t the first people to win it. We can kind of ride on the prestige of Final Fantasy and stuff. They’ve awarded it to such artists that have received critical acclaim worldwide so now there by, the award, kind of recognizes a benchmark. It has been really good, the last tour of the US went really well. Every time I kinda think it is over for the band, I think, well this is kinda wind down after this, but then something will happen, be it the Polaris award, be it some other insane moment where I’m like, “Oh, wow, I guess we’ll keep going for a little bit more”. I think as soon as it gets boring, we’re just going to stop because no one is going to get rich off this. We’re not in it for the money, that’s for sure. We’ll I’m in it a little bit for the money.
4. Whose stage personas do you rip off the most?
I rip off Cleveland, Ohio. I’m going to pick up all that and, I’m going to say the Midwest because I’m, I’m going to say, Iggy. Definitely Chris Urber, from the H100s. Sabouh, the professional wrestler. Bruiser Brody is another one I rip off, professional wrestling-wise. Uh, Jerry A., Jeff Clayton from Anti-Scene. If I was going to narrow it down, Jeff Clayton from Anti-Scene, Jerry A. from Poison Idea and Andrew W.K. are the people that I rip off.
5. What’s in your stereo right now?
Right now, I just got this brand new 7 inch by this band, I don’t even remember what the band is called, the song is called ‘Death To Disco’. It’s a brand new 45 I just picked up yesterday, or two days ago in Boston. My favourite thing to do is find a record by a band I have never heard of, preferably Canadian, but I’ll take it from anywhere because there is such a prolific period of independent music from the years, basically 1979 to about 1984. There is just like so much, absolutely Canada, the US, Europe, South America even, there is stuff coming out. Like in Europe, Asia, there is like a birth of independent music and I think there is so many undiscovered gems.
6. Is there ever record label pressure to record a proper LP?
Every label is in the business of making money and no label we have ever been involved with, no matter how small… actually that’s not true, we have been involved in some losing money ventures, but most labels want to break even or make money. So Matador, they want us to put out LPs, but also at the same time, it’s a label run by record collectors and record nerds. They would be pissed if tomorrow we put out a 12 inch on another label, but they are really happy we do 7 inches because they are collectors and they kind of appreciate that fact. It is a weird relationship, because we do run into conflict with them sometimes because, you know, R.A. the Rugged Man said, “Every record label sucks dick”, and it’s like – no I wouldn’t ever say something that homophobic – but there is, he’s on a right point, that labels exist in conflict with artists. Everything between a band and the person watching the band, including the band themselves sometimes, is an obstacle to keep people away from the band. For us, it has always been to try and find that middle ground. Matador seems to be, of all the labels we’ve worked with, the best yet.
7. Is there any information of ‘Year Of The Ox’?
D: We finished it, it is coming out in ten years. In ten years, ‘Year Of The Ox’ will be out. No, it’ll probably be out relatively speaking, soon. Hopefully before, well I guess we missed Chinese New Year, so hopefully before the next year. It is coming out on Merge now, it looks like. This is one of the conflicts we’ve had with label stuff, trying to find a way to please Matador and trying to please ourselves at the same time. I met Mac (McCaughan) this summer at Coachella and it was an amazing thrill because I am a huge fan of Superchunk. Even bigger thrill for me was meeting Jon Wurster, because I am a huge fan of the Best Show on WFMU and meeting him was like a double celebrity dose. It’s weird, I would gladly forgo success in a commercial setting for the kind of experiences we’ve had, which is like meeting people that I respect and really like and having them say, “I like what you do”. Maybe they’re lying to me, but even if they’re lying to me, I will buy the lie. I will believe the lie. That’s probably the biggest thrill about being in this band so far, you know, meeting these people that I grew up worshipping.
8. What are your plans for 2010?
Kind of taking it slow right now, my wife and I just had a baby about a year ago almost, 9 months, four weeks exactly and we’re going to start working on the new record, trying to write it. Got a few splits and collaborations coming up that we are working on. Something with the GZA and something with NOFX. That’s just sort of what we are doing now. Just taking it, just relaxing and resting on what was the most insane year of our lives. The last 2 years have been pretty much. Probably more touring too and stuff like that.
Published at The Music Slut
