2. Who do you think you'll appeal to? I hope it appeals to people who have the same taste as I do and are sick of the fiddler on the roof/cookie monster music which seems to be dominating these days.
3. What qualities would you say that the other members bring to The Kickovers? I really enjoy hanging out with all of the guys in the band and we always have fun together so I hope that that comes across when we play together. We have all been through the major label MTV thing so we know what is real and what is nonsense about the music biz. I think each of us helps the other to avoid the nonsense and keep it fun.
4. How cool is it to be working with Mikey, Joe and Johnny? Super cool.
5. Just how excited are you about your upcoming tour and the release of OSAKA? I am really excited to see how people feel about it. I hope people come to it with a sense of love.
6. Which do you find more rewarding; touring or recording? For me it is really all about recording. I enjoy touring but the experience of making something far out weighs presenting it.
7. Which is the best; concentrating on one band/project or having your fingers in quite a few pies? I like both. I get pretty tunnel vision about anything I do but having a lot going on helps me to create a sense of balance which enables me to bring more to each project. I was doing a lot of school work while writing these songs and I think that helped me to not over think the approach and keep it pretty simple.
8. It's inevitable but do you mind that The Kickovers will get a lot of "Ex-Bosstones/Ex-Weezer" for some time to come? I don't mind. I love the Bosstones and I loved being in that band. Mikey also put a lot of time into Weezer so I think the "ex" thing will be okay for a while. I just hope that people are open to us doing something new.
9. What has inspired The Kickovers' songs? I am not really sure. I kind of turned off the internal edit switch. If I heard a song I put it down on tape and if I thought of a lyric I did the same and didn't worry too much about what people would think or what it all meant or sounded like. Maybe later I will do the rock political manifesto. But right now I just want to be organic.
10. Which is the best song you've ever written? I don't know. I usually have problems with all of the songs because I want to make them better. Some peole say that the songs you write are like your kids but that is bullshit. Songs are like a house you built that you want to renovate.
11. If you could take credit for writing any song ever made, which song would you be most happy to have as your own? All Lost in The Supermarket by the Clash or Answering Machine by the Replacements.
12. Who would you say are your strongest musical influences? Well....The Clash, The Replacements, Generation X, Dinosaur, Husker Du, Blah, Blah...it kinda goes on and on so I will spare you.
13. Who are your favourite bands ever? See above for a taste.
14. Not all influences have to be musical, so what else inspires your creativity? Ellsworth Kelly, Damian Hirst, Satre, Mill, Barthes, The good the Bad and the ugly, Islands, Pollock, Dada, the ready mades, running, Wabi-Sabi, Jasper Johns....
15. What do you think about the current musical climate? Who rocks and who doesn't? I don't think in terms of rock. The Kickovers are all about the roll.
16. Imagine you perfect dream concert; which would be your ideal venue and which other bands would you love to see playing alongside you? AND can I come and watch? I can't answer that. It hurts my brain to think about it.
17. Were you musical as a child and do you play any other instruments? I started guitar at seven and stuck with it.
18. What angers you the most? Globalization, racism and sexism.
19. ...and what brings you inner-peace? Running.
20. Other than music, what do you feel passionately about? Academics.
21. What are your feelings about the internet? I love the internet because here we are.
22. MTV: a pain in the arse or a necessary evil? I don't have cable or an arse.
23. Who'd win in a fight; The Bosstones or Slipnot? I'm a lover and don't know any fighters.
24. What was the last CD you bought? Piebald.
25. Are there any embarrassments in your record/CD collection? If so, what are they? I don't "embarrass" easily.
26. Whats the first record you bought and the first band you saw live? Kiss Destroyer was the first record and the first show I saw was the Nervous Eaters.
27. Do you have any hidden talents? They are for the ladies only. (Nate, you can tell me - I'm a lady!)
28. Whats your favourite ever movie and tv show? I don't watch TV. I like movies though.
29. Tell me something funny about the other members of The Kickovers; the more embarrassing the better? They are all smaller than me.
30. After the tour and the release of the album, whats next for The Kickovers? World domination perhaps? A long vacation and then maybe a nap.
Thats all folks, how lame are my questions? Thanks so much for even bothering to read these questions at all - just that makes me a truly happy bunny!
Thank you for asking. Much love.
Nate.