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rapture_: what was your first show like? tom_: our first show? hmm. well, our first show was in san pedro california...and uh, it was really slow. it was the first time we'd played live, and we actually recorded the show on a mini disk, and it was uhh, it was awesome! it was our first time playing for an audience as maxeen, and you know, it was a good show, but it was like, so funny, because we listened to it, and it was just like we played the songs so rediculously slow, and it went really well. it was a good show rapture_: what's the most embarassing cd in your cd collection? tom_: the most embarrassing cd? i don't know...i don't really have any embarrassing cd's...i can't think of one right now, sorry! rapture_: what question comes up in interviews, that you're tired of hearing? tom_: any information that's on the website. like if you can go to the website, and get all the information, then why ask if its out there? rapture_: if you had to be handcuffed to one person, who would it be? tom_: i don't think i want to be handcuffed to anyone. can i answer with that!? rapture_: what's something you've learned about your career in the music industry? tom_: something i've learned is um, never tell anyone any great news until it actually happens, take everything like a grain of salt. the music industry is a really volatile industry, and you never really know what's going to happen. so until the money's in the bank, or you're on mtv or whatever you wanna say, try to keep things to yourself, do what you do, and try to take things as a grain of salt.. rapture_: how does it feel when you're compared to bands like the police? tom_: it's an amazing compliment. the police are an amazing band. we always take it as a compliment. rapture_: what were you like in high school? tom_: high school. ummm. there was this dichotomy between the first two years and the second two years, and the whole time i was very ambitious, i knew what i wanted to do, and the first two years, i wasn't as popular, and i spent a lot of time working on my craft, because i knew what i wanted to do, so i spent all my waking hours by myself, usually, and uhh, i had a lot of friends, but it wasn't the same. i wasn't really popular. like i said, i just kept to myself and worked on my music, kind of just learning. and experimenting with all the stuff i had available, because my father had a studio. and i'm from akron. very close to here. we actually just drove from actually staying at my parent's house, so it was cool. anyway, so for the 2nd two years, i began playing out more, and i was more popular in school, that was probably the most memorable years, the last two years. it was a little switcheroo towards the last two years. rapture_: what's a newer or less known band you listen to? tom_: umm. there's a lot of bands i listen to that aren't as..uhh. well it depends. like some of the bands we're influenced by, maybe some of the younger generations don't really know. i wasn't even born when these bands were big. but like, the jam, the clash, and the gang of four. there's a lot of bands that i find really interesting that i don't think a lot of people listen to. rapture_: what's one thing you could never do no matter how much someone paid you? tom_: compromise my art. there's definietely a game you have to play, you have to understand your position, like when you're starting out on a job, you're not going to get the hours you want, and you're not going to expect to get any kind of royal treatment or anything, but no matter what, i'd never compromise what i feel about music. like i'd never write something for other people, or cause i know this is gonna be really popluar, so i'll do this. so as a band, we always stay true to what we do. rapture_: if you could work with anyone who would it be and why? tom_: with producers? umm. i don't know. for producers, gosh, y'know, i'd love to work with flood, or uhh, (really loud rap music starts playing in the background, so i can't make out the name. ha!) these are guys that worked for records with nine inch nails and u2. i'd love to work with those guys. i'd love to work with rick rubin. he worked with the chili peppers, mars volta, and um, slipknot, y'know, those are some recent projects he worked on. the beastie boys..he's been all over the place. it'd be an actual pleasure to work with him. rapture_: what do you consider your best quality as a band? tom_: our best quality as a band, is that i think there's many!! i think we're really energetic, and we always try to have the most energetic, 120% shows that we can, live. i think as far as recordings are concerned and songwriting, we like to make records, and we will make records that are just from start to finish we feel ever song is good and has a message and is well told, and that's what we like to do. we don't put out records or any kind of art or videos or stuff like that that we haven't all given our effort to making it unique and making it something that's worth anybody who wishes to buy it, or when they see it, they get a feeling that they're inspired. we're inspired. first and foremost we're inspired by what we're doing, and we hope everyone else is as well. |