P.O.D. – Interview [2001]

P.O.D. is blowing up the charts and no one is as surprised as the group themselves. During a road trip I was lucky enough to have a few minutes with Traa.

Everything is busy?

Busy, busy, busy.

How has the road been?

It’s been great. We’ve been on the road for two weeks and there is a lot of buzz and it feels good.

Listening to the album and speaking of being on the road, there seems to be this intensity. How do you keep that going?

A lot of it has to do with us being a band for ten years. We’ve built up stamina. Every show is different and the fans are different, so it inspires us.

It’s amazing to go see a band play their asses off only to think they have to do it again the next night.

It’s like working out. We get off stage and we are dripping wet, but we’ve been doing it for so long it’s just a part of being.

Do you find that the intensity and the coming down from that makes it harder to sleep?

Yeah, and you know, I’ll end up working out sometimes really late at night just to work off the hype.

What is it like to know that all those fans are out there to see you guys?

It’s amazing. Anyone who tells you that they don’t write music for people to enjoy is lying. It’s an honor to have people enjoy what we do. When I look out there and see people enjoying something we’ve done, it’s beyond words. We are really touched by people just coming out to see us play.

Were you able to prepare better for the road this time?

The first time around we had to prove ourselves to everybody. We had been touring for six or seven years before anyone ever heard of us, we still had to reestablish ourselves. So for the first record we were proving ourselves, and with the second record things are a bit easier and fresher. We needed to grow and I think we did that on this album.

Were you afraid of the sophomore jinx? Most say that is the album that shows you’re either going to make it or break it.

You know, on the first album we didn’t get a lot of radio. We got our fanbase on hard work of touring and word of mouth. With that album we went platinum with only eleven hundred spins a week. It really meant a lot to us because that platinum was hard-got. We appreciated it more. This time around radio and everything else kicked in, but it’s still amazing.

Was recording the new album a lot of stress or was it easier where you could relax because you were in a good place?

We were in a good place. It felt like we had time in the studio and weren’t behind the gun. We could do the record we wanted. We wanted to bring out everything we had musically and that is what we did.

What do you do on the road to keep sane?

(laughs) A lot of things. For me, I like to work out. When on the road, we are so busy that we almost have no time to do anything. By the time we get done playing, sign autographs, and take a shower, it’s three in the morning. So we sleep until noon. It’s just the same thing over and over. Mostly we just play video games.

Funny you mention that, I was playing Playstation 2 today and I was wondering if you have one on the road.

Yeah, we actually have three of them. One in the back lounge, front lounge, and in the bunks. (laughs)

The funny thing is that video games are really a nice escape.

It really is. And now that it’s getting colder out, I mean, we are from California so the east is cold, so we like to stay on the bus and stay warm.

What is it like to be a person people are in awe of?

I understand it because I’m a fan. I’ve always been a fan so I can understand it kind of, but I can’t even put it to words.

How do fans react to you?

Some want autographs and are like ‘I can’t believe it,’ but then there are fans who ask technical questions about music. That is really cool. Those are the questions I’d probably ask.

+ charlie craine