Bowling For Soup – Interview

Getting Loose with Bowling For Soup!

Is Agent Orange really your favorite group?

Jaret: I don’t say it is my favorite group. I say “she likes the Godsmack and I like Agent Orange”. They were however the first really big show that we had. We opened up for them in Dallas at a place called the “Galaxy Club” and it was our big Dallas break. It was a fun show and they were cool. The Godsmack guys think it is so funny that we mention them in the song. We are hoping to hook up with them when we are in Boston.

Are you cool with the guys in Godsmack?

Jaret: Yes. We actually sat with them at the Grammy’s. We had this photographer dude take us over and snap a shot of us together because of the song. They actually sat right behind us. They are really super nice guys. They are the nicest metal band ever. It was cool to see them react to things at the Grammies. Like Simon and Garfunkel opened up the show and we were all like “holy fucking crap. What are we seeing here?” And they are behind us saying the same things.

Where were you when the Grammy announcement came?

Eric: I get a call around 8 in the morning and I am still in bed and the manager tells me that we are nominated for a Grammy. I am like ‘no fucking way’. My girlfriend runs to the computer and checks out the website. She starts screaming so I get off the phone with the manager and start calling all the guys individually. Chris thought I was just trying to wake him up.

Chris: I was getting ready to go to the hospital because Jared’s wife was there having a baby.

Jaret: The phone rings in the delivery room and I thought it was going to be like the doctor calling or something. They are literally putting an epidural in my wife with a huge needle when the phone rings. I got the call and said I was a little busy having a baby. So I actually got the call 3 hours before my little baby girl popped out. Now she is 5 months old and do you know how old my Grammy is? That’s right I don’t have one. Why don’t you go ask Gwen Stefani how my Grammy is doing you son of a bitch.

How do you come up with these songs?

Jaret: I wrote all the songs at home sitting in my underwear. Come to the guys and I start playing it and then they just come in. It is about a 20 minute process. Just joking.

What do you think of file sharing sites such as Kazaa?

Jaret: Were fans of it because if you like 1 song on an album. Don’t go buy the record. If you like maybe 3 songs, then maybe you should go buy the record. If you like 4, go buy the freaking record. I don’t pay $16 dollars to buy a record if I don’t know if I am going to like it. I think that’s all of us. But if I know I am going to like it, I will buy it to support the artist. I think it’s cool if someone asks if you ever heard this band and your like no I haven’t and then you go and download some of their songs and say these 3 songs kick ass and then go buy the record. That is how it should work.

What should the industry do to get out of the slump that it is in?

Chris: Bring back Rock & Roll.

Jaret: I really don’t know. There is not really a solution. I think Apple has the right idea. I think selling a song for a buck is what everyone wanted the whole time. If we still sold singles in this country like they do in England where you get the single, 2 other songs, and DVD thing, I don’t think that we would be in this situation. People do want a song. If you like “Girl All the Bad Guys Want”, download it. I don’t expect you to buy the album. But if you like our band and burned our CD and dig it- buy it. Every CD I think I have ever been sent if I like it I go and buy it. That’s the way it should be.

Chris: I think if people started getting off of their asses and started going to shows and seeing bands live. In the 80’s you got to see Ratt and Poison play an arena and now the only shows that play arena’s are like Celine Dion. Where are the kids now? They are not going to shows as much as they used to.

Is success everything that you envisioned?

Jaret: We are definitely a lot less rested than we used to be. It’s fun. If it wasn’t fun we would stop.

Eric: It’s busier and slightly more comfortable fun.

Jaret: When you start out, we were just having fun. We didn’t do music to be rock stars. People assume that when you’re on the radio you have all of these Porches. Gary is the only member of the band who owns a car and he bought it from his mom. Actually Chris owns a truck that I think is still in the shop.

Chris: I just paid more to fix it than it’s worth.

Jaret: The fact that people still pay money to come see our band is mind bending. If somebody actually forks over $10 dollars to come see us go on stage and do what we do it is the most amazing thing in the world. We don’t take anything for granted and are just happy that we don’t have to go and wash cars or something.

How has your music changed over the years?

Jaret: It hasn’t. We’re better but the music hasn’t changed. Whenever it was that I started the band, I honestly didn’t know how to play the guitar. I was a drummer and literally I just decided I was going to start writing songs. Eric who is a schooled musician would come in and say ‘do you know your doing this’ and I’d be like no. And he would say ‘it doesn’t make any sense, but it sounds great’. All that has really changed is that we have gotten better. Our first album came out in ’94 and if you put it against the new album besides the production value and over-all songwriting ability, it’s still the same music we were.

Being on Jive Records now, how has N’Sync influenced you (joking)?

Jaret: N’Sync is great. We actually met JC the other day and he looks like a sculpture. He is basically a wax figure that walks around and makes chick’s freak out. It’s the most perfect person I have ever seen. I have never seen anyone like this. They have really influenced us a lot. They just make me want to dance (joking). Plus we have gotten to eat on them plenty of times. They pay our company credit card and we don’t. Sometimes the meal is on R. Kelly and sometimes it’s on N’Sync.

Chris: I think we have a chance with Christina Aquilera.

Jaret: Everyone has a chance with Christina Aquilera. She is so hot. 2 words for you: It’s amazing. She’s good.

What do you want to say to the fans?

All: Thank you. We are still surprised.

+ Sam Conjerti