Interviews

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Interview with Phil & Chris on Nov 30, 2001 by Archive Bot

Big thank you to Chris for not forgetting I was coming and to the singer Chris and Phil for taking the time to do the interview. This was done in Missisauga, ON Canada at the Hershey Centre on April 18th at the "Sum Like It Loud Tour". For more on Autopilot Off visit www.autopilotoff.com.

PB: Ok first of all at Less than Jake everyone was calling Chris... Houston, Chris and I were getting confused. So what is his name?
Phil: His name is really Chris. Houston is really just a nickname.
Chris: That an old friend of ours gave him. And it stuck.

PB: Yeah cause I didn't get it.
Phil: Other people started calling him it and we thought it was funny.
Chris: And people get confused cause both of our names are Chris too.
Phil: Yeah. Chris Hughes, Houston, Chris...

PB: Ok I'll ask a semi-serious question first.
Phil: Is this thing on?

PB: No, I'm just holding it for fun...
Chris: Is she recording this? I can't be on tape.

PB: You can't? Ok you can leave. *Laugh*
Chris: Damn.

PB: Ok, you guys were on Fast Music and this was just something I read somewhere. "..I know this isnt going to be what you wanted to hear but I wanted to tell you myself because we've been working together for a long time. You've had our record for a while and I know you've tried your hardest with it and that things outside your power have hurt your business but there are certain things that need to get done and certain things that need to happen. Island wants to put the old record out and their legal department has checked it out and apparently we can give them the rights." That's not a direct quote or anything but......
Phil: It's true. Fast Music put out our record and they were great.

PB: Yeah I know.
Phil: So it's cool, but, I mean.....it didn't get anywhere, he stopped promotion after a while...

PB: They went bankrupt didn't they?
Phil: Yeah, they went bankrupt, you know. When we're selling a couple hundred cd's every couple of days and we need more cd's and it takes so long to get new ones...we want the cd to sell, we want people to hear it. You know? So when you can't get the cd's so you can sell them, what are you going to do? And the contract is up and it's been up for a while and we just didn't say anything cause we wanted him to put it out. But then when a powerhouse like Island comes and says, well we'll put it out and it will really get somewhere....what are you going to do? I mean we want people to hear our record. And we still want Neil...we still want to be cool with him. But I guess he took it personally. It's not personal. It's a business, you know? And we're not just trying to look out for ourselves. We're just......

PB: You just want people to hear it?
Phil: Exactly.
Chris: If anything like that record is known for being on Fast Music.......

PB: Well a lot of people also know you as Cooter, right? From that album?
Phil: Well it was all switched actually. But I mean, it's just we want kids to hear it.

PB: So is Island going to re-release it?
Phil: Um, that's the way it's looking but we don't know the definates yet. But we still think Neil is a good guy.

PB: Well yeah. It's nothing personal right? You just want to do what's best for the fans?
Phil: Exactly.

PB: Ok second thing is, you guys are so nice.
Phil: Thank you.

PB: Honestly Houston, Chris, whatever, and you guys have been so genuinely nice to me. And not that many people are that genuine, so I totally believe you if you say that you guys are just trying to do what is best for your fans.
Phil: Yeah.

PB: So how did you learn to play your instruments?
Phil: Drums? I just picked it up.

PB: You didn't take lessons or anything?
Phil: Well I took two months of lessons. The whole deal was that my dad wouldn't let me buy a motorcycle. I guess it worked out for the better, I had money left over and so I took some lessons... like two months and I ran out of money and never took them again.

PB: So you basically just figured it out.
Phil: Yeah, listening to Rush tapes.
Chris: Exactly, playing along to music.
Phil: Chris Hughes, someone gave him a guitar and he just sat down and played it. Rob....
Chris: Rob is special.
Phil: We're still trying to understand him as a person so.....

PB: How did you guys meet?
Chris: We were in the same high school class together so we were friends and Chris's sister was one of our friends so we met him that way and uh, we had some other people in the band or whatever and we were playing around in the area and Rob was in another band and he ended up moving over.

PB: Dude, you're wearing a Movielife shirt.
Phil: Yes. Great band.

PB: What are some other bands you're listening to now?
Phil: The Movielife.

PB: Yeah I saw them a few weeks ago.
Phil: They're awesome. How was that show?

PB: It was so good. All the bands were really good. I loved hearing all the new Midtown. Have you heard it?
Phil: Yeah, some of it. I'm into it. It sounds good.

PB: Yeah, I'm looking forward to hearing your new cd. Why did you guys record in Toronto?
Chris: Cause the producer is from Toronto.
Phil: Greig. We heard Metal Works was cool. Everyone from Metal Works is here tonight so.
Chris: It's awesome.

PB: And the album is self-titled?
Phil: Yeah well, it's just an EP so....

PB: Ok. Do you guys ever fight.
Chris: Once every year and a half maybe.
Phil: Yeah we don't really fight. Some of us butt heads a little more than others, but it's a family. Like you fight with your brother and two minutes later you're like whatever. Then we all go make out.

PB: And it's all good. What happens when you get sick on tour?
Chris: It sucks.

PB: I have strep throat now and I'm dying so I can't even imagine having to play being sick.
Chris: Actually Steve-O....
Phil: Yeah Steve-O32 had tonsilitis last week.

PB: So what do you do?
Phil: You just grin and bear it. There have been times when we drove all night to the hotel and I woke up and threw up everywhere. It was pretty gross. But we had a show that night and you do it.

PB: So you guys are on the Warped Tour, but only the first part right?
Chris: Kinda the middle. We're missing the first 8 days and the last 14 days. Houston to New York.

PB: What are your tour plans after that?
Phil: After that? I don't know.
Chris: Just whatever.
Phil: Just a tour.

PB: Are you going to headline?
Phil: Uh...probably not. I mean there are some talks about things with bands so....

PB: What bands? Ok, we'll put it this way, what are some bands you want to tour with?
Phil: We want to tour with, who would we like to tour with?
Chris: The Ataris. Movielife.

PB: I love the Ataris.
Phil: You love the Ataris? We're friends with them.
Chris: John is from the same town as us.

PB: The new guy.
Chris: He's like the Atari 7600. The other guys are like 2800, but he's the new Atari.

PB: What were you like in high school?
Phil: The begining of high school, like 9th and 10th grade I was a fucking scumbag. Total like..

PB: Like an asshole?
Phil: Not like an asshole but like a burnout. Then I kinda got my shit together, sort of.

PB: Were you a good student?
Phil: No I was a terrible student. I went to summer school every year except my junior year and I think senior.Yeah so I didn't go to summer school those years. I doubled up on English and stuff but I did good. My 12th grade of high school was good.

PB: Were you cool?
Phil: No. No. Not really.
Chris: We didn't get picked on, but we weren't like....

PB: You were like whatever. Did you go to the prom?
Phil: Yeah, I went to 4 proms.

PB: 4! So you were popular.
Phil: No I went with the same girl.

PB: That's cute.
Phil: I wasn't popular I just had a girlfriend.

PB: Have you learned anything about life being in a band.
Phil: Life is good? No, it's just amazing that you make a career out of this. People are great.
Chris: Music is a really powerful thing. It's insane. Some of the crowds at these shows, they're there to see you. To hear your music.
Phil: People are cool. If you're cool, we'll be cool. If you're a dick, we'll try and be nice to you.

PB: Do you find you have to be nice to everyone?
Phil: No, we want to be nice. We like people and so we try and be nice as much as we can. We're nice guys.