Interviews

Alkaline Trio

Interview with Matt & Dan on Nov 30, 1999 by Archive Bot

I would like to thank Matt and Dan of Alkaline Trio for making this interview happen along with Shazilla of Nasty Little Man and Jessie at Vagrant. This interview is with Matt Skiba.

PB: Good or evil and why?
A3: Ummmmm….. you can't have one without the other, so a little of both is probably good.
PB: You guys have come a long way since your days on Asian Man Records. Now that you are on Vagrant Records, I was wondering what else they have done for your besides provide you with better distribution?
A3: Yea, I mean they're always thinking of new ways to help us succeed as a band. It's pretty impressive how they run their label so….. I mean it's like Mike Park was hugely supportive of us and like did amazing things for us. I wouldn't say like night and day difference between how much we love the people and whatever. We're still really tight with Mike, but business wise they're just running a really big label and it's like nice to find something like that with people who we consider family now so……they're always like…. Rich Egan is always brain storming ideas. Everyone there always has awesome ideas. They're probably doing something right now I'm sure.
PB: We have all faced tragedy in our lives at one time or the other; be it the loss of a girlfriend or the death of someone close to you. What's the biggest tragedy you suffered and how did you overcome it?
A3: I've dealt with a certain amount of loss in my life. I know people that have dealt with a lot worse. I mean I've had loss, but I've also had closure with it and like you kinda just have to move on and….. I don't know I think that even if you're bummed out the exciting thing about life is that you have a chance for a new day the next day, so ya know even if you're on a streak of having a bunch of bad days there will be a good one sooner or later so it's probably worth waiting for.
PB: Everyone is constantly talking about your very unique voices and how they came about. Do you do anything to alter your voices or is it just because of all the cigarettes you smoke and beers you drink? What are your favorites?
A3: Well, I think my voice gets hurt because of all the cigarettes I smoke and beer I drink but…. I don't know. I'm actually not that big of a smoker, I'm usually bumming cigarettes when I start drinking but I don't know. I'll pretty much drink anything if it's beer. I'll smoke any cigarette if it's not menthol, or real skinny and long.
PB: What would you consider to be the perfect happiness and do you think you'll ever experience it?
A3: I'm already experiencing it with this band. Playing music with good friends, and like Danny is one of my best friends in the world. We kinda built this from the ground up and to have it become a success is definitely a dream come true. I'm definitely happier now than I've ever been.
PB: If Ron Jeremy invited you to be in one of his pornos, what would your porn name be and what three girls would you like to be in it with you?
A3: Well…. That's assuming I would want girls in it with me, but I think Ron Jeremy is disgusting. I don't know. I'd actually pick three girls I wanna be in it with and kill him then break the camera.
PB: How's your tour with No Motiv, Hot Rod, and Dashboard going? Are there any cities that have caught you by surprise?
A3: Everybody's amazing. All the bands are great. No Motiv and Hot Rod are two of our favorite bands on the label. It's awesome… Dashboards great, and everyone is super nice. We've all become one big dysfunctional family. The Northwest kinda surprised up this time. We've had cool shows there but it's always kind been like smaller for us as far as kids comin out or whatever. It was impressive to see it triple in size since the last time we were there. Seattle and Portland were the most surprising. New Orleans was really good too. We've always had fun shows there but we had like a really big show there. It was awesome!
PB: From the first time I listened to "From Here To Infirmary" I realized your lyric writing ability is superior to many bands. What drives you to write the lyrics besides being lonely?
A3: I don't know. All kinds of personal experiences or whatever. I don't think I'm a very lonely person. I mean I've experienced loneliness. I think everybody has so it's something people identify with. Me and Dan just write about stuff we have experienced or are experiencing or whatever. We usually come up with a song that is mostly written. Then whoever writes the song we get together and turn it into a song.
PB: Has the band experimented with drugs besides booze? Are there any you haven't tried but would really like to?
A3: We pretty much do every single drug all the time. Lots of it! There isn't anything we haven't tried. We love it all. Dan: Do you have any?
PB: Not on me!
A3: I was just kidding. Hehehehhe We don't really do that much drugs. I'm going to go ahead and say no comment on that.
PB: I read in an interview on your site you were asked, "What's it like to rock so hard?". You replied, "It feels like a banana being shoved into your rectum!". Did you experience that feeling yourself or did you hear that feeling from someone else?
A3: I don't remember saying that. That's cool! I just don't remember saying that. It's quite possible that I did say that. Ummmm I don't really know. I think it's cool that people think we rock hard or whatever, but I like playing our music for sure!
PB: Chicago Cubs or White Sox and why?
A3: Cubs…… they're north side. That's where we live.
PB: As I'm sure you are aware sometimes a bands popularity drives them to sign a major deal with a label such as MCA. What do you think of bands such as New Found Glory and Blink who have thrown themselves into the main stream. Would Alkaline Trio do the same if they were approached by MTV or a major label?
A3: Well, we've already been played on MTV, and we've been approached by major labels but we have always said thank you but no thanks. With what Vagrants offered us, we have been given the opportunity that we don't really need to worry ourselves about it. Through Vagrant MTV has picked up the video. I love New Found Glory and Blink and they are friends of ours. We just toured with Blink and they seemed like really nice guys. We're going out with them again, so we all really like the band. I think as far as your business decisions as a band it's like everybody's gotta make their own decision and hope it's the best for their band. I have nothing against major labels I just can't myself work with people I don't know and trust. Unfortunately, with major labels the people putting out your record probably have never even heard of you so it's kinda scary. 
PB: I think the song "Cop" off of "Goddamnit" is pretty funny. Did you have a bad experience with a cop or what inspired that song?
A3: I've had several bad experiences with cops so yea…… There was one guy who that song was written about so…………
PB: The song that had the greatest effect on me was "Taken with lots of alcohol" not because the alcohol part but because the lyrics about depression. Is that song about a certain band member, and how did it come about?
A3: I didn't write it Dan wrote it. Dan sings the song so you should ask him about that. Dan: I don't know. It's not something you could describe in a sentence, in a paragraph or ever a page. It's something that's very personal. A3: West Siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiide! (Vagrant owner Richard Egan enters to dressing room).
PB: What do you think about being described as dark and gloomy. What are you guys like off stage, and do you enjoy going to shows when not playing in them?
A3: We don't really enjoy anything at all! I guess the lyrics are kinda dark and gloomy but I think we kinda write and sing about 'em on stage so we can enjoy ourselves off stage. We have a pretty good time. We went to Wet 'N Wild the other day and our friend Bill peed on our friend Jay in line for the water slide. We like going to shows. I go to shows all the time. We're music fans so naturally we enjoy rock!
PB: A lot of bands change their sound over time, but much to your credit the band has kept the successful sound your fans have grown to love. Is it hard to stay true to that sound or do you guys just play what feels right?
A3: We try not to think about it too hard. I guess for us it would kind of be defeating the purpose for why we are playing. I think we just do what comes naturally to us. If there is a change it's not something we contemplate on. We just take it day to day or whatever ya know. We try to write songs in the same vain that we started the band but the records will probably start sounding like proof of how our last record sounds ya know. The next one will probably sound even better.
PB: Besides drinking heavily and smoking lots of cigarettes what can trio fans expect from you guys for the rest of the summer and next fall?
A3: We're doing a part of The Plea For Piece Tour with Hot Water Music and Selby Tigers. We're doing about two weeks of that and hopefully going overseas and writing new songs.
PB: Have you ever been over there before?
A3: We've been to Japan but never Europe so we're looking forward to that. I'm sure we'll be busy doing something.
PB: If you were asked to fight Carson Daley or Willie Nelson which one would you choose and why? Who would win?
A3: I LOVE WILLIE NELSON! Carson Daley! I would win. Dan: Willie is spelled with an ie.
PB: Thanks spell-check.
A3: I'd find Willie because he's older and I'd win. No way dude Carson dude. Carson would get a beat down. Fuckin New York…… fuckin beat him in a New York minute. A3: He smokes all the weed!
PB: Lastly, when I pull out my Alkaline Trio albums in ten years to force my kids to listen to them how do you want to be remembered? Drinkers?
A3: Yea….. these guys were drinkers! Dan: I think that's what the records are for. Rich Egan: Don't try to force your music on your kids!
PB: I'll try not to! It's gonna be hard.