Interview with Matt (13 december 2003)

Strike Anywhere is back in Belgium, and in the same club. We wonder why! Last time (one year and a half ago) they rocked the place. And again, they showed the Belgian crowd what they are made of…

Q>> You've already played at this club last year in September (15th) if I remember well. Do you still remember?
A>> The first time we came on an European tour, we didn't play here, we played somewhere else, in another club. But we actually came here and slept here. Last year we played here with Shelter and Trial By Fire. It was a very cool show.

Q>> Were you surprised to have that many fans here in our little tiny country?
A>> Yeah! The first time that we played here, on our first tour, no one liked us at all. The first two shows were like terrible, like nobody was interested in our music. But then I remember it was a really fun show last September 15th. Maybe because we played with Shelter! [Laughter] Hopefully the crowd will be like this tonight.

Q>> How was the show at the legendary Garage (London) yesterday? Good?
A>> Yeah! It was amazing, it was so great! It was really cool. It's a very nice club and there's a very great sound. There's a good turn on, and it was a really fun show because it was the last day of the 11 day UK-tour. That whole tour, we made a lot of friends in different cities, like Leeds, Cambridge and Oxford... We met all those people and some of them came to all our shows in the UK. It was really cool because we were playing and looking in the crowd and we recognized all the faces from all the guys from the other shows. It was just a really good time.

Q>> Don't you think, in general, it is weird for American bands to play lots of shows in the UK, and only a bunch of them on the mainland?
A>> Yeah it is weird. Well, for this tour, we have 35 shows, and 11 of them are in the UK. But the thing is, we do a lot better in mainland Europe. Especially in Germany. Last time we came here in the summer, we did like 17 shows just in Germany. So now we thought we had to put a little more legwork into the UK. We can go there and it will be really good. I think that this tour will help a lot. I think that maybe we played a couple of too many shows in the UK. Maybe next time we will play fewer shows and people from other cities will drive a little more and come to see us. But it is fun to do it. It's fun to see new places, places where you have never been. Like Oxford.

Q>> Do you get to see those cities and to walk around?
A>> Yeah. A little bit. Some of the places. We went back to Glasgow this time. We didn't go there last year. We played in another city that year, but the show was really bad. Last year we didn't go because the show was not booked. And then we went this year and the show was amazing. It was one of the best shows in the UK. I'm really glad we went back there.

Q>> You're one of the few 'punk' bands on Jade Tree that come to Europe. How come?
A>> I don't know. Well, New And Original, when they first started, I think they came twice to Europe. Last year Trial By Fire was here… Maybe Lifetime came a couple of times. I don't know, you're right, they don't come that often to Europe. I think we have this joke on Jade Tree, especially with punk bands. It's the Jade Tree "curse". All the bands end up braking up before they get to go to Europe or before they record their following album. So this is the curse. There are great bands on it, but they brake up before they get to come here. I think a lot of great bands on all different labels end up braking up before they come to Europe.

Q>> I have heard the new album "exit change" on your website. If I heard well, the entire album is on it, right? It's great! Who came up with the idea?
A>> It is actually starting to become like a more common thing in the States. Lots of bands do that, like the Bouncing Souls did for their new album. I think Thursday did it. In the last years, we've seen a lot of websites where they did that. Like for the Equalvision website, I thought that was very cool, and the name of the website was actually the name of the new album. On the website you could listen to all the songs of the album before you could even buy the album. That's really cool because in the States you can go to the store and listen to an album there before you buy it, but this is easier. I thought it was a cool idea, because it is streaming, and you can't download it. It's not like your giving away the album before it's out. People can check it out, and if they like it, they can buy it.

Q>> Will this be the new way of promoting music? Is this a breakthrough?
A>> Yeah! Because people who have never heard of the band or our albums, can check it out. I think it is definitely a breakthrough. Just look at the last year. Lots of bands are doing it. I think it's a good way to do it, because it doesn't cost much money at all. Commercials, advertising, there's thousands of dollars involved with that. And we paid way less than 1000 dollars for the website. They did a pretty good job and it will be up there for about at least a year. People can check it out. It's a great way.

Q>> You changed the layout of the website with the new album. Will you be doing this with every album? 'Cause this will be a hard job!!!
A>> Yeah! But it's cool though, isn't it? It's worth it I think.

Q>> For those who haven't heard the new album yet, and you had to convince them why they should by this one instead of the previous one, what would you say to them?
A>> hmmmm [silence, thinking]… Well [silence, thinking]… I actually think that the new album is more like the first EP that we did. I think it's more melodic. And I think it's … Personally, since I wrote a lot of the music for the album, I'm not speaking about the lyrics … but musically, I just think it is a little more accessible, a little more catchy. I think it catches more our influences than the last record. I think the last record "Change is a sound" was a really good album, but I think that we were really conscious by making it really fast. Really angry and frustrated… And that's not how we are now. Lots of us listen to so much more music than hardcore and stuff and we were trying to catch some of our influences outside of hardcore and put it into the music.

Q>> And write how you feel?
A>> Yeah, exactly! And I don't think we consciously try to make it a certain way. It's just how it came out and how we were all feeling. It is what we wanted to do. I mean, I'm more happy with the music than anything we've ever done. I think it is very diverse. There are very fast angry songs and there are more melodic songs. There are a lot more interesting guitar parts, a lot of harmony and more interesting melodies and stuff. And there are extreme parts as well.

Q>> How was it like to work with Brian McTernan again for the new album? Did he add his own touch to the album?
A>> It was pretty cool! Yeah off course, I think he always adds his touch to the album. He did our last record as well. We had more time. He worked for other bands, and he learned a lot of stuff. Now we had like two months to record, for a whole lot of money. I think he had a lot of good ideas after all the things he's done. He always had an opinion. I recorded demos of all of the songs in a home studio that I have, and I gave it to him two months in advance. He listened to it, and he said like "this part is good, this part too but a little bit to long, and you know…whatever…". We all appreciated his opinion so. It's cool to work with him. He's almost like an extra band member. We all really trust him. I think he had a major effect on the album.

Q>> He got married when making the album?
A>> Yeah! We did the tracking for the album. Then we had two days for the final tracking. After that we went to his wedding. Then he went on a honeymoon for two weeks. When he came back, we got to finish the album. I think it was good that way. I think the album is filled with "love" because he got married. He went on his honeymoon, not thinking of the album at all, and when he came back, he had fresh ears and a fresh mind. And we got a break as well. We went back to work then. It was perfect timing.

Q>> What does the title 'Exit English' mean?
A>> The easiest answer, the answer that I would say is: It's just about the United States and how the impact is becoming almost like a global phenomenon. Like multinational corporations coming to Europe. Or like our tour in Japan or Australian, where you find a Starbucks on every corner, a Seven Eleven, a Mac Donnalds, or a Burger King... It's just sad you know, because it seems like the cultures that make countries so great are becoming like one big giant world. And Exit English is about the English language. We did like all these countries, and everybody is able to speak English. It's just like Americans do in general, and that's just sad because there are so many different things about cultures that are so great. Even like the Euro. I think the Euro is a great thing. It's great for us. We don't have to change money every day. But that's another thing… it hurt and helped other things, other economies,… but it's a little piece of character that has been taken away from each single country, that have been around for a long time… It is really frustrating and sad to travel around the world and see the American culture spreading everywhere. It's like a virus spreading around the world. So Exit English is just about embracing your own culture and your own way of life. It's sad, because in America everyone works crazy long days, and all they care about is there job and the money. In Europe and other countries people work to be able to do something with their lives. They have hobbies, they come home and spend time with the family and friends. In the States, people have to work two jobs to live, to survive. They have got to hire somebody to watch their children. They don't even get to see them grow up. There are so many things about Europe and other countries that are so much greater, that it is sad to live in our country. And we are taking over the world, that's so sad. So I think Exit English is all that.

Q>> I think it is a great answer! Now you're talking about all those countries. Which one is your favourite? Where could you move to, and live a new life?
A>> Australia! Definitely! Australia is so amazing! It's like if you mix the culture of the UK with the kind of lazy beach culture of California. It's great, because it is an extremely beautiful country and it's not populated at all. Only 29 million people and it is the same size of the United States! We have more than that in some of our cities! It's a giant country that's so untouched. It's great because you can drive around and there is not like strip malls everywhere, or big hotels. It just seems that it is still very intact, very uncorrupted, you know? There's a beautiful landscape and everyone there is very friendly. And everyone there hangs out in pubs. There's a big pub culture. Just hang out in the bar with friends and drink beer. It just seems really lay back, and everybody seems so cool. It's beautiful, never cold, the shows are great…

Q>> Australia here we go!
A>> Definitely! This is where I want to retire! I think all of us. We'll move with the band to Australia! And play jazz or so [Laughter]

Q>> Now, you're a political band. Do you think music in general is a good medium to make people listen to this kind of statements?
A>> I think so yeah! Definitely! It is definitely the only way that I would wanna do it. Because it's fun at the same time. It doesn't have to be so serious all the time. It's great because we don't have the experience but we could still have a good time today. If we're travelling and protesting over the world all the time, it would be way less fun. But you know, we get to travel around. You know, we have a lot of fans that aren't interested in our lyrics, and lots of fans that are extremely interested in it. We have people who like our music and others who like our lyrics. It's just a great way to travel the world and spread a part of the message. It's just so different not to sing about girls, partying and about getting drunk. We've got something to say!

Q>> Does it happen, when you play a show, a day after it, that you get an email from somebody telling you he really learned something from your show, from your lyrics?
A>> Oh! We get emails like that all the time! It's great, we get emails like that from kids who are 16 and never thought about certain things like that. And after they read our lyrics, they say they look at things in a different way. It's really cool to read reactions like that.

Q>> Your infrared video can be seen on MTV. What's your personal opinion on that?
A>> Obviously, we made the video. The video mainly is about imagery and the main theme is video. It's about anti-WTO. And it shows a lot of imagery from like WTO protests and there are quotes in it, … I think that it doesn't matter if it is played on MTV or on daytime television. It really doesn't matter who sees it because it's got a very positive message. It's like the Rage Against The Machine videos. They were an extremely popular band, but I don't think there's something wrong with being a popular band. I think RATM was an amazing band. They were huge, sold millions of records, and they made a lot of money, but at the same time they did something important with it. They didn't take it for granted. They knew their power, and they knew how important they were for people, and they used it in a positive way. Lots of people think it is not punk to have a video on MTV, you know, whatever, but it's only been played like only three times, and it will probably never be played again! [Laughter] But again, if somebody goes to our shows, or reads our lyrics, or first sees the video, and then goes to the show and read our lyrics, it's still a step in the positive direction. It still something that will help the world as a whole and it makes our lives easier, because we get more popular, and we get to come here more often. We get to travel around, have a great time, instead of being home and working some cracky job to pay for our rent or houses.

Q>> What do you think of all those commercial punk rock bands on television who are brainwashing the kids of today?
A>> Well, I don't want to say anything bad about anyone, but, yeah, it's pretty much like that with this "pop" music. It seems that it is not actually punk at all. I don't want to name any bands, but there are a lot of record labels who pick up some guys, tell them what they are going to wear, they'll have people who will write songs for them, they're not even going to play an instrument, because they'll hire somebody to do that for them, or guys will come in, and play with them. And there are so many poppunk bands like that. And they're never actually into punk. They just act punk. They are ruining what real punk is. It's taken away from why I love punk. I like punk. I got into punk because I was the skinny little kid in high school that skateboarded while all the other kids were in the football team. I thought I was weird. I got into punk and that was something of my own. Even if I wasn't popular, I had something important, something that felt good. And now all the kids play football and like all this 'punk' bands. They took that away from us, but we're not going to let them ruin it for us.

Q>> Do you think kids of today know what 'punk' means?
A>> Well, one thing that is good with bands like that, I mean like Good Charlotte and New Found Glory and so, is that they open the door for kids who have never been into punk. We see kids like that with their shirts at our shows. They hear this band, they thank another band, like H2O or something, and then they listen to that, they check out H2O, and they start to like New York hardcore, and then they check out the other hardcore bands. Then they check out the Roses. And they think it is the best band they ever heard. And then they check out Turning Point, and then Lifetime, then Kid Dynamite. And then they discover other great bands. So it is not necessary that bad. Kids are more punk than we think they are.

Q>> They'll learn what punk means after a few years…
A>> Yeah! We definitely get a lot of kids at our shows, especially in the US now, and they've been into punk for maybe one year, and they like all these bands. Maybe then they got into Anti-Flag, and then they heard about us, and that's cool.

Q>> How would you define yourself? Many say 'punk rock', others say 'melodic hardcore'... Or is it all 'rock'?
A>> We would say we are not a punk band nor a hardcore band. It's all rock. Or maybe I would rather use the word punk as a general term. I love a lot of hardcore and stuff. I mean… I think hardcorepunk is fine… That's fine. I think we have a lot of punk elements as well. And of hardcore as well. A lot of kids say we are hardcore, but then again lots of kids say Sick Of It All is a poppunk band, so… So I'm glad we are right in the middle. It's just cool.

Q>> What are the bands/albums you've been listening to the past few weeks?
A>> A couple of days ago in the UK I bought the Billy Brag 3 c.d. set. I really love that. He's like a Brittish kind of cult thing, with a kind of punk influence. He started in the late 70's and he's still playing today. He used to be in a punk band called Rif Raf but it is like really, really political. It's just cool, it's kind of like a political Bob Dylan from the UK or something. But with punk influences. Most of the parts is just him playing distortion and singing, but it is really meaningful and cool, and it is actually one of the main things that everyone in our band loves. We all love Billy Brag. So Billy Brag is our hero. The band who is supposed to play first tonight, they still didn't show up, love him too. I've also been listening to Jawbreaker, Leatherface. They're pretty good. What else? The new Kid Dynamite collection is pretty cool as well. Hmmm… the new Bouncing Souls album. Our drummer likes a lot the new Rancid album. A lot of people seem to be really mad about that. But I don't think the album is that bad.

Q>> Do you know/like European bands?
A>> I love Turbo Negro… We actually played on Halloween with the Bouncing Souls in the United States. And we dressed up like Turbo Negro… There are a lot of British bands that I love… Let me think of other bands… I'm trying to think of European bands, but it seems to be difficult. [Laughter]

Q>> For example, do you know No Fun At All?
A>> Well, I'm actually not familiar with them, but I've heard so much great things about them. I should probably check them out I guess.

Q>> They split up…
A>> Fuck! … I like Refused! They were like one of the first post emo hardcore bands. They definitely changed music. They reached very high levels with their last record. They influenced a lot of bands, like Thursday, Thrice... I actually already liked Refused before that album. And I remember our drummer had that cd when that came out. When I heard it at first, I thought it was kind of weird, but after I listened to it for a couple of times I thought it was a real master piece: the production, the energy... That album is definitely in my top ten all ages.

Q>> Which band would you personally like to play with?
A>> Well, actually, right now, we're really hoping to get on the US tour with NOFX. It is the rock against Bush tour. I think it is going to be really cool. It's going to be in all the cities where the preliminary elections are going to take place. It's about an information thing, about all the things Bush has done, that people don't think about, or know about. I just think it is going to be an awesome tour. I think there is going to be NOFX, maybe Alkaline Trio, and we're really hoping to be a part of it. We're actually going to be on a Fat Records compilation against Bush. And hopefully we'll get on that tour. That would be very cool. Plus I love NOFX a lot since I was a kid.

Q>> Were there other bands that you listened to as a kid, and dreamt of playing with them one day?
A>> Well, we actually played with a lot of them, like Propagandhi, or Avail, who are from our hometown, they're our local hero's. We did a tour with them, and that was amazing. We toured with good Riddance, AFI, Bouncing Souls… We're slowly playing with all the bands we grew up with since we were kids, that I loved when I was younger… Oh, the Descendents! I'd love to tour with the Descendents!

Q>> Any last words? Something for our readers?
A>> Have fun, don't take life to seriously, have a good time while you can, appreciate your youth, and appreciate your health. Because it is very important. We've all been very sick on this tour. It's really cold, and it really sucks being sick on tour. So don't take your health for granted. But I feel great now! I'm back! [Laughter].

I would like to thank David, Megan and Kara at Jade Tree Records for arranging this interview, and of course Matt for willing to do this interview. Thanks to all of you!

YVES

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