You are reading an interview with The Presidents of the United States of America
conducted by Dave Payne on 26 February 2005
Chris Ballew is the one typing in full capitals. Questions are in bold.
Any plans for the next album? I've heard a rumour that
it is going to be an all-acoustic one. If so, are there going to be some "old"
tracks turned into new acoustic versions of them? (Question from Downtown, PUSA
message board)
I DONT KNOW....THAT A GOOD QUESTION...WE DID DO SOME RADIO SHOWS WITH AN
ACOUSTIC SET UP THAT WORKED REALLY WELL AND THATS WHERE THE IDEA CAME UP
FIRST...I DONT THINK THERE WILL BE OLD SONGS REDONE...THAT SEEMS A LITTLE THIN
TO ME.... IT WILL BE ALL NEW SONGS... WHEN IT WILL HAPPEN IS A WHOLE OTHER
QUESTION... PROBABLY NOT FOR A YEAR AT LEAST.... I DONT WANT TO RUSH INTO THE
NEXT ALBUM WITHOUT SOME DOWNTIME INBETWEEN...
What is your favourite song to play live? (Question from Jimmy C, PUSA
message board)
DEFINITLY LUMP....I HAVE NEVER PLAYED THAT SONG AND NOT FELT COMPLETELY EXCITED
AND ENGAGED AND ENERGISED...I NEED TO WRITE MORE LIKE THAT ONE FOR SURE...
Are there any plans to do a full UK tour or is this one just a one off?
(Question from Gilbert, PUSA message board)
YES THERE ARE PLANS TO DO A EUROPEAN TOUR STARTING IN MID APRIL....I DON’T KNOW
THE ITINERARY YET BUT IT WILL BE ABOUT 3 WEEKS AND 3-4 COUNTRIES INCLUDING THE
UK....
How do you feel about selling out the garage in 2 days and then the much
bigger Astoria? Did you expect this?
I FEEL AMAZED AND FLATTERED AND THANKFUL AND EXCITED....I DID HAVE A BIT OF A
CLUE THAT WE WOULD DO WELL OVER THERE BECAUSE WHILE WE WERE BROKEN UP I WOULD
GET EMAILS OCCASIONALLY FROM FANS AND ABOUT HALF OF THEM WERE FROM THE UK.....SO
I FIGURED THERE WERE SOME HARDCORE FANS OVER THERE...
And what are you expecting from the Astoria gig?
GOOSEBUMPS ALL NIGHT!
Do you think you will receive a better/worse reception than the last time you
were in London? (Question from Xan, PUSA message board)
I DONT KNOW...I HOPE THE SAME...WE HAVE
FELT THE LOVE FROM LONDON BEFORE AND MORE OF THE SAME WOULD BE NICE...
The majority of your fan base is in their early twenties. Why do you think
this is and is it more comfortable to have fans closer to their own ages rather
than much younger ones? (Message from Stef, PUSA message board)
I HAVE ALWAYS SAID THE WE PLAY FOLK MUSIC....ALSO KNOWN AS MUSIC FOR FOLKS....IT
IS ROCK AND ROLL FOR THE WHOLE PLANET.....I USED TO PLAY ON THE STREET AND IN
THE SUBWAY FOR A LIVING AND THE MORE DIVERSE THE CROWD THE BETTER IN THAT
CASE....THE SONGS HAVE TO REACH OUT TO A HUGE VARIETY OF PEOPLE AND GET THEM TO
STOP THIER BUSY DAY AND LISTEN....SO I HAVE BEEN PROUD THAT THE CROWDS WE DRAW
NOW ARE DIVERSE AND I WOULDNT HAVE IT ANY OTHER WAY....
Based on that, do you prefer playing 21+ shows, or all ages?
BOTH....MAYBE A LITTLE BIT ALL AGES CAUSE THEY HAVE MORE UNINHIBITED ENERGY....
What is the deal with the abandoned Zero Friction? Having heard it at last, I
would have said it kicked all the previous Giraffe albums' asses. Question from
Xan, PUSA message board)
HOW DID YOU HEAR IT? I JUST THOUGHT IT WAS BLAND I GUESS...I WASNT READY TO CALL
THOSE SONGS DONE....I LISTENED TO IT AND IT DIDNT SOUND LIKE A RECORD TO
ME....STRANGE TO ABANDON A RECORD AFTER PUTTING 10,000$ INTO IT BUT IT JUST
DIDNT SOUND WIERD ENOUGH TO ME...I AM WORKING ON A NEW GIRAFFES RECORD AND A FEW
OF THOSE RECORDING WILL BE ON IT....LOOK FOR THE CHRIS BALLEW STORE ON
PRESIDENTSROCK.COM SOON...
How does it feel to release a PUSA album on PUSA Inc rather than
Sony/Columbia? Do you feel there is less pressure and fewer expectations from
fans self-releasing an album?
IT FEELS VERY GROWN UP...WE HAVE TO KEEP TRACK OF ALL THE MONEY AND MAKE THE
PLAN OURSELVES...THE GOOD PART IS WE CAN DECIDE WHAT WE DO AND DONT DO....WE ARE
NOT SAYING NO ALL THE TIME......YES IS BETTER....
Any plans for the next single? If so are there any video ideas? What would
you like to do?
WE ARE DOING LOVE EVERYBODY AS A SECOND SINGLE IN THE STATES RIGHT NOW...I WOULD
LOVE TO GET TO A THIRD AND IT WOULD BE A TOSS UP BETWEEN ZERO FRICTION AND
SHREDS OF BOA JUST BECAUSE THEY BOTH KICK SO MUCH ASS LIVE....
You mentioned to me the other day about the stress and strain of touring. I
know that was a huge factor in the bands previous split? We’re not heading that
way again are we?
NO....AWARNESS OF THE STRESS AND MANAGEMENT OF IT WILL KEEP THINGS HEALTHY...
How does the onstage dynamic change playing without Dave? And is he happy to
miss what could be a very important gig at the Astoria?
HE IS NOT HAPPY ABOUT THE SITUATION....HE HAS A FAMILY SITUATION THAT
UNFORTUNATLY HAPPENED RIGHT WHEN WE WERE GEARING UP TO PROMOTE THIS RECORD...ANY
OTHER TIME AND WE WOULD HAVE ALL TAKEN A BREAK....BUT AS IT IS WE KICK SERIOUS
ASS WITH ANDREW AND HE IS A WELCOME MEMBER OF THE BAND....THE DYNAMIC IS A BIT
MORE HEAVY ON THE GAGS LIVE...MORE GOOFING OFF...
What is going to be happening next with the giraffes and your various other
side projects?
I HAVE A BAND CALLED THE FEELINGS HIJACKERS THAT IS AMAZING...ME AND THE OTHER
RAPPER FROM THE SUBSET THING WE DID WITH SIR-MIX-A-LOT....HIS NAME IS OUTTASITE....WE
HAVE BLENDED UP SOME "ACOUSTADELIC RAP-A-LONG" STYLES THAT WILL
BE SURE TO PLEASE PUSA FANS ALL OVER THE WORLD....A NEW GIRAFFES RECORD WILL
PROBABLY HAPPEN AND A NEW CREEPY STICK RECORD IS ALMOST DONE AND A NEW CHRIS AND
TAD RECORD IS STALLED BECAUSE OF ALL THE PUSA STUFF GOING ON BUT WE HAVE A
HUNDRED SONGS RECORDED....
You always put on a pretty interesting show. What would you say is the best
and worst thing to happen to you at a gig? (Question from Ash, PUSA message
board)
BEST.....I PLAYED A SHOW WITH A CRAZY DRUMMER NAMED MICKEY BONES AND WE WERE
DEEP INTO A HILLBILLY JAZZ RIFF AND I CLOSED MY EYES AND A FRIEND OF OURS NAMED
JOE WHO HAS A PEG LEG WALKED UP TO MICKEY WHILE I HAD MY EYES CLOSED AND PUT
HIS LEG UP TO BE USED AS A RIDE CYMBAL...IT MADE A MIRACULOUS BELL SOUND AND
WHEN I OPENED MY EYES I SAW THIS CRAZY DRUMMER AND A BEARDED MAN WITH A PEG LEG
AND ME AND I SHOT OUT OF MY BODY AND HIT THE CIELING...AFTER ABOUT 15 SECONDS I
FLOATED BACK DOWN....VERY WIERD...
WORST....BEING OUT OF TUNE!
Do you still stay in contact with Duff McKeegan and Sir Mix-A-Lot? Any plans
to work together again in the future?
I TALK TO MIX SOME...BUT NO IMMEDIATE PLAN TO COLLABORATE...DUFF IS GONE TO L.A
SO I DONT SEE HIM MUCH....
You reverted back to your roots and used the Guitbass and Bassitar in Love
Everybody. Are these instruments back to stay now, as I for one feel you make
your best music using these.
YES YES YES...THEY MAKE THE SONG BE STRONG....WITHOUT A REALLY SOLID SONG IT
DOESNT WORK AND THOSE INSTRUMENTS MAKE THAT OBVIOUS...
--------------------------------------
Thanks for your time and see you at the Astoria!
YOU ARE WELCOME! SEE YOU THERE...
read 463 times