блин ... чот никого нет .... вот я тут нашла ... это интервью было признано самым популярным))))) оно правда давнишнее.... но здесь его все равно еще не было .... )))
First, I’d just like to thank Pete for allowing me the opportunity to conduct this interview with him. No one forced him to do this and no one suggested he do this; this was entirely his idea. I consider it an honor and privilege to be able to do this with, who I feel to be, one of the most honest, sincere, genuine people in this “scene” / business. This band went from playing YFW Halls to being all over MTV, mainstream radio, award shows and so forth, and they haven’t changed one bit. This is only part of the reason I respect these guys as individuals and, no matter what or how big they get, will always support them.
Q: Now, a lot has changed within the last year. You guys went from being a band only known throughout “the scene” to being all over radio, MTV and mainstream media in general. Do you think that has changed anything inside of you; your mentality, how you function, think, see the world, act and so forth?
A: I think that it would be impossible to not change with so many gigantic changes happening around me. I think that both I and the band do certain things in order to stay grounded. At the same time it is often hard to process the concept that you polarize people to such extremes: i.e. to be simultaneously the most abhorred people in the scene and the most idolized, especially when you see yourself as the same person you always have when you look in the mirror. After all of the dinners and “best new…” trophies and acclaims, there will be a time when no one cares about this band again and we will just still be the best of friends.
Q: Does money and fame blind you at all? Is it possible you’ve involuntarily changed due to all of this?
A: I think this question is hard to answer, because if it has involuntarily changed within me than I think I probably would not be conscious of it and therefore would answer “no” anyway. I, however, do not believe that money or fame blinds me or my band in any way. We make decisions based on what we feel is right for us and for our fan base. There are many things that were very lucrative that we turned down because it was not right for us, but no one ever see those lists printed on the internet anywhere.
Q: Do you regret where the band is today? I mean, I’m sure there are some serious perks that come with being as famous and successful as you are; however, I’m sure you’ve had to sacrifice a lot as well. Would you give it all back if you could?
A: This question is hard to answer as well. I don’t regret where the band is today. but I do regret some of the decisions both the band and I have made. There isn’t a manual on how to act or what to do. I/we made some missteps, hopefully we’ve learned enough to not make them again. Besides the fact that there are many people out there in the industry that would love to take advantage of us, I think that this situation has made me more guarded and on edge when I meet new people. But we always wanted to have a voice at the forefront of music and now we do -- I wouldn’t give that back for the world.
Q: What are some pros about the level of success you’ve reached? What are some of the cons that come along with it?
A: Some pros are that we are able to live and work and not have to worry about where we are going to sleep tomorrow night; we are paid to do what we love. It’s also great because it allows us to be part of different creative processes and that is our drive at the end of the day. The cons are similar to the pros. I mean, all you want is a voice/attention on what you are doing and then all of a sudden you are on the edge of overexposure. It’s scary. You aren’t always in control of how you are perceived. One of the most frustrating things is the many people that attempt to have feuds with you. There is a band or two that asked us to have a feud with them. We aren’t interested in being a part of some bands marketing plan in that way.
Q: How do you feel about fans that might label you all sellouts now and may have turned their backs on you?
A: I feel like we haven’t gotten as bad of a backlash as some other bands who have sold as many records as us. I think that’s possibly because a lot of kids saw us get in the van over and over again while other bands were eating for free on black cards. Again, when you polarize people you have people on both sides. There are people that say we fucking suck live and on TV and then other people who say we used auto tune live; you can’t have it both ways. We have not changed major parts of our band in order to be received better. If anything, in my opinion, this record is less accessible than TTYG -- the lyrics were not dumbed down or anything. I mean, I feel like we haven’t bent to the mainstream, if anything, the mainstream bent to us. But for those who do label us sellouts, I’ve been in that
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