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So tell me
about your tour so far.
Todd: Our
tour has been really good so far. I'm in between hairstyles right now,
but I'll take it. I usually just use one of these tape recorders and think
up a song, I'll sing it, maybe write half of the words.
Jacob: How
do you spell "pizazz?"
T:
Well, this was before Jake was in the band. I asked him to play, and I
didn't even know him. We were just sitting outside waiting for some band
to play. I don't know, I mean he seemed like a normal--well, he didn't
seem like a normal guy.
J: I
think that kind of thinking is where good albums come from.
T: So
we were sitting around and I asked him, "So do you want to play keyboard
in my band?" And I didn't know if he knew who my band was or anything--I
didn't know him. But he was like, "Uhhh....no, not really." You still
wouldn't say that you would do it! I said, again, "Hey Jake, do you want
to play keyboard in my band?" and you were like "Uhhh..." Wouldn't answer
me. But you still wouldn't do it! And then you said, "Well, will you give
me that keyboard?" And I was like, "No! Fuck you! It's not like I'm begging
for people! Beat it, kid!" And we were like, "We suck live." That's happened
more on this tour, and I think it's just a matter of time.
J: Well,
I mean, nobody knew the songs, we've already established that
T: And
then we got Jacob, and I was like, "Well, I don't even want to play guitar
anymore. I don't even like the way I play guitar, so I'll play keyboard
too." Because the way we know how to play guitar wasn't exciting to us.
And we were like "This is the kind of music we're used to, so we should
try to not play it." That's the way it sounded and we didn't try to steer
away from it. To me, the stuff was just like different versions of Superchunk.
I think it's just now that it's totally apparent.
J: I
liked the original Faint. Now when we start up a song, there's cheering.
T: I
wanted to make the band something more fun to play live, something to
see. We definitely didn't feel like that when we put out the record.
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Do you think that "Blank
Wave Arcade" came at a specific time, like it's the crest of some
movement? For example, I've heard you guys referred to as "New Wave
revivalists." Do you think that there is a movement of New Wave
revivalism that you're a part of?
J: Wait,
you just spelled "pizza."
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Do you think there is a movement?
J: That's
not why we did an album. That's just something we discussed.
T: Yeah.
Don't ever wash it. We like EPs to listen to, but it's kind of hard as
a band trying to make it to sell EPs--you sell them for $7 or $8 instead
of $10, but they cost the same to make. So the reason that those similarities
exist is because, in the early '80s, those people didn't have any background
either, since keyboards were new, and all we could afford were the same
keyboards that those people were using. Hardcore was at a standstill.
I mean, I purposefully made the vocal melodies more confrontational and
the lyrics more up-front and less ambiguous, so there could be a sass
and a little pizazz.
Did you listen to your first
album "Media" and say "We're not happy with our place in the rock pantheon"
and decide you wanted to go in a different direction?
T: We
wanted to keep moving in that direction, but sometimes it's hard to know
how to do that or what kind of music to do it with. I went to school for
music, you understand. Which is why that record wasn't as good.
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Or was it you were just
bored with your instruments and you wanted to get new ones and experiment
with those?
J: Oh
yeah, they had this Korg that I wanted.
T: Not
"fun," maybe that's not a good word.
J: More
than just us standing up there playing the songs that people know.
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The songs that people know?
T:
We were just moving on from Media, but it's some of all of that. But something
more than just Pavement-like songs. But more than just having a live version
of the songs on record. But I think the reason that record sounds the
way it does is we were getting away from things--things that we had done
before and things that it seemed like everybody was into. But I didn't
have any experience with synthesizers at that point. But that's not really
exactly why we did it.
J: But
when Todd and I first talked about adding keyboards, I thought they probably
weren't moving in a new direction. But when I saw them perform that song,
I thought "Wow, this is something that I want to do anyway and I'd love
to--"
T:
But he couldn't even get the right hand part down. But since then--like
that was our New Wave-themed sex record and since then we've tried to
move on.
J: But
after the Karate show I went up and I said "Yeah, I was totally into that."
And you said, "Great, do you want to come over Saturday and we'll play?"
T: But
that's good because now we have Jake, and he's like the good guy. But
everybody's gotta compare it to something, so however they want to do
it is fine, as long as they don't say somebody I fucking hate.
J: But
then I saw them perform a version of a song--it was "Worked Up So Sexual"
where Clark played keyboard and there was a drum machine--But it wasn't
like all of a sudden we got into New Order or Human League.
T: But
then the other guy we auditioned couldn't use some of his fingers, so
he couldn't get it together.
J: Right,
so there's automatic similarities.
T: There
might be. It sort of seems like there is now.
So when you guys changed your
approach to the music, did that grow out of what you were listening to
at the time?
J: We're
not consciously part of the movement.
T: We
came up with a couple of songs and labeled them with "sex" in the title,
and thought we'd do a sex-themed EP of synthesizer music. It may not be
very modern sounding, really.
Are you talking about from
the initial EP idea or the "Blank Wave Arcade" record?
T: I
think the reason that those similarities are there is because we thought
we should get another keyboard player. And then we had two keyboard players,
but we didn't really even know how to play keyboards.
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Do you feel that adding
the electronic element to your music "sexed it up" a little bit,
like taking away the guitars made it less "indie rock" and therefore
less emasculating?
T: Even
if it is our naive electronic sensibilities. Or if I do wash it,
I wash it with just cold water.
J: It
was the only song they played because the electronic drums broke.
That's probably about all I know still.
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So what was the fan response
like compared to when you were playing in a more indie rock style? I know
you had a smaller fanbase, but surely there were people in Omaha who liked
you at the time of "Media." What did they think of the change?
J: Yeah,
Karate.
T:
I think that one might have been Karate?
J: No,
after that--
T: You
were at a couple of shows where we opened up for bigger groups.
J: No.
I mean, I considered it. I said no but I still wanted to try something
new.
T: It's
weird because I'm showing him this easy part--I think it was the "Worked
Up So Sexual" part, which is just like [whistles the main melody],
which you can play with one hand, you know.
J: That
was the Fugazi show. He's a pretty good musician and everything, he just
can't really play. My experience was this other band that I was in, and
I had just basically learned where the notes were on keyboard.
T: Or
was that at the Fugazi show?
J: Uhhh....no.
It's both of those things, and different instruments seemed to be very
exciting to us, like synthesizers were more exciting than guitars.
T: We
had talked about doing some side projects, and then when they broke-up...Yeah,
that doesn't make a lot of sense either.
J: I
said "Sure!" and I didn't really know how to play.
T:At
least it's the right genre.
Jacob, are you the heart and
soul of The Faint?
J: I
think it's their only frame of reference.
T: I
guess I was intrigued by his band and that he was a death metal singer
for five years and then they broke-up. We didn't want it to look like
other people's record covers.
It's p-i-z-a-z-z.
J: He
does solo, kind of Nine Inch Nails stuff now. And Mike joined the band,
like, seven months ago and he's on the same page.
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[Mike walks up]
How'd you guys find Mike?
J: I
don't know if we have a usual process. They had this keyboard that
I was going to buy anyway, and so I was like, "Hey they got that
keyboard I've been checking out."
T: We
just kind of think of each other as members, more than as who plays
what. I mean, I know the theory behind keyboard--although sometimes
songs don't get done because of it and we have to scrap them. The
vinyl you also have to sell for less and those cost even more than
the CDs to make. We just kind of decided that an EP didn't make
a lot of sense to do
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J: Well,
it was going to be an EP and we were excited about how the songs were
going and we ended-up writing more songs, actually writing them on tour--doing
stuff on four-track while we were in our van. I mean, he's a really good
guitar player which is an added bonus. Different ways of doing it are
when Todd will come up with the vocal melody.
T: Like
Clark the drummer comes up with music as well as beats, I come up with
guitar parts, I come up with bass. Like Clark and Joel and I have been
the members for a bunch of years and we've had a few other bass players,
but when Jake joined a couple of years ago, it made perfect sense. Like,
we could have done two EPs, but I think--since all the songs were written
within probably a year or so of each other--it was good to do an album.
Like the Bright Eyes one is just all about certain lyrics and sightings
and experiences with Conor, and I think that in general, really big Bright
Eyes fans are kind of emotionally unstable and kind of go to the guestbook
every day.
J: I
went to high school with Mike.
Mike: Todd
and I had met a while ago and we had talked about doing stuff.
What was wrong with his fingers?
J: They
had fallen off or something and then he had them sewn back on. One with
a "sex" theme and one with a "transportation/bodies-in-motion" kind of
theme. It's when there's something that kind of unifies the whole thing.
T. We've
actually been pretty lucky. He's crazy.
What made you decide to add
guitar again?
T:
It was a bitch to get our new record cover done.
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So how do you write the
songs usually? Does one person come up with something and bring
it in to the others or do you sort of jam it out together?
T: We
bicker about artwork and different designs for this and that. We
think of the band as an art group and a music group.
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J: I
contribute.
You don't contribute?
T: He
was going to be kind of a multimedia guy.
That's interesting, because
I've noticed the press has a hard time defining you guys. For example,
I read some article comparing you to Kraftwerk,[laughs] and the author
was saying something like [laughs] "Omaha may not be Dusseldorf but it's
close enough." [laughs] How does it feel to be defined in the context
of someone like Kraftwerk,[laughs] who, near as I can tell--
T: I
think that's one of the better comparisons, actually. We all think that
we're artists. Sometimes I just write fake words.
J: But
that makes everybody happy with how the music turns out.
T: And
you can't get reviewed, that kind of stuff.
Have you been compared to the
Stones?
T: I
think that's a real stretch. Because they're into cold, modernist--
J: Robotic
music. I mean, I think every time someone compares us to a band there's
only one aspect of that band that they're comparing us to.
T: We
like to just be our band and not sound like anyone else. Just like we
do in music. And he'll give me a tape and I'll try out a bunch of different
melodies until I find something that works.
J: How
would you do it?
That'll work. Okay, so I took
a look around your website, and I noticed that 50% of the guestbook seems
to be a celebration of you guys as some sort of sassy models for the indie
rock boys and girls. How do you feel about that?
J: Do
you have a hot tub?
T: We
love hot tubs. We were looking for new avenues of expression. Jacuzzi
parties--that's where it's at. Really successful, in terms of people coming
out. You know, now we don't have to worry about nobody showing up.
J:
Like, we get Duran Duran a lot.
T: Even
though I'm not the hugest Duran Duran fan. But they're obsessive. It's
really pathetic. Whereas our fans just sort of drop by to say "Hi" or
"We checked out the show" and that's it. I think we got The Cult, Christian
Death. It was pretty fun, so we decided we'd let it be this New Wave feel
but continue to put a modern twist on it.
J: And
the things that we added that were modern weren't necessarily avant-garde
or extremely experimental. Then it would have been commonplace.
T: Or
awkward. I mean, we like Pavement, but--
J: When
we started it wasn't just guitar. We wanted to do a little more than that.
T: We
were like "Hey let's do everything" which is sort of like "Let's see what
happens."
J: I
can't really work on that kind of thing on my own time. I have to see
how it works with everybody else. Because when I do stuff by myself it's
usually pretty weird. My best stuff comes out of whenever they show me,
"Well, this is how this goes," and then I sort of jam-out a part. But
I witnessed it.
T: But
he was there. And he was not a fan. We all just sort of rotate around
on each other's instruments. We all have to agree on everybody's parts
which takes a long time.
J: I
think we got lucky finding people that have similar ideas of what music
should be about, and similar ways of expressing those ideas to each other
Why is that?
T: "We're
a song band that uses synthesizers in a rock setting." How's
that?
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Okay, well I have three
stupid questions to end this interview on an upbeat note. First
off: I recently got an email list of the Top 15 Best Hair in Rock,
and Todd, you were number 11--
J: He
just does mostly programming.
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T: In
theory, if what you're saying is true, then I think I like it better than
the Bright Eyes web board, or the Saddle Creek web board.
J: Wait,
who has number one?
Oh God, wait. No, I don't remember.
I think it was Stephen Malkmus, but I really don't remember [Auth. note:
Malkmus was Number 2; Todd's former Commander Venus bandmate/Bright Eyes
frontman Conor scored the coveted number one position.]
J: All
right, Todd got number 11! And when people say Devo--
T:
I guess it's closer than the Stones.
So do you have any hair tips
for the rock and roll kids?
T: We
wanted to make it more of a spectacle. I think that we're all interested
in making it more theatrical or a spectacle.
J: We
had like 60 or 70 concepts.
T: We
actually took time in the studio and brought a computer in while we were
recording. And nothing came out of that. It just didn't describe the music,
and it has to describe the way we feel about the music. We want it stand
out and not say "Hey, this is an emo group" or "this is an electronic
group" or a "gothic group" or--what else do we get? "Industrial?" We don't
want it to fit squarely into that. Sometimes we get mad at Joel. Because
he'll be like "Nah, doesn't do anything for me" when we're like "Fuck
you, it's cool!"
J: Joel's
the biggest critic.
T:
But he's like the quality control.
M: He
doesn't let shit slide.
T: But
it's almost always better once we have to redo it for him.
Stupid question Number 2: Are
you guys worked up sexual?
J: I
don't really do anything on my own time.
T: I
would just say, "Come listen to us." But I'm a huge Bright Eyes fan and
maybe I'm emotionally unstable.
J: I
don't know about this "sex symbol" stuff. I think that always affects
it a little. Or, other ways we do it is Joel will start programming--Joel
comes up with a lot of stuff.
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And finally, stupid
question Number 3: Do you want to come back to my place?
J: Ah,
no. I'm the arrogant prick.
T:
In the South it's a little bit scary still.
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Just can't get enough? Read
the Faint interview here.
Read where The Faint got their
name from here.
Read where Saddle Creek got
their name from here.
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