The Forecast

This was a really weird interview. I called Dustin on my way to the show to set up the interview, only to call him Dereck and have him tell me I had the wrong number. Feeling like a complete fool, I tried calling again, but he didn't answer. I eventually went up to him after their set, apologizing to him for calling him the wrong name. He was cool with it and I made up all the interview questions on the spot, slightly drunk. The interview mostly touches on touring and recording, and, of course, the Chicago Cubs.

State something interesting about yourself.
TF: Something interesting about myself is that I do nothing interesting at all. I just drive in my van and listen to my iPod. I drink a lot and play a lot of shows.

PL: Is it difficult figuring out who is going to sing which part?
TF: No. I write mostly all of the lyrics, so I usually have how I want it to sound in my head, so its just a matter of getting it out. For some reason, I always wrote for a guy and girl part, because I grew up listening to bands like Rainer Maria and The Anniversary. I always had those parts in my head. Thats weird; maybe I should have been born a girl. Its usually pretty easy. Shannon will change things for the better. She can change things up and make it sound better.

PL: What do you think a good amount of time is for bands to release albums?
TF: I really think it depends on the band. There's people that put out records every year. As long as you're putting out good records, than I don't see a problem with it. If we had the resources to put out a record every year, we would do it. We write so many songs so much that I would definitely be down with putting out a record every year. We're touring all the time, and its hard to sit down and find the time to go to the studio. If it was up to me, I'd do a record every year. You have Ryan Adams, who puts out three records every year. If he just put out one, it probably be a really awesome record instead of three good records.

PL: Do you think fans tend to get antsy if a band goes too long without releasing an album?
TF: I think so. I definitely think that it can hurt you. We have some friends that have taken off more time than they should have. Especially with the internet, there are so many bands, where if you take a year off, its hard to come back to the point where you were at. All the momentum that you had-thats the key is figuring out how to keep the momentum going, and get music out but make it at the right time. Thats the hardest thing to do as a band: keep the momentum going at all times.

PL: Is it hard getting motivated to play a show?
TF: No. Maybe three or four times a year, I'll find myself feeling that I really don't want to play a show that night. It has nothing to do with getting on stage and playing. It has more to do with spending so much time on the road that I just want a day off; just to sit and watch TV. I get into those modes once or twice a year. For me, its pretty easy to fix. I just hop on stage and think that this is what I do for a living.

PL: Do you think its hard to be a part time band and be somewhat successful or even get your name out there?
TF: I think at some point, you just have to make the decision to do it for real. If you don't make the decision to start touring all the time, its hard to really get anywhere. You can hit that certain level from being a part time band, and you can get a certain amount of success, but to get to that next level, you've got to be doing it all the time. You've got to consume yourself in what you're doing.

PL: Is it hard living as a full time band?
TF: Our band is kind of different. We all live together in a house when we're home. We're with each other 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Every night, we party together. Even when we're at home, we party together. We always laugh about this, because we're around all these other bands, and we always end up in the van hanging out with each other.
PL: Do you guys ever get sick of each other?
TF: We all know when to walk away and when to take some space. For the most part, we're around each other so much and we know each others' quirks, and we're able to block out things we don't like about it other. If there's something that somebody always says or does, I don't even notice it happening anymore.

PL: You mentioned that you always write a whole bunch of songs. Does that make it hard to record a record to have to pick out which songs you want to record?
TF: No because we definitely write a lot of bad songs. I think the more you write, the better the end product is. I know bands that write ten songs, record ten songs and thats what they do, and sometimes those ten songs are the best songs. There are other bands who write 60 songs, put out ten songs, and those songs are only alright. I tend to think that the more you write, the better you become, because you can usually get all the crappy parts out.
PL: Whats the distinction from a good song or a bad song?
TF: For us, its the way it feels. If we play it and it feels really good, and we're really happy about it, then its good. Nobody tells us what to do. We're kind of lucky in that sense.

PL: Here's a generic question: are you guys planning on putting out a new album soon?
TF: Probably not this year. Probably early Spring, hopefully. We've got some more tours coming up in the Fall that we're really stoked about. So we're gonna do those, and hopefully in the winter or early Spring, record and get it out.

PL: Would you rather be touring or recording?
TF: Thats a really hard question. I really like recording. I love the process of making a record from start to finish and walking out of the studio and being really proud of what I just created. At the same time, playing live is such a release. I like to connect with people and see people having a good time.

PL: You guys are Cubs fans, right?
TF: Tony is a die hard Cardinals fan. Shannon and I are both Cubs fans.
PL: Are you optimistic about them being a game or two back (This interview took place towards the end of July. I am typing it up on August 30, and the Cubs are up 2.5 games over the Brewers.), or do you think they'll blow it like they always do?
TF: Honestly, this tour has been great because I haven't been keeping up. I check the standings every week or two. I'm optimistic. I came into the season thinking that it was gonna be awful.
PL: Being a Cubs fan, you don't automatically assume the worst?
TF: I did this year.

PL: I don't know if there's anything else to ask.
TF: Awesome. Thats fine.

Interviewed by: RF
BACK