The Juliana Theory have gone through an incredible musical journey. They have just released their first album, Deadbeat Sweetheartbeat, in almost three years, and its their best yet. This interview was mostly conducted with Chad Alan and Chip Walters on September 9, though the whole band was there by the time the interview concluded.

PL: State your name and an interesting fact about yourself.

CA: I'm Chad from The Juliana Theory. I like films.

CW: I'm Chip. I play drums for The Juliana Theory.

CA: He likes to drink beer.

CW: (laughs) Thats pretty much all I can give you.

CA: That sums up his personality.

PL: How does it work with you guys putting your new album out both on Abacus and your own label?

CA: Abacus is a division of Century Media. Its the rock division that they are starting. Paper Fist is our imprint, which is part of Abacus. We got the distribution from Abacus, and we've got the label behind us. Also, we're trying to establish-you know, if we ever want to put some bands out in the future or put out some records or a B-sides album; something like that to get things going with Paper Fist. Eventually we'd like to do something like that. (Someone's car alarm goes off for about a minute, which I totally forgot about until I was typing this up and heard a suddenly loud beeping in my ears)

PL: Whats the most important lesson you learned from being on a major label?

CW: Don't trust anybody. If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.

CA: Thats what we're trying to do. We're just trying to do a lot of rebuilding and have a lot of fun. We're having fun and we think people are really gonna like this album.

CW: Its a fresh start for us. It feels really good.

PL: Do you think its hard for the American public to get an unbiased account of the country right now? For me, it seems like everything is from the right side or the left, and it doesn't seem like anyone is speaking through the middle.

CA: I agree with that, I guess. Yeah, its definitely difficult. I don't know; its such an open ended question. The country is definitely dividied ever since the election, and even Bush's supporters are questioning his decisions, as well they should be. If a nation is gonna go to war, I support our troops one million percent. I have friends over there that are getting hurt, and I support them a million percent, but if you're gonna go to war, you have to have a justification for it and you have to have some kind of means for it. Otherwise, we're basically reaping what the country's leaders are selling at this point, in my opinion, and it was bound to happen. We're not some crazy Rage Against the Machine or anything, but thats what I think.

SL: Thats good because I don't like Rage Against the Machine, but I do like you guys.

CA: Thats cool. Thank you.

PL: Do you think America will ever be able to erase the "red state/blue state" mentality that the last election brought us?

CW: No.

CA: Not for awhile. I don't think its gonna happen. It was like that in the election before that even. A lot of people said Gore won the election, but who knows. I don't think that it will ever be erased. I think it'll always be there unless somebody really emerges. If a Republican were to emerge that I would vote for, I'd vote for him. I'm not this exclusive crazy liberal left wing or something. I'm very open minded.

PL: I was actually hoping that the hurricane was gonna unite the country the way September 11 did.

CA: And, unfortunately, it went the opposite way. Its gonna get a whole lot worse before it gets better.

PL: Whats the longest you've gone without having a job?

CA: Thats a good question. You mean like a regular 9-5 job?

PL: Yeah.

CA: The last time I worked a regular job was actually pretty recently. It was in the last year, just because we had been home for awhile.

CW: I can't remember the last time I had an actual job. It must've been five or six years ago.

JF: Like a 9-5 job, its probably been awhile for all of us.

CA: We can't really complain too much because we do have the good life here. We watch movies, play video games and eat pizza. Its like every twelve year old's dream. And sleepovers every night in our bus.

SL: So, all they have to do is start bands and they'll get that too.

CA: Yes, thats all you've got to do.

PL: But its much harder than that.

CA: Eh-these days its not really that hard, apparantly.

CW: See, we can do all that stuff, but we can't afford to eat.

CA: Yeah, we have some nice stuff though, but we have to sacrifice the basic-

CW: Food and clothes.

PL: Name one movie everyone should go see.

CW: "Wedding Crashers."

JF: "Wedding Crashers." Thats a good one.

CA: You see, I haven't even seen that yet. Now I will.

PL: I heard it was funny.

CW: Its really funny. There's a good storyline to it too.

CA: I'm trying to think of a good one that maybe we've seen, but I can't think of one.

CW: There's not a whole lot out right now.

JF: "Kung Fu Hustle."

CW: "Kung Fu Hustle" is pretty awesome.

PL: Whats a little known fact about Pennsylvania?

JF: They had the first banana split, the first football game ever played.

CW: Professional football game.

JF: Mr. Rogers is from there. Arnold Palmer.

CA: And Rolling Rock beer.

JF: And down the road in Hershey, the first slinkee is there. There's all kinds of weird facts.

CA: Its not all amish people.

PL: Can I just get your name too?

JF: My name is Josh Fiedler.

CW: Master of all things.

CA: The manipulator.

PL: Name one album, besides your own, that you think all kids should have in their collection.

CW: The White Album. Thats such a good answer.

CA: I'll tell you what. I'll even "sub-question" because its more money for your buck because you get two records that are really cool. Instead of just one Beatles album, you get two.

CW: How about a modern record?

JF: Smashing Pumpkins-Siamese Dream.

CA: I'd go with OK Computer by Radiohead.

BD: (Vocalist Brett Detar and guitarist Josh Kosker arrived towards the end of this interview) I'd say Dark Side of the Moon.

CW: Led Zeppelin IV.

BD: Or Juliana Theory Deadbeat Sweetheartbeat.

PL: I saw a book yesterday that had a whole bunch of journalists from our generation trash all the classic records. The one I was reading about was Dark Side of the Moon.

CA: They set out to trash it?

PL: No, they wrote their opinion on it, and why they didn't like those albums. The review of it was really boring. I didn't even make it through a page.

CA: But I'm sure they own all the Fall Out Boy records and whatever.

PL: Do you guys have any final comments?

CA: Our record comes out next Tuesday (September 13-It is now in stores). Its called Deadbeat Sweetheartbeat. Buy it so we can eat dinner.

Interview by: RF

BACK