This interview went down with The Loved Ones on August 20 in Worcester, MA.

PL: State your names and one interesting fact about yourselves.

DH: My name is Dave, and uh-interesting fact; I don't know, man. I don't know. I don't really know how to answer that question, to be honest with you. Do you have something specific you want to know?

PL: Just anything

DH: I'm 5'7". Its really not that interesting.

MC: I'm Michael, and I work for the Washington Post, and I've interviewed Tony Hawk, John Waters and Jason Schwartzman, to name a few.

DH: The pressure's on.

PL: Is it smart for bands to start out by releasing an EP instead of a full length?

DH: Is it smart? Uh-we did, so its fucking smart. I don't know. What do you mean, smart?

PL: (the backtracking begins) It all depends. For a new band, instead of coming out with a full length, they come out with just an EP to give people a taste of it. I like how its cheaper, but if its good, I want more songs.

DH: So, you do think its smart?

PL: Yeah, probably.

DH: Well, I too, think its smart. I think its a good idea.

MC: We have more songs on the way. We'll have a full length out by early next year.

DH: That was kind of the plan, which I think is a smart plan. We consider ourselves fairly smart, right Spider?

MC: Brilliant, in fact.

PL: I was reading your website today and it said that you're putting out a full length, but you haven't announced what label its gonna be on next. Since you've put out the EP and toured and have a decent name for yourselves, do you pursue labels or do they pursue you?

DH: Um...they pursue us.

PL: Do you think that punk rock and all of its subgenres are getting too big right now, making everything seem like a corporate event? I mostly thought of this because of Hellfest being cancelled. It seemed to get so gigantic that venues didn't know what to do with it.

MC: I don't think it is. It seems like the most popular forms of rock have anything to do with punk. I don't think that Incubus or Mudvayne or Puddle of Mudd; it seems like dominant types of rock music or rap metal to me, so I don't think punk's too big.

DH: It should be bigger. Too big-why? What do you mean?

PL: I'm talking about how Hellfest had 178 bands that were to play and the Warped Tour is more of-it just seems like everything has gotten so gigantic, where it could go out of control.

DH: Well, Hellfest collapsed on its own.

PL: Thats what I was thinking. It all of a sudden will get so big that it will collapse like that.

DH: No, thats got nothing to do with punk rock; thats got everything to do with the promoter who didn't take care of the necessary functions of putting on such a giant show, which has absolutely nothing to do with any ideal or style of music or approach to music. It has to do with someone being faulty, and thats exactly what happened. It has nothing to do with anything that you'd call punk. Its just the sad fact that a scumbag tried to promote an event that didn't work out. I shouldn't say scumbag. I don't really know if he's a scumbag. So, yeah, thats basically what happened. It certainly has nothing to do with punk getting too big. I think if punk was what was on the radio, I think the radio would be a better place. Would you rather hear Green Day on the radio or would you rather hear Puddle of Mudd? Would you rather hear The Loved Ones on the radio or would you rather hear-

MC: Slipknot.

DH: I don't think there's anything wrong with it getting big as long as they stay true to what they believe, not necessarily stay true to any creed or anything; stay true to themselves.

PL: Whats a cooler tourist attraction: the Liberty Bell or the White House?

MC: I've never been to the White House. I've been to the Liberty Bell. I enjoyed it.

DH: I've never been to the White House either, so I couldn't say.

PL: Have you been to any of the other Washington attractions?

MC: No, but I want to. I've lived there for six years, and I've never done any of that stuff.

SL: Don't eat the food outside the White House. Its terrible.

MC: There's a good pretzel stand outside of the Hirshhorn Museum. I visit that one, but I've never tried the White House concessions.

DH: There's more to see in D.C., in terms of tourists attractions, but I don't know which ones are better. It depends on what you're into.

MC: I would love to take-because I have friends in touring bands that somtimes want to do that stuff, and next time I'll have to take advantage. I've never been to the top of the Washington Monument, or any of that stuff.

SL: I went over there. Its pretty interesting.

DH: This is Mike, by the way.

MS: Hi, nice to meet you.

PL: Name one movie everyone should go see. It doesn't have to be in theater now.

MC: Everyone should go see? "Madagascar." "Madagascar" was a great movie. Children's movie. I'd say that Enron movie would be nice if people saw that.

DH: I don't know. I don't like telling people that they should do something. You should go see whatever movie suits you.

PL: Whats a little known fact about Philly and D.C.?

DH: A little known fact? I don't know. Shoot.

MC: I'd say a little known fact about D.C. is that most of it has nothing to do with the government. Its mostly regular working people.

MS: A lot of people seem to think that no one lives in D.C.

DH: A little known fact about Philly is-

MS: The Liberty Bell is stored there.

MC: We touched on that.

DH: I don't know. I don't know shit about Philly. I moved out to the suburbs.

MC: There's a great pizza place called Alex's.

DH: Oh yeah, Philly has the greatest pizza on the East Coast.

MC: Its out of the way, but if you're in Philly, and you want the best pizza, its worth seeking out.

DH: Thats a good one, Spider.

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

DH: I would probably say-if I had to-I would probably say Revolver by The Beatles.

MC: Its hard to go wrong with The Clash London Calling.

PL: Do you guys have any final comments?

MC: Thanks for the interview.

DH: Yeah, thanks for the interview.

Interviewed by RF

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