A Few Simple Words from Simple Plan

I got the chance to rub elbows with Simple Plan backstage at the Chicago Warped Tour.  The dressing room was dimly lit and smelled like honeydew melon, mostly thanks to Vizion's candles.  Vizion is the press manager for the Warped Tour.  I got to know him pretty well by the end of the tour.  My friend Steve-O, me, a radio girl that I had seen around, a mom, and a dad all crammed in the room to ask some questions of the Canadian pop gods.  We got Chuck and Sebastian; Pierre was with a contest winner, Dave was at a shoot, and Jeff had diarrhea.  They introduced each other as the one with the good looks, and the one who plays drums.

Radio Girl: How long have you been together?
Chuck: For five years now.  It feels like every day it gets longer.
Seb: It's hard to keep up.
Chuck: But probably like 4-5 years.  Our first record came out like two and a half years ago, and we're making a new one right now.  We tried to push it back as much as we could, but now it's done, we have to make a new one.  We're doing dat this summer.  We're taking a break, a week and a half of shows.  We get back in the studio July 29th.
Seb: ...finish it up till September.
Chuck: I love how I answered like five questions in one.

The Mom: Is life still so simple now that you are successful?  Simple Plan?
Chuck: I think when we first started off, the name was kind of sarcastic, at the same time it was kind of true.  We had this simple dream of just being a band and do what we love to do and travel and play shows.  Just live the life that everyone wants, but obviously, it's not.
Seb: After doing it for a while, you realize it's not.  I don't think it got more complex, I think it got more fun.  There's just more to do always; more traveling, more shows, more everything.  But, it's what we've always wanted to do.  Now, we're writing a new record.  You know what?  The reality of it comes down to two things: writing good songs and playing good shows.  That's pretty simple.
Chuck: The lady in green...

XROXX: How do you think the Warped Tour organization has influenced the punk rock industry?
Chuck: I think that it shows that there is an interest for that kind of music and that scene.  I think that some bands got their start and some bands launched their career here, like playing small stages and spreading the word.  We did the same thing years ago.  We played our first show in Toronto, Montreal.  The next year we did the whole thing, and it's kind of a launch pad for a lot of bands.  At the same time, it's the only tour that keeps doing well every year.  Like every other tour [Lollapalooza] is canceled, and Oz Fest is doing badly.  I think it shows bands that if you go out and put great bands together as a package and you don't overcharge, kids are gonna come.  They force other tours to do better, and give more bang for the buck.
Seb: It's the best show of the year, period. Good times.
Chuck: Exactly. It's a great lineup every year.  They're really good at keeping up with what is going on in the scene. They always know what new bands are doing well and what kids are into.  Every festival has to look up to Warped and try to copy.  As far as we are concerned, when we book a tour, we try.  Before, it used to be like a band takes a local band.  Last year we took MXPX, Billy Talent, and Sugarcult.  It was like a mini Warped Tour.

Dadsmagazine.com: This is my daughter, Jennifer, and she told me that you guys inspired her to play bass.  How old were you when you started playing music, and what do you have to say to kids thinking about a career in music?
Seb: I started playing when I was 13 maybe.
Chuck: My French teacher told us we should be in a band, told me and Pierre.  I have no idea to this day why he said that.
Seb: He was psychic. [Laughs all around]
Chuck: Then we started playing in my basement, bought some crappie drums for $300, started playing every day, and haven't stopped since.
Seb: The best advice is that it is OK to suck, cause you are gonna suck at first.  Keep going.
Chuck: Don't listen to people who bring you down.  Don't listen to your parents sometimes, cause they don't want you to be in a rock band.
Seb: Hear that kids? Don't listen to your parents.
Chuck: Our parents didn't want up to be in this band.  They supported us, but deep down, they were against it.
Seb: They didn't think it was gonna be for real.
Chuck: They hope it's a hobby, they don't want it to be a full time job.  Now, they are happy and pretty proud of us. They are jealous; we get to travel more than they do.

The Mom: How did you learn to play your instruments?  Did you teach yourself or take lessons?
Chuck: We haven't ever taken a lesson, that's pretty obvious.  I think I took one my whole life, for like an hour, which would explain my complete lack of technique.  It's cool, but you don't need lessons.  You can learn by watching other bands.
Seb: I learned by watching TV.  I was watching Green Day on TV and that's how I learned.
Chuck: Go see shows and listen to records, that's to learn.

Radio Girl: What would you be doing if you weren't in a band?
Chuck: Next question.  Probably trying to join another band.  In college studying something I don't like.  I dunno.  I'd be in engineering, building stuff.

XROXX (Steve-O): As a drummer myself, I know you used to play on Orange County, and then I saw your ad in Modern Drummer for Pacific.  What's going on?
Chuck: Money.  OCP is a great company and they are awesome, but at some point, they are just too small.  I need kits all over the world.  I switched to Drum Workshop, and they have this line called Pacific and it's cheap and it's actually good drums.  We're using it on the record, and it's sounding really good.

The Mom: A question about your song writing.  Your lyrics are especially attractive and appealing to young girls. Y ou have a huge female following.
Chuck: That's because of our looks.

The Mom: Are you writing from your heart or to cater to them?
Seb: It's our inner feminine feelings.
Chuck: I think on the first record we wanted to just totally talk about our lives and what was going on.  We were pretty young, like 20, when we wrote it.  We tried to be as honest as possible.  Of course, with this newer record, we are more aware of who our audience is, and who's listening.  But, if you try to do it for them, it sounds really cliché and fake and kind of lame.  It sounds like you are trying too hard.  At some point, you've got to block it out and write something that makes you feel good, and feel proud.  You just have to be yourself I think.

Dadsmagazine.com: My daughter has told me that some bands are in favor of abstinence and no drugs. Is that what you think your message is out there?
Chuck: The one thing we do that we are proud of, when we play live or on records, a lot of people can relate to lyrics, ten come to the shows and meet us.  We try to be really down to earth and be nice and cool.  You don't need to be a dick or cocky to be in a band.  As far as personal lifestyle, we never said we were straight edge. We do what we want. When kids come to the show, if they have problems in their life, they can forget them for like 1.5 hours and have fun with us.
Seb: We don't really preach to people and tell them what to do, we express ourselves and be honest.  They can make their own choices.

Radio Girl: What's the most unique thing a fan has done for you?
Chuck: A lot of people travel.  We had this girl win a contest and flew here from Australia.  That was pretty dope.  Flying from Aus to see a show.  I don't know if I would do that.  I'd fly to Aus for fun.
Seb: But not to meet a band.
Chuck: Some people do really cool stuff.  They make stuff.  Like puppets and drawings.
Seb: This one girl made dolls of us.  The hair and the clothes were right, the little instruments and drum kits.  Kind of resembled voodoo; it was a little creepy.
Chuck: These people are more creative than we are.
Seb: Or they have too much free time.

The Mom: Where do you get your inspiration from?
Seb: Pornography.
Chuck: Sorry, that made things awkward.
Seb: Young kids in the room. Ear muffs everyone.
Chuck: Real life. Things that we or our friends are going through.  Dealing with growing up and trying to find who you are and trying to fit in and find you place.  That kind of stuff.  We're all early 20's, still dealing with a lot of stuff...
Seb: That's almost mid-20's...
Chuck: Growing up and deciding what you want to do with your life.  Every song is about life in general.  You can go to a movie, and a line will pop up in your head.  Or talk to a friend on the phone; they tell a story and we write a song about it.  It's very random.  There is no...
Seb: Pattern... The pattern is not laid out.

Dadsmagazine.com: You are on top now.  How do you hang on?
Chuck: You hold on really tight.
Seb: Keep doing what you do, I guess.
Chuck: With this new record, we are really excited.  It's not about the pressure or the label, it's more about how happy and grateful we are to be where we are, to have the chance to travel and have people relate to our music.  You put your own pressure on your shoulders.  We sat down for 3 months and wrote.  We wanted to write the best songs possible.  Every day you show up and do your best and keep going.  Every show is important. Whether 10 or 10,000 people.  I think the coolest part is just meeting people and being nice.  That's the biggest mistake people make...
Seb: They think they are cooler than they are.
Chuck: Never forget how you got there and where you came from. That's gonna help us down the road for sure.

Jayne*Star
jayne.star@XROXX.com