Paris Texas:  The Other Milwaukee Band

When most people think of Milwaukee rock, they think of The Promise Ring, or worse, Hey Mercedes.  What most of you are missing is the underground sensation, Paris Texas.  I caught up with Nick, guitar, as he was driving to go camping with his lady, four short days before they hit the road with Jimmy Eat World.  Mostly, I learned that life is not easy in rock and roll, but if you want it bad enough, you make do.  And Paris Texas wants it bad enough.

XROXX: When do you leave for the Jimmy Eat World tour?
Nick: It's really just three days. I guess they are doing like a few warm up shows before the records comes out.  We will be playing next Thursday, Friday, and Saturday with them.

XROXX: Tell the world a little bit about yourself...
Nick: 4 of 5, except Nolan, went to school in Madison at U of W.  That's how we started playing together, mostly, through the local scene there.  We've had a few different guitar players, they dropped off, and now we have Nolan. We're all from Wisconsin though.

XROXX: Let's talk about your CD.  What was the recording process like for you guys?
Nick: It was really long.  It took a lot longer than any of us ever expected it would.  We started tracking last August.  We finished the mastering in February.  We were in the studio for like five weeks in Madison, and then another five weeks in Milwaukee.  That was just tracking.  A lot longer than I would have liked it to.  However, we are all really happy with the way it turned out.

XROXX: What's next on your plate?
Nick: After the three days with JEW, we start off in Texas with Minus the Bear.  It's gonna be really awesome.  We've got two and a half weeks with them.  Then, a week with Saharah Hot Nights, which is going to be fucking fantastic.  That's what we have set up right now.  Honestly, if we are not on tour, we're just losing money. From now till December we'll be on tour, take January off, and then go back on the road.

XROXX: What are some of the bands that influence your sound?
Nick: Good question.  There are probably just as many non-musical influences as there are musical ones. [Just so you know, I still don't understand what he was talking about.  I must be dense.]  Whether or not, we are an indie rock band plus some Van Halen.  Maybe that's a good way to look at it.  Lately, I have been listening my ass off to the new Rye Coalition CD.  At the same time, we'll throw in Willie Nelson and everyone will sing along.  We are kind of across the board like that.  There's been a lot more of this high energy stuff going through our veins lately, and I think that is showing in our music.

XROXX: How are you preparing for the string of tours you have coming up?
Nick: We bring our tents.  That's probably the first thing that goes in the van.  Any day off, we take to camp.  It's the one thing on tour that tends to keep us saner than drinking.  Everyone right now is pretty much working their ass off at home, making money, because when you go on tour, you never quite know how it's going to pan out.  It's to the point now where we are pretty self sufficient, but at the same time, we're flat broke.  Kind of constantly feeling like you are two steps behind where you would like to be.  Either at home or on the road, we're always pinching pennies.  Probably more than giving the band a tune up, that is the one tihng on our mind.  Everyone has to bear down.  There is a lot of PB&J eating on tour.  Getting ready for tour is more of a financial thing. There is always the element of practicing and making sure we sound good on the road of course.

XROXX: What do you want someone to think after the first time they see Paris Texas?
Nick: There is a high energy aspect to everything.  Listening to the radio, for me, has become a downer.  Most of these commercial stations play bands that sound angry all the time.  Anger is a part of everything, but at the same time, even if we're pissed off, we're gonna do it with a smile on our face, and a bit of a smirk.  One thing is that I hope people don't leave before they sit down and have a beverage with us.  That's the way I look at it.  Watch us play, think what you want, but sit down and get to know us, and have something to say about us as people.

XROXX: A fan wanted to know if the name Paris Texas is a Saved By The Bell reference? (note: the episode when Lisa is planning to go to Paris, and Screech's response is "Paris, Texas?  Wow." and she responded "No, Paris, France you moron.")
Nick: No, but that is what I am now going to tell people our name comes from.  It actually comes from the movie Paris, Texas, circa the 80's.  But, from now on, it's from Saved By The Bell.  That question has gotten to the point where we really don't want to answer it anymore.  So, thanks for not asking and making it sound better.  That is probably going to show up more often than not in our interviews.

XROXX: Bush or Kerry?
Nick: I think it's two sides of the same coin.  Be a positive voter.  Vote for someone not against someone else.

XROXX: In the van, books or video games?
Nick: I'm a reader, Matt's a video game guy.  I'm into Pac-Man, not Grand Theft Auto.

Please, do yourself a favor and check out Paris Texas, you will thank me later...

Jayne*Star
jayne.star@XROXX.com