being interviewed

february 23rd 2006

It is about 6pm in hotlanta, and as I stand outside with mikey by the RV, I tell him that two nice 18-year old guys are coming to the show tonight for the purpose of interviewing Sherwood for their e-zine, For The Sound. meanwhile, mike, joe and i are all thinking that we need to get some coffee, but with no transportation (other than the monster vehicle we call home) and no coffee in walking distance, things are looking gloomy. then mikey has the idea of asking the interviewers to take us to coffee, simultaneously eliminating our headaches and providing a cozy chatting atmosphere. we all agree it is a great idea, but right before we leave, nate and lucas decide to pin my arms and wrap as much masking tape around my body (READ: around my beard and hair in overlapping loops) as possible. this provides our interviewers with the photo they need for the front page feature: a taped-up me, with my mouth involuntarily pried open by two opposing strands of sticky paper, half mummy, half mountain man, a grinning, mischievious nate smiling by my side.

on the way to coffee (the three of us sherwoods together in the backseat of the sedan while the interviewers chauffer), the jokes are already rolling, and i anticipate a good time.

we land at starbucks (not my first choice, but i try not to be picky), and joe and i pull our usual stunt -- a venti coffee frapuccino split into two tall cups (less than $2 each, but wallets full of coffee goodness!) -- while our new friends pull two tables together to start the interview. this is still a relatively new phenomenon for me, and i am not quite comfortable, but certainly not bored either. the majority of the interview ends up being spent in three-way nerdy jokes between us band members, with a few actual ANSWERS to questions interspersed between wisecracks. at one point, mikey begins knocking on the table as i am answering a question about labels. were i to transcribe this 30 seconds of conversation, it would look like this:

interviewer: so are there any specific labels you are looking at, or are looking at you?
me: ummmmmm (i learned this from speech class), i don't think we are really supposed to name any names...
mikey: *knocks on wood*
joe: mikey, why did you just hit the table?
mikey: ya know, "knock on wood"?
joe: i don't think you quite understand that expression.

at this point, joe is in fact correct, mikey doesn't quite understand it. for the most part, however, questions are answered relatively smoothly -- more often smooth when we aren't trying to be funny. my favorite egotistical mishap (which i hope isn't printed) occurs when mikey fields the question, "why did you guys get a one album deal?" with the answer, "well, we kind of DESERVED it." mikey also chooses at one point to answer the question, "would you rather sign to an indie label or a major label?" by citing that "Dan is a control freak, but he realizes he can't control labels." oh, mikey...how i love thee.

but in general, the interview is going well, joe is laughing a lot, there are numerous mentions of never "hearing organ in the winter" (as a reason our music is connected to the summer so often -- sub question: is it?), to which i can't help but laugh, mainly at the word "organ", which is admittedly childish of me. but there is something childish that tends to surface when i spent time with joe and mikey.

the interview concludes, we sign a phanny pack with a silver sharpie, and we make our way back to the club. all in all, a good time.