INTERVIEW:    Explosions In The Sky_20.04.2002

 

rectangular:  Can you explain Mike's Audition for the bass player job with Metallica?

Mark:  Well, that actually didn't happen.  It was a sheer falsity.  That's pretty much it.

Chris:  I don't think he would really want to do that?

Mark:  You don't think so?  I think that he could rejuvenate that band.

Chris:  We had read somewhere that they were auditioning for a new bass player and it was just sort of a joke that mike should try out for them... but it never happened.

rectangular:  So do you guys spread a lot of rumors on your website then?  

Mark:  No.  I think that's probably the only one that I can think of.

rectangular:  When can we expect to hear the song you guys did with American Analog Set?

Chris:  I think that's sort of up to them.  Probably never... but maybe.  They've talked about re-recording it because their recording is a little weird... but that's totally up to them.  I don't know if they'll even put that out or anything?

rectangular:  How many of you guys moved back to Midland and how is life there for you now?

Mark:  Three of us moved back there... myself, Mike, and Munaf.  Chris is hopefully going to move there in the Summer.  As for how it is there, I'm not really sure yet because we were only there for like a week and a half before we went on tour.  We know what to expect.  It's our hometown... there's nothing there.  I don't know, it will be fine.  I'm looking forward to it, just so we can have some time to make up some new stuff.

rectangular:  So the cost of living in Austin was just too high for you then?

Mark:  Yeah.  The living expenses are gonna go down probably by about less than half.

Chris:  But beyond it just being cheap, we don't know anyone there except our friend Stephen who's with us on tour right now.

rectangular:  In Austin?

Chris:  No, in Midland.  So all we'll probably do is practice...opposed to going out or whatever.  There's always something stupid going on in Austin, so it will be nice to get away from that for a while.  I shouldn't say stupid (they both start laughing).

rectangular:  In January of 2001, you guys saw a girl get hit by a car?  What happened and how did that affect you?

Mark:  You know what, I don't know what happened?  (he asks Chris)  Do you know what happened to her?

Chris:  She's fine.

Mark:  She's apparently fine.

Chris:  I think we were over it by the next day.

Mark:  Yeah.  It was quite shocking though.  It was not a good way to start off the year by any means.  We were just having a good time, and that just dispersed everything.

rectangular:  How has your tour van been holding up during this latest tour?

Mark:  We were playing in Detroit and then we were going to see my grandma in Cincinnati.  We were just driving down the highway at about seventy miles per hour, and the van had been vibrating really badly for about the past two weeks.  We just thought it was normal.  We didn't think it was worth looking into (laughing).  Then, all of a sudden a huge crash came from the bottom of the van.  So we pull over and look underneath, and the drive shaft is on the ground.  It just fell completely out of the van!  So we thought the tour was over... we thought the van was over, but it ended up only costing three hundred dollars... so it wasn't bad at all.  Other than that, it's been fine.

rectangular:  In the past, you guys have complained about not getting along very well on tour.  What kind of things do you guys fight about, and have you been getting along better lately?

Chris:  I would say that this tour we have gotten along very well.  Usually it's me and Munaf fighting, or Mark and Munaf fighting (he starts to laugh).  That's generally how it is, but it's been really good this tour.  I don't even know what starts it... I mean the stuff we fight about is the same stuff that anyone fights about... like really dumb things that are really inconsequential.

rectangular:  Like which radio station to listen to?

Chris:  Not even anything that concrete.  Just sort of like, someone will say something... I don't even know... it just always escalates.  But this tour has been really good I think.  I think we've just got used to it.  It's sort of hard being with the same people for two months, and we've all got our problems...

rectangular:  Are we ever going to hear or read the interview you guys did in Europe with the VPRO radio station?  And what about the separate music set you recorded in their studio?

Mark:  We've never even heard it.  They keep saying they're going to send it to us, but we haven't seen it.

rectangular:  The music set as well?

Mark:  Yeah, both of them.

rectangular:  Was any of that stuff new material?

Mark:  No, we just played some of the stuff off the (current) album, and I guess two new tracks that are gonna go on the next album.  No, no... it was one that was going to go on the (new) album, and one that we were going to try to record for the seven inch on Zeal Records.

rectangular:  So you have not been playing any new live material on this tour?

Mark:  I don't know... for sound checks we mess around, but there's just really no time.  This Summer is what we're banking on.  We'll have time to do it then.

rectangular:  According to Kat Kandler's website, you guys will be featured on the soundtrack for a new film called "All the Real Girls" directed by David Gordon Green.  Can you confirm this and how much material did you contribute?

Chris:  I guess we can't technically confirm it yet, because we haven't actually signed documents or anything like that... but it's something that's sort of being discussed.  They just want to use part of "The Moon Is Down" from the album.  I cannot say it's definite yet, but it looks probable... We'll see what happens.

rectangular:  Speaking of Miss Kandler, how did you guys meet her?

Chris:  I just worked with her at a bookstore in Austin, and that's how I met her.  We just kinda became friends.  That's basically it really.  She was doing her movies and we were doing our music, and we all kind of collided I guess.

rectangular:  It's rumored that your latest album has sold about four thousand copies?  Did you suspect that it would be so well received?

Mark:  Well... is that right?

Chris:  It could be more... who knows?

Mark:  It's rumored to us as well.  We haven't seen any numbers.  If that's true, that's fantastic!  That is definitely more than I've thought.  It's very pleasing that people like it.

rectangular:  Since you guys are not going to work on any new material until this Summer, when can we expect to see a new album?

Mark:  Our plan, it it all works out, is to write it this Summer.  We are going to Europe in the Fall, and I guess we'll record it in November or December.  Then it will take probably until April I would say, before it comes out.  That's if all goes according to plan.

rectangular:  So is that a pretty concrete plan that you guys are going to Europe in the Fall?

Mark:  Yeah.  We've been talking to Slave Traders, they're the booking agency over there.  They've already given us a tentative routing, so it's being set up.

rectangular:  How many countries in Europe will you be touring thru?

Mark:  I'd say almost ten, it's really nice.  Germany, Italy, France, and The U.K. are all on the list.

rectangular:  So Chris, have you and Kurt Volk done any film projects together lately?

Chris:  Kurt's working on stuff in Austin quite a bit... He's done a couple of things with Kat (Kandler), just helping her out and stuff.  But, as far as he and I doing anything together, we're not really working on anything right now.  We still live together and talk about stuff, but we haven't really worked on anything in a while.

rectangular:  Have you been down to the old Cinerama here in Seattle to talk with the guys waiting for Episode II (Star Wars)?

Chris:  No, I'm gonna kind of stay away from all of that this time around.

rectangular:  I know basically how you guys from Midland met Chris, but how did the rest of you meet each other?

Mark:  I guess I went to the same high school as Mike, so I met him there.  Munaf is much younger, so I guess we kinda met through skateboarding.

rectangular:  I have a bad memory when it comes to the name of songs, but I know my favorite song off your latest album is the last track.  Have you guys ever tried playing it live?

Mark:  That one is called "with tired eyes, tired minds, tired souls, we slept".  I think we have tried playing it live once, but it's a really hard song.