You're not popping bath salts once in a while?
No‚ but I am a cannibal‚ see‚ but I don't need the excuse of drugs. I just go out and eat people. [laughter]
I think that it's weird. I don't know‚ bath salts doesn't seem like a particularly good party drug‚ but there's all sorts of stuff I'm reading about. Even in -- what was it‚ in a really sort of cookie cutter vanilla men's magazine‚ like Maxim or something like that‚ and they're talking about this one guy who developed this new drug and it's like the best of this and the best of that‚ and there's nothing bad about it and there's no coming down‚ it doesn't hurt to come down off of it and blah‚ blah‚ blah blah‚ blah. And I'm just going‚ oh man‚ I'm so happy I wasn't around when there were so many options [laughs].
What was it‚ there was weed. There's mushrooms. Look at that‚ they're pretty colors‚ but beyond that‚ we didn't have to worry about it. Yeah‚ I got very‚ very lucky.
Timing is everything… sometimes.
But yeah‚ we are sort of entering‚ I don't know what it is‚ a comfortable adult experience for us‚ in terms of our interactions with each other in the band‚ with our writing‚ our dedication to it. We're out of that can-afford-to-fuck-off‚ now we're kind of more serious in terms of dedication‚ not in terms of so serious we're not smiling onstage -- that would be a waste of time. Which is funny too‚ because Yonder's fourteen years old‚ or thirteen… near enough to make no difference‚ and so‚ that's old! That's a long time! Nobody keeps bands together for fourteen years.
It's a feat.
And I'm only feeling like we just turned -- now we're teenagers. I almost feel like we finally grew up. And I know from my own life‚ even though I thought I was having the best of times when I was young -- the real good times are happening now‚ once I've matured and gotten older. That's when the real good stuff happens. Which is great if you're younger because then you know you've got something to look forward to‚ if you trust anything I say. But‚ I'm telling you.
So now‚ I feel if you say it one way -- Yonder's been around for fourteen years‚ I should feel tired. I should feel tired of it‚ shouldn't I? Fourteen years is a long time. But I don't.
You're probably in a very healthy headspace if you feel that way.
Well‚ healthy headspace‚ and also have legitimate things to be excited about. I'm my own worst critic‚ and I am Yonder's worst critic‚ well‚ maybe the other guys would argue‚ I think we all feel that way‚ but for me to be this sort of fired up and passionate‚ it's something that I'm not taking lightly. I'm very thankful that I can be fourteen years into a band and still feel excited about it. I think that's probably even rarer than keeping a band together for fourteen years.
Yes‚ and to still be that excited about it and interested and that devoted.
And I think‚ you know what else I think is part of it? Is that we never had a hit. You know‚ imagine if you're a band and you have a hit single. Let's say I wrote a hit single ten years ago. OK‚ then I'd be ten years older now‚ still singing that hit single‚ right? But that hit single could have been‚ [singing] "we're twenty-two and I fucking love you…" Well‚ if I'm thirty-six‚ and I'm singing I'm twenty-two and I fucking love you‚ well that sucks‚ then you feel old‚ that makes you old.
I feel like that's how Hanson feels when they have to sing "Mmmbop" every night.
Ohh -- they do‚ don't they though?
They have to.
Oh‚ I'd go see Hanson if I could.
Would you?
Because why not? I would‚ just to see them as old men‚ having to sing "Mmmbop." That's people taking their medicine. Now‚ granted that's them taking their medicine all the way to the bank -- I hope they made money on that‚ I hope they invested wisely‚ cause otherwise… you know‚ that.
Do you think fatherhood has manifested itself in your songwriting yet? With you and Dave Johnston parents now‚ do you think Yonder might ever do a kid's album?
Oh‚ yeah‚ I know-- I think so. We had a great idea the other day. It wouldn't be a kid's album for kids. If you're going to make a kid's album‚ you've got to make an album that kids can dig and that parents can dig‚ and something that isn't going to drive you‚ bat-shit crazy you know‚ Tickle Me Elmo type of stuff. You can't have that. So the challenge is kids need music and how. I mean‚ kids need to really be able to hear music and dance to music and sing to music and laugh. And so‚ it's sort of natural then‚ as your kid starts to listen to music‚ or if you try to think well‚ what kind of music am I going to want my kid to listen to? Then you start thinking‚ well‚ I'm a musician‚ maybe I should be making some music that we would think‚ I want my kid to listen to this kind of music too‚ and also the parents aren't going to get totally sick to death of it. So‚ we had a good idea the other day‚ it wouldn't involve writing new material‚ it would be performing older songs that were sort of like‚ I guess‚ were very important to us as kids‚ and I think that'll be a record that we'll definitely do at some point‚ but it's not going to be the next record‚ that's for sure.