Interviews

Interview by Michelle Gonzales

    Epitaph Records' continuous expansion into all forms of indie, rock, and punk have now branched out to include THE SPECIAL GOODNESS. Weezer's Pat Wilson and Rocket from the Crypt's Atom Willard put together an album that culminates the creative ideas of Pat and friends since 1997. The January re-release of LAND AIR SEA promises melodies and honest lyrics, done simply and in the comfort of Pat's home.

SKRATCH: What was your most memorable moment of 2003?
PAT: Probably my 10th anniversary.

SKRATCH: Do you have any big plans for 2004?
PAT: Not so much, just keep doing what we're doing. Maybe have a kid.

SKRATCH: To me, Weezer members seem so ambitious in creative aspirations. Does a certain reinvention come out of these side projects?
PAT: I think it just makes Weezer better, because it just gives you more perspective. From where I fit, it definitely makes Weezer more fun.

SKRATCH: What do you think is the key to longevity in making music and making music for a living?
PAT: I'd say communication, like everything else. I think what trips fans up the most is just not having honest communication and trying to understand where the person is coming from. I just think that the thing that breaks bands up is that they have conflict that can't be resolved because they don't want to communicate and [instead] they just think, "Fuck that guy," and that's how it ends.

SKRATCH: Are there things that young artists and bands do nowadays that surprise you?
PAT: I think that I'm just generally surprised at how younger people are just savvy about the business. Sometimes it bums me out when you meet a 15-year-old kid who is comfortable talking about agents and managers and labels and stuff. I think that sucks. Personally I'd like to see kids be kids and, you know, people be not so precocious. It takes your childhood away.

SKRATCH: Are you seeing a lot of kids nowadays being in bands and making music at a younger age?
PAT: I'd actually say no. I think with my generation a lot of people were in bands, [but] I don't think it's like that anymore. I don't seem to see as many young people joining bands. I don't know if they'd rather play video games or what, but it doesn't seem to be as many bands as there used to be.

SKRATCH: In all of its different phases, how did you feel during the making of this album?
PAT: We were pretty old-school. We just put up a bunch of mics up, you know, 2" tapes...Just sort of tried to get takes. I think that a lot of bands now do a million takes, and then somebody goes away with a computer and tries to correct all the mistakes. Then you get what's on the radio today, which is some good songs, but a lot of it, after I hear it two times, I just don't care because it's been perfected, which is alright...but it's exactly wrong. The way I see it is that classic-rock stations have been around for a long time not just because of the Baby Boomers who are that audience but because that kind of music is more real than like, you know, synth pop from the '80s and '90s.

SKRATCH: Even that stuff is making a comeback.
PAT: It's more of like, "Oh, I remember that" than "This stuff has been here for a long time."

SKRATCH: Who do you see bursting through with a lot of innovation?
PAT: I think Foo Fighters are really great. I think Radiohead is great. I even like Coldplay. They're kinda gay, [Laughs] but being gay is fine. (I love them, so I can say that.) [They're,] you know, typical bands that do nice work and don't seem to care what other people think.

SKRATCH: What is your favorite song on LAND AIR SEA?
PAT: I think it's probably the worst song, but my favorite one to listen to is "Pardon Me", because of the way we recorded that particular song. There weren't any overdubs there; it was just one guitar and one vocal, with I think a couple little overdubs. For the most part it was very straight-ahead, and I really liked that.

SKRATCH: Are there any future tour dates coming up?
PAT: Not yet, but I think we would be able to put something together this spring.

SKRATCH: Do you have any expectations regarding touring?
PAT: Just to have fun, really.

Check out photos at their Website: www.thespecialgoodness.com.

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