Interview

In November of 2002, Seattle based Gatsby’s American Dream found themselves at Midgard; a small Columbus based comic shop. Tucked away in a strip mall, it was characterized by mediocre sound and a three-inch stage made from the cheapest wood and carpeting possible. Yet, it was intimate and for any regular it held more sentiment than it ever would people or equipment. A second home full of knick-knacks and memories such as everybody’s etchings on the walls, a miniature disco ball above the stage, and bands who played for at most a large pizza. It is this archetype where one goes for their first show and bands begin their journey. It was where a handful of adolescents stood in awe as Jesse of Brand New left a sizable hole in the wall when he simultaneously jump kicked and belted, “is that what you call a getaway.” It was where Punchline and Bayside made their Columbus presence and it was where The Stryder played one of their last shows.

In retrospect, it is difficult to imagine a stage where Nic does not have room to dance and run around. Moreover, a show where someone is not on crystal meth and the venue owner is threatening to get his gun and “handle the situation.” Yet, this was how GAD and I first met and in spite of the chaos they played with a beautiful rage. Innovative, confident and creative GAD has three solid albums and an EP under their belt, and thankfully show no signs of slowing down.

EP: How are you guys feeling tonight?

GAD: It is just the second show of the tour so we are still nervous, but by next week we will be fine. We stick out like a store thumb though, all the bands are sweet, but Cartel and The Starting Line have a very strong pop element. So we are still feeling things out with the crowd and other bands.

EP: It was a little over three years ago when GAD first came to Columbus, do you guys have any thoughts on how you are now essentially playing the city’s largest indoor venue?

GAD: At this level we have been playing every night and touring a lot so with that just comes experience. We have played here before with Matchbook Romance…the green room here is way too small to fit one band let alone three [it really is].

EP: That night I like to describe your performance as a beautiful rage. There was an unmistakable unspoken connection of inner emotional chaos. GAD played with such reckless abandon and heart, yet for someone on the outside looking in all they would see is harmony and balance. It was one of the most natural performances, yet polar to "nature's" chaos theory. This left quite an impression, especially on a night where Murphy’s Law was taking center stage.

As GAD has become more experienced and your music has evolved, do you feel that your live performance has changed? Is it somewhat more fun, now that in a way you guys are veterans?

GAD: Well our first Midwest tour was just us. We had no money just a van and some songs we really wanted to play. We have matured a lot since 2002, for the most part we were still in high school. Our mindset is more professional, yet we still play as hard as we did in the past. There is simply more to it now than just going out and going crazy.

EP: That show three years ago took place a couple days after Why We Fight was released. How would you have defined success then and how would you define success now?

GAD: The record was just released? Crazy, yah we had four songs demoed, got signed and put up the rest…honestly, we were just so happy to play a show and have people hear our music, that is all that mattered. Success to us now is reaching as many people as possible. We believe in our music and feel there are still plenty of people who will benefit from it.

EP: The band’s name has ties with the American Dream and you have mentioned how you always hope to remain pure to this notion. Do you feel your definition of the American dream has shifted and do you feel you still convey the ideal?

GAD: Back then we were just kids with a we'll do anything our way attitude and screw it if you don’t agree with us. It is just the nature of the business where you realize there are compromises you have to make and compromises you are forced into.

EP: What kind of forces are pushing and driving you right now, do you guys feel like you have anything left to prove or are you satisfied?

GAD: I don't think we will ever be satisfied as we are always exploring and writing. We felt that we set a precedent early on, so there was a bit of a chip on our shoulder for Ribbons and Sugar. We wanted to just make the most kick ass record possible. Time wasn't a concern and we weren’t touring so that really allowed us to do something special. As far as other sources of motivation, well we find reviews funny, hearing people’s perceptions and how they try to pin us into a certain genre…it just makes us want to go the complete opposite direction. Although, we were kind of pissed when some reviews said Why We Fight was indicative of a pop band.

GAD: What do you think of this title, bad beat or so controversial?

EP: I would go with bad beat, I can picture in my head what bad beat would sound like and so controversial…first thing that pops into my head is Brand New’s ca ca ca ca controversial.

GAD: Hah, we have had an idea to incorporate lyrics from other bands into songs, the so controversial is actually meant to be from Brand new. Right now we have a dozen or so songs that we are toying around with.

EP: As you continue to establish yourselves as artists and as your fan base continues to develop emotionally and numerically, do you find yourself constricted creatively at all? Hypothetically, what would you fear more; an album you wanted to make, but is not well received or creating a body of work that you feel is somehow lacking?

GAD: At the end of the day what we created will live on and if we make compromises they too would last forever. We will always have that stubbornness of wanting to do things our way and at the end of the day it is our creation and nobody else's.

EP: It has been mentioned in past interviews how several songs are based on themes from several creative mediums; such as literature, music and well life. You have also said a lot of the literature you value was self-motivated reading. On some level, you must know that a significant portion of your audiences and fans consist of kids who would much rather watch some derivative television show than read a newspaper or know who penned Lord of the Flies.

Which would you hope to be and which do you think you are: a vessel to artistic exploration and a pathway to the people who have inspired you, or rather the source an equivalent to a Hemmingway to your fans?

GAD: Definitely the latter, we still have a long way to go to reach that point. Very few bands will ever reach that level like an At the Drive In or Nirvana, but they are the bands that change everything.

EP: Some of the great musicians of our time learned how to play their instruments from the previous generation’s sound, what do you think a band influenced by GAD might sound like?

GAD: They would be more…pop accessible, they’ll sound good, yah we won’t name names, but there’ll be some copycats.

EP: How does the set list process work? It seems like touring bands will play the same set night after night maybe changing up a song or two. There are valid reasons for this: practicing new songs, promoting a new cd, no longer identifying with the older music. Personally, it just seems too formulaic and linear. There is an extent to which we are products of our environment and develop patterns, but regardless our emotions are always constantly changing. Are there not some days where you just feel like you have got to scream from the top of your lungs "the sun sinks into distant waters in the west and off to the east the green light shimmers.” (p.s. that was my subliminal message to play why we fight). Similarly, I cannot imagine crowds responding the same way each night, do you ever get the vibe that certain audiences need to hear “draw business with syringes, stethoscopes can hear the faint ticks of the nine to five…” (p.s. that was another subliminal message). I just always felt a live performance was meant to be organic, unique, and not bound by some ceiling or floor.

GAD: Well some songs we cannot do because Ryan is no longer with us [Ryan is one of two original guitarists, left GAD for college, he will be playing some shows during the tour though!], but that is from a lineup point of view. Rudy does the set list every night and while we have tried to retire some material, it just never happens. When we are in Seattle the majority want to hear older stuff, but if we hear a shout out sometimes we will just say ok and start playing. We want to play the songs we know well live, and we take into consideration the songs we think the audience will know. What it comes down to is getting people into it the live performance is for them. Just to give an example, Cartel will end on a really upbeat pop song, so starting with a piano solo is out…we would just kill the vibe. A lot of thought goes into making the setlist and it is fun, but at the same time it is our livelihood so we have to do it right.

EP: If you had all the money and time in the world, how would you make a record? And no, you cannot hire a thousand monkeys to write a classic and then make a cd out of it, kidding!

GAD: Jon Brion, he is the producer who did the new Kanye West and Fiona Apple. He has also done Punch Drunk Love, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, I <3 Huckabees…something tropical would be sweet, our own studio.

GAD: What do you think he’d do to our music.

GAD: Probably be so insane, don’t even know what he’d do with our music, probably make us can our current project.

GAD: I don’t know about the tropical island, some people say you make better music if you are in a place where weather sucks.

GAD: Probably why Seattle scene is so sweet.

EP: Speaking of, any shoutouts to Seattle scene?

GAD: Forgive Durden, Slender Means, This Providence…oh man are we glad Portugal the Man is signed to Fearless now.

GAD: We’ll be doing our first headlining tour since Why We Fight…it is going to be sweet to take on bands.

EP: Favorite prank you’ve done to one and another?

GAD: Billy [Lights, keeper togetherer, Bobby’s brother] likes to prank call a lot.

GAD: Funniest thing was a failed prank where Kyle wrapped himself up in a blanket and waited for Bobby to come out of the shower. He laid there motionless for five plus minutes. Finally, Bobby appears and Kyle jumps out and is just like ‘meep,' he gives the faintest “ahh,” so bobby is just sitting there in a towel, doesn’t even react…just curious what kyle was doing coming out from under a blanket.

Roll Credits:

Thank you very much to Gatsby's American Dream, Billy Darling and Adam LaRue.

The success question and all time/money question originated from a Limbeck interview by Si Robins. Found here.

The what would an influenced band sound like question was from an Arcade Fire interview by Tyrone Warner of tinymixtapes. Found here.