Latest / The BlackSheep Podcast: Presented by HM Magazine / De'Mar Hamilton: Plain White T's

Transcript

De'Mar Hamilton: Plain White T's · The BlackSheep Podcast: Presented by HM Magazine

0:04
Almost so sleep on the Jave home. I wonder if you give a shit
0:13
the Hobby demo songs on and if I got none of them, whatever means
0:30
today we have DeMar from Plain White Teas. This is so exciting tomorrow.
0:35
I was just telling Colin, I was telling some other folks about this,
0:37
uh leaning up last week since we got this schedule. That was like,
0:41
I don't think there's been a more popular band that we've interviewed on this podcast.
0:47
Like we're not like a big podcast by any means, Like we're just
0:49
we're yeah, we're we're just music fans that happened to every now and then
0:52
get lucky enough to get some cool artists. But Plain White Tease, you,
0:56
guys, are you got a song that's almost got almost a billion plays
1:00
on spot Like that's that's pretty legit right there. We have yet to interview
1:04
anybody even close to that many plays on at least one particular song, So
1:10
that's pretty cool for us. This feels like a special moment, both for
1:12
Colin and I. That's awesome, guys. I'm happy to be here.
1:15
And yeah, I checked out your podcast and I didn't even think about it
1:18
like that, Like, oh, this guy's these guys, these guys are
1:21
interviewing cool bands that I like and so great. Yeah, hey, yeah,
1:25
I mean there's bands that you like from our podcast and you're like,
1:27
you're definitely one of our people. Then all right, sweet yeah, oh
1:30
sweet, that's sweet. Cool. Well, how are you doing today tomorrow?
1:34
You got obviously got the drum set in the background, like you are
1:37
actually a drummer, Like I am not just faking that, so uh,
1:41
you're you're the real drummer for the Plain White Tea's. Yeah, how are
1:44
things going these days? And the real drummer? Things are going pretty well?
1:48
Yeah, I mean it's an exciting time right now because of new albums
1:52
dropping out like soon this Friday. We got like, you know, we
1:55
just got a lot of stuff coming up. We got these hometown shows too
1:57
for the record release coming up, and yeah, it's just an exciting time
2:00
because we haven't put out a record since twenty eighteen, so it's kind of
2:04
Yeah, are you guys still in Illinois's where you guys started, right?
2:07
So I live in LA and two of the guys, I would say,
2:12
wait, yeah, two of the guys live in the Chicago area and one
2:15
guy is in Austin. So what is what is the hometown show? Then
2:19
for the hometown Chicago? Okay, okay, kill definitely, oh yeah,
2:24
Chicago forever. But yeah, so we're actually we're doing we're doing we're doing
2:29
to do a thing in Chicago, and then we're gonna do another night.
2:31
The second night, we're gonna do it in the suburbs. So kind of
2:35
a you know, call it the hometown takeover. Yeah. I like it,
2:38
like it, love it. Are you guys going to be like in
2:42
somebody's backyard playing like I saw, like taking Back Sunday recently played in somebody's
2:46
backyard in one of their like hometowns or whatever. I was like, that
2:50
is that's a like for a big, like a big popular band like that,
2:53
that's a way to do it. Yeah, that is kind of cool.
2:55
I have noticed they've been doing some cool stuff. Yeah, that's that's
2:59
awesome. I mean, we will play a backyard I don't know anywhere,
3:01
right, I like, I like more like well, the Food Fighters did
3:05
a few years ago, probably like to or probably two sixteen or so,
3:07
where they they did garage tours, So a garage tour, so they went
3:12
around and they just played in people's garages. Yeah, yeah, the most
3:15
badassing someone could Yeah that is Yeah. Could you imagine what the tickets for
3:21
that would be? Like, you know, food fighters can like I mean
3:23
they filled up like stadiums, right, Like that's consistently what they do.
3:25
So like imagine only fitting like twenty five people in a garage, Like how
3:30
much the ticket would for that would be? Yeah? I think it was
3:32
free. It probably, Yeah, it sounds sounds like it'd be like some
3:35
special free thing and they're like, do want where they coming through town or
3:38
something like that? Yeah? Maybe. Yeah. Anyway, Well, I'm
3:43
glad things are going well for you these days. You said you're in La,
3:46
right, I am in La. Oh? Yeah, where are you,
3:49
guys? I'm I'm in Minneapolis. Colin you would even try to attempt
3:53
to explain where you live. I live in the middle of nowhere at a
3:58
farmhouse in South Dakota. Oh all right, now, you guys ever played
4:01
South Dakota? Uh? Yes, I don't know better play South Dakota.
4:06
I can't remember, but I used to play. I played in South Dakota
4:10
a couple of times. This my old band Knockout. We used to play
4:12
in a place called My not Oh yeah, that's North Okay, that's that's
4:15
the other I'm sorry, I'm sorry, that's all right. Hey, hey,
4:18
we get we get confused. Wait okay, let me think, you
4:23
know, I get confused. This is like, you know, we played
4:25
so many places we had made in South Dakota. I cannot remember the town,
4:30
but it was like it was like a set of deadwood or something.
4:32
That's what I thought. Oh yeah, dead really yeah, okay, yeah,
4:38
okay, it's coming back, it's coming back. Yeah. Nice.
4:41
What was your old band's name. We were called Knockout. Knockout yeah,
4:46
and not knocked loose. No, I know that's after, that's probably after,
4:50
you know we were Yeah, we were called Knockout and we were actually
4:54
signed to Fearless Records, Like okay, got signed yeah yeah, wow,
5:00
oh yeah back in the day what two thousand? What what kind of what
5:03
kind of band was Knockout? I mean, you guys are playing Fearless some
5:08
No, we were a pop punk band. Yeah okay, yeah, like
5:12
fast like I don't even you know we compare ourselves to but like we were,
5:15
we definitely were all about blank within eighty two, I'll like, we
5:20
were like that was it. But yeah, it was cool. That's awesome.
5:25
Well kind of along those lines then, like before we get into like
5:29
plain white Tea's history, I'd love to hear a little bit more about like
5:31
your own personal history. How even got started playing music. Were you one
5:34
of those kids that like you were banging on uh you know, your parents
5:39
like uh, you know, pots and pans, and you were just like
5:42
they were like, we got to get you a drum set because this is
5:44
just driving us out, you know, out of the and so like,
5:47
what what was the what was impetus for you like getting into music, Like
5:50
what was it that really wanted you to start doing this stuff? You know
5:55
at a young age. I would say, I, you know, probably
6:00
my parents, my dad in particular, and just kind of just the environment
6:03
I was in, which was church and being in the church environment, and
6:08
my mom sang and my dad played like organ and piano. So I don't
6:12
know when it, like when it was the first time I started to play
6:16
drums or whatever, but I do know that when I was a baby,
6:19
like a two year old or something, I was beaten on the wall with
6:21
drumsticks or whatever. Course I definitely took a hammer once to my dad's piano
6:26
like I was beating with it and me and I bro Yeah kind of funny.
6:30
Oh no, especially if your dad is a pianist, like that's like,
6:33
that's extra. I was. Yeah. I mean, I don't know,
6:36
I don't know what prompted me. I was a little baby. I
6:39
don't know prompt me to take the hammer. But yeah, so it was
6:42
always in me, I guess to you know, I was Yeah, like
6:45
I said, I was always surrounded by music, So I feel like it
6:47
was just I just gravitated towards it immediately. I would say, like it
6:54
was like, I don't I don't know a time where I had to make
6:56
a decision about it. Like I was never like, oh I'm gonna play
6:59
music now I play drums, Like Dad, let me play drums. It
7:00
was just like, hey, can I get a drum set? Finally,
7:03
you know, I was already playing drums, but I didn't get a drum
7:05
set probably until eighth grade. Was when. Yeah, because I was playing
7:11
all these Your dad must have gone through a bunch of pianos. If you
7:13
was just like hammers for the first like fenteen years of your life. Yeah,
7:16
I mean I was the only one. I never did it again,
7:18
but yeah, I yeah, it was just different because we just never I
7:21
don't know, I think just playing in church and just having the drum set
7:24
at the church. We were like, have rehearsals there, we have services
7:27
there. So it was never like, I don't know, I knew a
7:30
lot of people that didn't have a drum set, so it was kind of
7:31
a big deal. But that played drums though, so you know, but
7:33
it was like a big deal when I did get the drum set, because
7:36
there were people that were like, how do you play drums? Are gonna
7:39
have a drum set? I'd be like, oh, guys, you know,
7:43
that's like the only instrument you can say that about too, isn't it.
7:46
It's not like you'd be like, yeah, I play guitar. I
7:47
don't own one, but I play guitar. You'd be like, wait what,
7:53
And now that makes sense why people were like, wait, what do
7:54
you mean? But I was like, no, there's drums at the church.
7:57
Yeah, like you know, but atually eighth grade then I was just
8:01
in my dad's basement, you know what I mean, just playing whatever,
8:05
just playing music, playing to like the local like alternative radio station, you
8:09
know what I mean. And we're just playing along? Is that what you're
8:15
doing? We just playing along? I would like, you know, I
8:16
would I would like take a you know, I was probably dated myself a
8:20
little bit, but I take a cassette tape. You record the radio station,
8:22
you record the songs or whatever, you know, and then and then
8:26
and it would be like Green Day, Doochie and like you know, President's
8:30
United States and some chili pepper stuff, and I I, yeah, I
8:33
don't know. That's what's kind of like. At an early age, I
8:35
was like, oh, this is cool. Those are good. Those are
8:39
great bands to find the pocket in that. Yeah, yeah, maybe that's
8:43
why. And no doubt too, it was like all the year, right,
8:46
you make a good point. Yeah, those were bands that have the
8:48
pocket you know. Yeah, dude, that's wow. Those were legit,
8:52
the legit bands at that at least that time. Yeah, at that time
8:56
for sure. Oh yeah. Well, so you got your first drum set
9:01
in eighth grade, and at some point then you got connected enough where you're
9:05
like, wait, like I can I can actually like play in bands and
9:09
even potentially like make some money doing this. Like at what point in your
9:13
career did that feel like all right, well you know I can be in
9:16
a band like Knockout or you know whatever it might have been. Like what
9:20
what were like some of those like early years of actually like playing bands and
9:24
and uh maybe touring and you know some of those really early years for you.
9:28
H Well, it all started when I was about fourteen. I uh,
9:33
some random kid like who's maybe a senior, I was probably a freshman,
9:37
I guess, came up to me in the hallway and was like,
9:39
hey, you played drums, like my, my, my, you know,
9:41
your friend told me that you played drum. And my friend Nick at
9:45
the time like he I guess they had asked him to be in the band.
9:46
He was like, I don't want to be in this band, but
9:48
my my friend haven't I know someone who plays drums, So like stranger comes
9:52
up to me and I'm like okay, and he's like, yeah, I'm
9:54
in this punk band and we play at we play in my you know my
9:58
uh our bass players garage on on like the weekends on Friday night, band
10:03
practice, like come over on Friday and let's jam. I'm like okay,
10:05
And I didn't know what punk was. I didn't really have any idea even
10:09
though I guess you know. I guess maybe I had already did, but
10:11
I didn't know, so I was like what okay, So so friends start
10:13
showing me music like oh you got this practice coming up? Okay, well
10:16
here's Blinklin eighty two and he was like Minor Thread and Deck Kennedy's and like
10:20
all this. Like it was like I was saying, like everything, someone
10:24
like just showed me every It was like Napster. Yeah, I remember that.
10:26
This is so funny. Actually, I think about I remember going to
10:28
a friend's house and him being like, oh, dude, you need to
10:31
know here goes to Napster types it in. He's like yeah, I'm like,
10:35
well naps You're like, oh, it's any song ever. Yeah,
10:39
it's kind of funny. And I was like, oh sick. And then
10:43
that's that's literally like how that began. And then from that band, that
10:46
band I think we were called. The last name we had was thought Crime,
10:50
I think, and then from that like that yeah, it was from
10:54
the George Orwell nineteen eighty four, Yeah, that book, So we named
10:58
our band. So yeah, we named the band that was one name.
11:01
And then I think the neighboring high school or whatever they were like they had
11:05
a band called the Fifes, and they the Fifes were more like the Riverdale's
11:09
and the Queers, you know, they were like the Ramones like that was
11:11
like their type of like we were doing more like thought Kim was more like
11:16
minor threat, you know, more political and like screaming. Yeah, oh
11:22
so angry. Yeah. The singer we call them Adam Spew and his name
11:28
is like, you know, something like that because he was just so angry
11:30
all the time. His last name was Strew. So you know that's what
11:35
we in the Midwest. You probably did. You have a nickname too.
11:39
Mine in that band was Boris. I think where does that come from?
11:45
I don't even remember, like like Scooby Dours, I don't know what where
11:48
did it come from? Boris a spider from the WHO or something like that.
11:52
I don't know. And I was just like, all right, that's
11:54
Boris Johnson, the UK guy. I think I think that's what I was.
12:01
I think was my nickname was Born Yeah, because you know, yeah,
12:05
you're right, you have to have a nickname at that time. So
12:07
yeah, I don't know. I just felt like every band from that,
12:09
like I was saying, like the Fives, and when I joined that band.
12:13
It was like they were like a little bit bigger than Knockout or not
12:16
Knockout then Thought Crime or whatever. So I was like okay. And then
12:20
from that band I was playing, you know, I was we played some
12:22
skate park somewhere, and then these guys in Knockout same thing, They're like,
12:26
hey, you wanna Hey man, like our drummer's gonna quit, why
12:28
don't you be in our band? And I'm practical with us? And I
12:31
was like, you guys live way too far away, Like there's no way
12:35
I'm gonna How am I gonna get to practice? I'm dumbers are hot commodity
12:39
man. Yeah, Like what am I gonna do? So I'm like what,
12:41
I don't know if I could do that. And then my friend Nick
12:43
again joined and then he joins the band for some reason. Then they asked
12:46
him and then he joins and I'm like he goes, yeah, my practical
12:48
was Knockout dudes, And I'm like, what are you talking about it.
12:50
He's like he's like, yeah, you turned it down. I was like,
12:52
I didn't even think I turned it down. So like after a while
12:56
of me going to practice every day with him and then like not really getting
13:01
along. They were just like why are you not in the band? And
13:03
then it just all kind of went from there and then again like then Knockout
13:07
led to Plain White Tea's. It was all kind of just like happening in
13:11
a progression like that, you know, like yeah, so yeah, dude,
13:16
what a wild story. Yeah, how did the whole Plain White Teas
13:22
thing come about? You know? I know at that point because I think
13:24
it was like early two thousands when you joined Plain White Teas and I do
13:28
you know if like you guys had had an album out yet at that point.
13:31
But but yeah, uh, what was what was kind of the like
13:35
what got you involved with Plaine White Tea's. What was that whole story?
13:41
So yeah, I would say because like because of Knockout and playing more shows
13:45
around like the suburb because we were just playing around the suburbs, and I
13:48
would say probably like late nineties, early two thousands, like the suburbs started
13:54
to mingle, if you will. They started to like talk to each other
13:58
and become friends. And then it'd be like, oh, if the South
14:01
Suburbs putting on a show, then maybe the band from the North Side comes
14:03
over. And then people started kind of like integrating and like having more of
14:07
a community. And I would say through that it's kind of how I started
14:11
to meet playing White Teas. You know, it's like just kind of there
14:15
was a band that they were friends with that I was just randomly friends with
14:18
because you know, it's just like I think a friend of mine like wanted
14:20
to like had a record label or something, and it was like recording their
14:24
band, and they were friends with Playing White Teas, and then you know,
14:26
you start going to shows and the next thing you know, oh,
14:28
now Knockout and playing Teacher playing a show together, which was like a big
14:31
deal because we were going to like their side of town, playing to different
14:33
people, you know, like playing in different fans. Yeah, it was
14:37
like kind of interesting. And then yeah, and we just had a relationship.
14:39
That was really all it was. We just had We just had a
14:41
friendship and would see each other a lot and be like Tom and me,
14:46
Tom and Dave mostly would would you know, would see each other out and
14:52
like again, Knockout kind of ended or my time and Knockout ended. And
14:56
then Tom was like I saw Tom a couple of times and he's like,
14:58
hey man, and uh, you want to be in the band. And
15:01
you know, I guess after a couple of times of this happening, I'm
15:03
like, Okay, I guess you should say yes. Just say yes so
15:05
you want to, you know, like, and I kind of like,
15:09
because I wasn't in Knockout for a little period of time, people were asking
15:13
me to be in bands, and I don't really know what I wanted to
15:15
do. I was sort of like, maybe I should start my own band
15:18
or whatever. But I I kind of told myself if Playing White Teas or
15:20
follow Boy were to ask me, which I didn't think that either of those
15:26
things would happen, but if those were the two bands at the time,
15:28
that I was like, oh, well, those bands are going to have
15:30
a career at this where they will have be successful and they're you know,
15:33
they're already almost you know, so and I didn't think that they I didn't
15:37
think then it would happen. It just sort of one day Tom asked me,
15:41
and I was kind of like, whoa weird, this is not cool?
15:43
Like, had you been playing also shows with fallow Boy around that time
15:48
too, Big Time Big Time? Yeah, Knockout and fallow Boy were.
15:52
Yeah, Knockout and fall Out Boy were pretty close and so like I think
15:58
all the way second show or something like in a basement of Milwaukee, like
16:02
we played, you know, because I had new I knew a couple of
16:04
guys that I knew, Patrick just from another band randomly. He was playing
16:07
drums. I met him in a backyard you know, backyard show or something
16:11
like that, and he was in this he was playing drums in his band,
16:14
Patterson, and we just became friends. And I didn't so when a
16:17
Knockout. When I was in Knockout, they were like, oh, yeah,
16:18
you know Stump's new band. Stumps got this new band where he's singing,
16:21
and I'm like, wait, he sinks plays guitar. What are you
16:22
talking about? Because You're like wait what And then we yeah, we played
16:26
with him in this basement and then yeah, it was kind of the rest
16:29
was history. Then we started playing almost every show together right where it was
16:33
like we've traveled around the Midwest or Chicago shows or whatever, and Pete and
16:38
the singer of Knockout kind of became really good friends for a while there.
16:41
But yeah, well, speaking of that, I heard that you got way
16:45
more girls back then than Pete Wentz did me. Yeah, you I don't
16:53
know about that. No, No, that sounds like, you know,
16:56
sounds like a fab fable. Maybe I don't think so Pete was Pete's Pete.
17:02
Yeah, I mean, you know, it's just it is the way
17:06
it goes. But I mean, back then, at least from what I
17:07
hear, I can't. I can't speak on that. I got that's the
17:11
rumor. That's what they say. That's what they say around Chicago. You
17:19
know, I mean, were there girls or we were like kids? Man,
17:23
we were I'm like, yeah, I guess we weren't thinking about women
17:27
and chasing girls. Yeah, we were all kids. I mean, why
17:30
does it? Why else does anyone play pop punk? Right? This is
17:33
true. That was the thing too, Like these guys are all hard hardcore
17:37
kids and they're like, oh yeah, we're gonna we're gonna try to We're
17:38
gonna play pop punk and be big. And I was like, what,
17:41
okay, that's like yeah, and some of them are really good. Did
17:48
you did you play enough shows in those like early fault? Obviously we want
17:51
to keep talking about playing White T's, but clearly you have like some sort
17:53
of relationship early on with follow Boy. Are there any stories early on where
18:00
you were playing with follow up boy maybe like you know, a little show
18:03
here or there. We were like, oh, that that's a story that
18:07
probably no one else in the world knows, but everybody should know. Like
18:11
there's gotta be like some embarrassing story about Pete or Patrick or there's got to
18:15
be something there where you're like, oh, like I'm I'm one of the
18:18
only people in the world that knows this story and people should know about it
18:22
now. I mean honestly, like nothing really there's no like embarrassing story really
18:30
with it. It was just like those guys were just on a mission and
18:36
it was like this crazy thing that was just happening, like you know what
18:40
I mean, Like they would play a show like I can just remember time
18:42
just playing shows with them and it always being a ruckus man like no matter
18:48
where it was like I remember this one time we played they played a house
18:51
somewhere, like someone's house, and it's just like always mayhem like everywhere they
18:56
went, you know, and like I do remember one time we were on
18:59
tour it uh. Then this is fast forward to playing White Teas and it's
19:02
like playing it's like us playing a teas Yellow Card and follow Boy fall Boy
19:07
for whatever reason, was on two shows. I think it was Yellow Cards
19:10
Tour if All Boy was on two shows for ever reason, they played Saint
19:11
Louis at like this place, the Creepy Crawl, and those guys came in
19:15
and like I don't know what happened, but like by the end of the
19:18
show, like Joe's bloody, Pete's bloody because the guitars are just like going
19:22
there, they have to shut the show down. It was just like what
19:26
it's going on, you guys. It was just like that's what they brought.
19:30
So I don't know if that's embarrassing or cool, but that's just like
19:33
I don't know if any when people know that, but like it was like
19:34
I remember one time, even like you go to like they played like an
19:37
acoustic thing at Shuba's or something, and it's like a fight breaks out for
19:41
some reason. Like it was just like it sounds like a hardcore show.
19:45
Yeah, that's exactly that's what it was. That's what it was. It
19:48
was like they were the hardcore kids and they had all that energy in this
19:52
pop punk Like that's so weird, you know. I think I think a
19:56
lot of people have like this this like thought process behind your guys is seen
20:02
during that time, and they probably would have thought that, you know,
20:04
it's like squeaky clean and and no one's getting into trouble, no one's getting
20:08
into fights. But it's been the opposite for the sounds of it. How
20:11
about had a Plain White tea show, was there a fight broke out there?
20:15
Never? Never, no stage was there stage driving, no stage driving,
20:21
So like truly like people had Plain White Tea's at the end of the
20:22
shows. Man, I, yeah, nothing, We've had nothing crazy,
20:32
no nothing, nothing, no no aggression at our shows. It's just you
20:37
know, yeah, was it funny? Like even though like at times,
20:41
like you get some of these bands that like may be thrown around in that
20:47
pop punk world or whatever. You get like bands like Plain White Tea's that
20:49
probably gets thrown around in that world, but like not like most of those
20:53
guys are not coming from like the hardcore world, whereas you have like follow
20:56
Boy, where that's where the world that they're coming from. And because of
21:00
that, like you have way different crowds, right even though like it might
21:03
be like similar enough bands where you would go on tour with each other,
21:07
but you have like totally different audiences in that way, at least maybe early
21:11
on, yeah, early on maybe yeah, maybe maybe maybe more so now
21:18
it's different. Maybe early on it was kind of all the same. Okay,
21:22
So even like so, the same people that would like throw fists at
21:26
a follow up boys show would also go to a plain white tea show.
21:29
But they're being like, they're like, they're like church elders at that show
21:33
exactly. I would say that here's the thing that people at the Fallow Boys
21:37
show that was throwing the fists were we're friends, we're hardcore friends of follow
21:41
away And now I'm not saying that they were telling them to go out and
21:45
do that stuff. Don't think they could talk for that, but their kids,
21:48
their friends were just aggressive, and I think it was like they're and
21:51
like, you got to think from the other side of the aggressive guys,
21:52
they're probably like, well, these are my friends that I grew up with
21:55
and now they're big, so I'm gonna be like, you know, they're
21:57
just like, you know, hardwork always like that. Yeah, that's true.
22:03
And at your Guys show, it was just aggressively sexual dancing, right,
22:07
dud, No dancing, no aggressive sexual dancing, just more like swaying
22:12
and standing around and I don't know. Anytime I think of playing White T's,
22:18
I just think of a real good time. Well that's good, that's
22:21
good. That is that's definitely number one. So that's all objective. Yeah,
22:26
that's the way it should be, right, Yeah, I mean definitely.
22:27
Not everything has to be so angry all the time. I'm a big
22:30
hardcore fan, but not everything needs to be that way. Yeah, yeah,
22:36
it's yeah, why is it so so angry? You know? No,
22:40
teenage angst sometimes sometimes even at age thirty right now, I still got
22:44
to get that out. Yeah. It is kind of funny now with like
22:48
hardcore bands, hardcore kind of coming back or never really went away, just
22:51
be more popular again. It's kind of interesting, like like I'll just stumble
22:55
on like videos on Instagram and like just seeing like young kids, and it
23:00
reminds me of like I'm like, wow, nothing's changed like I was that
23:03
age to now, like the music's the same that it's the same. I'm
23:07
like, whoa. It kind of blew my mind. It's kind of off
23:08
like did you ever throw down? Nah? Not really Nah, I was
23:12
never that ground. It was like I came like late. I feel like
23:15
I was always like I was like you know, the punk and then the
23:18
pop punk kid, and then it was like when Thursday and Thrice started coming
23:22
around, then I was like, yeah, I'm I'm hardcore or something.
23:26
Right then I'm like and I'm like, yeah, I like Comeback Kid and
23:30
like American Nightmare. It was like that little time where, you know,
23:33
probably like a little influence of Fallout Boy, where it was like we were
23:37
all were kind of hardcore kids faking it for a little bit, you know,
23:42
so but I never really like, yeah, I never really really got
23:47
that into it, you know what I mean. I was kind of just
23:49
on the outside of it a little bit, like a few bands like I
23:52
can, I can relate, but you know, I wasn't like that wasn't
23:56
my I wouldn't say. I couldn't say I it was a hardcore kid,
23:57
you know what I mean. Sure, I mean probably to your benefit,
24:00
because like you know, if you if you would have gotten like way more
24:03
into hardcore, you probably would have just straight up like been a hardcore band
24:07
guy, and you know, you'd be waiting tables right now probably instead of
24:11
doing the same of you. But or you know, like follow Up Boy,
24:15
like they probably be you know, they'd be accountants these days. But
24:18
here they are like, you're still doing music. You know, you're still
24:22
doing plain white Tea's follow up Boy is follow up boy, and so like,
24:26
you know, it's probably for the best that you didn't like dive too
24:30
far into the hardcore world, because you just would have been like too niche
24:33
where it just would have been like alienating where nobody would have listened. Really
24:37
and all, I mean, honestly, it all kind of happened like I
24:40
was like kind of in the hardcore and stuff, and then it's like I
24:42
joined playing my teas and those guys weren't even into the punk scene pretty much
24:47
at all. I was like, oh, so you guys like Jimmy World,
24:51
okay, and there's like everything else and I was like, cool,
24:53
you guys like I'm like, and then everything else they were kind of like
24:56
iffy about. I was like, okay, are you like steps today?
24:59
Okay, like you know, we were relating on stuff. But the the
25:02
good thing about that was is that they introduced me to music that I never
25:07
was that I didn't even know about. Like I didn't know about the Beatles,
25:11
I didn't know I didn't know about Wrong, So I didn't know what
25:12
those bands sounded like. Until I joined Plays, I had no idea.
25:15
So it's like then I started learning more about kind of maybe yeah, a
25:18
whole different side of like just a whole you know, just whole different part
25:22
of music, like the legends kind of like the Bruce Springsteen's and kind of
25:26
like Tom Petty and all this stuff. Okay, cool. Do you ever
25:30
do you ever get bummed out knowing that you're never going to hear that for
25:33
the first time ever again, any any any of those greats? No,
25:38
I don't think about it like that. No, all the time. No,
25:44
I don't know. I think that, Uh. I think that there's
25:47
great music out there, and there's great artists out there. I mean yeah,
25:49
I mean it is tough though, like obviously some bands or there's movies
25:55
even that like you know, there's directors and people write an album or a
25:57
movie and it's like it's I want that puts them out there, and then
26:00
do they ever do that again? Maybe not, but I'm like I'm still
26:04
grateful that they are if they're still doing I'm like grateful that they're still here.
26:07
And I look at it like, well, good thing they made,
26:10
that thing that changed the course of history or influenced me in this way,
26:12
you know what. That's true. Yeah, I'm with you on that.
26:17
Yeah, so kind of along those lines, you know, Plain White Tea's
26:21
kind of was in that world of like U creating something where a lot of
26:23
people were shaped and changed and cared about it. So you joined the band
26:29
in the early two thousands and then I think it was like two thousand and
26:32
five or two thousand and six when Hey the Delilah comes out, Like what
26:36
was that time period like for you personally? Like, like you know,
26:41
things at that point, I guess would have like just blown up where you
26:44
go from like playing in bands and you know, I don't know what your
26:47
family were thinking about you playing in bands, and like I don't know if
26:49
they thought of it as like, oh, you're just like doing this like
26:52
cobby thing and you're you love it and that's that's cute and fine, But
26:56
at some point it's like, well, actually, I'm like playing for a
26:57
band that has like one of the biggest songs, if not the biggest song
27:02
in the world right now. That must have like at least like changed your
27:04
relationship to all of that. I'm curious, like what your what your history
27:10
or your story or your relationship around that time of like obviously knowing Haylar Delilah
27:15
becomes like such a massive part of Plain White. Te's like, that's gotta
27:18
be such a significant part of the story for you. Yeah, I was,
27:22
you know, I feel like I was like twenty two twenty three at
27:26
the time, and we were, you know, working and grinding, and
27:30
we were doing this for so long. And when I joined the plane,
27:33
when I joined the band, like that song was a demo, it wasn't
27:40
really finished. But me being really into like the hardcore kind of thrice and
27:45
I was into the harder music at the time, I didn't really I couldn't
27:48
digest this like acoustic song. I was kind of like huh. Like they
27:52
were like, yeah, this is this is like the song that's like we're
27:56
really excited about this song, and everyone that hears it thinks this is gonna
27:59
be like our song. And I'm like, okay, sure he has no
28:02
drums on it. Yeah, like you know, I don't know. I'm
28:04
like, I'm not the first question I would ask, yeah, yeah,
28:07
like yeah, I'm nineteen. I'm like I don't really know. But then
28:11
my dad heard the song and like, once we finished that album, all
28:15
that we needed. I played the album for my dad and that's the last
28:18
track and my dad goes, yeah, So I listened to the album.
28:22
He was like, yeah, it's pretty good. But that last song though,
28:25
he's like, that last song, he goes, I'm telling you,
28:26
that's the one that's going to get you guys to the Grammys. That's still
28:29
gonna put you guys on the map. That's the song. He goes,
28:32
that's your song. I'm like, I'm telling you right now. I didn't
28:33
really like, you know, you take it with Gen're like, okay,
28:36
Dad, Like I don't know, you know what I mean. So sort
28:38
of like when that time did come around, obviously for him, he's like,
28:42
hey told you. I told you. And it was interesting to be
28:45
like, whoa, He's right. So it was like honestly, like the
28:48
people around me were just happy and excited for me, and I will say
28:52
like yeah, at first my dad was maybe like what is he doing,
28:56
Like okay, but then once that happened, he was like he saw it.
29:00
It definitely changed where he was like, man, I wish I could
29:02
do what you do. I wish I could go out there and play music
29:04
for a living, you know. I was like, oh it turned.
29:07
Yeah, it definitely definitely turned. So you're not just playing churches anymore,
29:14
right, like you're at that level. It's like no, like I'm playing
29:18
you know, or at least I'm a part of a band that it.
29:21
Yeah, was one of the biggest songs in the world. Yeah, yeah,
29:23
and yeah it was great, really really amazing, and then it was
29:27
one after another. I mean it was just it had to felt like like
29:32
the train was like running full steam, right, I mean, all of
29:36
a sudden, you don't just have one really big song, you have a
29:38
whole bunch of really big songs and these ones have your drumming at it.
29:44
Yeah, I mean not really. I think we just it just it just
29:51
kind of like, I don't know, it took a long time for Delilah
29:55
to get to where it did. That song. I've been around for so
29:57
long and it's kind of didn't feel like it it's just like, Okay,
30:00
cool, now we're on our next record and this song is just automatically gonna
30:03
be there. It just at every step of the way it, I know,
30:07
like we put in work, like we had to like go out there,
30:10
go to the every radio station every morning and like put ourselves out there
30:14
all the time. I get like, I will say, like I don't
30:17
know how it really works. I do see like some artist sounds like wow,
30:18
they just get this radio player, like they get to the top so
30:22
fast. I don't know how that worked. My how Like what's you know?
30:25
For us? It was like it's felt like a struggle every time to
30:27
like get to the next thing, like Okay, yeah, I know we
30:30
had this song, like okay, we got this other song, can you
30:33
play this one too? But yeah, it worked, you know, but
30:37
it wasn't so smooth, I guess, yeah for sure, Like, yeah,
30:42
well, it wouldn't be worth it if it was. I mean,
30:45
if it was all just given. Yeah, that's very true. It's clear
30:48
that you guys worked for it and the songwriting is there. Yeah. Do
30:53
you do you feel like because so many of you guys have that punk influence
30:59
where you you had to grind, you had to work for it, versus
31:03
you know, you get like some of these pop artists that are like basically
31:06
just like put together by Simon Cowell and they just immediately become the biggest band
31:10
in the world. Do you feel like the fact that you guys did have
31:12
that punk influence of having to grind, having to work, like set you
31:17
onto this trajectory where you guys are still doing it to this day. Like
31:21
you know, had you just been like this super successful band right away,
31:25
you never had to work for it, like probably would have actually set you
31:26
guys back later on in your careers, Whereas it seems like being the fact
31:30
that you came out of that punk world, had to grind it out,
31:33
had to work, probably set you on like a path where here you are
31:37
to like you know today, still making music and still do what you love
31:41
and still working. Yeah, yeah, definitely, yeah, still yeah,
31:45
still, yeah, that is our mentality, like we show up and we're
31:48
going to do the job and yeah, it's interesting, like yeah, I
31:52
don't know, I guess like that's the thing. Being from that scene,
31:56
you do get that. It's like we have these disc ushians I guess about
32:00
like are we pop punk or punk and whatever? And it's like, but
32:05
yeah, we are, because that's what It doesn't really matter what we sound
32:07
like. It's more like your attitude of mentality and like where you were,
32:12
you your fan base and your people, we were working, like playing play
32:15
teas were playing in the punk circuit, in the emo circuit. It's just
32:17
like maybe not even emo at the time, it just then transitioned to then
32:21
like oh that's just an emo bad or that's just a pop punk than you
32:23
know, like the genre itself is just morphed into obviously what it is today.
32:28
But yeah, definitely you want to talk about the new record. I
32:32
love to because this thing's pretty fun. It's it's all over the board.
32:37
I mean, like you got all the genres here, like everything's there.
32:43
That's kind of how we go R. Yeah. Yeah, this one in
32:47
particular, though, compared to the other ones, at least from what I'm
32:51
hearing, it feels way grooveier than some of the earlier records. Was that
32:59
intentional? Or am I just like this? Am I just imagining this?
33:01
Would you say? I don't know if you're imagining it. You hear what
33:05
you hear, But I don't know if it was intentional. I don't know
33:07
if we sat out to say, let's be really groovy on this record.
33:10
But I just think that a couple of songs came out that way honestly,
33:16
kind of had that you know, like I would say fired up. It
33:20
has a nice groove. It's simple. But I then like, you know,
33:22
that song a little less alone, I like love the groove and that,
33:27
you know what I mean. And that was just just even that song
33:30
particularly, that's just us like sitting down and playing the song and that just
33:34
comes out, you know what I mean. Yeah, So yeah, yeah,
33:37
we tried to necessarily do that. We were more trying to like strip
33:42
it back a little bit because it's like our last album, Parallel Universe.
33:45
We we sort of just like threw everything at the wall, like we were
33:47
just like cool. It was just like a lot of stuff going on to
33:52
the point where we were going to it live. It's like, well we
33:54
have to have a bunch of playback and tracks because there's so much happening.
33:58
Whereas this we were like maybe we need to kind of not not necessarily like
34:02
not do that again, but let's like look at it in a different way
34:06
and let's say, okay, like what are what is the strengths of the
34:08
band, And like maybe the strengths are us like stripping it down a bit,
34:13
being a little bit more honest and just you know, and maybe that's
34:15
where you get a little bit more groove, you know. Yeah, yeah,
34:19
so I mean to have groove, you have to have a little bit
34:21
of space, and yeah, I think it's where I'm maybe hearing at Yeah
34:23
exactly, Yeah that makes sense. Demark. Would you say like Tom is
34:29
one of the better like songwriters you've heard, Like he seems like somebody that
34:34
like really cares about like actually like structuring songs. Obviously writing lyrics, but
34:39
like there seems to be like some sort of intentional element of like actually like
34:44
writing a song that like he has a lot, like I don't know,
34:46
it almost seems like it's part of his identity. Oh yeah, as a
34:51
song him writing songs is definitely a big part of his identity, I guess
34:54
I would say. Yeah, Like when I when I first joined the band,
34:59
it was like like I don't think like the single like when we write
35:02
songs and knockout on how the songs we just we thought about them differently,
35:06
right, So I just like when I my first practice, even like with
35:09
Plain White Teas, I was kind of like, you know, I learned
35:13
the songs and thought, okay, great, you know, they they want
35:16
me to be in this band because I can play a lot of cool stuff,
35:19
right, And so I'm like I can easily play the simple whatever like
35:22
drum. They playing songs PRETTYZM. I played these songs and I knew them
35:27
anyway. But then I, uh so I get to practice and I'm playing
35:30
and I and I'm like, we play a song and they all like look
35:31
at me, and they're like, uh so you're just gonna solo the whole
35:35
time? Like what do you mean? I'm like what, I'm like,
35:40
I'm like, uh no, I'm like, is that what I'm doing?
35:43
Like they're like they're like, yeah, well you want to, like let's
35:45
run it again. I'm like, you want me to just play like the
35:46
record? They're like, yeah, yeah, can you try that? And
35:49
I was like yeah, of course, but I'm like my mind, I'm
35:52
like that's why they want me here. Okay. So then I do that
35:55
and everything's fine. But what I learned and what I started to learn from
36:00
that day forward was kind of like about the song was like how important the
36:04
song was, and it wasn't like the drum part of the guitar part or
36:07
whatever. It was like, well, like I just yeah, he just
36:09
kind of had a different brain and thought about songs differently than anyone that I
36:13
had encountered. At that time, So it was like I then from there,
36:16
like then learn more about structure and melody and like you know, like
36:22
we got to repeat that? Why did you not repeat that? And like
36:25
drum parts and like, well, well that part's distracting, And I tell
36:29
you know, I didn't. You know. I was kind of like,
36:30
yeah, you're I'm gonna be a flashy guy. But I was. I
36:34
was a teenager, so yeah, everybody, every every kid wants to be
36:37
flashy, right exactly. Well, coming into it into this record, what
36:40
was it for you that you really wanted to accomplish song by song? I
36:45
mean, obviously you're not gonna have the same mentality throughout the entire record,
36:50
but each song, like like, did you have kind of this this thought
36:52
process that you go through. Yeah, I mean my process is basically like
36:59
what over the song needs, you know, the song gets really and it's
37:04
a collaborative group thing. It's a group effort. So it's kind of like
37:08
what I might like, the other three dudes might not like that, So
37:13
that's fine. How does that conversation go down? Is it is it generally
37:16
peaceful or is it something that like takes a little bit of a little bit
37:20
of fighting in order to result. I want to say, necessarily fighting a
37:23
little bit, maybe not fighting that there can be some resistance. But I
37:27
think at the end of the day, it's like my thing is just like,
37:30
well, let's just try it, and if you don't like it,
37:32
then we just go back to the you know, it's everything's on the computer.
37:37
We just you know, control z E and then we're back to square
37:40
once. So it's like I'm on my thing. My motto is like I'll
37:44
try anything, you know, music or otherwise, like let's just try it,
37:47
let's see what happens. Yeah, I dig that that. I think
37:51
it's the mark of a true, a truly good drummer. Especially, Oh,
37:58
are there any moments, whether it was like with Tom, yourself,
38:01
maybe some of the other guys in the band, when when you're recording and
38:05
writing for this new album where you're like like that, that's why I'm a
38:09
part of this, Like you know, I would imagine, especially with like
38:13
how great of a songwriter Tom is, Like you probably see these moments where
38:15
it's like like like that's why he's not here on earth, like he just
38:21
that it like he seems to be like that is what he is supposed to
38:23
do and you get these moments where it's like, holy cow, like that
38:28
is what that's where that person is supposed to do. And you know,
38:30
I see that like in lots of different you know, you see like an
38:32
athlete just like being like an incredible athlete, and you're like, that is
38:37
like, that's what they're supposed to do, and you just like see these
38:38
moments of them like doing that. Were there any moments, whether it was
38:43
for you or for Tom or the other guys in the band, where you're
38:45
like when you're recording this album where it's like, yep, like I understand
38:51
why we are doing this like that this seems to be what we're supposed to
38:53
be doing in the world. Yeah, I mean yeah, there's definitely,
38:58
like you know, we were in a lot of different studios, sessions and
39:00
with people, and so I feel like the one there was definitely a time
39:04
where we because we weren't always able to play together on every song, you
39:09
know what I mean to like, why as we're recording it, But like
39:12
this particular time we got into a studio we were actually working on a song
39:15
that was a wasn't even gonna make the album necessarily, and we got in
39:22
and there was a little resistance to try and things, but once we did
39:24
it, like the outcome was great, you know what I mean? And
39:28
now the song is one of my favorite songs on the album. So it's
39:30
one of those like yeah, this is why we're here to do this to
39:31
work and like we're good, you know what I mean, Like I believe
39:36
I guess that's really how I feel about us, is I'm like, well,
39:37
we're a good band, Like yeah, like why won't we you know.
39:42
So having those moments and that's getting to like play and showcase that was
39:45
was definitely a highlight, you know what I mean. I gotta love that.
39:52
Yeah, I have no idea like what the listenership for Plain We Teas
39:57
is obviously again, like I remember looking up the other day, I was
39:59
like, holy kew, Like hit the Delilah is at almost a billion plays
40:02
on Spotify, Like that feels like a pretty significant number. Has there ever
40:07
been a point where it almost feels like it could slip away at any moment,
40:13
like all of this could be just like forgotten about, Like you're gonna
40:15
have to you know, go to college and have to you know, like
40:20
whatever it is, like do you feel like at any moment, because I
40:22
would imagine there's a lot of like even young small bands that are like feeling
40:28
like that pressure of like, you know, this could even you know,
40:30
I might not be able to go into our next time or whatever. But
40:34
I wonder, like even for a band as that has the legacy of plain
40:39
white tea's, like, do people in plain white teas like even still experience
40:44
that where it's like this could slip away at any moment, and it feels
40:46
like, all of a sudden, everything that we've done is completely irrelevant and
40:51
we like almost as like we never existed. Maybe I don't know, I
40:55
don't know if we think that at this point that we would just be or
41:00
elevant because that song is so has means a lot to people, That's all.
41:06
That song means so much to so many people around the world, and
41:08
not just that song, other song, just that song. No, I
41:10
know, but I think what kind of you know, you're right, you're
41:14
domine right now the song. But I feel like something about you know,
41:16
our songs too, like when people are like, oh no, like it
41:20
was on my wedding or I've had people tell me they played it at funerals
41:22
because it meant a lot to the person and stuff like that. I'm like,
41:24
wow, like we've really done our job. But to that, yeah,
41:30
I think there's a little bit sometimes where we It's probably what kind of
41:31
keeps it the fire in us a little bit, because we do feel like
41:35
it could go away, like put it in tomorrow. Like I don't know,
41:37
bands break up and end all the time and no one cares. Like
41:40
not that no one cares, but it just life goes on and right,
41:44
okay, you know, so it could eat it could easily. But I
41:47
but I do think there is some security here, like of like, well,
41:52
we've been doing this for a long time. I think we're gonna be
41:54
okay. But that's just in our heads. I don't think that's our reality.
41:58
But I think a little bit we still might be every once in a
42:01
while. Yeah, that's gotta be such a great place to be at artistically,
42:07
because I think people in their regular everyday jobs don't feel like they have
42:12
that amount of security. Like plumbers go to work and they're like, man,
42:16
I just don't know if this is something that I can keep doing.
42:21
Right. Toilet away, Yeah, right, just one clog toilet away.
42:25
Mason knows all about that. That's a it's aide joke anyways. Yeah,
42:30
I mean I just feel like when you get to that point as an artist,
42:35
as someone who's living off of your creativity, that's such a cool fucking
42:40
thing to be able to to hold on to, right, Definitely, And
42:45
I think that's yeah, definitely, and I'm super grateful for it. And
42:47
I think that's why we are still a band. Yeah, you know,
42:52
because we're grateful to be here and people still call and want us to come
42:58
play and do it, which is amazing, you know, and maybe a
43:02
little shocking, but like it's like, that's what I'm saying. It's like,
43:06
I think I can feel a little bit more secure just in terms of
43:08
like and obviously the recent events in the world, and just like having those
43:12
moments where it was like where we survived, where it was like we didn't
43:15
tour for our like two years, we didn't do the band for a long
43:19
time, and we all came out okay, you know, like we're okay
43:22
and we're still in the band and we're still playing. So it's like,
43:24
okay, you know, I love it. I love it. Well,
43:28
I want to say before we get onto a top five most influential artists that
43:32
this record is. It's really great. Obviously I haven't heard every single song
43:38
on the record yet, but the songs that I have heard are they're just
43:43
they're fantastically written. There, they're they're easy listening, there's something that that's
43:47
accessible to everyone. They're universal, I would say, And I'm just I'm
43:53
really excited to hear the rest of the album, that's for sure. And
43:57
yeah, I can't wait. Man, it's gonna be great, and I
44:00
think I think the response is going to be just off the charts again,
44:04
Like I'm excited. Oh, I appreciate that. Yeah, we're excited too.
44:07
It feels it definitely feels good and like a new era for the band,
44:10
which I think was necessary after twenty plus years and a pandemic and a
44:17
pandemic. Yeah, the whole thing, man, the whole thing. So
44:22
with the pandemic, because you know, the last album was twenty eighteen,
44:24
so a couple of years before the pandemic, and then obviously now this album,
44:29
does it feel like with the pandemic now, like knowing that that's all
44:35
happened, does it feel like this band is in a moment where it's like
44:38
reinvigorated the band where it's like like we just survived a worldwide pandemic. We've
44:45
survived a few years like from not touring, you know, we haven't released
44:49
an album for five years. Like does it feel like at this point where
44:52
it's like like what can stop us? Like, you know, is it
44:55
one of those things where it's just reinvigorated, like the passion for this project
45:00
that you call plain my Teeth. Uh, it definitely has, don't.
45:04
I don't know if the passion was ever lost though either. Okay, we
45:07
never really you know, I don't know if we ever stopped doing it.
45:10
We never. There wasn't a time even you know what I mean, Like
45:14
COVID set us back a little bit, and I you know, I think
45:16
I wish we would have maybe put out more music a little sooner. But
45:20
it doesn't matter. Like we're here now and this is you know, and
45:22
now it's just like everything happens when it's supposed to happen. So yeah,
45:27
I would say that we are definitely reinvigorated and ready to like for this new
45:31
chapter because it's been a while, it's been a long time. I can,
45:36
at least personally, I can say, yeah, I've been, like
45:38
I said, I've wanted to put off the music for so long that I'm
45:42
like, okay, right, because it's like, yeah, you roll around
45:44
for a while and not that you I don't know, not that like you
45:49
forget your purpose, but it's just like I don't know. Sometimes it just
45:52
gets to feel like a job. And that's when it's like I don't want
45:55
to just all feel like this is a job. It's great that it's work
45:59
and we go to work and we can be you know, like sustain our
46:02
lives, but it's like worth the fun. And now this is like we
46:06
get to get back to the fun. Not to say what we do is
46:08
not fun, but this is just like now we're putting on new music.
46:10
And I was like, now I feel like now we are on stage,
46:13
we have a purpose. And there was a while that we were just on
46:15
stage just kind of like yeah, we're here, we're getting paid, we're
46:17
at the State Fair and going home and blah blah blah. And after so
46:21
much of that, it's sort of like, Okay, what's neck? What
46:22
else is there? What else can we do? For sure? Have you
46:25
have you ever? You know, you said you came out of the church
46:29
world playing drums. Have you ever gotten back into playing like any church drums
46:32
ever since you've gone professional? Not really, no, No, okay,
46:37
I'm just curious like you because you'd be like a highlight for any church drum,
46:42
you know, church session, for church worships. I don't know.
46:46
Unfortunately, I just sort of got out of that world when I was when
46:50
I joined playing my teas and I was gone all the time. We were
46:52
just in the van and we were gone, and you know, I was
46:55
playing at church every Sunday and everything. But then once that kind of happened,
46:59
I was just they were like, oh, he's gone. Okay,
47:00
there wasn't really a spot for me anymore either, you know what I mean,
47:04
Like like, well you're gone. We got someone else, so as
47:07
if that guy wouldn't just step aside for a Sunday. But yeah, but
47:15
it's okay, it's okay. You know. I I went and did something
47:17
else for a while. But they were all watching and kind of going,
47:22
WHOA, like one of ours is like on I carle, you know what
47:24
I mean? So are you are your parents still involved in the church music
47:29
stuff? Uh? Well, my mom, My mom is not necessarily musically
47:36
my dad unfortunately passed away about ten years ago, so he he uh,
47:40
but yeah, up until then, man, he was he was going hard.
47:44
Man, he was going hard. So that was this thing. He
47:46
was heavily involved with, like a lot of gospel organizations in Chicago and choirs
47:51
and and stuff like that. So yeah, that's great. Yeah, yeah,
47:55
a lot of good memories. And like I would not be a musician
48:00
and probably without definitely wouldn't be a musician if it was for him. So
48:04
I don't know how I would have gotten to the drums really otherwise, Yeah,
48:07
well I can appreciate them. Probably weren't for him, you wouldn't have
48:10
gotten out of, you know, playing behind a plexiglass, right, Oh
48:14
yeah, I don't even think we have that at that time. Man.
48:17
They want to do enough churches knowing, like especially some of those churches that
48:22
like, you know, you get a really good drummer, they're gonna behind
48:23
a plexiglass. Now that guy needs to be outside of a plexiglass. He's
48:28
way too good. Put you in a cage, yeah, put you in
48:30
a cage for sure. That's awesome. All right, let's do uh,
48:37
let's do top five most influential Albums's life. You can go whatever order you
48:45
like, you can go chronologically, whatever you want to do. I can
48:49
just I'll just riff it off. There you go, Okay, let's start
48:53
here. I can remember being like eight, maybe in Tragic Kingdom came out
49:01
No Doubt, so that I would have to say Tragic Kingdom No Doubts definitely
49:05
in there because I was huge such a good I mean, just like anything
49:09
No Doubt is just especially in like those those nineties. God, it was
49:15
just like such a perfect time for that sound. Yeah, And I think
49:19
for whatever reason, they were like I don't know, I guess as a
49:22
young black kid like in the early nineties, mid nineties or whatever, it
49:25
just felt like like you weren't supposed to listen to that type of music or
49:30
whatever. But listening to to No Doubt, it was like they bridged the
49:36
gap because I was like, but there's black people in the band, so
49:37
we're good, right, Like, yeah, it's all good. There.
49:40
Sound was a little like, I don't know, it's like so silly that
49:44
we even have to like now, it's I'm happy that I feel like we've
49:45
gotten away from that. But at that time it was like you felt bad,
49:49
like you weren't you're doing something wrong whatever. But as I grew up
49:52
and I got older, then I would say, next would be Alkaline Trio.
49:55
Goddamn it. Oh okay, yeah, huge, huge, huge,
50:01
huge change my life one hundred percent. I don't I don't even know that
50:05
whole era. Just Trio as a whole just I mean grabbed a hold of
50:09
everyone that I knew. I yeah, we were just did the damn thing.
50:14
Did the damn thing definitely, and it was such a fun time,
50:16
like trying to like they would do secret shows and we'd be like, you
50:20
know, we get you know, it was just it was it was that
50:22
was a good time of life too, you know, love it. Save
50:24
to Day stay what you are? Oh nice? Yeah, yes, that's
50:30
also that's a that's a pop punk band that has one hundred percent crowd in
50:35
the hardcore world. You know, like you were talking about follow Boy coming
50:37
out of that world, like Saves the Day definitely came out of that world
50:40
as well. And they still to this day, like they could go to
50:44
a hardcore venue and they would sell out and kids would go nuts. Even
50:47
though it's all oh yeah they they Yeah. If you think of their first
50:51
record, can't slow Down. I mean that thing's pretty much like that's almost
50:53
hardcore in a way, like you know, that lifetime kind of style,
50:57
and they like, yeah, I mean they they just did that show and
51:00
I was talking to the guys that when we were young, and they were
51:01
just like, dude was crazy, Like there was a circle pit and it's
51:05
like everyone loved those songs and knew those songs. So you're right, it's
51:07
like their reality, you know. It's kind of cool. And that record
51:12
too, It was like that was another one that when I gotten playing White
51:15
Tea's, they they they were onto that that. They were like that was
51:19
something we could connect on and be like, oh for sure, that okay,
51:22
sweet Okay. Another good one I would say that's probably big for a
51:28
lot of people is Jimmy World Clarity. Oh yeah for sure. Now were
51:31
you on were you in on the original run of Clarity or did you did
51:37
you have Clarity about Clarity later on? So like like initially when it came
51:42
out, it was not a popular album, but like a lot of people
51:45
came back to it after oh I see, after the other records came out,
51:50
which you're saying, yeah, I'm old, so so yeah, no,
51:53
I that record came out, I believe in ninety nine. I probably
51:58
didn't get into it until two thousand, late ninety like probably late ninety nine.
52:01
Two thousand was like when I got into it. So yeah, it
52:04
was definitely clarity. I had just not gotten into them. They had like
52:07
the self titled or something before that that I didn't really know that album.
52:12
But I was a senior too. Yeah right, but that was I came
52:15
in after that, so I kind of was like, you know, and
52:17
then at that time it was like I not that I was like a poser,
52:21
but like it was like, oh, you don't know the first record,
52:22
bro, Like you know what I mean. We were still living in
52:27
that kind of day. So oh yeah, but the best days, yeah,
52:30
the best days. Yeah. But then in two thousand and two is
52:35
when The Bleed American came out. I was still in high school, like
52:37
I was my last year in high school, so that was so yeah,
52:39
I have probably been that. It was two or three years. I was
52:42
already in though. Jimmy Row Yeah, hell yeah, good deal. So
52:45
that's what Jimmy World is like one of the most cited bands whenever we do
52:50
this, like especially if anybody was is like late thirties early forties, there's
52:54
one hundred percent chance Jimmy World is mentioned for good reason because they're fucking awesome.
53:00
Yeah no, they're They're the best, and it's dumbling for a good
53:01
reason. And it was like, I mean with playing White Tea's in particular,
53:06
it was like with that first album Stop, which I wasn't in the
53:08
band yet, but like I liked that album because I like appreciated that they
53:13
just wanted to sound like Jimmy Rope. I was like, oh, you
53:15
guys, just start awesome, like I love it, Like no shame,
53:21
like it was good. Second, I mean, okay, so fifth,
53:24
it's like this is kind of tough, but the first thing that comes to
53:28
my head is blankeln Eddy two take off your pants and jacket. Mm hm,
53:31
you know. I I just man, I was like one of those
53:35
that was just in heavy rotation, I mean for a long time and definitely
53:39
influenced the way I played drums, definitely influenced us in Knockout, the way
53:45
we thought about the songs we were writing and doing. And yeah, I
53:49
had a huge effect. Travis is one of those guys that obviously he like
53:52
has the punk background. You can totally hear that in the speed that he
53:55
plays, but he played drums in such a unique way, like it's like
54:00
whenever you hear Travis play, it's like that that's one hundred percent of Travis
54:04
drum style, and yet it's still like very clearly coming out of the punk
54:08
world. So it's one of those things where he like doesn't sound like every
54:12
other punk drummer, and yet you totally can hear the punk influence, like
54:15
he was able to include and also transcend being punk. Yeah, yeah,
54:21
one hundred per Yeah, he was. He's the goat man. Seriously,
54:25
like I'm I got When we were young, it was like, I think
54:30
Mark or something was like, we have the best fucking drummer on the tour,
54:34
and I was like, wait what, And then I was like,
54:36
yeah, I guess he's got a point because we wouldn't be here every fair
54:42
enough, you know, fair enough. That's great. Are there like maybe
54:47
newer bands or newer albums that have come out maybe in the last few years
54:52
where you're like, holy shit, like that that has that That's definitely going
54:55
to be one of one of the more influential albu ones in my life maybe
55:00
moving forward, But maybe just haven't like quite hit that mark yet because they're
55:04
newer. That's I don't know. That's I don't know about. I don't
55:08
know about that. That's a tough one like that. I'm gonna come back
55:10
to them, like, Wow, this really moved me. Maybe there are
55:15
some bands like that band Military Gun. Oh yeah, Colin loves Military Gun.
55:20
They're great. Yeah, I I just I don't know. I don't
55:24
know. I just kind of didn't describe. I just kind of recently discovered
55:28
them or whatever, and I was like, whoa, this band was really
55:30
good. I'm like, but I didn't realize how popular they were. I
55:31
was like, oh, they're popular though, like I thought, I kind
55:34
of they blew up overnight. They kind of did blow up overnight, and
55:37
I think I found out about them like the day before or I was like
55:42
right there. I was like, oh, that's what I keep saying too,
55:45
but you know, no one's ever gonna believe me. But yeah,
55:50
that was like one of the things I heard recently at least that's more in
55:52
that genre of you know that. I was like, whoa, I love
55:55
this, yeah, and it made me like love like kind of made me
55:59
give that feeling that I used to feel when I was like a teenager adolescent
56:05
kid, just like you hear something that pumps you up. I don't that
56:07
you you were saying, because to your question, it's like, I'm like,
56:09
man, I don't know what I hear anymore that even pumps me up
56:13
like it used to, you know what I mean. But when I hear
56:15
a military was pumping me up, so hell yeah, they're like they're like
56:20
an angry, happy, uh punk band. Yes, yeah, it was
56:25
a little bit of pop influence. It is kind of cool that way.
56:28
Uh sweet, let's uh, let's talk about what you want to plug?
56:30
Man, Well, hey, let's plug the Plain My tea self titled album.
56:37
I can't remember which number if it's seven or eight because I wasn't on
56:40
that first one, but either way, seven for me, I think,
56:44
And hey, it's crazy. If you come on over, it's technically nice,
56:51
right it's nine. Yeah, So yeah, my seven. That's crazy
56:55
Records. That is that's crazy, dude. Yeah. We gotta like,
57:00
yeah, we gotta get another couple out here, though, you know,
57:02
we gotta get to like getting double digits. That's That's what I'm saying.
57:07
I almost thought we were in double digits because you like kind of forgetting me,
57:09
like, oh, we're only at that. I thought we were at
57:12
least like in the tents. Yeah, that's ballsy territory right there. That
57:15
is. That is but respect to the bands that do it. We'll be
57:19
there, we'll get it. Oh yeah, yeah, it's coming. Yeah.
57:22
But where should people get the album? Is it like vinyl? Any
57:23
physical stuffy? Yeah, you can definitely pre order if you want the special
57:28
vinyl. I'm sure you can go to play my te's dot com and get
57:30
that. Spotify, Apple Music, all the streaming services. Just go out
57:34
there and stream it this Friday, November seventeen. Yeah, hell yeah,
57:40
get on it there you go. Any tours, any shows that we can
57:45
maybe expect here sometime soon. Yeah. We just announced the Fired Up Tour,
57:51
which will be starting next year on the twenty third of January. It's
57:55
just a short, little three week tour, a little winter tour, but
57:59
yeah, kind of hitting most of the US, honestly, I think.
58:01
Unfortunately we don't make it to Texas. But other than that, we're kind
58:05
of are you heading up to Minneapolis biting chance? We definitely I think yea,
58:09
we are. Yeah, yeah, well damn might. I might.
58:14
I'm in Minneapolis, so I might might come and hang out with y'all.
58:16
I can't remember where, but I'm pretty sure we are in Minneapolis. I'll
58:21
let me. I mean, I've got Google in front of me. Why
58:22
why don't I Why don't you find out? Because it looks like Fine Line
58:28
Music Cafe on fIF thirteen. Fine Line's badass. I like that place.
58:32
Yeah, it's a great it's a great venue. Sweet. Yeah. Play
58:35
the Fine Line before and I was like, I thought it was something Okay,
58:37
I was getting confused at Varsity, but uh yeah, I think they're
58:40
sort of like the same, like Stratosphere like yeah, Umbrella like because like
58:45
first app has like a ship ton of other venues that right under the first
58:49
app of Umbrella. I think fine Line is one of them. Fine Line
58:52
is Yeah, yeah, it's a good spot. It'll be there anyway.
58:57
Cool. Well, I would I would love to love to see you guys
59:00
in Minneapolis here in the next few months. Okay, yeah, you definitely
59:05
we will make that happen. Hell yeah, hell yeah. Anything else you
59:07
would like to plug? Oh, I don't know if I should talk about
59:12
this, Yeah, if I can. Oh, Oh, okay, I
59:15
mean We're always here. Probably a Black Sheep exclusive. I've told people before
59:20
I'd love to get the Black Sheep podcast cited on Wikipedia for something that was
59:24
first dropped on our podcast. So maybe this could be one of those things.
59:30
I'd be great. Well, I just uh for the next season of
59:34
Love is Blind. You might see me on there. I try what that
59:37
show. I literally was just watching that show last night before bad. Yeah.
59:44
Yeah, look, look, I've been trying out. I tried out
59:45
from Married to First Sight. They cut me there, so then I you
59:49
know, I got the call to go to try out for Love is Blind,
59:52
and hey, I don't know, we'll see what happens. We'll see
59:54
if I make the final cut, because they got it to the other round.
59:57
You'd be so good in the pods, like you're so genuine, win
1:00:00
like so fun like you you will do so well in the pod. Look,
1:00:02
I'm excited to just get in there and see what happens. You know,
1:00:05
I don't know. I'm looking for you know, I want to get
1:00:07
fall in love blindly. See here, Here's what I will say if you
1:00:10
if you get on the show. If you get on the show and you
1:00:14
know, you know how they have like those special like wineglasses that are like
1:00:17
all, yeah, they're not copper, but they're like Yeah, if you
1:00:22
can just get me one of those, I would like. I will,
1:00:27
literally I will do anything for you for this your life. I just want
1:00:30
one of those mugs so bad. Don't blind he'll blind love you. I'll
1:00:34
even put your name on it. Oh god, even better, amazing,
1:00:38
amazing. So just just hit me up if you get one of those mugs,
1:00:42
that'd be great. I will I will definitely get a mug and I
1:00:44
will get you on with watch you get pared of some gal named Delilah.
1:00:49
That would be fun. Imagine. I would believe that they scripted. I
1:00:52
would probably go to the producers and be like, did you guys script this?
1:00:55
It's just a a I on the other side, Yeah, hopefully it's
1:01:01
not he and if it is, hopefully she's not that Delilah. I think
1:01:06
she's bad, but she's probably not. She's got a boyfriend, so that's
1:01:09
great. Well for now, Yeah, we'll see, Yeah, we'll see.
1:01:14
We'll still see. Uh. Deamar, it was so great to chat
1:01:16
with you again, Like this is really super cool for Colin and I,
1:01:21
you know, given you know the fact, like you know, I still
1:01:22
remember being a kid, you know, being in middle school. Listen to
1:01:25
Hey There, Delilah and all the other great songs you know, one,
1:01:29
two, three, four, and you know all the other really fun songs
1:01:31
that you guys have put out over the years. Like it's just really cool
1:01:34
for Colin and I to to be able to chat with you and uh,
1:01:37
yeah, we're super stoked for the new album. I honestly, like,
1:01:39
you know, I know, like plain white teas have a legacy at this
1:01:43
point, but like you guys seem to be releasing some of your best music
1:01:45
right now. And you guys are nine albums in and that that to me
1:01:49
is really cool for a band to be almost twenty five years into the band,
1:01:52
ten nine nine, almost ten albums into the band and you're still releasing
1:01:57
some of your best music. Like that's super cool to be career. So
1:02:00
thanks for so much for chatting about the new album, chatting about the history.
1:02:04
So much fun hanging with you Gray, hanging out with you guys too
1:02:07
awesome. Thanks a bunch tomorrow, Weave best CoA