Bouncing Souls

Interviews | Oct 30th, 1999

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Jennifer (Adam’s girlfriend): Can you tell us a little about your new album, How I Spent My Summer Vacation? I noticed the sound was a little different from your last album, Hopeless Romantic, this new one is a little more livelier, more punk rock and Romantic has more ballads and is a little more laid back.


Pete: We got a new drummer which kind of changes everything, you know? But I think writing new songs the new drummer kind of made us go back to our roots, write a little more upbeat, sharp kind of songs, his style is kind of like that too.

Adam: What happened with Shal, your old drummer?
P: It’s a really long story, personal problems, the usual.

A: Oh, well he’s the one we want to speak to. Let’s go, Jen.
P: Really? Oh.. uh…

A: Just joshing with ya, man.

J: Who’s the ‘hopeless romantic’ in the band?
P: I’d have to say we all are.

J: Is anyone in the band married?
P: Our new drummer is, he has a little baby girl.

A: Are there any more 80’s songs you guys want to cover?
P: We’ve covered so many of them. We actually started out as a cover band in high school. We used to get together when we were eighteen years old and just started playing songs.

A: Have you thought about doing a Bouncing Souls karaoke show?
P: That’d be kinda cool. There’s actually a thing called Punk Rock Karaoke, this band with one of the guys from NOFX, Devo, and some others. They have a song list and anyone can sign up for a song and come up and sing on stage with the band playing. It’s pretty funny. They did the Warped Tour one year, it was awesome.

J: What was the inspiration for “Inspection Station”? It’s such a quirky song.
P: Anyone from New Jersey would understand that song. In NJ, they inspect your car every year and there’s always this huge line so in the summertime you’re just sitting in your car waiting for it to be inspected.

A: As a guitarist, which do you think is more important – chord progressions or cascading arpeggios?
P: Wow, that’s the nerdiest question I’ve ever been asked. Are you a guitar player?

A: No, I’m a really big Rush fan. You know, I’m very technical.
P: Arpeggios are cool, but I’d have to say chord progressions. I’m into melodies.

A: Do you think there should be more arpeggios in punk music?
P: Sure, maybe. Are you a big fan of arpeggios?

A: When Alex Lifeson from Rush is doing them, of course.
P: I bet you one out of five hundred of your readers will know what an arpeggio is.

J: I heard you guys were in Fear of a Punk Planet, the show produced by the Vandals-what part did you play? How was that experience?
P: It was fun. It’s a TV show shot in California about these kids that run a club and we were the band that they hire to play. It was cool-we love those guys, they’re so funny.

J: I heard Bryan recently underwent iron palm training-do you know what that is?
P: It’s some kung-fu thing where you hit a big bag a lot for a hundred days and you can’t have sex or drink or do drugs or anything like this.

J: Do any other band members have any unconventional hobbies?
P: Umm… (laughs)… no comment.

J: I know you guys have spent some time in the Lower East Side-what do you think of the recent changes there?
P: I’m not a big fan of Giuliani. I mean, it’s a safer and cleaner place but I think it’s lost a lot of its character. (Just then, Johnny X walks by)

J: Tell us a little bit about Johnny X.
P: He’s a friend of ours. He wrote a song called “The Ballad of Johnny X” and we were the band for it and we kind of turned it into a Bouncing Souls song.

A: When are you going to settle down and get a real job?
P: Well, dad, I’ve been thinking about that a lot. When I’m done doing this I’m not going to get a real job. I couldn’t get a real job. What would I do?

A: You could sell shoes.
P: That’s true. I think I would be good at that. “A 10 wide? Let me check the back.”

J: Favorite places in NYC?
P: My apartment, El Sombrero in the summertime, it’s a Mexican restaurant where you get margaritas to go, the Brooklyn Bridge, where I bike.

A: Do you bike a lot? Do you wear spandex bike shorts?
P: I ride my bike regularly-that’s the way I get around. No spandex.

J: Are there any people you’d like to meet or hang out with that you haven’t done so yet?
P: John Cusack. I think he’s probably a really cool guy, he just seems like the kind of guy that you could chill with for a while.

J: What songs would you put on your soundtrack if you made a movie?
P: Wow… there’s way too many to list in this interview.

J: Any bands you would definitely include?
P: Leonard Cohen.

A: Really? So it’d be a depressing movie?
P: No, Leonard Cohen songs have this sad tone to them but they’re very uplifting. And then I’d include some sappy kind of songs, like “In Your Eyes” by Peter Gabriel.

A: What comprises your ultimate burrito?
P: I’m a big fan of the breakfast burrito which would be eggs, cheese, bacon, sour cream, salsa, jalapenos. They’re the best thing about Texas.

A: Probably the only thing good about Texas. Seriously, what’s up with Texas? You want to get out, but you drive for days and days…
P: …And you’re still in Texas. I know, you can drive all day and you’re still stuck there.

A: What are your thoughts on time travel? Do you think time travel is a viable reality?
P: It’d be nice to think so. I think if I did that though I’d just get lost and I’d freak out.

A: I just want to corner you-what the hell is wrong with The Green Ball Crew? I love that EP-it’s so great!
P: (sighs, acts uncomfortable) We just didn’t like the way it sounded, we did put a few songs on the new compilation we just put out though-the best songs are on there.

A: Tell the readers about it because I don’t know if there’s that many people that have heard it.
P: (sighs) It’s the first thing that we put out-basically we were never happy with it. That was the bottom line.

A: Pete, I want you to know that it’s a great CD. You should be very proud of it, instead of pretending it never existed. Don’t ever be ashamed of yourself or your work.
P: Thanks, dad.

Their new album, How I Spent My Summer Vacation, is available on Epitaph Records. Visit the band at www.bouncingsouls.com.

One of the Souls’ best songs is their take on the football chant “O”. In honor of READ Magazine’s Ultimate Burrito issue, here’s Adam & Jen’s version, entitled “Mo.” (Mo is a spicy chocolate sauce you pour over chicken and burritos. It’s tasty.)

Mo, Mo, Mo, Mo, Mo
Mo, Mo, Mo, Mo, Mo
Oy! Oy!

Adam and Jen / No one can beat us
We eat beans / And chicken fajitas

Anywhere / We get the itch
We’re off to find / A Mexican kitch

Grab the salsas / Eat tortillas
Off we go / For quesadillas

Once we choose / We’re havin’ fun
Won’t quit eatin’ / Until we’re done

Burritos rock / I must say
Take it on / Anydaaay….
Oooohhhhhh…… Mo! Mo! Mo! Mo! X 64

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