Interviste e articoli di carattere generale, sui TMV, ovviamente!

What will you remember most about 2008?
I remember our tour because we toured this whole year straight no stop— like slaves. I remember all that because we just came back from South America, Europe, Japan, did the whole states thing again. That was big for me because I feel like I really did get to see everything. Sometimes you feel like you’ve seen stuff, but this year I really saw it all.
That and I have a two-year-old boy and I just got him a drum set and I just figured out that he’s left handed. Just watching him play is a highlight. I learned when I was three and he’s hella better than me.

Who is the band to watch in 2009?
Damn, that is a good question. We just recorded a new record and to me it’s the best. When I first heard Goliath, I didn’t hear it until it almost came out, so I was like damn, this is sick shit! Cause when I was in the studio I was stressin’ out! ‘Cause when I was in the studio I was learning all of John Theodore’s parts which is crazy! Because it was 20 eight-minute songs. I was learning them and I was stressin’ out. By the time I got to record I didn’t know what to expect because I had never recorded with Omar as far as doing a record. It was a lot of pressure. When I first got in the band I never even tripped. Now this one, the new one we just did that isn’t titled yet, I enjoyed it way more because I knew what to expect from Omar, I knew what to expect from everybody. I could sit down and relax and just do what I do. You feel me? So I think the major thing for our band is going to be our next record because for me I think it’s the best record Omar has ever produced as far as his arrangements and I just like the music a lot. Like the last record, was like I’m gonna show you all that we gotta new drummer. Now it’s like we’re gonna show you that we’re still killin’ it. There’s like ballads on it. We sound like we’ve kicked it longer than two years.

What songs to do you listen to most on your iPod/iTunes?
Damn, I’ve been listening to a lot of Stewart Copeland. A LOT OF STEWART COPELAND. I have his live Police video, where he has his video camera next to the drums and it’s like his own documentary of the Police tours. He’s just hella dope. I’ve been trying to listen to all the people that all the cats that I listen to listen to. Going back and listening to hella Ginger Baker and shit. My girl is like I’ve heard Cream like a million times. I’m like I know; I’m only listening to it because I’m listening to Ginger Baker. I’ve been listening to a lot of like Afro-beat music, like Fela and a lot of other hip-hop stuff. But my iPod has been down. So I’ve just been listening to what I’ve been able to listen to. That’s crazy. I’m gonna go. That’s going to be crazy. A lotta people who are going to go are going be like damn. I’m sure at first people are going to be like yeah I’m just gonna go, but when they actually see it everyone is like DAMN! Like I was in Mexico when Obama won so everything is so crazy to me.

What was your favorite live performance of 2008?
That we did? My favorite one, Detour Fest in L.A. because we rarely ever play L.A. and when we do I just like the crowds. I like the rowdy crowds, like the crowds that are rowdy for no reason. That’s how it was, it was cool. So I gotta say the L.A. crowd. Backstage wasn’t all fun, but the show was tight. Dang! I didn’t go to any shows that weren’t our own, honestly. What shows? I like the Battles, you know them? That guy, the drummer from Helmet, he plays in that band. They’re pretty tight. I like seeing them. I haven’t seen much because I just end up seeing the bands we go on tour with. Sometimes I don’t even listen to them because some of these bands after a while— you just get a headache. I’ve been watching a lotta videos though. I’d gotta say probably that Police thing, even though that’s not new. That’s the tightest thing I’ve seen. I like going back. You gotta take it back.