"This record deals a lot with self-discovery and breaking out of whatever your parents or your boss or whoever thinks you should be. It's about trying to find out for yourself who you're supposed to be - your purpose, your destiny in the world."
"The church my folks were associated with is super-religious, very conservative and controlling. My parents were very active in it, but there was a lot of stuff going on that they didn't think was cool. They wanted to leave it and start something new, something that would fulfill them. So they sold everything they had and we moved to Hawaii."
"I'm the kind of person who can only do one thing at a time. I get completely inspired by it and just do that all the time."
"I was experiencing all the pain anyone feels when their parents get divorced. It opened up all this stuff. But it also opened up this creative outlet for me. It's funny, because I was never a musical kid - never took lessons, never really listened to the radio. I don't even own that many records now because when I do start listening to a lot of music, it kind of taints my songwriting."
"I suddenly just started writing poetry and lyrics and coming up with melodies. We lived in the woods, and I'd take these long walks and the songs would just start happening."
"My parents never forced their beliefs on me. They always encouraged us to draw our own conclusions about that and I think because the divorce had stirred up so much, I started questioning my spirituality, too. I started wondering if God was real and if so, could he help me through all these terrible feelings? And if not, then what? That's what my earliest songs were about - they were me crying out, trying to figure out what I believed."
"A bunch of kids would hang out at this elementary school, and there'd be music and food. Serge and I had a lot in common, like playing basketball and running, and he'd just started playing bass. So we began jamming together and writing songs and helping each other get better."
"It was one of those weird coincidences. As soon as we met and started playing with Rick we knew he was the guy. It all just clicked. We'd go to the beach and just hang out and we knew right away it was going to work. It was really smooth - I just sort of snapped on. The music's great, totally fun stuff, and these guys are super easy to get along with."
"When we tried to re-record some of the songs for the album, we just couldn't get the same spirit the demos had. The demos had been recorded right after the songs were written and even though they weren't perfect, they were so real, so honest. They just had a vibe we couldn't recapture later."
"I came in wanting it to be all slick and fancy. I was young and just so excited to be in the studio making a record. I wanted every instrument and every effect on the planet. Ron said pretty early that he felt the record should sound organic, that the production should be simple and transparent. I'd have all these ideas, and we did use some of them, but after a while I realized he was right and that overproduction did not serve the songs at all."
"I don't tend to write about shallow things."
"I don't just want to connect to people and relate to them for its own sake. I don't want them - or me - to be miserable and lonely and feeling there are no answers. I want to say something hopeful, that maybe we can figure out some of this stuff and be happy."
"I really liked Jason and Serge and the work they were doing. Even though I had my own thing, I love being 'guitar guy,' too, and this seemed like a great chance to really do that well. Jason and I have talked about doing some co-writes for the next record - we're both writing all the time - but we're totally focused on this record for now. We're all having a blast playing this stuff."
"I was always pounding on things, so my parents finally got me this beat-up old kit and I started taking lessons right away. My mom plays piano, my dad plays piano and guitar, and my brother plays guitar."
***QUOTES***
*JASON WADE*
(Vocals & Guitar)
VH1 Interview - December '00
"I don't have it all figured out. You learn so many things every day, and it's overwhelming sometimes trying to see how it all fits together. I'm starting to realize that each day is a different road and a different journey, and you don't have to have it all figured out. You don't have to have all the answers to everything right now."
**Referring to bassist, Sergio Andrade
**Referring to the time when the band began working with drummer, Rick Woolstenhulme.
**Referring to the recording process of their debut album, "No Name Face".
**Referring to the recording process of "No Name Face" and working with producer, Ron Aniello.
**Summing up the record's lyrical outlook.
*STUART MATHIS*
(Guitar)
VH1 Interview - December '00
**Referring to the time when he first joined the band.
*RICK WOOLSTENHULME*
(Drums)
VH1 Interview - December '00
