ALL AGES caught up with three of the guys in Slick Shoes at Warped Tour 2003. We spoke with Jonah after their amazing performance on the Maurice Stage and set up the interview for later that day. When we got to the press area after Face to Face played the poor guy was sleeping on the couch, but they woke him for us (poor guy). He took us over to their bus and we conducted the interview with Ryan = R (lead vocals), Joe = J(Drums)and Jonah = Jo (Bass).
1. Early in your careers you were dubbed “Christian Rock,” how did this effect you?
J – It closed lines, but it’s weird in both aspects
Jo – Segregated us
J – punk kids didn’t give it a chance because, but it’s the same with the Christian kids. We never preached from the stage or anything like that, so we got portrayed different than we actually are. I don’t think it held us back so much, but it was time to move on.
R – A lot of it was just because we were on Tooth and Nail
Laura- How did Tooth and Nail find you?
J – We sent our demo not really as joke, but we really didn’t think anything would happen.
Laura – Are you all original members?
R – Only me and Joe
2. What prompted you guys to switch labels to Side One Dummy?
R – We fulfilled our contract and it was time for a change. We were on Tooth and Nail for six years and had talked with Side One a lot and they were all about the music.
3. The new album “Far From Nowhere” seems more full in it’s sound, what did you do differently?
Jo – Turned my guitar to 11
J – The producer or how it was recorded maybe. There are three new members and all of us are writing which makes a difference.
R – We never really write specific things, we just write.
Jo – This album is very different than the last.
J – The vocals are better and it’s arranged well. We had more time to spend on this album.
4. Do you think being signed so young was to your advantage?
R – Both to our advantage and disadvantage. I’m still young (21) and I know a lot more than I would have, but it swallowed up my teen life.
J – I just wish I knew more about the business before we signed. We were just having fun and really didn’t know it was such a brutal scene.
R – It was really hard to get over the business aspect of it. It wasn’t even fun at times, but the love of music was all that mattered.
J – I sit down and think about it and you take things for granted sometimes. I get pissed off or angry with the business side and then think about all those kids playing in bands and trying to do the same thing we are, and I see how fortunate we are.
5. What do you think it means to sellout?
Jo – changing your music only to make money
R – it means different things to different people
J – Kids have a twisted aspect of this. They get pissed off because a band they like can pay their bills. Selling out is more like buying in. If we turned into Boys II Men than yeah we sold out. It is funner for the band if they can pay bills. It makes it less stressful.
6. “Far From Nowhere” seems more in your face lyrically with songs like “Hello Stupid,” why is this?
R – The lyrics are about myself. The song is about making the same mistakes over and over again.
(Jonah smells his armpit)
J – It’s about Jonah
Jo- It’s about smelling my armpits
7. What is in the plans to promote the album after Warped Tour?
Jo – Supporting tour and maybe a commercial
J – Tour tour tour
8. Early on people compared you to MXPX, how did you feel about this?
R – It was annoying
Jo – It was only because we were on the same label and both called Christian Rock
J – They were the only band like us that were Christian, but I don’t think we sound like them
Laura – Who do you think you sound like?
Jo – Marilyn Manson
9. Describe your music for someone that’s never heard you?
R – Fast, Melodic
Jo – Melodic punk
10. Who are your influences?
Jo – Van Halen, Lagwagon, Face To Face, Strung Out
J – The Descendants made me want to play music
R – I have many different influences
11. What is the first punk rock song you ever heard?
R – Either Minor Threat or Bad Religion
Jo – Face to Face album Big Choice; Green Day when I was 12 or 13, they were a big influence too.
J – Angelic Upstarts
12. What about the punk scene attracted you to it?
R – The newer style of punk has the old school energy, but more melody. You can sing to it.
J – The freedom to dress however and be whatever you want to
Laura – Do you think the scene has changed?
R – It never changes
Jo – It’s always been pretty judge mental
13. What band past or present would you love to play a show with?
J – Descendants
Jo – Green Day, Smashing Pumpkins, Metallica, and just for the record I don’t like Marilyn Manson
R – The Beach Boys
14. Do you prefer clubs or festivals?
Jo – Clubs because you are closer to the fans and feel the energy, but both are beneficial for us
J – Clubs that have no barricades, but we’re not knocking warped
15. What are your favorite in between gig activities to do while on tour?
J – Computer games, watch movies
R – Sleep
Jo – Sleep, play snood (computer game), listen to music
Laura – What is your favorite movie?
J – We are into the mobster movies like Godfather, Bronx Tail, we are in the middle of watching all three seasons of the Sopranos
16. If you could be on any TV show from the Simpsons to Leno, which would it be?
Jo – The Simpsons
R – Seinfeld
J – Family Guy or Happy Days
17. Who is your favorite Goonies character?
Jo – Corey Feldman’s character mouth, but Data came up with our name
J – It’s a tie between chunk and data
18. What CD is currently spinning in your CD player?
Jo – Smashing Pumpkins
J – Last night we had on Appetite For Destruction by Guns – n – Roses
19. What is it like when a kid tells you that it’s your influence that made them start a band?
R – It’s unbelievable. The other night a girl came up to us and said we prevented her from committing suicide. We have heard this a couple times, but it made me weepy. It doesn’t scare me, but it takes away any of my problems. No matter what’s going wrong for me, when you hear stuff like this it makes it all worth it.
J – I guess she had us on and she was going to choose suicide, but our music helped her through her problem. I got really emotional when I was talking with her. I got a tear in my eye. I gave her my email address so that’s he could keep in touch and let us know how she was doing. I wanted to make sure that’s he had someone to talk to. I gave her all kinds of free stuff.
R – I got an email like that too and I started crying.
Laura – So would you guys be a part of the plea for peace tour?
J – Yeah we would do that
Laura – What have your highlights been so far?
J – This years Warped Tour and playing with a lot of bands I looked up to.
R – I remember the first time we played a show with the suicide machines. I was so nervous. We would be practicing and take a break and we would put on the Suicide Machines album, and now we are sharing a bus with them.
Laura – What would you be doing if you weren’t in a band?
Jo – Full time dreamer
J – Graphics designer for bands
