Motion City Soundtrack
Rocklouder caught up with the MCS boys before their sold out London Astoria show last week.
As Motion City Soundtrack embark on their long awaited UK tour we catch up with Jesse (synthesizer) and Tony (drums) ahead of their biggest British headline show to date, at the London Astoria. Subjects on the agenda include, their new album, the scene that currently harbours them, and sleep. Here's how it went down...
Hi guys how are you enjoying the UK at the moment?
Jesse: Yep, We've actually done 8 shows is it?
Tony: Something like that, we're nearly done. This is our third to last show and its going good. It's our first tour with the new record and we're getting used to playing the new songs and stuff.
What's the bands favourite activity while on tour?
Jesse: [laughs] Sleeping
Tony: [laughs] That's what I was going to say. Probably sleeping and drinking lots of water of course because we get very dehydrated.
On your website journal you refer to MCS tours as sporting events? What can the UK expect from you live shows?
Jesse: I 'm an expert punter and he's a great kick returner and that's what makes us such a great team.
Tony: That makes no sense; these guys won't have a clue what we're talking about.
Jesse: [laughs] American Football's not that big over here.
What's the best city you've visited on the UK tour and why?
Jesse: I've always been a fan of Glasgow. The shows there are always pretty good.
Tony: Yeah the Glasgow show was incredible.
Jesse: Ireland was also pretty special because it was our first time there. The show actually went pretty well and it was super fun.
'Even If It Kills Me' is your highest charting album to date. Do you think its success reflects its quality?
Jesse: Well I would sure hope so. [laughs]
Tony: It's still early so we hope it will continue. The first few weeks went well but that's always down to the people we've already won over.
Jesse: Then hopefully they'll play it for all their friends and they'll like it.
Do you think it's your best album yet?
Jesse: I would.
Tony: Yes, I'm sorry I just realized I was nodding on tape. [laughs]
'This Is For Real' is a particular standout on the new album mainly because of its lyrics. What's the story behind this track?
Tony: I really don't know. Justin kind of does all the lyrics so I don't really know the personal side of it.
Jesse: I kind of do know but I think its more... the thing about Justin and his lyrics is, when he writes about something he doesn't like to tell people what its about because he wants them to create their own story or relationship with the song. So I don't think Justin would necessarily say what its personally about for him, he'd prefer people to pull there own ideas from the song.
Songs such as 'Calling All Cops', 'Fell In Love Without You', 'Asking You To Leave' and 'Where I Belong' were mentioned earlier in the year to be on the new album. “Asking You To Leave†didn't make it out of these. Did you have any other songs for this record that couldn't make it?
Tony: I think there was only one other song that we recorded that didn't get on the record and we just weren't happy about how it turned out. We like the song, we'll probably end up re-doing it one day but from what it was to what it became we just weren't happy with it. So it probably won't even see the light of day as a b-side it'll just totally be re-done one day.
What happened to the ones that got away?
Jesse: Well 'Asking You To Leave' ended up being a b-side anyway; we ended up recording it and putting it out on a b-side.
Tony: Yeah if you buy the record on itunes I think you get that song.
How do you usually formulate ideas for songs?
Tony: We don't really have like a set way.
Jesse: It usually starts out like a bunch of pieces not necessarily a song. Somebody will come in with a drum beat or a guitar part or whatever and we'll kind of keep playing it until something else changes and we'll take it form there and put it together like puzzles.
Tony: Sometimes it happens really quickly and sometimes it takes months, years even. Like that song 'Can't Finish What You Started' that's on this record.
Jesse: Yeah.
Tony: We attempted to write that song before the last record I think and couldn't get anywhere with it. We had a main part and could never get anywhere with it. Finally it came together three years later or whatever it is now.
Which tracks off the new album do you particularly like playing live?
Tony: I am honestly excited about playing all of them. I don't really get sick of what were playing but it's nice to start playing something different.
Jesse: I've been really enjoying playing 'Point Of Extinction'.
Tony: Yeah I think that might actually be my favorite, I really like it.
Jesse: It's a rocking song!
How do you feel about leaving old popular tracks out of the set lists for newer songs which may not go down as well?
Tony: Well I think we like to make sure were playing stuff off every record and not too much from one and more from others. I think it came down to what new songs we were ready to play because a lot of them weren't ready yet because we kind of wrote them recorded them and didn't play them after that. Then as for the older songs, we kind of see what ones go over well and we stick with them.
It's been 10 years since MCS formed and it seems you've only recently been accepted into the mainstream. Do you feel slightly bitter that a shit load of bands have made quicker and bigger success out of the musical groundwork you laid down all those years ago?
Jesse: No I'm not bitter.
Tony: Yeah and plus Justin and Josh started writing all that stuff round that time. This line up came about only five or six years ago or something like that so it's not been that long for us. I think we like the way it's all turned out. I don't know it's hard to explain. Nothing happened too fast, its good to come up through and do the small shows and see every aspect of how the band has developed.
Do you feel not having this major success in the past has meant you've had more creative control over songs and videos?
Jesse: We've definitely had creative control over a lot of that stuff. Like, working with Epitaph, they've been really awesome as far as like not really ever telling us what we can and cannot do. We've had a lot of input into the music videos and tours. We kind of get to do what we want to do which is nice.
Your sound isn't usually described as diverse. How do you feel about being type cast to certain genres, tours and scenes?
Jesse: It's funny because we don't really sound like any of those bands. [laughs]
Tony: I don't know I never understand it. Someone could say we sound like this but you'll never really know until you here us. Different people call us different things. Like over here were called pop punk yet certain record stores put us under metal which is really strange to me.
Being only three albums in to your career, do you see your future within this scene or would you like to branch out and find different audiences?
Tony: Well you always hope new people hear your stuff. I don't think we have a goal in mind. We're just going to keep doing what we do and hope people keep liking it.
Jesse: Just keep playing shows.
Tony: And hope those new people that do hear us like us and start coming out to see us.
Stay tuned to Rocklouder for a review of that Astoria gig coming very soon!
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