Racket Aaron: Whats up?
Polyphonic Spree Tim: Not too much really, just finishing mixing the new album.
RA: Cool. So state your name
PST: Tim DeLaughter (pronounced de-lotter)
RA: What’s the origins of that–(side note. He cut me off. I was going to ask if it were
Muslim or something.)
PST: Its French.
RA: So I mean…Are you guys a band, a cult with instruments, or a pack of traveling gypsies?
PST: We’re a band sometimes. We were a cult at first, and now we’re an army.
RA What’s your favorite beer?
PST: My favorite beer? Hm…favorite beer. You know, I don’t really like beer. It doesn’t
appeal to me.
RA So what’s your favorite drink then?
PST: My favorite drink? Alcoholic, or…?
RA Yeah, alcoholic. There’s really no other kind of drink
PST: I like wine, and vodka.
RA: What’s your favorite drug?
PST: My favorite drug? I used to do drugs, but I don’t anymore. So I’d have to say alcohol
by default.
RA: So what’s the groupie situation like?
PST: The groupie situation?
RA: Yeah, the groupie situation. Since there’s like forty of you guys in the band
(he later assured me that there was only 22) Do you guys just divvy them up, or
take turns with a number system, or pull a classy gang-bang?
PST: Wow. That’s really a fucking offensive question. Wow. Well, seeing as how I’m happily
married, with a child and another on the way, I don’t really know how they handle the
groupie situation.
RA: Hm. Awkward. Do you even know how many people are in your band anymore?
PST: There are currently 22 people.
RA: So why, on this Wait E.P., did you choose to cover yourself?
PST: Cover myself?
RA: Yeah, you know…the Tripping Daisy cover on there. Weren’t you in that band before?
PST: Oh! I don’t know, I just love that band, I love that song. I felt like it should
have a Polyphonic Spree touch to it. I kinda wish we would have done it like this to begin
with, but I’m happy with the way it turned out. I just wanted to see what it sounded like.
RA: So….why robes?
PST: Why robes? Because I felt that it was easier and cheaper to clothe everyone like this
and I felt that street clothes would be too distracting as to what was happening on stage.
They were cheap, and effective, and they really presented a cool image.
RA: Who was your favorite wrestler?
PST: My favorite what?
RA: Your favorite wrestler. You know, like WWF?
PST: OH! Well Im from Dallas, Texas, so it would have to be the Von Erichs. Do you know
who they are?
RA: The Von Erichs? Yup. They’ve had quite a run with suicide.
PST: Well, yeah…But yeah. I just loved the whole family of them.
RA: When you play shows, in like Arizona, or Southern California, does Border Patrol ever
stop you, and try to bust you on human trafficking?
PST: Human trafficking? No. We got held up on the boarder, but no human trafficking.
RA: I’m actually really fucking curious, how do you guys tour then? Obviously, you’re not all
cramped up in a GMC van…or are you?
PST: It just depends on the U.K., and all of that, or if its the United States. If its the
U.K, we take two busses, but if its here in the United Stated we take these things called
Sports Stars.
RA: What are those?
PST: They use them for hockey teams. Basically there’s 26 bunks, and when your on the bus, you’re
laying down, because there’s no room on the bus to sit, or stand up and walk around.
RA: Ouch. So why are you guys so damn happy?
PST: Happy? I don’t know, the first record we did, "The Beginning Stages Of" (plug) I felt was
very melon-collie. I’ve never really considered us to be all that happy of a band. I mean,
we’re all pretty dysfunctional, and somewhat unhappy. And it gets pretty difficult.
Personally, I try to remain optimistic though, but that doesn’t mean our music is
particularly happy.
RA: Alright…so, what’s the color of happy?
PST: The color of happy? Fuck If I know.
RA: Haha, alright, so what’s the color of sad?
PST: The color of sad? The same color as happy, if I knew what that was.
RA: Tell me a joke now.
PST: Tell you a joke? I just heard a joke the other day. Wait, actually, this is a joke
that I made up myself. I’m not sure if it’s particularly funny, or even if it’s considered a joke
, but I’ve always laughed.
RA: Okay, so let’s hear it.
PST: Alright, there once was a ghost so full of shit, that he was a ghost no more.
RA: (crickets.) Haha. Alright. Well, here’s your big chance to start a feud with a band.
PST: Start a feud with a band?
RA: Yup, go ahead.
PST: Oh man, there are so many bands I’d love to start a feud with. Just so many fucking bands. I don’t know, but I’d better not get into it. So many bands, there’s just to many to name.
RA: Alright, do you have any questions for me?
PST: Any questions for you?
RA: Yup.
PST: Yeah. How long have you worked for Racket?
RA: I’ve written for Racket for about three months now, but all I’ve got really is a review.
PST: So how do you guys get paid, are you published or anything?
RA: Paid? Hahaha, we don’t get paid.
PST: So how do you guys make a living then doing this then?
RA: Um, haha, well, Racketboss Jonathan is a slave driver and hustler, Matt’s a pimp,
and I work at a place called Western Wats.
PST: What’s that?
RA: Its a place…haha, um. Where we call people, and do media research. Its not telemarketing
or anything like that. We do a lot of work for certin HMO’s, cable providers, and politicians.
Depending on the day, I either dial and bother people, or listen to other people dial, and
make sure they don’t fuck it up.
PST: Well, that’s all I wanted to know.
RA: Okay. Any last comments?
PST: Um, yeah. Be careful.
RA: Be careful, haha, of what?
PST: Just be careful.
-Aaron "Latino Heat" Hale