(This interview was done on April 14th, 2002 at the University of Hartford's Hawk's Nest.  Thanks to Claudio.)

Josh:  Right now, what is your favorite comic so far, whether it be character or theme even?

Claudio: So far, I've been reading-- I'm a big fan of Image Comics' Red Star.  And there's one due out early in the series, it's called Defiance and it's by Image.  Then I like just the revisted G.I. Joe, Transformers just got redone.  All of the old cartoony stuff I'm down with.  I don't know, as far as my favorite character, it would have to be... Spawn.  (laughs)

Josh: Do you like Spider-man?

Claudio:  I'm a big Spider-man fan, yes.

Josh: Are you excited for the movie?

Claudio:  Yes.  I'm very disappointed in the way it looks though.   The computer stuff kind of threw me for a whirlwind, but I'm still going to see it no doubt. 

Josh: I heard it early on that Nicholas Cage was going to be Spider-man, and I don't think he would have made as good of a Spider-man.

Claudio: I don't either, but I heard he was supposed to play Superman.

Josh: I don't know if I like him as Superman either.

Claudio:  But it's Tim Burton's version of Superman.

Josh:  So it's gonna be out there?

Claudio:  Yeah.  But I don't really know.

Josh: I didn't like George Clooney as Batman either.

Claudio: Yeah, I was always a big fan of the Michael Keaton Batman.

Josh: Does being in a band and being on the road give you an advantage in buying comics because you kind of get to go to all different states and you go to shops all over?

Claudio:  You know what the funny thing is... On the road, I can't find a comic shop worth hell.   It's like, the last few days of our tour was when I found a comic shop.  And they didn't have anything I needed.  And when I got home I found all these series that were up to number five, and I was like, "What the hell am I missing?",  I was all pissed.  Really, I think it's hard though, 'cause we don't have the time.  We're in the van all the time. 

Josh:  What was the last comic you bought?

Claudio:  Radix #3.

Josh: What is the next comic you think you are going to buy?

Claudio:  All depending on what comes out, I'm hoping it will be the third part of Dark Knight 2. 

Josh:  What do you think of the Ultimate Marvel series?

Claudio: I don't know, I don't really read it.  I read more of like, I don't know, I just don't really read the super hero stuff any more. I just read the weird shit.  I mean, it's not so much weird, but it's the science fiction type of stuff.   You know, I'm trying to write a comic myself and it's more along those lines.  So I'm reading more of the science fiction now.

(This is when we have a little talk about "Jeremiah", as I explain it to him.  //www.jeremiah.tv)

Josh:  Let's talk about your music...

Claudio:  (laughing)  Why?

Josh:  I hear you're in a band. 

(we both laugh)

Josh:  I want to know why you kind of have all of this hype around you.  I mean, your CD only came out just over a month ago and already everyone is up there singing along- "Claudi-oh-oh". 

(Claudio laughs)

Josh:  You know, you're already building this cult following. 

Claudio:  Uhh... I don't know.   (laughs)  I don't know.  It's weird.  It's hard for us to grasp because we've been a band for five years before this, and the music, it wasn't the same but the progressive rock elements were there the high vocals were there and it was hard for people to like.  And we didn't think anyone was going to like this project to begin with.  We never really took our band seriously until one day Equal Vision was like, "We like your band and we want to sign you".  So, you know, it's all really new to us.   There's no formula we really go by.  It's just happening and it's really cool.  We're excited.

Josh:  In one of your songs, it says "Paris in flames".

Claudio:  Yes.

Josh: I wanted to point that out because that's a Thursday song.

Claudio: Yes.  On our record, there's a bunch of things like that.  We say "Paris in flames", we also say the phrase "boy sets fire".  These, to us, come across as shout outs to bands we like. 

Josh:  I want to kind of back track, but when I first heard you, it was weird because I thought some people maybe turned off by the vocals being higher.  But it actually seems to be quite the opposite.  No one really seems to care.

Claudio:  Personally, I've felt the same way because we've been through four years of kids disliking the voice.  So yeah, it's definitely a surprise. 

Josh:  Is it because you got signed to EVR and that's the cool place to be now?

Claudio:  I don't know, maybe. 

Josh:  Why are you called what you're called, and why do people call you Coheed and Candiria?

Claudio:  Some times they call us Coheed and Clamidia.  But no, we're called Coheed and Cambria because I'm writing a three part graphic novel and they're the main characters. 

Josh:  What kind of made you decide to take the melodic kind of rock and mix it in with the metal guitar riffs and harder parts?

Claudio:  Well, we're real big fans of Iron Maiden and I like to think of them as a key influence in our band.  That's really it.  I've always been a fan of melodic music. 

Josh:  Why does your CD take so long to start?  There's this huge intro.

Claudio:  Yes.  Because we like it.  (laughs)  I don't know, we really like all those weird interludes and we were really down with that for the record. 

Josh:  Where do you go from here?

Claudio:  I don't know.  I hope we get to tour Europe, that's really about it.  And to put out another record too.

Josh:  Have you already began work on that?

Claudio:  Yeah.  We actually played one of the new songs tonight. 

Josh:  So what made you decide to have higher vocals?

Claudio:  Well, I've always kind of sung like that.  For a while, I had trouble singing with my regular voice, and the first thing that happens when I sing is it just comes out like that, like a high voice.  I'm into singers like Bjork and Cindy Lauper, so when I was young I would drive around in the car with my mother and she would listen to Taylor Dayne and sing along, and I would sing along with her.  So I guess my mom was kind of like my vocal teacher.  I ended up singing like her.  I mean, she's not a singer, but she's got a beautiful voice.  She could have been. 

(At this point, someone hands Claudio a CD to sign, no joke)

Josh: You're doing an interview and signing a CD, how rock star is that?

Claudio:  Dude!!

Josh:  And you know I'm putting that in there now too.

(Claudio laughs)

Josh:  What advice do you have for aspiring young rock stars?

Claudio:  Listen to Maiden.