The Offspring: Ixnay Sayers

When these Orange County indie punks cut their thirs recond in 1994, they were so sure it would be a hit they bet each other how many copies it would sell. One of them impudently predicted 180,000. The album "Smash" sold 9 million copies. Watch caught up with Noodles-guitarist for the group that Spin magazine called the most successful independent band of all time-and discussed why singing to a major label hasn't by any means taken The Offspring out of his step...

"CORPORATE BANDS RULE!"

Watch: Give us your official statement on the label switch.

Noodles: Sure, We haven't changed at all. We were happy on Epitaph, but Bret (Gurewitz, the owner) was looking to sell part of it. If we were going to end up somewhere else, we wanted control. Corporations start somewhere; Brett really did want to do things differently, but ultimately he was playing that corporate game, too.

Watch: So if you guys play the Billboard Music Awards again, is Dexter gonna wear a T-shirt that says "Corporate Rock Kills Bands Dead"?

Noodles: (Laughs) Now that phrase is: "Corporate Bands Rule"!

Watch: You've also switched producers, yet "Ixnay" sounds very much like "Smash."

Noodles: Good! Dave (Jerden)'s specialty is bringing out what's happening with an individual band. The records he's produced are those band's records, not his (ex: Jane's Addiction). That's exactly what we wanted.

Watch: Not to take you guys too seriously, but is (opening track) "Disclaimer" a resonse to right wing flack flingers?

Noodles: Definitely, but in a fun way. We've only really been sued or anything! (Laughs)

Watch: And lawsuits are no laughing matter in the U.S. of A.

Noodles: Americans are so sue-happy! I used to work in a school district where parents would send kids to school in flip flops. The kid would trip on the jungle gym and BOOM! They'd sue! Before they'd even take the kid to the doctor, they'd come over and take pictures of the playground to send off to their lawyer!

Watch: Not the same playground that appears in "I Choose" I hope.

Noodles: Yeah, "life can be a playground..." That song's based on Zen koan. (A short story with a spiritual lesson.) The traveler in a strange land gets besieged by a tiger, falls off a cliff, grabs a real thin vine, looks down, and sees a lion below him! Then two mice some up and start chewing on the vine! He looks over, and right next to him there's a grape plant. He reaches out and takes a grape...and it's just wonderful.

Watch: Bittersweet!

Noodles: That's and oversimplification. It sounds dumb, but it's beautiful. If you can suffer through bad stuff and still find something worthwhile, you're all right. Because life isn't a playground.

Watch: If life is a bowl of grapes, why am I hanging off a cliff?

Noodles: Well, it's Dexter's song. That's just my guess.

Watch: That's one tough epitaph.

Noodles: Ouch! Yeah, famous last words.

By Matt Gee, from Watch