Sook-Yin Lee: A NEW BAND ALL THE WAY FROM NEWMARKET, ONTARIO, BY THE NAME OF SERIAL JOE, HAS THEIR FIRST C.D. OUT. IT'S CALLED "KIT." AND IN THE MuchMusic ENVIRONMENT I HAVE THE MEMBERS: DAN, JON, STEVER AND RYAN. HI, GUYS. SO HOW DID YOU MEET?
New Speaker: SCHOOL.
Sook-Yin Lee: AT SCHOOL?
New Speaker: YEAH, WE ALL GO TO THE SAME SCHOOL.
Sook-Yin Lee: AND SO WERE YOU IN MUSIC CLASS TOGETHER OR SOMETHING?
New Speaker: LIKE WE WERE ALL IN THE SAME GRADE AND EVERYTHING AND WE HAVE BEEN FRIENDS SINCE WE HAVE BEEN IN SCHOOL SO...
Sook-Yin Lee: WHAT GRADE WOULD YOU BE IN?
New Speaker: I CAME IN IN GRADE 7.
New Speaker: I KNEW STEVER SINCE ABOUT GRADE FOUR.
Sook-Yin Lee: AND YOU GUYS WRITE SONGS, ABOUT MUSIC, FIRST OF ALL. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE BANDS YOU LOVE?
New Speaker: FREE ELEVEN, RAGE AGAINST MACHINE.
Sook-Yin Lee: YOU HAVE A BIT OF A HEAVIER ANGLE TO YOUR MUSIC.
New Speaker: YEAH.
Sook-Yin Lee: IT'S A BIT THE PUNK AND HIP-HOP...
New Speaker: YEAH.
Sook-Yin Lee: AND THE EXTREME SPORTS IS A BIG TOPIC. LIKE WHAT SORT OF -- WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT, EXTREME SPORTS?
New Speaker: WELL, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY ABOUT WHAT WE LIKE TO DO. LIKE WE ALL SNOWBOARD TYPE THING, SKIING AND STUFF.
Sook-Yin Lee: DO YOU SKATEBOARD?
New Speaker: YEAH, I SKATEBOARD.
New Speaker: I HAVE ATTEMPTED TO.
Sook-Yin Lee: SO EXTREME SPORTS IS SOMETHING THAT TAKES A LOT OF ENERGY AND IT'S SORT OF DANGEROUS.
New Speaker: YEAH, YOU GET A RUSH FROM IT.
Sook-Yin Lee: WHAT ABOUT SAFE SPORTS LIKE CURLING? DOES THAT APPEAL TO YOU?
New Speaker: NEVER TRIED CURLING!
Sook-Yin Lee: AND ALSO GIRLS. YOU SING A LOT ABOUT GIRLS.
New Speaker: YEAH.
Sook-Yin Lee: WHAT DO YOU THINK OF GIRLS? ARE THEY LOVE SONGS?
New Speaker: NO, NO.
Sook-Yin Lee: BREAKUP SONGS?
New Speaker: NO, JUST BASIC SONGS IN GENERAL, YOU KNOW.
Sook-Yin Lee: LIKE WHAT?
New Speaker: LIKE...
New Speaker: JUST GIRLS IN GENERAL.
Sook-Yin Lee: LIKE THOSE GIRLS?
New Speaker: YEAH.
New Speaker: FANS!
Sook-Yin Lee: NOW, YOU DID NOT PLANT THOSE GIRLS COMING TO MuchMusic, DID YOU?
New Speaker: NO.
Sook-Yin Lee: THESE ARE LIKE ANONYMOUS FANS OF YOURS. AND THE GIRLS FOUND OUT ABOUT YOU -- GIRLS, HOW DID YOU FIND OUT ABOUT SERIAL JOE?
New Speaker: THE NEW-VR.
Sook-Yin Lee: OH, THE NEW-VR. YOU WON A BIG TALENT CONTEST WITH THE NEW-VR. DOES THAT KIND OF FREAK YOU OUT, THAT PEOPLE ARE STARTING TO WRITE BIG SIGNS THAT SAY "SERIAL JOE ROCKS"?
New Speaker: IT'S COOL.
New Speaker: WE LIKE IT.
New Speaker: IT'S AMAZING BECAUSE A FEW MONTHS AGO WE HAD NO FANS, EXCEPT OUR FAMILY.
New Speaker: JUST FAMILY AND FRIENDS.
Sook-Yin Lee: DO YOU SEE IT'S LIKE A POSSIBILITY -- LIKE TO BE IN A BAND, IT'S A GOOD POSSIBILITY TO GET A GIRLFRIEND?
New Speaker: YEAH. THAT WOULD BE COOL.
New Speaker: YEAH.
Sook-Yin Lee: OKAY. SO YOU'RE ALL WHAT, LIKE 13, 14 YEARS OLD?
New Speaker: I'M 13.
New Speaker: 14.
Sook-Yin Lee: DO YOU SEE YOURSELVES AS LIKE CANADA'S ANSWER TO, SAY, SILVERCHAIR OR HANSON?
New Speaker: WELL, YOU KNOW, WE'RE JUST REALLY WRITING MUSIC AND IF PEOPLE SEE IT THAT WAY, THAT'S THEIR VIEW. WE'RE JUST WRITING, YOU KNOW.
Sook-Yin Lee: HAVE YOU BEEN WRITING A LONG TIME? LIKE WHEN DID YOU START WRITING?
New Speaker: WELL, WE ACTUALLY FORMED THIS BAND ABOUT SIX, SEVEN MONTHS AGO, AND BEFORE THAT, WELL, WE WERE IN A DIFFERENT BAND, ME AND DAN WERE, AND WE PLAYED AT THE SCHOOL A COUPLE OF TIMES, AND THAT WAS WITH A DIFFERENT SINGER AND EVERYTHING. BUT WE'VE BEEN GOING IN THIS BAND FOR ABOUT SIX, SEVEN MONTHS. IT'S WICKED.
Sook-Yin Lee: COOL. SO YOU SEE LIKE THERE'S SO MANY BANDS THAT HAVE YOUNGER AND YOUNGER PEOPLE. LIKE ONE OF THE BACKSTREET BOYS' BROTHER --
New Speaker: AARON CARTER.
Sook-Yin Lee: HE'S REALLY, REALLY YOUNG. WHEN YOU SEE A BAND LIKE THAT ON TV, DO YOU GO, "HEY, THAT MEANS MORE YOUNG PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE MAKING BANDS"? DOES IT SORT OF INSPIRE YOU OR INSPIRE YOUR FRIENDS AND STUFF TO MAKE BANDS?
New Speaker: OH, YEAH. I NOTICED LIKE WATCHING MuchMusic AND OTHER VIDEOS AND STUFF LIKE THAT, YEAH, THERE'S A LOT MORE YOUNG BANDS STARTING UP. AND IT'S KIND OF ENCOURAGING KNOWING THAT YOUNG GUYS LIKE US CAN MAKE IT, TOO, YOU KNOW. AND YEAH, A LOT OF KIDS AT OUR SCHOOL ARE STARTING UP BANDS. IT'S FUN.
Sook-Yin Lee: YEAH. AND TAYLOR FROM HANSON, WHOSE VOICE BROKE RECENTLY. SO... HE WENT LOW... DO YOU EVER THINK ABOUT HOW YOUR MUSIC IS GOING TO CHANGE WHEN YOUR BODIES CHANGE?
New Speaker: I DON'T THINK IT WILL REALLY HAVE TO CHANGE THAT MUCH, YOU KNOW. IT'S JUST GOING TO ADAPT, MIGHT CHANGE IT AROUND A BIT BUT...
Sook-Yin Lee: I GUESS IT'S ALL LIFE EXPERIENCE.
New Speaker: IT'S PART OF MUSIC.
Sook-Yin Lee: THAT'S TRUE. DOES -- LIKE YOU'RE CONSCIOUS OF MARKETING OF YOUNGER MUSICIANS. HOW DOES THAT MAKE YOU FEEL? IS THERE PRESSURE THERE?
New Speaker: I DON'T THINK THERE'S THAT MUCH PRESSURE, YOU KNOW. ONE THING WITH US, WE KIND OF TAKE IT AS IT COMES, RIGHT? LIKE A LOT HAS HAPPENED TO US IN A SHORT TIME. LIKE IT'S KIND OF A SHOCK TO US TO SEE, LIKE, ACTUAL FANS. WE DON'T ALWAYS KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON THE WHOLE TIME, YOU KNOW. WE'RE JUST HAVING FUN.
Sook-Yin Lee: I THINK WE SHOULD BRING YOUR MOM IN FOR A SECOND.
New Speaker: HI, MOM!
Sook-Yin Lee: MOM/MANAGER. DEBBY DENNIS.
New Speaker: HI.
Sook-Yin Lee: SO YOU HAVE TAKEN OVER MANAGING OF THE BAND?
New Speaker: YES.
Sook-Yin Lee: WHY IS THAT? WHY NOT HIRE A MANAGER?
New Speaker: BECAUSE MOST MANAGERS THAT YOU WOULD HIRE HAVE THE BOYS' BEST BUSINESS INTERESTS AT HEART. I JUST HAVE THREE NEW BOYS NOW, SO I HAVE A FEW EXTRA SONS, AND AT THIS AGE IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO TAKE CARE OF THEIR PERSONAL INTERESTS AS WELL AS THEIR BUSINESS INTERESTS, AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT HAPPENS.
Sook-Yin Lee: RIGHT. SO WHAT'S THE BIG BUSINESS PLAN?
New Speaker: WELL, I'M GOING TO DO WHATEVER THEY NEED ME TO DO TO HELP THEM GET WHERE THEY WANT TO BE. AND THEY'D LIKE TO DO THE RECORD THING AND...
Sook-Yin Lee: APPARENTLY DREAM WORKS PHONED YOU UP BECAUSE THEY SAW A MuchMusic PLAY LIST AND SO MORE COMPANIES ARE...
New Speaker: YEAH.
Sook-Yin Lee: ARE YOU A STAGE MOM AT ALL? YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO MACAULAY CULKIN.
New Speaker: OF COURSE NOT! ABSOLUTELY NOT.
Sook-Yin Lee: I UNDERSTAND THERE'S A PHONE CALL FROM A FAN OUT THERE. ARE YOU GUYS WILLING TO TAKE THE CALL?
New Speaker: YEAH.
New Speaker: YEAH, SURE.
Sook-Yin Lee: ALL RIGHT. THERE'S A CALLER ON THE LINE. HELLO?
New Speaker: HELLO.
Sook-Yin Lee: HI.
New Speaker: IT'S THE PRINCIPAL OF ARMITAGE VILLAGE CALLING.
New Speaker: OH....GEES!
New Speaker: I'M DOING A BIT OF A CHECKUP --
Sook-Yin Lee: Mr. MAIN PRIZE.
New Speaker: YEAH. I'M DOING A BIT OF A CHECKUP ON SOME GUYS MISSING FROM SCHOOL TODAY.
Sook-Yin Lee: OH, I THOUGHT THIS WAS A PROFESSIONAL DAY.
New Speaker: OH, NO, NO. DID THEY MISLEAD YOU? I'M LOOKING FOR THREE BOYS BY THE NAME OF JONATHAN, RYAN, STEVER AND DANIEL. WE HAVE HEARD ABOUT -- Mrs. DENNIS DID CALL INTO THE SCHOOL TO LET US KNOW THAT RYAN WOULD BE AWAY, BUT WE WEREN'T SURE THAT THE OTHER THREE BOYS WERE THERE. ARE THEY THERE WITH YOU?
Sook-Yin Lee: YEAH, DID YOU WANT TO TALK TO THEM?
New Speaker: WELL, I PROBABLY SHOULD TALK TO THEM WHEN THEY GET BACK. I CERTAINLY WON'T EMBARRASS THEM ON THE AIR, BUT I PROBABLY DO NEED TO TALK TO THEM.
Sook-Yin Lee: UH...UH... PRINCIPAL MAIN PRIZE, COULD I GET THE BOYS OFF THE HOOK IF I WRITE THEM A NOTE? THEY ARE ON NATIONAL TV RIGHT NOW.
New Speaker: I GUESS I COULD ALLOW THAT, BUT I'M GOING TO HAVE TO TALK TO THEM WHEN THEY COME BACK.
Sook-Yin Lee: I'LL THROW IN A "SHINY TUNES II."
New Speaker: ALL RIGHT.
Sook-Yin Lee: ALL RIGHT THEN, BOYS. GET BACK TO SCHOOL! AND YOU KNOW WHAT? PLAYING A LICENSED SHOW AT THE REVERB IN TORONTO...
New Speaker: YEP.
Sook-Yin Lee: HOW DO YOU DO THAT? ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES ARE BEING SOLD THERE.
New Speaker: WE JUST DON'T DRINK THE ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES.
Sook-Yin Lee: YOU HAVE TO HAVE A LONG MICROPHONE OUT INTO THE STREET. THAT'S TONIGHT. AND THEN AN ALL-AGES SHOW WHERE EVERYBODY OF ALL AGES CAN GO SEE YOU.
New Speaker: YES, CLUB SHANGHAI ON SATURDAY.
Sook-Yin Lee: ON SPADINA IN TORONTO. WELL, GOOD LUCK TO YOU, BOYS, AND JUST KEEP HAVING FUN WITH IT.
New Speaker: THANKS.
Sook-Yin Lee: SERIAL JOE. THIS IS "SKIDROW."