Punktuation-First off, introduce yourself and let us know a little bit about who you are.
The Wunder Years-I'm Brian and I'm 21 years old and I'm from Berkeley California and I've grown up here.
P-Who else is in the band and what does each member play?
WY-There's a guy named Josh Stables-he plays bass and sings, and a guy who plays second guitar, his name is Shane Stevens-and he sings and plays guitar also, and Caitlin Love plays drums.
P-Give a brief history about The Wunder Years like ex-projects, side projects...
WY-Well basically about over two years ago we started with completely different members other than myself which kind of sucks, it's kind of a long story-the old bass player was one of my best friends and he decided to go to college in the summer and he let me know in advance, and our drummer basically went off to music school for the summer and I just kind of broke down and freaked out and we had a tour planned so I called up some really good friends of mine and just kind of swapped the lineup around and we started writing some songs-the style kind of changed up cause the people that I was playing with before were more into straight-forward pop and punk and none of the people that play now, much more of a diverse background as far as what everyone listens to, and what type of bands everyones played in.
P-What kind of playing style do you guys prefer?
WY-Genre-wise?
P-You said the old band was kind of more just straight-forward punk but this is kind of more diverse.
WY-I like what we're doing now a lot more, it's a lot more challenging for everyone, I think the music's a lot more original, and I enjoy myself with the new people as people and musically a lot more.
P-Okay. Where are you guys from and what is it like there, the scene, the citylife...
WY-I'm from Berkeley and the three other people are from Santa Rosa which is about an hour north of San Francisco. There's a ton of bands, a lot of venues, it's really as far as punk music is concerned, it can be really sceney and I kind of feel that a lot of people around here, and a lot of major cities when music becomes a bit oversaturated that it becomes more about the scene as far as who you know, what you look like and more just your connections and the superficial side to entertainment as opposed to what you're saying and what you're playing. But, you know, on the other hand, it really is great cause there's so many bands around here and on any given night you can pretty much go out to a show.
P-Yeah that's what I noticed, I went down there about three years ago and there was a show every single night.
WY-Yeah, it is like that-it's really good for that, you know and even amongst the scenesters and stuff there's really nice people, and it's just big all and all I guess, you're just dealing with everything you could possibly expect from music.
P-Yeah, so you guys must play a lot of shows then.
WY-Um, yeah actually lately we've been touring more than we have been playing locally, I think everyone in the band is really into it, it gives us a chance to travel and meet new people and do what we want to do. You know, things get really judgemental around here, so I think if you, for me especially I've grown up here, just like people sometimes, rumors and shit like that get started, it's just ridiculous you know, and I'd rather just let music and words speak for themselves.
P-What do you guys do apart from rocking out in the Wunder Years?
WY-Pretty much work when we can, but right now, we've been touring so much that we've kind of just put everything on hold. I mean when I'm home I just do temp work through temp agencies, Josh works at Kinkos, Caitlin doesn't work right now, and Shane does computer stuff, but pretty much just try to play music as much as possible I guess.
P-What do you guys enjoy about playing in a band?
WY-I probably would be speaking for everybody in saying just having the opportunity to play music and release yourself on stage and just doing that, just playing music and kind of everyone in the band enjoys to do that as much as possible.
P-Is there a sort of satisfaction you guys get from writing a song and saying, "that's our song"!
WY-Yeah definitely, especially now with the new lineup, it seems like we're spending a lot more time on writing and just kind of everyone writing and putting their own little piece in as opposed to it kind of just being lined out by whoever wrote the song. I personally feel really good about it when I know we've worked hard and the song is kind of finished up.
P-And this new style that you're playing now you all have more input I guess.
WY-Yeah definitely.
P-What kind of subjects do you deal with in your lyrics?
WY-Um, that's kind of a weird question, I'd say that it mainly relates, it's personal, but I try to focus some stuff that everyone I think goes through to some extent, just the concept of feeling estranged in the world, or growing out of your youth, or being young, and just dealing with everything from friends to girlfriends to liquor to drugs to everything...
P-To vampires.
WY-Yeah, that song is just kind of basically about treating yourself really badly, and staying out too late for a whole summer with a bunch of your friends.
P-It's an awesome song.
WY-Thank you.
P-So seeing as though yesterday was the Superbowl, was it a special day for you guys?
WY-No...(laughing)
P-With the song Superbowl sunday?
WY-See well all those songs, we haven't even played them with the new lineup, we haven't even played those songs really. we played Superbowl sunday like two weeks ago, but I don't know, it made me think of the person who that song was about, but that's about it. And I watched the Superbowl.
P-Oh did you?
WY-Like a jock, yeah.
P-I didn't even watch it, I watched Survivor.
WY-Yeah survivor was good too (laughs). I was glad that lady got kicked off, I didn't like her.
P-Yeah Debb
WY-Yeah...
P-Yeah, within thirty seconds I was like, she's gotta go.
WY-Yeah definitely.
P-Next with Kimmy.
WY-But um yeah, I did think about that song and I hung out and watched the Superbowl I guess.
P-How long have you guys been playing together and playing individually?
WY-With the current lineup?
P-Yup.
WY-Seven months, and individually, Josh is a lot older than all of us, he's the bass player, and he's 27 now and I know he's been playing since he was like 16, I've been playing since I was 15, Shane
like 14, and Caitlin probably about the same, 14 or 15.
P-And you're all about, apart from Josh, in your early 20s?
WY-Yeah, Shane and I are both 21, and Caitlin's 19.
P-Did you guys have any bands before the Wunder Years?
WY-Yeah everyone's played in tons of bands, just from like punk bands, ska bands, to indie bands, everyone in the band has pretty much been in at least 3 or 4 bands.
P-Oh really?
WY-Yeah. Nothing notable really..
P-This is the one.
WY-Yeah.
P-What is it like from your point of view playing in different parts of the world, wherever you've toured to, are kids different in different areas?
WY-I really like it, I enjoy being out and playing shows out of town, moreso than playing in town, other than you know, just being able to be with my immediate friends. But, a small town can be especially fun because good music doesn't come through much, so when there's a show, everyone comes out and gets really into it, whereas in big cities, kind of like what I saying earlier about music getting really oversaturated, is that, everyone will just kind of stand around, and it takes something so exceptionally good to get people really into it that it's hard. I think were a band that's getting better, but I don't think that we're the best that there is or at the current point we have what it takes to get people that are that jaded on music, but you know, different cities in the states at least, there's a different vibe in a lot of different cities. Sometimes weird cities that I've expected to be one way have turned out the other. I was really weird about going to Louisville Kentucky but it turned out to be a rad place.
P-Oh really?
WY-Yeah.
P-Yeah, they've got lots of good bands down there, don't they have By The Grace of God?
WY-I've never heard of them. I know there's a really big hardcore scene in Louisville. I know that. But, it's exciting, you get to go out and play for new people everynight.
P-Yeah I guess in the big cities the kids probably just take it for granted.
WY-Sometimes yeah, I mean, some people get into it, but I don't know you know, it's rough, I want to come to Canada, or go to Europe or something too, I don't know what it would be like there, but I just think it would be probably more different than city to city.
P-Well I played your guys stuff to a few people and they were all freaking out and then apparently they told other people about you guys so I guess you guys are probably getting pretty big here too then.
WY-Get the word spread around.
P-Yeah, the word is spreading.
P-Um, what is your favorite thing about the music that you guys play?
WY-Umm, I guess personally the fact that when I go up on stage to play it's kind of an intense release for me, everything I'm singing about and putting forth, like I said, it's personal, but I think that most people can relate to it, so it's kind of like, you know, if you were going to sit down and talk to me, or meet me for the first time, you wouldn't understand those things about me, you know that I'm writing about. So it's kind of like everything that I'm thinking gets to be released and allowed in an in your face kind of way.
P-Do you have a lucky object that you bring while playing a show, like does your drummer bring a drum stick that's lucky, or certain guitar strap?
WY-I'm trying to think, definitely not musically I don't think, I mean we all have had the same amps for a while, I don't know, we have a lot of supersticion in our van, we've had a lot of really bad luck with vans breaking down so we always speak very highly of the van when we're in it, we try not to ever badmouth it.
P-Try to love it?
WY-Yeah that's kind of our only supersticious or luck related object I guess.
P-If you had the choice to be on a movie soundtrack, what movie would that be, and what song would you choose?
WY-Oh my god, that's a good question...okay I'd have to go with Pump up the volume cause that's my favorite movie.
P-Yup.
WY-Um, I'm trying to think of what song I'd use.
P-There's a radio show here called Punk up the volume.
WY-Punk up the volume (laughs), that's awesome. Um, probably something off the new EP just cause it's new and I always like the new stuff better, maybe, probably, one of the songs off of the new one.
P-I was going to ask, what was it like doing the split album with Sorry About The Fire?
WY-Um, that was like two years ago, or no, a year and a half ago, that was when we had the old lineup, and me especially, I was really good friends with those guys, and still am, it was a really cool opportunity for two bands that played together a lot, who were down with each other to put out an album. It was fun. I wish we could have recorded at the same time, that would've been funner. They broke up pretty shortly after that came out and we had been talking about doing a tour with them and that never got to happen.
P-Yeah.
WY-I don't know, you know, it was a fun experience.
P-What's your best memory to date, first love, first concert, being signed?
WY-How do you mean? As a band?
P-As a band, or just as an individual? And do any of your songs represent that?
WY-My best memory.....I think that a lot of my good memories are just with friends. Having a good time and just kind of bonding with people I guess. Just feeling really happy in the moment instead of looking into the future or thinking back about something. And that's funny, cause that kind of contradicts itself if it's a memory, but you know, thinking back I guess, just those moments where there is no really future or past which is kind of, you know, in the moment, everything is just perfect with the people you...
YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES REMAINING (calling card ladies voice comes on)
P-Whoa, I have two minutes remaining on my calling card.
WY-Oh shit, I can call you back if you want.
P-Sure.
WY-Do you want me to do that?
P-Sure. Do you have my number?
WY-Uh yeah hold on let me get a pen.
P-K. Cause I've got here about ten or fifteen more questions.
WY-Okay...go ahead.
P-It's (#$%), is the area code, and it's &^%-#$@~
WY-#$@~, alright I'll call you back in like ten seconds.
P-Cool, thanks.
PHONE RINGS
P-Hello?
WY-Hey.
P-Hey, what's up?
WY-Hold on, I'm gonna switch phones cause my batteries' dying now.
P-Alright.
WY-If it goes out while I'm doing this I'll call you right back.
P-Okay.
WY-This might be loud for a sec, k?
P-K. Are you on a cordless?
WY-No, I got this really fuckin weird phone for christmas, it's like a headset thing, it's really fuckin stupid, it's the only other phone in the house so I have to use it, hold on. You there?
P-Yeah.
WY-Okay, sorry.
P-Alright, that's nice and loud.
WY-Yeah. I don't even know, my girlfriend got this. I don't even know what it is exactly. I feel like I'm a 411 operator.
P-(laughs) Maybe you can start your own business.
WY-Yeah (laughing).
P-Yeah, someone I work with wears one of those and I hate that thing.
WY-Yeah I want to get a headset mic for the show or something (laughing). Michael Jackson core.
P-Yeah.
WY-I feel really stupid talking now into this thing actually.
P-(laughing) It's okay, no one's gonna to judge you. Where were we here...what is the best feeling in the world to you?
WY-Hmmm...hmmm...I'd have to really think about that.
P-Yeah?
WY-Uh....
P-We could skip that and come back if you want.
WY-Okay let's come back to that.
P-Alright. If you had to choose between going to one of your favorite band's concerts or writing a final exam in university, because it's on the same day, which would you choose and why?
WY-Going to one of my favorite band's concerts most definitely because, number 1, I've already completely turned away from education to pursue music, and as far as education, it's something you can always one way or another go back to but music is, I don't know, the way it makes me feel, and the way that certain bands and songs have made me feel, is undoubtedly better than anything than I've got from education. And I think when it's done right, music can be an education all of it's own, it can be worth more.
P-And it's once in a lifetime.
WY-Yeah, exactly.
P-Okay, what's the greatest thing that ever happened to the Wunder Years while playing a show? That could be with the old lineup or the new lineup.
WY-I guess playing some really good shows out of town, I can't really think of one specific instance, but there's just been some really fun shows out of town where we get to see a friend of ours we haven't seen in a while, and the show will go really well, and the kids will be into it and we'll just have a great time and it feels great. I don't know, I've seen some really funny things happen on tour that I can't or won't forget, like I saw a house almost get burnt down by some really crazy drunk kids in South Dakota one time, trashing this house, trying to set furniture on fire, people were pissing on the floor, it was pretty out of control.
P-Why were they doing that?
WY-Everyone was just really really fucked up, and these local kids were just super crazy, crazy drunks, and the house that we were staying in, they were moving out of it, but the rent was already paid for the end of the month, and they already figured they were losing their security deposit, so they just kind of invited everyone to trash the house, shit just got really out of control, like people were putting their heads through glass cabinets and stuff...
P-What?!?!
WY-I don't know, me and Josh went out to the van at the end of the night and were kind of sitting there like I cannot believe that just happened, I definitely won't forget that. Travelling, rolling into cool cities and skylines late at night and just seeing something for the first time, that's great too.
P-Yeah. Have you had any horrible or embarrasing experiences?
WY-We've broken down in tons of places. We recorded our last EP in Colorado, the one that comes out in a couple weeks, but, we went out there, and our van broke like four days before we were supposed to go and it was the second time that it happened on that van, and we tried to get all this money up to get a van and we couldn't really do that so at the last minute I just decided to put some new radiator hoses on and pour like two quarts of stop leak into the engine, and we made it to Nevada and then the carborator went out so we had been driving in this blizzard for about twenty four hours straight, and the skies weren't blue and then the van broke down and we were stuck there for eight hours, but it wasn't the engine luckily, but we made it up to Colorado. Other, you know, other break downs have happened which has kind of sucked and then there's scary hicks and rednecks a lot, but, nothing too brutal, not yet.
P-Well, let's knock on wood.
WY-Yeah really.
P-Um, who are your guys' influences?
WY-Um, like I was saying earlier, it's really really diverse, Caitlin our drummer is really into a lot of classic rock stuff like Led Zeppelin, and Tom Petty, she loves that stuff, she likes Piebald a lot, she's really into the Foo Fighters.
P-Awesome!
WY-She's kind of more into a lot of the really big rock bands.
P-Cool. And you?
WY-Me, a lot of like, right now, a pretty well-rounded mix of punk, indie and hip-hop. My favorite band right now, Jawbreaker's been my favorite band for probably about six or seven years, I'm pretty into that band.
P-I heard that Jawbreaker might be getting back together, doing a little tour.
WY-That'd be amazing, I haven't heard anything about that, but that would make me very happy.
P-Yeah. Have you ever seen Jets To Brazil?
WY-No I haven't seen Jets To Brazil, but I like Jets To Brazil a lot, different but I like it. And Canadian, I love Propaghandi and I love the Weakerthans.
P-Yeah! Canadian stuff!
WY-The Clash and The Pixies I'm really into. There's a band called No Knife that has influenced me a lot too.
P-Yup. Aren't they on...
WY-They're on Time Bomb.
P-Time Bomb?
WY-Yeah.
P-Yeah I think I heard one song.
WY-They're really really good. We all kind of listen to a lot of hip-hop too, we love Ol' Dirty Bastard, Del Tha Funky Homosapien, and The Roots
P-Yeah. Hieroglyphics?
WY-Yeah, totally! Shane's into a lot of more kind of mellow indie stuff, he's really into Death Cab For Cutie, Built To Spill and stuff like that.
P-Yeah. Actually Death Cab For Cutie's on tour right now with The Jealous Sound.
WY-Yeah, we all love Knapsack too. We were trying super hard to get on one of those shows but it didn't happen.
P-We were trying to get out to that show in Seattle but it's not going to happen either.
WY-How far is Calgary from Seattle?
P-It's about a probably 16 hour drive.
WY-Wow.
P-Or else we could fly out to Vancouver and then just cross the border, it's not that far. It's probably about two hours on a bus from Vancouver, or three hours maybe.
WY-Yeah..
P-But, here to Vancouver it's about an hour, maybe an hour and a half flying, or twelve hours driving.
WY-Wow! Huge.
P-Yeah, and that's about the closest that shows ever come to Calgary.
WY-Do you guys have a lot of tours coming through there and stuff?
P-Um, we get them occasionally. We've got a tour coming in March, the Sno Jam tour, that's the Epitaph one.
WY-Yeah yeah yeah.
P-Um, but yeah, nothing, I don't know, it's mostly the Epitaph and Fat Wreck Chords bands that come through here the most.
WY-The really big punk bands.
P-Yeah.
WY-Hmm. Well hopefully we can get up there.
P-Yeah, that'd be great!
WY-That'd be fun. Our friends, actually, this band they're called The Cost now, but they used to be called Wetnap, and I know they went up to Canada to do some shows with d.b.s.
P-Yeah they did a split 7" together.
WY-Oh really? Oh, is that the jail one, or it's like, there's that little heart?
P-Yeah I think so, and it's black and white.
WY-Yeah! Yeah, those guys, they told me they got their amps cuts up at the border and shit. The border patrol's looking for drugs so they cut up their cabinets, trashed a couple of their amps.
P-Really?
WY-Uh huh...
P-Yeah I don't know too much about crossing the border, but I think it all has to do with your merchandise pretty much. You have to claim what you're taking over the border, cause if you don't, then when you leave they can really screw you around. But, the Canadian customs people are so nice. We crossed the border last year and the US ones were so intimidating, and we crossed back and the Canadian customs people were so friendly. So I don't know if you'd have a big problem coming, but probably coming back, that's where you'd probably encounter your problems. Cause, I don't know, Canadian folks are just so friendly.
WY-I think a lot of bands do it by getting fake recording contracts.
P-Yeah, that's what you could probably do.
WY-I've heard a lot about that.
P-d.b.s. could probably tell you a lot about that.
WY-Yeah, if we're going to come up, or if we think we can, I'll definitely email those guys, see what's up. I really want to go to Canada.
P-Yeah, it can't be that hard. How has it been different playing on Tomato Head Records and Springman Records?
WY-You know, they're both actually really really small labels, and Chuck the guy that runs Tomato Head, he's a lot older, but he's a really good friend of mine, and they're both great guys, their age difference kind of separates them. The guy that runs Spring Man, he's eighteen now. You know, but, relatively, I like them both and they're both small labels so it's a pretty comparable experience. Chuck at Tomato Head just got a lot of distribution within the passed couple weeks so that's gonna be something that's gonna kind of set the two apart, but, they're both real small labels run by nice people.
P-I went to one of those websites, I forget which one it was, I think it was Springman, and they had all these releases for like a dollar, these compilations with like 20 bands!
WY-Yeah! He actually went around the Warped Tour this summer, he went on tour with them, just selling them out of his backpack, and he sold like 20 thousand over the whole tour!
P-Really! That's such a great deal! That's one thing I like about punk, the cheap compilations.
WY-Even if it's some shitty band it's worth the risk.
P-Yeah, it's only like 5 cents a band you're paying.
WY-Pretty much if you break it down.
P-What other bands on those labels should we check out?
WY-Uhhhh...well if I was good, I'd just tell you all of them. Um, bands as far as that we've heard that we like, we've played a bunch of shows with a band on Tomato Head called Luckie Strike, and they're just pretty good straight-forward female fronted punk rock, it's kind of poppy though. Really good band. Springman, we're doing some dates with a band called Amazing Transparent Man, they're from Illinois I think and they're kind of a pop-punk band, but those are the only bands we really play with.
P-What other bands not on those labels should we check out?
WY-Uhhhhhh......
P-Like, ones that I've never heard of.
WY-Okay, my friend Dan is in a band from around here called The Quest For Quintana Roo, and they're on New Disorder Records, I think d.b.s. had a release on that label.
P-Yup, they put out, oh I forget what it was called, it was their second last album
WY-Yeah, let's see, Quest For Quintana Roo's really good, there's a band from New Mexico that just moved to New York called Pintsize, and they're also really amazing, smaller band, we've done a bunch of shows with them. Let's see, the Lawrence Arms, you guys have probably heard them...
P-Oh I love the Lawrence Arms!
WY-We did a tour with them and they're great guys and a great band.
P-They remind me a lot of the Honor System.
WY-Yeah, totally. Do you like the Broadways?
P-I love the Broadways, yeah!
WY-Yeah, it's so weird how, starting with Slapstick, it's all the same guys, just trickles down into a bunch of different bands.
P-That's kind of what the Winnipeg scene's like, where Propagandhi and The Weakerthans are from, there's all these bands that are all friends and they've all got this kind of unique sound going and I think they're all in the same bands...
WY-And everyone knows everyone...
P-Everyone knows everyone. I-Spy, and who else is there...there's like ten different bands, it's cool.
WY-Yeah the new Propagandhi album, I've heard that, it's amazing.
P-Have you heard the whole thing?
WY-Yeah!
P-What's it like? I heard the one song...
WY-There's a bunch of promo copies at a record store down here that my friend found in a used bin, so they bought them all, and this is like three weeks ago, and I don't even know if it's even out yet..
P-No, it doesn't come out till late February.
WY-Yeah, it's a lot harder and faster than the stuff before. And the new bass player, the guy from I-Spy, he kind of gives it a little bit of a hardcore feel cause his vocals are just like super deep and screamy. I think it's overall more aggressive and louder and faster.
P-The one song I heard, I think it's some of their best material written.
WY-Yeah, is that the one that they put up on the Fat website?
P-Yeah, and it's got the Eminem Korn and Bizkit one line thing...
WY-Yeah! That song is awesome!
P-Yeah it's great! Um, what memories do you have about recording "Pit Stops On The Road Less Travelled"?
WY-Let's see...
WY-The first real recording we did. So, the old lineup, two years ago now, and I don't know, it was really fun, it was exciting to just sit down and record an album, and we just kind of hung out at the studio. The guy that owns the studio is a friend of ours, and we just had a great time just recording and hanging out.
P-Is there a special meaning behind the name of that album?
WY-Um, it's kind of just an ode to, you know, taking the road less travelled I suppose, and just doing things from your heart, as opposed to you know, taking into consideration what's supposed to be right or wrong. You know, I think that album, definitely, you can hear the youthfulness in it, the fact that it's a really new band, a bunch of young kids in it. Now, it's a completely different sound. But, you know, for what it is, it's fun.
P-What do you guys like to do to prepare for playing at a show? Any special rituals or traditions?
WY-Not really, we just all kind of try to hang out together, maybe get a bite to eat, we don't really do any huddles or anything. I've seen some people doing some vocal warm ups and stuff like that. I usually just fuck up my voice with a cigarette or something.
Laughter
P-What's the best feeling you get with regards to your music?
WY-Just having someone come up to me, and tell me that our music or my words really meant a lot to them, and you know, maybe helped them in some way. Or made them realize something or think about something that they hadn't thought before. Just someone that, the music truly means a lot to other than, you know, "I went to a show and I bobbed my head and it was fun."
P-Yeah, so pretty much if one person gets something out of the show, than, it makes a big difference to you.
WY-Completely.
P-Like your job is done.
WY-I'd rather play for ten people and have them all say that to me, than play a show for a hundred thousand people, who just want to bang their heads.
P-Yeah. Um, what should we keep our eyes out for with The Wunder Years in the future?
WY-Hopefully coming to Canada. And, that new record will be out, let's see....we're gonna have it on tour. But for people in Canada you can probably get it through the website, or hopefully in distribution by March sometime, through the Tomato Head site. Hopefully it'll be in stores, that's kind of like what's going on. You know, maybe with a little luck we'll be able to get to Canada in the springtime.
P-Yeah, that'd be great!
WY-Yeah, it'd be fun.
P-And, do you have any final words of wisdom, or knowledge, or any special quotes to share?
WY-Not particularly, just stay true to yourself and respect the people around you who care for you and care for other people as they do for you. You keep it real! And thanks for doing this interview too!