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Caity vs. Suburban Legends (Follow Up)
I don't have to tell you by now that Suburban Legends is my favourite band. But I will anyway: Suburban Legends is my favourite band! For real. So when Jen and Natty got the chance to interview them in Toronto way back when, I was super bummed out that I couldn't be there (or at least go to the show). But when a show was announced in Chicago on Nov 22nd, I knew I was there, and what's more, I knew I wanted to run a follow up interview with the band to talk about the tour, the new album, what's coming next, and of course, hit a few dance moves!
"I think I was in Orlando... we were on tour with Less Than Jake and Goldfinger and some dude gave me twenty bucks to take off my underwear in the van and give them to him. I thought that was pretty funny!"
- Luis Beza, Suburban Legends
So I know we've talked to you before, and we did ask you already, but let's do a recap and introduce yourselves and tell us what you do.
Vince: I'm Vince from Suburban Legends and I sing.
Luis: I'm Luis and I play trumpet for Suburban Legends.
Luis: I'm Luis and I play trumpet for Suburban Legends.
Now, since we last spoke... your album came out: "Let's Be Friends", how has the reaction been compared to previous albums?
Vince: It's been really good! So far it's been positive. There's not too many people that hate it... (looks at Luis) What do you think?
Luis: It's always a good thing when people don't hate your album. So yeah, I think over all we've gotten some really good feedback.
Vince: Good feedback, lots of positive stuff.
Luis: It's always a good thing when people don't hate your album. So yeah, I think over all we've gotten some really good feedback.
Vince: Good feedback, lots of positive stuff.
Okay, so let's talk about a fan favourite on the album: "Girl's Got What I Want", what inspired the song, how did it come about?
Luis: I think Brian was working out and there was this girl that he thought was really hot.
Vince: Yeah, I think he was on the uh... the stair-master or something... or the elliptical and she was in front of him and he came up with that song. Yeah, so it's all about working out.
Vince: Yeah, I think he was on the uh... the stair-master or something... or the elliptical and she was in front of him and he came up with that song. Yeah, so it's all about working out.
One of my favourite things about the band is how each record differs from the last so what inspires your changes?
Vince: We like to keep it fresh. And we have like ADD so we need to always do something different all the time. We're all over the place.
So what's coming up next? What can we look forward to?
Vince: UK Tour with Reel Big Fish. Yeah, next year! Hopefully, I don't know... I think we'll be due to write in Spring and see if we can write a Billboard Top 40 hit, produced by Will-i-am.
So, Suburban Legends fans are some of the most die-hard, greatest fans I've ever met, and I'm sure you would agree. But what's your favourite fan story?
Luis: Fan Story...
Yeah
Luis: I think I was in Orlando... we were on tour with Less Than Jake and Goldfinger and some dude gave me twenty bucks to take off my underwear in the van and give them to him. I thought that was pretty funny!
[Laughs] Anything for you? [Motions to Vince]
Vince: No that was it!
Luis: Yeah, I was like... "Why would you want my underwear? I just played a show in them!"
Luis: Yeah, I was like... "Why would you want my underwear? I just played a show in them!"
Manda: That's probably why...
Caity: So who came up with the concept for the Album Cover?
Luis: I think it was mutual...
Vince: Yeah we were all talking about it... we wanted to do something, it started off like "Let's Be Friends And Slay The Dragon Together" was the title.. and we kind of ran off with that, and since we all have so many different styles we kind of did everything I guess just threw everything out there, like took all our favourite genres and combined it. And tried not to look like the Village People.
Vince: Yeah we were all talking about it... we wanted to do something, it started off like "Let's Be Friends And Slay The Dragon Together" was the title.. and we kind of ran off with that, and since we all have so many different styles we kind of did everything I guess just threw everything out there, like took all our favourite genres and combined it. And tried not to look like the Village People.
Who drew the short straw when it came to the costumes?
Luis: [Laughs] I don't know... I think we all had fun!
Vince: Is that a good thing or a bad thing?
Vince: Is that a good thing or a bad thing?
It could be either!
Vince: Everybody looked good!
Luis: Yeah... I'm not sure.
Luis: Yeah... I'm not sure.
All right, then: who would be most likely to go out to Friday Night Karaoke in their costume?
Luis: Brian Klemm. For sure.
Vince: Who's the least likely or the most likely? Most? Yeah, Brian Klemm.
Vince: Who's the least likely or the most likely? Most? Yeah, Brian Klemm.
So how has the tour with The Aquabats been going?
Vince: Incredible!
Luis: They're like the nicest guys in the world!
Vince: Euphoric!
Luis: They're like the nicest guys in the world!
Vince: Euphoric!
Okay! So we know that they put on a really interactive show, and it's so much fun, so if you could be an Aquabat Super-villain... who would you be?
Luis: Well I already think Vince is a super-villain.
Vince: I was yesterday!
Luis: Yeah, he was yesterday.
Vince: I would be... um... I was [The White Buffalo] yesterday. That was awesome. That was like a dream come true.
Vince: I was yesterday!
Luis: Yeah, he was yesterday.
Vince: I would be... um... I was [The White Buffalo] yesterday. That was awesome. That was like a dream come true.
What, if anything, do you take from criticism?
Vince: From who?
Anybody! The Media... fans...
Vince: That depends... I get really sensitive and throw a fit. And uh... I don't know...
Luis: He usually trashes the green room! He gets really mad.
Vince: I get really mad and I start throwing fits. And then I go to the corner and I cry a little. And then I'll have another fit because I was crying! And THEN, I'll call my mom and say "MOM! They don't like us!" And THEN... I write a song about it.
Luis: He usually trashes the green room! He gets really mad.
Vince: I get really mad and I start throwing fits. And then I go to the corner and I cry a little. And then I'll have another fit because I was crying! And THEN, I'll call my mom and say "MOM! They don't like us!" And THEN... I write a song about it.
[Laughs]: Well there you go, something positive comes out of it no matter what!
Vince: No, we take it all in stride, it depends, like sometimes people do write some pretty harsh stuff on forums...
Luis: There's always going to be critics! You can't really take it to heart, you just gotta keep doing what you're doing and if you made two people happy and one person hates it... well, you made two people happy, and at the end of the day... oh well, you know? If you're not going to like it, you're not going to like it.
Vince: We believe in what we do and we enjoy it too much, so we'll just keep on doing it.
Luis: There's always going to be critics! You can't really take it to heart, you just gotta keep doing what you're doing and if you made two people happy and one person hates it... well, you made two people happy, and at the end of the day... oh well, you know? If you're not going to like it, you're not going to like it.
Vince: We believe in what we do and we enjoy it too much, so we'll just keep on doing it.
Well I think you do it well! So as we've said to you before, we're as random as random gets--
Manda: I mean... we brought you cake!
[Caity's note: This bears some explaining... but even with the explanation in my head, we still come across as weird, so let's just go with... as a token of our appreciation for Suburban Legends long-time co-operation with us and our website, we put together a little goodie bag for them. Including a cake.]
Vince: You guys brought us cake! And ketchup chips! And Canadian Twizzlers and Canadian Smokes...
Luis: And T-Shirts!
Vince: [Digs into the bag and starts to excitedly throw tissue paper about] And you put it in all this nice stuff! Thank you so much- ....so... yeah... what's the question??
Luis: And T-Shirts!
Vince: [Digs into the bag and starts to excitedly throw tissue paper about] And you put it in all this nice stuff! Thank you so much- ....so... yeah... what's the question??
Well, what we like to do is wrap up all of our interviews with five random questions, just off the wall! Whatever we come up with at four in the morning!
Vince: Cool!
So... first question: What is a girl's fashion trend that confuses you?
Luis: Oh! It's summer in California, I don't think you guys really do this here, summer in California, you know those Ugg boots? So they wear the Ugg boots with skirts... and that annoys me! So all you California girls are stupid! Why do you do that, that annoys me!
Vince: I was going to say the same thing! That's so like... it doesn't make any sense at all, or they'll wear Ugg boots and they'll like... put in-... tuck their jeans in the Ugg boots.
Vince: I was going to say the same thing! That's so like... it doesn't make any sense at all, or they'll wear Ugg boots and they'll like... put in-... tuck their jeans in the Ugg boots.
[Laughs and motions to Manda who was, at the time, wearing Ugg style boots with her pants tucked into them. (In her defense, it was wintertime in Chicago... big difference!)]
Vince: Did you- are you-... OH! I feel so bad! NO! It's not BAD... it's just... confusing! That's all...
Manda: I did it because it's cold!
Luis: And the worst thing about it is, they're like, the cutest girls in the world! [Motions to Manda] Obviously! But they do it and it's like... WHY? You're so cute! Why do you have such bad fashion sense?
Vince: You know, I just get confused when I go to American Apparel, I just get confused!
Luis: Yeah! It's like... what is that??
Vince: You know, I just get confused when I go to American Apparel, I just get confused!
Luis: Yeah! It's like... what is that??
Manda: In my defense, it's cold.... and I didn't want to wear my converse.
Vince: And Ugg boots are like... friggin awesome. So comfortable!
Luis: They're really comfortable!
Luis: They're really comfortable!
All right, so if you were an item of makeup, what would you be and what colour would you be?
Luis: Eyeliner. Black.
Vince: I would be... lipstick. Like kind of a reddish pink... so you can't tell which it is, so it looks like--
Luis: So you look like a transvestite?
Vince: Yeah! Exactly!
Vince: I would be... lipstick. Like kind of a reddish pink... so you can't tell which it is, so it looks like--
Luis: So you look like a transvestite?
Vince: Yeah! Exactly!
All right, so Tranny Red-Pink...
Vince: Tranny Red-Pink, yes.
All right, I dig it! So what's your favourite snack-food, the one that if given the opportunity, you would eat until falling into a snack induced coma?
Luis: OH! ... Chili Cheese Fries!
Vince: Double cheeseburgers! Is that a snack or is that like... a meal?
Vince: Double cheeseburgers! Is that a snack or is that like... a meal?
I guess it depends on the person! If you're eating double cheese burgers as snack food then.. I suppose it would be a snack food!
Vince: That's it! Double cheeseburgers. McDonalds.
All right, if you were a flavour of ice cream, what would you be?
Vince: Today I would be strawberry.
Luis: I'm not a big ice cream person. I actually don't like ice cream. Random... it's weird.
Luis: I'm not a big ice cream person. I actually don't like ice cream. Random... it's weird.
All right, well, what is your favourite and least favourite dance craze?
Vince: Least favourite is the superman.
Demonstration?
Vince: I don't know how to do it...
Luis: Yeah you do.
Vince: No I don't...
Luis: The Superman! [Shows Vince the move]
Vince: OH! [Vince proceeds to get up and demonstrate for us the Superman]. No honestly, I don't like that dance, and my favourite dance craze would be...
Luis: I don't know... the Harlem Shake, that's a good one, that's always good.
Vince: That's a good one... Line dancing is also good.
Luis: Yeah you do.
Vince: No I don't...
Luis: The Superman! [Shows Vince the move]
Vince: OH! [Vince proceeds to get up and demonstrate for us the Superman]. No honestly, I don't like that dance, and my favourite dance craze would be...
Luis: I don't know... the Harlem Shake, that's a good one, that's always good.
Vince: That's a good one... Line dancing is also good.
So we're going to give you a shameless self-promo spot, say whatever you wanna say!
Vince: Guys, this is Suburban Legends, Vince Walker and Luis Beza...
Luis: We're goin' on tour with Reel Big Fish! In the UK, come out and check us out.
Vince: 2009, Suburban Legends!
Luis: Let's Be Friends just dropped, buy an album!
Vince: Buy all our albums!
Luis: And merchandise!
Vince: ...and save the sharks.
Luis: We're goin' on tour with Reel Big Fish! In the UK, come out and check us out.
Vince: 2009, Suburban Legends!
Luis: Let's Be Friends just dropped, buy an album!
Vince: Buy all our albums!
Luis: And merchandise!
Vince: ...and save the sharks.
I want to take this time to sincerely thank Suburban Legends for being so awesome to us! They took the chance on us when we were severely underdeveloped and just starting out, gave us our first face to face interview, our first follow-up interview, and have been seriously awesome the entire time! So on behalf of all the girls at The Sound Faction, thank you so much, and rock on!
If you want to check out more from Suburban Legends, head to their MySpace or Homepage for samples of the music, merch, show dates, etc... also, to get a bit more intimate with the Legends, check out their YouTube Account: Suburban Legends TV.
