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Sometimes, just sometimes, you get handed a cd at a hot summer tour, and just sometimes you fall in love with what you hear and become a fan. Then there is the time where you get a chance to interview a band whose music you've fallen in love with. That my friends is what happened with me and Teeter. It was love at first listen and honestly I don't plan on looking back. EVER.

We at the Sound Faction had a chance to attend the album release party for Teeter. It was there I got a chance to talk to Tommy and Paul about music, fans and even botox. You wanna know what eating newspaper tastes like, just read on and find out. Ladies and gentlemen I give you the stylings of Tommy and Paul from the one, the only Teeter!

"I would do anything for Cinnamon Toast crunch. That is so tasty."
Tommy: Teeter

For our readers who don't know who you are: Roll call! Who are you and what do you do for the band?

Tommy: I'm Tommy and I sing.

And I'm Paul and I play Bass.

How did Teeter come about and where did the name come from?

Tommy: Me and JP the guitar player, have known each other since we were 8 years old, so we've just had that chemistry going. The name, well we decided to start a band in our late high school years. One of our favorite bands at the time was Glassjaw, and on the inside of their first album he was wearing a shirt that said 'Teeter' on it.

What inspired you to make music?

Tommy: My Dad was a musician and he was a touring musician as well. And it’s always been a part of me, like I’ve always been around it.

Paul: It's just a lot of fun.

Tommy: I like to party.

Paul: We party hardy.

What inspires your lyrics, and who writes them?

Tommy: Me and Jp write most of the lyrics, we listen to a lot of cheesy 90's pop music and we try to do that with balls. It’s really melody driven and all that. Sometimes I’ll sit down and want to write a cheesy love song, and I’ll do that, it’s not necessarily about anyone, but it works sometimes.

What can we expect from Teeter in the future?

Paul: We got our album that comes out on Tuesday, so just hopefully play a lot of shows for it. And do as much as we can take over the world, pretty much.

Tommy: Trying, two years at a time.

How does it feel to have an album coming out? And is there any one song on the album that you are particularly fond of?

Tommy: I don't know like, I mean it’s been such a long time coming and we narrowed down so many songs. I don't think I can narrow it down to just one.

Paul: It’s kinda like a family, we don't want to say that we hate one.

Tommy: You can't say out loud that you hate one of them.

Which one means the most to you?

Tommy: Kiss Me and Kill Me After.

Paul: Yeah Kiss Me and Kill Me After definitely.

Tommy: Like it’s the oldest one, and it got it the most hype.

I have to say that is my favorite on the album.

Tommy: Why thank you.

What was it like breaking into the music scene? What was the biggest struggle?

Paul: It’s so much hard work. It’s a lot of work. Nonstop on our computers telling people to listen to our music. We fund everything ourselves. We are self funded, we don't have anyone throwing money at us. We have jobs, we have music, we have personal lives and its all one big miss mash of stuff. It’s just a lot of work but we wouldn't change it for anything in the world. It's been awesome.

What's been your biggest success?

Tommy: I guess Paul Levitt.

Paul: Yah, working with Paul Levitt was just amazing. He's worked with some amazing bands like All Time Low to Senses Fail to Circa Survive. It’s just, pretty unreal his roaster. He's a pretty rad guy. We all got to go up to Baltimore to work on the EP, it was wicked.

What do you do to pump yourself up before a show?

Paul: I listen to a lot of Journey

Tommy: Yeah, same.

Paul: We listen to as much Journey as possible, we meditate for hours.

Tommy: We stretch, we do pelvic lunges.

Paul: Then we dance, it’s pretty sweet.

Well you know you've got to warm up the muscles?

Tommy: Yah exactly, get loosey goosey like on spring break.

The music industry is a volatile industry. What, if anything, do you take from criticism?

Tommy: We've actually been pretty good about that, we, I guess because we don't take ourselves too seriously.

Paul: we don't break knees.

Tommy: When someone tells us we suck, we agree with them, and then they get confused, and by the time they realize it was stupid enough, we're already gone.

Paul: We don't like people blowing smoke up our asses, we like honestly within.

If you could be in charge of the music industry for one day, what would be the first thing you would change?

Paul: Everyone needs to be bottomless.

Tommy: I agree surprisingly I agree. It's just, everything sucks so bad. I don't know what I would change, that’s a toughie.

Paul: Everything should be free, gas should be free, equipment should be free.

Tommy: Pants should not be free.

Paul: Pants shouldn't be free, you should have to pay for pants.

What advice do you have for any other small Canadian bands trying to make it?

Tommy: Its really easy to get discouraged, like starting out you'll play in front of two or three people and it's going to suck and you're going to sound bad. But just keep doing it if you want to do it.

Paul: Sometimes you play in front of the sound guy and the person putting on the show, but you just have to pull through all the hard times. Because eventually you'll have a rad moment and then one rad moment will turn into two.

People start knowing who you are.

Paul: Yeah, its wicked right? We love what we're doing, and if you're not into it 100% then get out of dodge.

Music means something to everyone, what does making music that people enjoy mean to you?

Paul: It’s a happy party.

Tommy: Yah it’s a happy party. It makes my heart smile. Nothing beats that feeling. Like something you made, and someone’s getting enjoyment out of it and they know every single word.

Paul: And you see people singing back louder then you are singing on stage.

What do you think of your fans?

Tommy: Some girl brought us cupcakes today. That was amazing, they were delicious.

Paul: I've had someone get me custom Nike shoes. WE have some pretty fanatical people.

Tommy: It’s pretty fun, it’s a party, everyone likes to party.

Paul: We're not a band that don't appreciate (the little things). I used to go to Teeter shows and what then, I’m a Teeter fan. But I mean we love every single one of them.

Now here at the Sound Faction we are probably the most random five people you are ever going to meet.

Tommy: Fair enough

Paul: And we're probably the five most random people you will ever meet. I'm pretty sure Marko's a robot.

Every interview we do, we ask five random questions about anything.

Paul: Oh you are going to get some random answers now. I hope you’re ready.

What girly movie do you secretly love?

Tommy: I publically love all girly movies. The Notebook is amazing.

Paul: In her shoes, did you see that one.

Tommy: No I didn't

Paul: That was good

Tommy: I cry every single time I see My Girl, when Thomas Jay can't see with his glasses, because he died.

Paul: Because of the bee stings, the boo strings, the bee strings, I should learn English. Just say Bee strings.

Tommy: Bee Strings. And Love Actually is good too.

Paul: That is a good one. And what’s it called, with?

Tommy: It's done, it’s over.

Paul: Okay

If you could have lunch with any fictional character, who would it be and why?

Tommy: The Hulk, well Bruce Banner, and I would stub his toe just to see what happens.

Paul: Princess Leia. I don't why, because she's hot.

What is a girl’s fashion trend that confuses you?

Paul: Those high jeans.

Tommy: Like there’s like these belts.

Paul: No those jeans that go up to here, and you just want to push them over. You aren't supposed to push girls.

Tommy: But like belts, that like, there not even...

Paul: They aren't even belts, they are like under boob belts.

Tommy: They don't hold pants up, I don't know what their deal is. I don't understand their purpose. Is what I’m trying to say. I just looked to see if you were wearing one, and you would have been insulted.

No, you will never catch me wearing one of those.

Tommy: Fair enough.

Paul: Chest belt.

If you had to be an item of makeup, what would you be, what colour, and why?

Paul: I don't know much about makeup, Botox.

Tommy: That’s not makeup. That doesn't make any sense.

Paul: It does though.

Tommy: I would be concealer, because I want to be a ninja, and I want to blend in. So I'd like to blend in like a ninja. Like Bruce Lee when he was in control.

Paul: I agree

Tommy: No you said botox.

Paul: I say what he says.

If offered cookies, would you go to the dark side? And if not cookies, what would it take?

Paul: The dark side?

Tommy: I would do anything for Cinnamon Toast crunch. That is so tasty.

Paul: I could eat cookies all day long. I could.

Tommy: But Cinnamon Toast Crunch is good, I don't even need milk, I drink it right out of the box.

That’s the way I eat it right out of the box.

Tommy: It’s the only way, for real.

Because then it gets soggy.

Tommy: And it’s like eating newspaper.

Thank you once again to Teeter for not only letting us interview them, but being awesome enough to invite us to their CD release party on October 17th at The Reverb. Remember to check out their new CD, HEATING UP, and you can find that and the link to all things Teeter on their MySpace, found here.