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I've been a long-time fan of The Used, so when we got the chance to speak with Dan (drums), I jumped all over it to score an interview! We talked about the band, the new upcoming album, and a date with Jessica Beil's ass. Ladies and Gentlemen: Dan Whitesides.

"We are each others only friends, we hangout everyday and night together. We are truly happy and we love each other."
- Dan Whitesides : The Used.

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

My name is Dan and I play the drums I also kick the shit out of the rest of the guys in the band when they are acting like bitches.

We know you're in the studio working on your forth album at the moment. How is that going, and how has the experience differed from the other times you've been in the studio?

Well the biggest change that I can see is we are happier then ever with each other and our music. This is definitely an album that we were ready to start recording, not that we weren't ready before but this album is one hundred percent badass and we are more excited then we have ever been.

What can we expect to hear from you guys this time around?

This album is dirtier, heavier, catchier, more melodic, more beautiful and more pissed then anything that The Used has ever done. We started writing this record right after Lies For The Liars so we have been preparing for this for a long time.

We sometimes ask bands what their favourite lyric they've ever written was, and why. But being as curious as we are, we want to know what your favourite NEW lyric is, and why (But if you can't share that just yet, just your favourite lyric will work, too, haha).

hmmmm.... well Bert is in my opinion one of the best lyricists ever and I love all of his lyrics. Some of our newer songs in my opinion have some of the most brutal lyrics that Bert has ever written and when people get a chance to hear them they will agree.

The album art for "Lies for the Liars" was fantastic, and a lot of attention was paid to it, can we expect something that in depth again?

We are an ever-changing band so the new artwork will be totally different.

How do you feel about your new music so far? Does it feel any different than it did a few years ago when you were just starting out?

I know from talking with the guys that the excitement of this album is comparable to the self titled and that is a great thing. We're in the studio right now and I know from the stories they tell me that this is going to be a great album. We love all of our albums in different ways but the vibe on this one is a great one.

What are your major influences when writing your music?

Well I like to listen to music that has inspired me, Nirvana, Refused, Fugazi, Ink And Dagger, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Queens of The Stone Age and the list could go on forever. I think we all kind of work like that.

What is your favourite thing about your fans? Any cool fan stories?

The Used fans are die hard they show up hours before the show and they hang out for hours after the show. We love them and without them there would be no us. Chile was crazy... there were hundreds of fans waiting for us at the airport when we landed. I lost the rest of the band at customs so I came out on a different side of the airport and I saw all these flashes and a huge crowd and I thought shit there must be someone pretty important over there so I walked towards it and saw the dudes in the middle of all this chaos and realized it was for us. It was awesome.

Do any of you have any pre or post show rituals?

I warm up for a good hour hour and a half. I stretch and sometimes I'l throw my ipod on and warm up to bands that i love. For the most part I like to be left alone before the show. Bert will warm up for about 15 minutes and kinda walk around smoke a cigarette, Jepha warms up for around an hour and so will quinn. Right before we go on we all get in a huddle and someone will say something funny or stupid and usually, for some reason we'll spit and then we'll hug and say we love each other.

What has been your best moment as a band to date?

Everyday is amazing. We are each others only friends, we hangout everyday and night together. We are truly happy and we love each other. So i think we are living the best moments everyday.

The Sound Faction is make up of six staff members who are random at best, love to laugh and make others laugh. We try to ask all of our interviewees five random questions at the end, so here goes.

If you could win a date with anyone, who would it be?

I love Jessica Beils ass so it would have to be a date with her butt.

If you could be the champion of anything, what would it be? (If you say "the world" we all start laughing hysterically, just so you know.)

I would want to be the champion of your mom and or dad.

If you were a flavour of Potato Crisp, what kind would you be?

Salt and vinegar because i am vinegary and salty all the time.

Video games! Preferred system, game, and why?

mmmm..... Jepha is a video game master so he has all the games and all the systems.. Bert has been rockin the ninja gaiden on xbox

What's the one thing you couldn't live without?

I can't live if livin is without you.

Thank you again to Dan Whitesides for taking time out and talking to us! Check out the band's Website or MySpace to hear samples of music, and read more about the band!