Mustard Plug Interview

Matt: I’m going to go ahead and grab a lighter before we do this interview, hope you guys don’t mind, give me a minute or two.

 

Matt: What kind of questions do you got for us?

 

Saunders: So what’s the deal with the flesh eating zombies in Everything Girl, the video, was it random or what?

 

Jim: Oh the video…Ok what the deal was we wanted to do this video and our label got this director guy, and he came up with an idea and we didn’t really like it, but we didn’t have any real choice in the matter so we just told him that we wanted some zombies in the video, so he went out and got some zombies.

 

Matt: There’s really zombies in the video? I’ve never seen the video.

 

Jim: Ya there eating like a baby doll that’s barbequed.

 

Saunders: So you guys played with the Verve Pipe in ’99, at the Roxy, do they like your cover of The Freshman?

 

Jim: Yea, actually they didn’t play that night, it just so happens we were eating at this bar and they were walking down the street and they saw us, and they came over and talked to us, so we put them on the list for that night, and they came up so we played The Freshman, and they came on and sang it with us.

 

Matt: That’s unbelievable.

 

Saunders: Did they like it or…?

 

Jim: Oh yea, they thanked us for doing that.

 

Saunders: That’s awesome.

 

Saunders: So you guys have almost done over 1100 shows or so, what’s it like being on tour all the time, like obviously…oh…I’m going to leave the shoe comment out of there but…how’s it doing this every single night, going from place to place. Do you love it?

 

Matt: I don’t think I’d ever give it up for the world…

 

Jim: We’re all broke and we’re still doing it so…

 

Saunders: Do you guys like Japan? You’ve gone there twice I think, once in ’99 and ’01.

 

Jim: Went there three times actually, it’s amazing, best place in the world to tour, the kids there go crazy, the best hospitality, they wait on you hand and foot. We feel like we’re rock stars when we’re really not.

 

Saunders: Is there anywhere you guys haven’t toured where you want to tour yet? Any plans after the Ska is Dead dates?

 

Jim: I’ve always wanted to go to Australia, but it’s never worked out, how bout u Matt?

 

Matt: I’ve always wanted to tour…Canada and my dreams are coming true right now, no uh…I’ve always wanted to go to Hawaii.

 

Saunders: So which country would be the best for you guys to tour, I guess its Japan, or just depending on venue to venue?

 

Jim: Brazil was pretty crazy, Matt: Brazil was intense… I dunno… what would I say about Brazil, humid, the people were really nice, we saw a guy get kicked in the throat, unbelievable, actually kicked in the throat…

 

Saunders: So what’s your favorite venue to play in at Canada?

 

Matt: I’ve always liked this place, Call the Office; it just has a different atmosphere to it.

 

Saunders: How would you describe the scene when you guys were at Extreme Wheels in Buffalo compared to here?

 

Matt: …Oh the skate park…

 

Saunders: Yea the big skate park.

 

Matt: Well I mean you can’t really compare the two because that was a huge warehouse and kids were skating and everybody was going crazy. In an intimate venue like this, I think it’s night and day. I like going back in forth between places.

 

Saunders: Was it hard loosing a member like Craig and Nick, and a lot of people are talking about how you’re leaving to go on tour with Uncle Kracker Matt. How do you guys deal with changing up the stage routine and atmosphere as a group?

 

Matt: Well I mean its always tough loosing a member, but its always good riddance to bad rubbish…right Jim?...*laughs*

 

Jim: I think Matt was about number 28 in the band, the 28^th member I think, we’ve been through it once or twice, we get used to it

 

Saunders: Are there any sort of moments that you remember from your other bands, The Telegraph and The Parka Kings that stand out from those tours with Mustard Plug?

Matt: Honestly the shows that always stand out the most, err, stood out the most, were the ones we played with Mustard Plug, no matter what, we always got crazy we’re all really good friends and we’ve played since like ’94, and we always just rolled down, got bombed, and partied… oddly they were the most memorable shows. Like the Parka Kings I think, we played with Mustard  Plug the most and every show was just insane.

 

  

Jim: You guys played the night the floor caved in Flint MI, yea…

 

Matt: I remember that, that was nuts.

 

Saunders: Are there any moments that stand out with you Jim, in the Exceptions back in the past compared to Mustard Plug?

 

Matt: Prolly not wearing a shirt.

 

Matt, Jim, Saunders…*laughs* right on. Oh man.

 

Jim: The first time we ever played with Mustard Plug, I booked this show called Skalapolooza...which is embarrassing

 

Matt: You should go to hell for that…

 

Jim…I should…*more laughs*…but we booked them, and we had the Parka Kings, and it was those three bands, and the someone came up to me and said hey, I’ve got two bands that want to be on the bill and they’ll play for free…so I’m like ok. One was called th e Suicide Machines,

 

Saunders: yea, they’re actually coming here in about two weeks time.

 

Jim: oh ya!, and the other one was a band called The Scholars, err actually they were Your In-laws, who became The Scholars, who became The Telegraph.

 

Matt: Ya that was a long time ago…’93 or so…

 

Saunders: So how’d you guys get into ska?

 

Jim: One of the guys from The Exceptions I used to play in Chad’s Band back in high school and he said do ya want to join my ska band?...and I said ska…ska who? He played some for me and I liked it, and joined and that was it.

 

Matt: I first got introduced to ska when I first was with The Parka Kings and that was it, here I am, three ska bands later.

 

Saunders: I noticed Brad taking some time away to be with his family, is it hard for you guys being away from your family?

 

Jim: I’m always away from my family, ya I live in Grand Rapids and I’m from Detroit.

 

Saunders: So really your friends on the road are your friends from home?

 

Matt: Its tough but you know it’s just as good because you’ve got all your friends in the band. It’s kind of like I look forward to touring, and I look forward to being at home as well. I just enjoy my life, waking up with all my friends around me.

 

Saunders: Are you getting psyched for touring with Uncle Kracker?

 

Matt: I’m a little apprehensive…Uncle Kracker is on like Atlantic records, and we’re going on tour with the #1 country artist in the United States, we’re playing like 30…40 thousand seat venues, I’m going to be on tour with a big bus, it’s defiantly going to be a big change of pace, I don’t think it’s going to be as close knit as it is touring in the fan, and nobody’s going to be able to smell my farts, so I think I’ll be able to make friends a lot quicker

 

Saunders: Do you guys ever get bored of playing the same set of songs night after night on tour, is there a change of stage presence from venue to venue?

 

Matt: It depends on how drunk you get.

 

Jim: Ya that’s the mitigating factor, the amount of alcohol consumed before the show.

 

Saunders: So we’re almost done here…is there any talk of putting together a new CD coming up in the future, any new song recordings in the works?

 

Jim: We’re going to try and write this summer, we actually wanted to do it last summer, but we practice in my basement and we had some sewage backup problems, so literally my basement was full of crap, so we couldn’t really do it, but we’re going do it this summer, and hopefully get something out maybe early next year.

 

Saunders: Any tracks in progress right now?

 

Matt: Uh…there’s a few, but I dunno, we’re talking about scraping them cause I’m leaving the band. 

 

Saunders: …People can’t keep up with the umm…bass rifts?

 

Matt, Jim…*laughs* …

 

Matt: exactly their actually not going to be able to play any of the songs off Yellow #5, cause the bass guitar is TOO FAST!

 

Saunders: Ok, so basically this is the last question we have here…so do you guys have any advice for any up-and coming ska bands, who are just getting into the scene, anything that really stands out on tour, from what you’ve learned, anything you want to say to them to help them out on their way up?

 

Jim: Do NOT start the name of your band…with an SK!

 

Matt: Yes exactly, never do that.

 

Matt: Drink lots of water, make sure you have lots of gold ban baby powder, umm…what else…practice, and always eat your wheaties.

 

Saunders: How often do you guys get together and practice, before putting a new record together, or before a tour?

 

Jim: When we write music maybe once every couple weeks, and before we go out on tour…not at all…

 

Matt: We don’t’ play together before a tour ever…just cause I live in Detroit, and I never want to drive to Grand Rapids, they were going to kick me out of the band before I didn’t practice, but then I told them I quit…

 

Matt, Jim…*laughs*

 

Saunders: Well that about raps it up, anything you guy’s want to say before the interview ends any last words?

 

Matt: Don’t you hate pants!

 

Saunders: Oh…Scott just came in from the Planet Smashers…hey Scott…anything you want say to the fans?

 

Matt:…Just a few words…?

 

Scott: Xylophone, Oscillator, Gas Pump…*laughs*…and shoe. *laughs all around*

 

Saunders…Awesome, thanks a lot guys, and keep the tradition alive.

 

*Mustard Plug’s latest release includes a Greatest Hit’s album including the classic Beer Song, Thigh High Nylons, and Brain on Ska to name a few. The band is currently in the studio recording a new album that is scheduled for release later this month…Keep your eyes peeled for the Plug to perform in Toronto and London in the near future!

 

Saunders Fleming