Band: The Matches (Matt)
Label: Epitaph Records
Official Site: Click here
Date: August 05, 2004
Conducted by: Julie Wagoner

TMF: If you could give your band a dictionary definition, how would you describe them?
The Matches: Dictionary definition- our music is well it's hard to describe. The best descriptions people usually give are when they name other bands or some people say we're like Weezer meets Green Day meets Elvis Costello- stuff like that. You could say we're like a rock band with a punk live show - not like a Casualties show but like Rancid or Green Day, those kind of punk bands - we put into our live show. But, our CD is very rock oriented. So, it's like a mix of things.

TMF: How would you compare your practice sessions from when you first started to how they are now?
The Matches: That's a good question too. They're much more focused now. Sometimes they're more boring because we practice and like mess around a while just getting ourselves locked in the group. And, that gets really boring after a while but it's still important to do, ya know? We're very focused now. We go in- we don't spend - the practices we have like back when we first started, we were screwing around in the garage - played six or seven hours but it was totally unfocused. We were just jamming. Now, it's like we get in 2 hours a day where we work. But, It's fun too - not like a job. But, there's more of a focus. We know what- we sit down and talk it over what we're trying to accomplish that day. Some days we'll have vocal practice or like me and our bass player will practice like doing sectionals almost. It's kind of like an orchestra. They have sectionals. We'll do that too cause it's important to break down everything and focus. So, our practice sessions are much more interesting and focused than they were when we first started.

TMF: It's been noticed that in Zebrahead's music video for "Hello Tomorrow" one of their band members is wearing your shirt. Is there a friendship between the two bands?
The Matches: Very good friendship. (They are) some of our best friends. We first met them a year ago on the Reel Big Fish tour we did. And then, they took us out on their fall U.S tour then took us to Japan with them. It was amazing. Then, we went to Europe. We shared a bus with them in Europe on the Reel Big Fish/Goldfinger tour. They're like really really good friends of ours. Since last summer, that guy Greg has worn The Matches t-shirts on all their Japanese press like their magazines. It's really cool. We've gotten a bunch of attention from that. They're really good friends. They're a really good band. It's crazy because they're like a band we've listened to for years. Like Shawn, our singer, his first ever rock concert was Zebrahead.
TMF: Oh, wow. I bet that's really personal to him.
The Matches: Yeah, it's crazy how things work out.

TMF: A movie is being made about your band. Who would you cast to play each member?
The Matches: Shawn would be played by Johnny Depp cause I just think that makes perfect sense. John- who has an afro and is white in acting? Trying to think...like a younger John Tuturro with an afro. That'd be a good person to play John. And, Justin would be played by Ryan Gosling.
(laughs)
The Matches: He's a nice guy. Or, James Van Der Beek. And I would want- who plays Pacey on Dawson's Creek?
TMF: Joshua Jackson.
The Matches: I would totally want Joshua Jackson or Hugh Grant just because I think he's awesome. But, we look nothing alike and he's British but whatever. I think he could play drums, don't you?
TMF: I think so. He gets all the ladies.
(laughs)
The Matches: Oh, yeah. Totally. Just like me.

TMF: If you could hire any female actress/musician to be an obsessive roadie for you, who would it be?
The Matches: Any actress? I would personally choose Katie Holmes even though she's about to get married. That's really a tragedy cause Chris Klein is not attractive. But, I would personally hire Katie Holmes. Everyone else in the band would have different answers. If it would be a musician, I'd take on the road...a couple guys from my band would say Lillix. I would wanna take the singer for The Cardigans or Sahara HotNights - someone swedish.
TMF: Blonde hair blue eyes?
The Matches: Doesn't have to be blonde hair, blue eyes. Just as long as they're Swedish.
TMF: Do you have any family ties to Sweden?
The Matches: No. Sahara HotNights and The Cardigans- good looking girls in those bands. Also very talented musicians.

TMF: You guys have been noticed for the incredible energetic live shows you give, no matter what size the crowd. What gives you the motivation to go out there and do that every show?
The Matches: It's what we love to do. It's what we want to do. So like regardless if there's - actually you know we've been blessed to not have - I don't wanna say the word blessed because people would think we're Christian band but we've been fortunate enough- we've never really had a show where there's only five people there. We've had a couple where there's like 30. But, it's weird. Regardless of if there's 30 people or 3000 people, you still have to run the same show. You're still playing for an audience and if you can get to one person..
TMF: Then, you've done enough.
The Matches: Yeah. You've done your job for the night. Obviously, you wanna get some more but there's gonna be that person in any size crowd and more. That's what we love to do so we don't give up now like we just do it, you know? It's what we love to do.

TMF: What song has gotten the best response from the fans during this tour?
The Matches: This tour? “Chain Me Free” and “Sick Little Suicide” have been getting really great responses. We’ve been playing them later in the set so by the time we play them the crowd’s warmed up. They do really good. They always do really good.

TMF: When Epitaph signed you, you had already pressed your own full length CDs. Upon releasing the CD through Epitaph the song "Superman" was dropped and "Borderline Creep" and "More Than Local Boys" were added. What prompted the change and did the Epitaph release involve any studio time?
The Matches: No, actually, they brought up the idea and we brought up the idea also. But, they were like, “You don’t have to. We’ll put it out as this.” And, we decided we wanted to spend almost our entire advance to remix the record in a real studio cause that’s what we wanted to do. We wanted - we thought there was more stuff to be brought out. Joe Barresi was really awesome. He really brought on the stuff to the songs we wanted. And the other two guys who originally made the record got to go back and do the other half of the record again and change everything. That’s not something you get to very often to get to go back and spruce up an album you had been working on after it’s been out so we couldn’t pass that opportunity. As for “Superman” coming out, those - all the people that bought the album the first go around - it was just for them cause we don’t really play that song anymore. It’s almost like we like the song but it’s just not lyrically where we are right now. It’s exclusive to them. And then, we already had “Borderline Creep” recorded so that was no-brainer putting that on. And then, we always wanted to do “More Than Local Boys” because it’s a song we’ve had forever. Came out a really cool arrangement that was like five minutes long. We wanted to cut it down for the record. Once again, that was alright. They were totally supportive of everything we did.

TMF: If you could leave one of your lyrics in a time capsule to be discovered many years from now, which lyric would you choose?
The Matches: I don’t write the lyrics but the one I’d put in a time capsule...You know - “Sick Little Suicide”, the chorus to it - If I was going to put it in a time capsule - I might put that cause though it’s not like the most- there’s other lyrics that stand out more or whatever but that’s like a timeless kinda lyric I think because a hundred years from now if someone would open up that time capsule that lyric would still apply for them. So, I probably would put that. The lyrics - any generation could look at it and go “Oh yeah, that’s true.”

TMF: What's next for you guys after this tour wraps up?
The Matches: We’re doing like a week tour when we go home - doing a couple shows at home. We have a couple weeks off at home then we go out again in the fall.
TMF: With anyone?
The Matches: Can’t tell ya that yet. But, it’s gonna be good.