(Cord Magazine's questions are in blue. Artist responses are in grey.)


Now we have a set of ten questions that we ask every band. What do you guys do when you're on your downtime between recording and touring?

NICK STUMPF (VOCALS/DRUMS) : Write. We're responsible. And work too. We have jobs.

Vice of choice.

N : I guess I like drinking.

Favourite venue or city to play in.

N : I really like playing LA. I like playing New York also. Just the obvious big cities I like. I like some smaller places too, but my favourite venues are usually like between 700 and a thousand people.

What issues and aspects of the world most concern you these days?

N : Politically?

It can be anything. People always seem to think that we're going really super-political with it but not necessarily.

N : I kind of have the impression sometimes that the world, this sort of pathetic world is going to hell in a handbasket, and there's not too much respect for simple and beautiful things. And that makes me sad.

Very unique answer. One interview question that you could care less to hear again. Not including that one.

N : The New York rock scene.

Oh yeah? That comes up quite a bit, hey?

N : Yeah every time. You didn't ask it.

No I didn't.

N : Thank you. That was the first one in… I cant remember, where somebody hasn't. So thanks.

No problem. What was your favourite Saturday morning cartoon as a child?

N : The only one I can remember was… there was a kid who turned into a car. And he had this smile, his smile turned into the grille of the car and his hands turned into the tires and, when he got cold or he got mad or something he turned into a corvette. I just remember liking the little intro where he turned into the… he smiled and he kept smiling and it got bigger and bigger until it became the grille of a sports car.

I don't think I remember that one. Was that regional?

N : (shrugs) Anyway, I don't know what it was called.

Maybe we didn't get that in Canada. Besides musician, what did you want to be when you were growing up? Did you have any other aspirations and did you do anything to attain that?

N : Um, I've had a ton. I wanted to be a writer for a while. That's one. Yeah that was the main one I took seriously enough to like do some internships and stuff. But I also wanted to do documentary film for a while. But I've always sort of I think been dancing around… everything I wanted to do had something to do with music.

If you could trade places with anyone for a day, who would it be and what would you hope to accomplish?

N : I would probably trade places with… I dunno, at this point, probably any one of my friends who's in New York, sleeping in their own bed. And I would, you know, make myself dinner. Go to bed at 9:30.

Okay here's the big one. A shark and a bear fight. Here are the rules. There's just enough water for the shark to exist, swim around, keep himself just barely alive. There's a small rock in the middle of the water that's just big enough for the bear to stand on. Neither's been trained, netiher's been fed for a few days. Grizzly bear and a great white shark, they fight to the death. Who wins?

N : Shark.

Shark?

N : Easily.

Action plan?

N : What do you mean?

Why is he the big winner?

N : Why? Because he can sort of… the bear's stuck on the rock. Once he gets in the water, he's in the shark's world. The shark can move probably more quickly than the bear can. Better than the bear can. And he can sort of jump and nip at his ankles and sort of take him apart piece by piece you know?

It's such a pleasant question (laughter). Okay finally, if you could ask me one question, what would that be?

N : I'd probably ask you about Vancouver. I've never been here before.

Oh really.

N : I was amazed driving in, I had no idea what it looked like, it's beautiful. Very modern looking, but most modern looking places look like shit, like Dallas or something. It's modern looking but it's terrible looking, you know. But this is a really, really beautiful city.

Yeah, between the mountains and the water.

N : Yeah yeah, picturesque, little harbour and everything. I guess I'd ask you how long you've been here and if you plan to stay.

I've been here my whole life. I live in the suburbs. And I do plan to stay here.

Elsewhere

By Andy Scheffler
Photos : Andy Scheffler
Published : June 23, 2004.