pseudo star's interviews

Sunday June 7th, 98

Deaf Audience Interviews - Dylan and Craig of pseudo star.

Q: Who came up with the name pseudo star?

A: Craig - Matt did. I wish I could take credit for such a wonderful name. It was Matt. I wanted to call the band My mom is a fat retard or Flusher, or something dumb but Matt insisted on pseudo star.

Dylan - I'd have to say that was me, but I first suggested Pseudo... (fake, plastic, etc.) and then later the star part was added. Everybody agreed for the most part, I've never had to argue with anyone about it, so I think everybody likes the name. Charlie and I filled a notebook up with some really stupid band names.... I forget them now, but I'm sure they sucked. They all had to do with the Beatles, our high-school, and death. One day I was getting very frustrated with not having a band name, I began reading something, maybe a guitar magazine or something, and I came across the name Pseudo. I looked up the meaning and knew from then on that I had to use it. It's a perfect band name for us, a band dedicated to offending the commercialized music industry full of Pseudo Stars. (Brandi, All Saints, Celine Dion, Jimmy Ray, Savage Garden, Our Lady Peace, etc.).

 

Q: What does the name pseudo star mean to you?

A: Dylan - Well a Pseudo Star would be someone who is only an image, not an actual being. You know? Like someone who is not actually deserving of the level of fame or fortune that they are currently enduring. Someone who did not work for what they have, but rather, had the right face or body or attitude, or someone who is famous because of corporate contacts, or someone who was in the right place at the right time. Basically, anyone who didn't work for what they have, or don't deserve what they have is just lying to themselves and their fans. These people are the Pseudo Stars.

 

Craig - It means that I am a member of a Celine Dion hate band.

Q: Define pseudo star's sound.

A: Dylan - I can't at this point, ask me again in September, I think we'll have a whole bag of new songs by then. Right now I'd say were trying to be very pop (Average Girl, and Wrong). Those are the Pseudo Sounds I like... sometimes were very spacey and psychedelic.

 

Craig - Pumpkins hang out with the Beatles while listening to Weezer.

Q: What are your influences when it comes to song writing?

A: Dylan - Influences?? Well Extremely all the time would have to be mostly Sonic

Youth and Champion Sprout. Some other artists that influence me are the Beatles, Square root of Margaret, the Smashing Pumpkins, Bob Dylan, and so on. I'm also a huge Foo Fighters fan, though they don't influence me. There is MOORE I'm sure.

 

Craig - My influences? I have an infinite number of influences, some musical, some are people I meet, some are from books, TV, the Internet. Musically I'd have to say the Beatles. I've been a fan since I was born. A song like Chrome is my attempt to sound like SROM, but it doesn't even come close. Wrong is just a pop song about a girl I knew. You know.

Q: Dylan you put out two solo albums. How does the band feel about them?

A: Dylan - Well I'm not really sure, why don't you ask them? I don't think they think they care either way. It was a way for me to say "Hey, I've got these songs.....". That's all it is. Personally, I hate both albums, but they are necessary because now I'll never make either of those mistakes again. I think they probably liked the first one better than the second, but I liked the second better.

Q: Craig tell me about your solo projects (Diefenbakers, cosmonic)

A: Craig - My solo projects suck. The Diefenbakers is my band where I demo songs that will eventually become pseudo star songs. They are songs that need a ton of work. Cosmonic is fun. It's a band where I get to make creative noise music. I love feedback, white noise, etc. so I have a good time recording with them. The only people that hear this stuff are friends of the band cause it sucks so bad.

Q: What direction are you trying to take the band?

A: Dylan - Right now? I'm trying to get everything we've ever down on tape, just so

I can see where we've been. I don't want to forget anything or lose anything, were all ready letting material slip away by not recording it. There's an amazing song we used to do when Jordan Tanner was our drummer, where we would turn off all the lights except a colored rotating strobe light... it was extremely cool. We'll probably never be able to play it the same way again now. So right now I'm trying to get everything recorded so we can sit back, look at what we've done, and THEN choose a direction in which we should go.

 

Craig - I want to be a great live band. I want people to have fun at the shows. When they leave our concerts I want them to say, "Those guys are on crack!".

Q: What is your opinion of the Dresden music scene? Are there any other cool bands?

A: Craig - Dresden music scene? Oh yah. Arts Fest 98 was the high point of that thing. I love Cataclysm, they rock! At Arts Fest there was a band that Mark Huston, Robyn Childs, Vince Filby, and Clayton Smith played in that I loved. I wanna see them again. I love Frosty too.

Dylan - The music is cool, but nobody cares. Cataclysm is the only other cool band from Dresden and they are very entertaining. I can't wait until they start releasing material. Other than that, there is no music scene unless you like Punk or Nirvana/Bush covers.

Q: What is Omar's significance?

A: Dylan - He's an icon for our band. If not for the music, people come to the shows

to see what crazy situations Omar will be placed in next. (If Omar is reading this, please do not sue me, this was all Ryan Moore's idea.)

 

Craig - Omar is the epitome of evil. He is also Grant Browing's love daddy.

Q: Charlie's bass playing, what do you think about that?

A: Dylan - I've never actually heard the bass farting. The sleeping and the tuning was the most annoying thing in the world. But that doesn't happen anymore. Now Charlie's Bass playing is incredible and is responsible for a big part of our bands sound. Charlie has an unusual style, it's perfect for us.

 

Craig - Charlie is the best bass player I know. Watch out Les Claypool and Brandon Lawson!

 

Q: What do you think about when you are playing(Onstage, Practice)?

 

A: Dylan - Hmmm... I'm always wondering what the people in the audience are thinking. That's what I think about, and I think about if Craig or Charlie is having fun or not. Also, I think about my girlfriend.

Craig - I'm just trying not to forget the words.

Q: What band would you most love to tour with?

A: Dylan - Right now it would be fun to tour with Cataclysm!! But the ultimate would be to tour with Square Root of Margaret!!

 

Craig - Smashing Pumpkins/The Beatles/Weezer/SRoM. Maybe if D'Arcy met me she would get a divorce from Kerry Brown and go with me.

Q: When did you start learning a musical instrument?

A: Dylan - Well I took some piano lessons when I was 10 or so... mostly theory. That's when I learned to read basic music, and at one point (grade 6) I could play recorder really well, but I've forgotten that now. Then I bought my first guitar in March of 1996. I had never played a guitar ever, before that. So I have been playing guitar now for 2 years and 4 months.

 

Craig - The one and only instrument I can play is guitar, which I started to learn Feb. 3rd 1993. Yes I've been playing guitar for a long time.

Interview Conducted by Acorn

END of interview