Fall Out Boy
I Interviewed Fall Out Boy, and All I Got Was This Stupid Byline
2008-02-07
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“Champagne for My Real Friends, Real Pain for My Sham Friends.” Take a minute and reflect upon the sheer, crystalline genius of a song title such as this. If bands could get famous on the merit of their song titles alone, upstart Chicago emo heroes Fall Out Boy—the band responsible for the aforementioned song title and many, many more equally as ingenious—would be the biggest rock band in the whole world. However, we all know it takes more than just cleverness to make it in the hardscrabble world of rock music. But throw in bassist and chief lyricist Pete Wentz’s uncanny knack for putting into words the innermost thoughts of troubled teens and emotional twentysomethings, frontman Patrick Stump’s buttery voice and the band’s knack for running ‘80s pop melodies through their distorted full stacks and you’ve got something decidedly more dangerous. Now sign this band to a major label, in this case Island Records, after putting out one of the most well-received independent pop-punk records in years—building one of the more rabid fan bases this side of Michael Jackson—and you can see why, clever titles notwithstanding, Fall Out Boy’s latest record, and first for Island, From Under the Cork Tree debuted in the Top 10 on the Billboard 200 charts. It also goes without saying that the band is definitely one of the headliners on this year’s Warped Tour, a position that, even now, the band seems downright shocked to be in. Synthesis had a chance to sit down with both Pete Wentz and Patrick Stump in the basement of San Francisco’s Grand Ballroom, to talk about the band’s new album, the expectations of being the next big thing and the future of Fall Out Boy.
So is From Under the Cork Tree the proverbial big one for Fall Out Boy?
Pete Wentz: To me it’s all a matter of perspective, because every one has been the big one for us. Every one has been bigger than the last one, so this is definitely the biggest and most important thing we’ve done as a band. But, at the same time, so was the last record, and I’m sure the next one will be just as important. Each one is big for different reasons. The last one, no one knew who we were. This time, we’ve got like 200,000 people to not let down
But what was different about the recording process this time around?
Patrick Stump: Well we spent so much time on this record; we learned how to write on this record. The last record just kind of happened in terms of the songs. This one, we definitely spent the time writing it.
PW: We definitely scrapped, like, two generations of songs for this one.
Are there more expectations this time around, in terms of selling a certain number of records, or are you just happy with whatever happens?
PW: It’d be a crappy interview if somebody ever put a number on it…if you give them the option of saying that they’re just happy where they’re at, then they’re always gonna say that [laughs].
But this record is quite a bit more accessible than the last.
PW: I can’t fully speak for the band, but at least lyrically, I think that this record definitely has more of a worldwide understanding. It’s been four years since our last record, and I think that we’ve moved a little bit farther from writing reactionary lyrics and I think, or at least I hope, that they’re a little bit more introspective. To me, at least lyrically, I hope that this record has songs on it that can change somebody’s mood. That’s the direction I was going for with that, and I know musically, we were trying to write more dynamics…
PS: Oddly enough, by not being reactionary lyrically, we’ve been reactionary musically in that there are a couple songs that people go, “Oh that sounds kind of weird.” And the reason they sound kind of different is that, if you look at the lyrics, they’re kind of poking fun at a certain creed of band. So we decided, as kind of a joke, to mimic them a little bit, and improve upon them. So there is a bit more humor in some of the style.
You guys are known for having clever song titles and witty lyrics. Do you ever worry that some people might not get what what you’re doing, that they won’t see the difference between it being humor and it being a joke?
PW: Have you ever seen Rushmore? Every line in that movie you can laugh at, but every line in that movie is not a joke. There’s only like two jokes in that movie. But it’s an uncomfortable laughter, where you’re not sure if you’re supposed to be laughing. I think our song titles and our lyrics are kind of fall into that category. It’s definitely all tongue-in-cheek and definitely all poking fun.
PS: We’re dead serious about not taking ourselves seriously.
PW: But at the same time I don’t think we’re ever like a joke band. I think the thing that’s really important to understand, is that you don’t have to have a patent on one way of acting. I think the problem with a lot of emo bands is that they take themselves too seriously, and need to always be seen like this, and make sure that they’re wearing this and behaving this way. I think a lot of joke bands never take themselves seriously, and then all of a sudden they decide to write a serious record, like, “Alright dude, we stopped writing about dildos after four records.” Whatever the case, I don’t think that you have to be either/or. The songs all have a deep meaning to us, but it doesn’t mean when we’re on stage that we’re not having a good time.
How does it feel to have bands that have been around for a long time opening for you guys or lower on the bill on shows with The Warped Tour?
PW: More than anything, it’s sobering. No matter where you are, there are people above you and people below, and you’re one step from being back where you started. And I think it’s important to keep that in check, because when you’re in the position that we’re in, you always have somebody whispering in your ear, telling you how you’re the next big thing, and fuck everybody else.
So, do you think that in however many years that Fall Out Boy will still have the same sound, or do you see yourself changing with the tide?
PS: I think the problem with changing is that too often, people are just into changing to somebody else’s aesthetic, to something contrived. Any band that lasts, makes their own thing, they’re just content to be whatever they are.
PW: To me, it’s like from the beginning we’ve been a pop band that just comes from a different place; people have always just tacked on pop-punk, and emo, and hardcore and softcore, but stripped naked, that’s just what we are. We’ll always be playing that kind of music, and there’s always going to be Patrick’s voice. And the minute it becomes contrived, and we’re just going through the motions, that’s the moment it’s over. Because people are not gonna buy that from a band like us, I just know it.
PS: And I don’t think we’d buy it ourselves either.
PW: I don’t know, I don’t like to give myself that much credit [laughs].
So is From Under the Cork Tree the proverbial big one for Fall Out Boy?
Pete Wentz: To me it’s all a matter of perspective, because every one has been the big one for us. Every one has been bigger than the last one, so this is definitely the biggest and most important thing we’ve done as a band. But, at the same time, so was the last record, and I’m sure the next one will be just as important. Each one is big for different reasons. The last one, no one knew who we were. This time, we’ve got like 200,000 people to not let down
But what was different about the recording process this time around?
Patrick Stump: Well we spent so much time on this record; we learned how to write on this record. The last record just kind of happened in terms of the songs. This one, we definitely spent the time writing it.
PW: We definitely scrapped, like, two generations of songs for this one.
Are there more expectations this time around, in terms of selling a certain number of records, or are you just happy with whatever happens?
PW: It’d be a crappy interview if somebody ever put a number on it…if you give them the option of saying that they’re just happy where they’re at, then they’re always gonna say that [laughs].
But this record is quite a bit more accessible than the last.
PW: I can’t fully speak for the band, but at least lyrically, I think that this record definitely has more of a worldwide understanding. It’s been four years since our last record, and I think that we’ve moved a little bit farther from writing reactionary lyrics and I think, or at least I hope, that they’re a little bit more introspective. To me, at least lyrically, I hope that this record has songs on it that can change somebody’s mood. That’s the direction I was going for with that, and I know musically, we were trying to write more dynamics…
PS: Oddly enough, by not being reactionary lyrically, we’ve been reactionary musically in that there are a couple songs that people go, “Oh that sounds kind of weird.” And the reason they sound kind of different is that, if you look at the lyrics, they’re kind of poking fun at a certain creed of band. So we decided, as kind of a joke, to mimic them a little bit, and improve upon them. So there is a bit more humor in some of the style.
You guys are known for having clever song titles and witty lyrics. Do you ever worry that some people might not get what what you’re doing, that they won’t see the difference between it being humor and it being a joke?
PW: Have you ever seen Rushmore? Every line in that movie you can laugh at, but every line in that movie is not a joke. There’s only like two jokes in that movie. But it’s an uncomfortable laughter, where you’re not sure if you’re supposed to be laughing. I think our song titles and our lyrics are kind of fall into that category. It’s definitely all tongue-in-cheek and definitely all poking fun.
PS: We’re dead serious about not taking ourselves seriously.
PW: But at the same time I don’t think we’re ever like a joke band. I think the thing that’s really important to understand, is that you don’t have to have a patent on one way of acting. I think the problem with a lot of emo bands is that they take themselves too seriously, and need to always be seen like this, and make sure that they’re wearing this and behaving this way. I think a lot of joke bands never take themselves seriously, and then all of a sudden they decide to write a serious record, like, “Alright dude, we stopped writing about dildos after four records.” Whatever the case, I don’t think that you have to be either/or. The songs all have a deep meaning to us, but it doesn’t mean when we’re on stage that we’re not having a good time.
How does it feel to have bands that have been around for a long time opening for you guys or lower on the bill on shows with The Warped Tour?
PW: More than anything, it’s sobering. No matter where you are, there are people above you and people below, and you’re one step from being back where you started. And I think it’s important to keep that in check, because when you’re in the position that we’re in, you always have somebody whispering in your ear, telling you how you’re the next big thing, and fuck everybody else.
So, do you think that in however many years that Fall Out Boy will still have the same sound, or do you see yourself changing with the tide?
PS: I think the problem with changing is that too often, people are just into changing to somebody else’s aesthetic, to something contrived. Any band that lasts, makes their own thing, they’re just content to be whatever they are.
PW: To me, it’s like from the beginning we’ve been a pop band that just comes from a different place; people have always just tacked on pop-punk, and emo, and hardcore and softcore, but stripped naked, that’s just what we are. We’ll always be playing that kind of music, and there’s always going to be Patrick’s voice. And the minute it becomes contrived, and we’re just going through the motions, that’s the moment it’s over. Because people are not gonna buy that from a band like us, I just know it.
PS: And I don’t think we’d buy it ourselves either.
PW: I don’t know, I don’t like to give myself that much credit [laughs].
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