Fall Out Boy ‘Makes Mosh Not War’

The most recent trend, to snowball into mainstream radio, television, and suburban shopping malls, has been pop punk, and in general, the new millennium’s punk rock reality. Everyone from celebrities down to pimple-faced teenagers have embraced this style making it more of a fashion trend than a political or sociological statement.

One such band that has been scooped up by a major label is Fall Out Boy. I had the great pleasure of sitting down with founding member, and bass player, Pete Wentz, to talk a little about politics, the onslaught of press that they’ve been getting, signing to a major, and just what exactly separates them from the mass-produced pop punk bands that are born in shopping malls everyday.

Interview conducted in person by Doran Dalton.

Band: Fall Out Boy
Name: Pete Wentz (bass)

Bettawreckonize: Okay, so you were in a hardcore band, before forming Fall Out Boy right?
Pete: Yes.

BW: Was it a difficult transition, being in a hardcore band, and then coming into and doing more poppier type punk?
P: The funny thing is, that the whole time I was in a hardcore band, this is what I listened to. The Descendents, Green Day, bands like that, The Cure. So, it wasn’t that big of a stretch and at the same time it wasn’t ever really a serious endeavor when it began so there was never really any pressure for it, it was just like goofing around you know what I’m saying? So it wasn’t really a stretch and I feel like we brought like the ideals of being in a hardcore band to this medium and so I don’t feel like that was really what it was about, or else I wouldn’t do it.

BW: Be that as it may, in my opinion, I feel like a lot of pop punk bands that are in the mainstream, that are on the radio and on MTV, they don’t really have much to say. And it’s all about girls, and breaking up and going to the mall or whatever. So, like you said, bringing the ideals of hardcore, and implementing them into this band, do you think that you guys have a little something more to say?
P: This is the thing, I think that our last album definitely focused on the boy/girl relationships and that was the focus of the thing. It was an easy pit to fall into, I think that’s the basis of all rock n’ roll and it’s the easiest topic to write, especially when that just happened to you. It was like, ‘Oh that’s a situation that just happened to me.’ At the same time, when I dropped out of school to be in this band full time, I was a third year Political Science major. So like, that definitely affected me. Like, we have a t-shirt coming out that’s going to say “Make Mosh Not War”. So, no matter what, we’re going to say what we want. We’re not ever going to be, I don’t think, an out right political band. That’s just not the vibe of this band, but I think that it’s important for people to know that the personal is political, and there’s plenty of people around that are like, ‘this is what’s messed up, because George W. Bush is around and he shouldn’t be around,' and like they should understand that there is a psychological and sociological reason that George W. Bush was elected, you know. People want to hang out with a frat boy and he’s like a guy who you want to drink beer with, so it doesn’t matter how smart he is or what he thinks about. So, I think that there’ll be personal issues and a more introspective look on this record, but at the same time I don’t think that it’ll be like ‘fuck this’ or ‘fuck that,' but to an extent I hope that it’ll be more intelligent ya know, but we’re always going to write what we want to write.

BW: Do you think that is what separates you from the more mainstream bands then?
P: I think what separates us from those bands is, I don’t think that it’s so much a sound or anything like that. I think that in the pop punk genre of lyrics and stuff, I’d say we’re a lot closer to those bands in the grand scheme of things, but I would say that what separates us is that there is a level of sincerity and there’s a level of honesty, that I hope would be compelling to people and especially on our next record. I think that it’ll be a lot more open and you’d have to be able to tear yourself apart without tearing anybody else apart. And I think that’ll show on our next record, I hope. Because there are a lot of bands out there that say one thing and then do another, and that’s what I find to be a problem. I mean, you can get kids to pogo, and that’s not that big of a deal, just about anybody can write the words and the beat to do that.

BW: So, are your main influences punk rock or do you find musical influence from bands outside of the punk genre?
P: Oh definitely. We have like a million hardcore influences, we listen to every type of band imaginable. Whether it be a punk or hardcore influence or maybe some really old stuff or whatever. We also listen to a lot of 80’s music, a lot of Elvis Costello, Squeeze, Grease, The Cure, Joy Division, Archers of Loaf, there’s a like a billion bands. You know, I’d say that more than anything we get our influences from stuff like that, more than punk rock.

BW: You guys just signed to Island, and before you were on Fueled By Ramen (FBR). How has that been so far?
P: The transition?

BW: Yeah.
P: It’s way too early to tell. We’re in the honeymoon period, I’d say.

BW: Did you guys JUST sign?
P: Yeah, it’s been like two weeks. So, I don’t know? When we started this band there was no expectations, now there’s expectations, and that’s always hard. I mean, most of the pressure we put on ourselves ya know, but like, it’s always a lot harder when people….We want to make sure that we always keep it fun, it’s a lot harder when it’s your job. So, we’re doing what we love, and hopefully we’ll keep loving it you know.

BW: Some of your label mates include, Thrice and Thursday. Did that play a role in your decision to sign to Island Records?
P: Oh Absolutely. Island is a punk rock label right now. You got: Andrew W. K., Thrice, Thursday, CKY, Sum 41 and Autopilot Off. It’s like awesome. It’s like the coolest bunch of bands to be shoved in with. We’ve never met those bands, but, our hardcore band used to play with Thrice….or, I mean Thursday. But, I really respect them as musicians and artists.

BW: So, how did all that happen? Were you guys shopping for a new label, or did they come courting you guys?
P: Well, our deal with Fueled By Ramen was….well, originally we sent out our demo to a bunch of different labels and nobody really cared. And then one label came around, and then it was a feeding frenzy, and a bunch of majors came around. Fueled By Ramen offered us a deal where we could work with them and there were some people at Island who were interested in us at the time and they said, “Hey, here’s some money for this record with Fueled By Ramen. If it turns out alright, then cool, and if it doesn’t turn out alright then…whatever.” You know, no harm no foul. So we were like, ‘hey this cool, we get to work with the people we want and have somewhat of a really cool budget for it.' So, we did it and Fueled By Ramen is always going to be involved in our marketing and it’s going to be Fueled By Ramen/Island-Def Jam for as long as we’re on it or whatever. And that’s what we did, and the record sold better than anyone expected and nobody really expected us to be on Island now and it was always really questionable if we were going to be on it at all. So, it’s really cool for us.

BW: How long have you guys been a band together, with Fall Out Boy? Isn’t it like 2 years now?
P: 2 years.

BW: So, now with all the press, MTV and everything. Has it been very overwhelming?
P: Oh absolutely. It’s like, to see your face on TV is like, very hypocritical of yourself. You realize how stupid you sound, how stupid you look just breathing. Just like, yeah it gets really overwhelming. But at the same time it’s not like were at a really certain level of fame where it actually really matters when your walking down the street or walking by a store. I mean, it’s cool, it’s not like an enormous amount of exposure, so it’s cool, I guess.

BW: You guys are on tour with Less Than Jake, and Vinny is the owner of FBR. Have they had an influence on your music and if so, is it somewhat of a dream to, not only work with them but to tour with them as well?
P: Yeah, Less Than Jake is a band that we all grew up listening to. I would say that their music is not an influence to us, but the way they live and how they act and how they are as a band, definitely. They’re one of the coolest bands, they’ve always been nothing but cool to us. And if we have a problem, Vinny fixes it for us. And to that extent they definitely are an influence to us. I mean, I wouldn’t have gotten as far in punk rock as I have if it wasn’t for bands like Less Than Jake.

BW: Have you guys been touring non-stop since the incarnation of this band?
P: Yeah, since like January of last year, we’ve been doing this the whole time. There have been very few days off, I think the biggest break we’ve had has been like two weeks.

BW: What are some of your favorite bands to tour with?
P: Uhh…Early November, Count The Stars, Allister has been fun, Less Than Jake has been a blast.

BW: What are some bands that you WANT to tour with?
P: I think it would be really cool to tour with Saves The Day, Thursday and Thrice….

BW: How is it for you guys to play in more larger venues? Is it different for you guys, do you prefer to play in a more intimate setting?
P: Yeah, it’s definitely different. I think that anybody who says otherwise is lying. We’ve always been a kids’ band, we realize that we can’t play the way our CD sounds live. So, we don’t try to pull it off. We let ourselves be affected by the sounds and the words, and when you have a barrier there, it’s harder to deal with. You don’t have as many kids on stage and it’s harder, but it’s something we’re getting used to. But, we’re always going to play smaller clubs as well, it’s a really good feeling for us and it’s definitely something that’s…I don’t know, it’s a catharsis.

BW: Do you have a preference to playing smaller clubs or bigger venues?
P: Umm…I don’t really have that much experience to really say. I mean there were big places that we played in Chicago and stuff. I like them both for different reasons. You get to reach a bunch more people in bigger places and definitely get to see more bands that I like to see, and everything sounds a little bit better you get a better sound, but at the same time you’re not as close to kids. So, you try to bridge the gap however you can.

BW: What is some of the music that you guys are listening to right now?
P: Modest Mouse, Nada Surf, Error, First Blood, Macho Man Randy Savage, which is hilarious.

BW: Well, I’m done, so do you have anything that you wanna plug or any parting comments?
P: Umm, no. Falloutboyrock.com, just go to website and check it out. Come out to the show and see us.