Things to note: Tyson Ritter wants to put accordions on the next The All-American Rejects album. He can't wait to re-enact Sean Connery's exploits in Entrapment over here in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. He thinks my shoes came from a mythical goddess (Athena, if you were wondering).
But I suppose that's par for the course for the hyperactive, hilarious and charming AAR frontman - always serious about the music, but everything else is fair game.
It is this sheer energy and love for what they do best which has seen them through their debut self-titled album (2002) to latest offering When the World Comes Down. This same energy has powered them through a multitude of recent gigs in Asia, from Taipei to Malaysia and the next stop? Indonesia. Hey, Asian fans crave their AAR fix too.
All these commitments coupled with the success of chart-topping singles "Gives You Hell" and "The Wind Blows" make for a manic schedule indeed. Yet, the guys still take time out to play the nurturing big brother to bands on their new label, Edmond Records.
We find out more about that, as well as the old album stuff (Move Along), the new album stuff (When the World Comes Down) and the totally bizarre stuff (Nicholas Cage's receding hairline).
Hmmm.
Saw you guys on Rejects TV and cringed at the whole Taipei snake blood experience…
Tyson: Well yeah. We fell right into that tourist trap, didn't we…
Nick: I think it was real. I didn't do it, but I saw some gnarly shit.
Tyson: I think we buzzed on that stuff. I started feeling like a god.
What wild antics will you all be up to here in Malaysia?
Tyson: Well, we literally got here like 2 hours ago. All I've seen is the bed in my room and it's mighty comfy. Anyway, I already got [the band] hooked up to the local teachers that teach the Canadian school.
They're totally gonna take us out tonight, and we're gonna go to the Skybar which overlooks the two big [Petronas] towers… from the movie Entrapment! We're stealing a billion dollars tonight.
Speaking of movies, Tyson, you had a part in House Bunny. How about you guys; any silver screen aspirations?
Nick: I aspire to go to many movies, yes.
Tyson: We've actually all been in a lot of movies. Deuce Bigalow, European Gigolo… We've been in… what else were we in? Meet the Robinsons, with Danny Elfman as little guests musically.
Nick: Transformers 2!
Tyson: Did you see us? Next to Shia LaBeouuuuuf (contorts face)?
(laughs) How unfortunate. We might have actually missed that part.
Tyson: I guess so…
Tell us more about the music progression from Move Along to When the World Comes Down. There's a different; more mellow sound on this album because of how you guys experimented with the different sound arrangements…
Tyson: With Move Along, we were all jamming in a room in Atlanta and the guitars were loud, the drums were heavy, and that's what the record sounded like. And this record, it sort of rooted from piano and acoustic guitar. So maybe that's sort of a mellow, an acoustical thing that started.
When we wrote Move Along, it was Nick playing the amplified guitar, writing the opening riff on a delay box, you know what I mean? So for every record we do, we're not gonna ride on the same instruments.
I think we're gonna get accordions next time, and see if we can write a sweet-ass accordion record.
Nick: I heard a great pan flute band at the airport today. I think we should go down that route.
Tyson: You get the pan flute, I'll get the accordion…
Nick: You know, we gotta keep those killer guinea pigs away. (ponders) Is that a South Park reference?
Let's talk about Edmond Records. Mike, you and Tyson formed it and I think that's pretty cool. You brought in a band from New York…
Tyson: Yeah, The Upwelling. We found them two or three years ago when we toured the UK and fell in love with 'em! Their music spoke to me. They're just sweethearts, and have sort of really ethereal, cool music. And Kennerty actually produced a record by Ben Weasel - who's this branded, punk rock god - he got to work with one of his idols.
We're glad that we are afforded the luxury of bringing up a band that otherwise would never be found. So it's a cool thing to be able to be part of a successful band but also lend your hand to others and bring them success.
What are some of the other bands on the label?
Mike: There's other bands, The City Lives, from Oklahoma, also, we're doing a Screeching Weasel 7-inch, their first reunion 7-inch…
Tyson: Holy hell, man… Bet you're freaking out.
Mike: [laughs] So yeah, that'll be awesome. We don't have much time, but what little extra time we have, we do that stuff.
The band's cover of Britney Spear's "Womanizer" was a big hit - if you guys could work your magic on any other songs, which ones would it be?
Nick: That was kind of a fluke, and we did it because we had to. It's like the second biggest song we've ever had, in the world… so maybe we should think harder about doing something else like that, we'll see.
Tyson: We'll probably do something classic we actually like, like a Ramones song, or a Pixies song.
And put your own spin on it?
Tyson: Yeah, or pay homage to it, or try and do it as well as we can.
At the end of Move Along, there's this track, "Can't Take It", that sounds quite different from anything else on the album. How did that come about?
Nick: It was really synthy, weird. But I think even when writing When The World Comes Down, we never really had plans to say "Alright! This is gonna be a rock record/ Every song at least this fast, and it's gonna be heavy, and this is how we're gonna do it." And that song, it stands out on Move Along. But it fits so well, and it finishes the record really nicely.
Tyson: I think it was a nice transition to When The World Comes Down. Cause it's sort of theatrical too. And I feel like on WTWCD, songs like "Fallin' Apart," "Another Heart Calls," especially "Gives You Hell" - all these bombastic, theatrical songs … I think it'll get more and more over the top.
When The World Comes Down - If you knew the world was going to come down, how would you live your final day?Tyson: I would hope that I have someone to share it with. Nick: I watched that movie, Knowing, on the plane today…
Tyson: Me too!
Nick: That was the biggest piece of shit I've ever seen. But there's this moment where… and this has nothing to do with anything but the end of the world, I just thought of it. Nicolas Cage is this parent and he wraps his arms around [his children] and then fire takes them over and it's the end of the movie, and these little children are running in a field…
Tyson: Now you don't have to see it!
Mike: I hope that I'm with Nicolas Cage.
Tyson: Free hair plugs, his hairline is just f**ked.
Not a fan of Nicolas Cage then?
Tyson: Oh no, huge fan! Loved The Rock, starring Sean Connery… who was also in that movie Entrapment, that was filmed here!
Chris: Well, when the world comes down… I think I'll be going to bed early that night. I'll have a big day in the morning.
Tyson: That's like dying in your sleep, it's the worst way to go. Cause you know at 3 in the morning [reports] always say she died peacefully in her sleep, but you know that at 3am in the morning the little old lady is like [gasping, death throes, defecating sounds, screaming] and then finally: "Oh, she died peacefully."
Nick: If there's nobody there to hear it, it didn't really happen.
Tyson: That's true.
Right. That was kinda trippy. Thanks guys!
Premiere - August 28, Friday9pm (MY), 8pm (SG/HK)
RepeatsAugust 29Saturday, 1pm (MY), 12pm (SG/HK)
August 30Sunday, 2pm & 10pm (MY), 1pm & 9pm (SG/HK)
August 31Monday, 7pm (MY), 6pm (SG/HK)
More interviews with MTV World Stage Live in Malaysia artists to come right here on www.mtvasia.com!
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