SOURCE: http://www.riftrock.com/NewsPub/Stories/2004/03/24/108011730011.shtml
03-24-04
Puddle
of Mudd
What do you think of Puddle of Mudd? No, really. You probably think they’re
a bunch of douchebags with rock star complexes, huh? Yeah, I thought so. Now,
that being said, let me say how pleasantly surprised I was talking with Puddle
of Mudd drummer Greg Upchurch, who, as I discovered in our interview, showed
nothing but almost ironic humbleness and appreciation for what he has and
doesn’t have. Let this be a lesson kids, the stuck up music critics (not that
there’s any to be found here on RIFTrock) aren’t always right…
RIFTrock: Most people recognize your sound by now, but how would you describe
the new album in your own words?
Greg Upchurch: It’s got a little bit of a southern twang to it, to me
actually, I just think it’s a bit more heartfelt and a bit willing to
experiment more.
Did you draw on any new influences for this southern twang?
Well I think what I mean is that it’s almost classic rock sounding, not really
southern I guess. We really did listen to a lot of classic rock while we were on
the road supporting the last album. I don’t know why that was but listened to
a lot of Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, different elements like that so I think that had
some kind of influence on the new album. We were just kind of exploring the
roots of rock I guess.
How do you think you guys have evolved musically since you put out Come
Clean?
Well when you tour for almost two years, you really evolve as a band, as a unit,
I mean we can pretty much read each other’s minds…I guess with the exception
of Wes, you never know what that guy’s going to do [laughs]. We’ve really
connected a lot from playing every single night for two years, then getting off
the road and taking two weeks off before going right back in the studio and
playing together.
What’s your best tour story from those last two years?
Hmm…I think we were in Memphis, the bus pulled up to the hotel, and our tour
manager always puts the room keys out on the table, so once you wake up out of
your bunk you can roll into your room. So I grab my room key, went up to the
room, and you know those latches they keep on doors you can flip open and the
door will stay door open? So I just walked in and there were clothes everywhere,
so I jump in the shower, then all of a sudden, security comes in and I was in
the wrong hotel. And I was in someone’s room showering.
[laughs] Wow, that was a pretty good story…
Yeah, I didn’t get arrested at least, so it wasn’t that good of a story…
That’s ok, even without an arrest it was wholly entertaining…and you guys
are on tour with Smile Empty Soul right now, how has this tour been going so
far?
It’s great, those guys are awesome. They’re really young, like 21, 22 years
old, so it’s really fun to see them out there enjoying themselves. They’re
also a great live band, when I look out and see people singing their songs,
it’s cool.
And the crowds for you guys have been pretty good too, right?
Probably some of the best crowds we’ve ever had. We couldn’t be happier with
the way things are going right now.
Alright, I have to ask what happened with the Heel Over Head video, why'd you
guys decide to scrap it?
It started to turn into like a Boys to Men video or something, it started
getting pretty cheesy. It was like, Wes and the girl, typical video style shit,
they had him on his knees, pointing at a goldfish he had give her, then she gave
him a guitar and it had a bow on it, and he starts singing to her, and…we
walked.
Aww, bad times, it does sound pretty lame.
Death before dishonor, man.
Are you going to re-shoot it?
I don’t know, it’s kind of tough because we’re going to be on the road
pretty solid, unless we do some sort of video where we’re not in it, which
people do every once in a while.
Have you thought about just doing a live performance video?
Yeah, we’ve been thinking about that, then we saw the Nickelback one and
we’re like, “ok, that sucked.” [laughs] So we’ll figure something out,
we could do a live video, since the crowds have been so good and it’s been
small intimate clubs, so I think we could show the crowd that we’re still
playing rock performances where you can come to our show and you’re going to
be right in the thick of it.
You guys have taken a your share of criticism for what and who you sounded
like, was there anything you really took into consideration while recording Life
on Display?
The only thing we wanted to do was make sure that we were honest with ourselves
and going to be proud of what we did and to nor come off trying to rehash what
we the same shit we did on Come Clean. Write another “Blurry” or “She
Hates Me” or something, ‘cause fans are smarter than that, they know, and
they’re like “oh God, these guys are pulling another Sugar Ray on us here”
[laughs]. We just wanted to make sure we were going to be proud of what we did,
and we are so it’s all good.
Do you think you guys have outlived those criticism by now?
Well we still get it, I mean I haven’t read a good review on our record yet,
which is fine by me. The more they criticize you, the better you do for the most
part.
As long as they’re talking about you, better than them not talking about
you at all.
Exactly, I don’t care if you hate me or not. Not everybody can be the White
Stripes, not everybody can be the Strokes, and get just mass amounts of praise.
And I like those bands too, but like, I was hanging out with the guitar player
from the Strokes in Vegas when we did this show, and I was talking to him and I
was like, “People ask us about pressure, I look at you, you’ve got just your
face on the cover of Spin, that’s pressure to me.” I mean, everybody hates
us, what kind of pressure is that [laughs]?
Yeah, you gotta respect that.
Yeah, we don’t take it seriously, a lot of the time, they just talk about the
band, and not the album. Like they have a vendetta against us for selling
records, I don’t know, but you just deal with what you get. It’s not as bad
as it is in England, those people are brutal.
Yeah, their critics are pretty harsh over there. Do you guys think you’ve
gotten an unfair reputation?
Yeah, I do, but, you deal with what you get, you’re not going to change
anything, we are who we are, so you just deal with it.
Right on. Which song on Life on Display is most meaningful to you and why?
I’d have to say “Time Flies,” just because I think it expands the horizon
of the band, like where we can go next. That song isn’t what you would think
of as a Puddle of Mudd song, I mean it’s seven and a half minutes, you’ve
got time changes, and it’s almost like two separate songs at one point. That
was one of our Pink Floyd-ish moments where we were just like, “let’s not
have any limitations and take the song where it wants to go.
Alright, on to my BS questions I ask in every interview…favorite alcohol?
Oh shit, Miller Lite.
Right on, cheap beer all the way.
That’s me, man.
Vice City or Tony Hawk’s Underground?
Vice City, although I’m addicted to 2004 Tiger Woods.
Aw, that’s weak! Golf?
Sorry! I’m 32, I grew up with Atari! I’m an old-school fart [laughs]
Ok, closing words?
Oh God, brush your teeth [laughs]
That’s the first time I’ve gotten something like that…
Yeah, take care of your teeth.
Label: Geffen
Website: PuddleOfMudd.com
Contact Author:
Brien Overly | Back to RIFTrock