An Interview with Stephan 2/26/99

After ordering three eggy whites scrambled, a side of tuna, a large orange juice, and a coffee with soy milk [he insisted that I got that] I started the interview. Which I mentioned that all the fans who have come to the site have submitted most of the questions.

My first question is how many instruments do you know how to play?

Well, I know how top play drums, guitar, and I tried to play trumpet in the 5th grade but it didn't work out at all.

Oh really?

All kinds of percussion instruments, and I sort of fiddle around on the key board.

When did you learn how to play?

[thinks] I don't know. I'm still learning how to play, I'm not really sure if i have achieved learning knowing how to play yet.

When did you first pick up the guitar? How old were you?

God I don't remember. Five or something. I don't know...

Who or what inspired you to be in a band?

[thinks] Who inspired me to be in a band? Probably the Jackson Five, Sex Pistols...

What was so special about them?

When I was in first grade, somebody had a Jackson Five record and they where standing in the front. They where a dancing on the tables and this was in Kindergarten, and they were doing spinning and the same time. I was "wow, that's cool, what is that? I've never seen that before in my life" and it turned out to be the Jackson Five. They where doing the song ABC. You know when you're in kindergarten [sings: A B C] and your learning these things?

Yeah.
Who where your musical heroes when you where a kid, was it the Jackson Five?

When i was a kid? When i was a kid.. God- I don't kn... The Police. Led Zeppelin. I loved Cameo. Let's see, who else? Thin Lizzy.{Thin Lizzard Dawn} I also loved Fleetwood Mac.

Did you always think you would be involved in the music business?

I didn't think I'd be involved in the music business, but i always thought I'd play music.

Did you-- just out of curiosity, did you attend college as a backup plan, or did you fulfill a personal goal?

No, I just did it because it was kind of fun and I was expected to do that. I just went along. I can't really think about it that much because it's just the thing you do. I don't regret it, I had a lot of fun.

What was the best part about college?

The best part about college? The best part of college was running down to Claire Myers dorm room at 2 o'clock in the morning barefoot in the rain when she told me she would finally have sex with me.

When we got there, we got into a fight. the running was the best part. [pauses] I didn't go down on her, we never actually got to 'do it.' It was pretty upsetting.

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Where do you think you'd be if you weren't so successful in the music industry?

I don't know. probably be .... I don't know. Maybe I'd be a Marine Biologist.

What did you major in, when you where in college? Marine Biology?

I majored in Marine Biology, but then I moved to Literature.

What's in your CD player right now? What are you listening to?

My CD player? Let's see-- Lauren Hill, her new record. 14 Dance All Hits. The Who. Creeper Lagoon. Then there's some weird, like trance music thing in there. I don't know what it is. It's not very good.

What's trance music doing in your CD player?

Sometimes you just want have a groove on when your working.

What direction will the new album take? Will it follow the same kind of style as the first one or are you going to experiment with some new ideas?

The new album, is going to be a gigantic rock record. That's how were feeling right now. {It's} sort of big. We're having a lot fun.

Define big.

Thunderously rocking. We're feeling like it's the cool thing to do. We are just rocking out. We're just feeling that way, that's what were into.

Well that's great. I know you used to be influenced by rap and hip hop music in the past, can we expect any rap or hip hop type songs and any future Third Eye Blind albums, or even on this one?

I think you can see them as in influence on everything we do, but not necessarily directly. We have a hip hop kind of a feeling in the band, in the same way say.... [pauses and thinks] i don't know-- Rage against the machine does.

That kind of hard core thing?

Well, we are not hard core, they're {Rage Against the Machine} really rock but they have a real hip- hop influence. We came up in Oakland, and that was around us. It's a bigger influence on us than lets say, Country music.

Do you have a working title for the album right now?

I have one but I'm not sure if I can tell you. The working title that we have for the album right now is called " The Red Summer Sun."

and... Why would that be?

We have a big song called "The Red Summer Sun."

Are you going to produce it this time or are you going to have another producer working with you, or who's producing it?

I'm going to produce it.

What's it like to produce?

It sucks. Producing sucks.

Why?

Because I sit on couch and yell, and they don't listen to me.

[empathically, jokingly] No one listens to you?

No they don't.

Why not?

They yell-- and then i go "well that's because you suck." No, its actually really fun. We have a really good time in the studio.

What's the best part about being in the studio and that whole atmosphere?

It's when we get creative. Its about being creative. It's the best part about it.

How long after the release do you think you'll begin touring again?

I would suspect that we probably start to tour in the New Year, but well probably do a few shows in the fall as well. The next tour is going to be amazing.

What are you thinking about?

It will be be a concert that will make people feel really good.

Do you have any ideas with stage effects?

It wont be to much of an emphasis on effects with the stage, but there will be one.

What's the one thing you do to completely relax, and break away from all the touring and media attention?

To completely relax? I would have to say masturbate.

[laughs] What else do you do?

What else to do i do? To completely relax? I don't know, i got to find something else.

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What's your typical say on tour like?

I wake in a tour bus in a town that I don't know. It looks very similar to the last place that I was because we're always parked in front of hotels or at venues. I get up and I go for a walk. I try to find some food that's worth eating and I can't find any. Then I eat whatever I can get-- something horrible. I usually have some interview. Then I'm in my hotel and I go take a shower. Then I go ever the the venue and I go see what's going on. I go back stage and have dinner with the crew and and we talk about all the gossip that's going on. Its like a family, we have all these inside jokes and things. After dinner I probably have a "meet and greet" with contest winners from a radio station. I meet a couple people and then I get ready to play the show. I put on some clothes and then I go out. Suddenly its the greatest thing in the world, and it makes everything --- I feel this sense of unity with you guys. It's the best thing and I feel so grateful to be able to do it. Its totally worth while because you get to go out make music and reach people with it, and it become this blessing. Every time I go out, no matter how bad I'm feeling, no matter what's going on, every time I walk out on stage I have that feeling. Every show, we always feel we never nailed one in. We always feel were trying to make magic happen. I think the shows are about being spontaneous. Getting everybody out of their own head.

Yeah I can. I have to say I've been to a lot of rock concerts, and going to your concerts, especially the Bonfire Tour. It was awesome. Everybody was there, everybody was into it and everybody knew the words. It was really great. Do you like it when people sing the lyrics of your songs?

I get blown away because the lyrics are so personal, and when people sing them they have made them they're own. Its that they are not mine anymore. They sing them with their own meanings, their own symbols. I just love that. People say I'm one of those people who really looks at the audience. I'm not really standing up there to be looked at, I'm really looking at people. I'm sort of fascinated by the way that people make Third Eye Blind part of their lives. You guys have sort of made this culture out of the band. Third Eye Blind is instead of it being me, its something that I almost take part in. This concert is something that WE participate in.

I don't think that any devout Third Eye Blind fan would think of the band as it just being you. Its everybody. It's all you guys working together to make one---

Yeah, it's pretty much that. We are really a multi-headed monster.

Obviously, your songs are written about real people and real experiences. When you perform them every single night live for more than a year, does it take away from the experiences and the connection with the people at all?

No, because the original intent doesn't matter. It doesn't matter what it means to me. It matters what it means to you. I love seeing people get different meaning out of it. They always write me letters and tell me what the song meant. I totally enjoy that, its something to share. That's why you make it.

Where are some of the letters you get-- What do they talk about? Are they personal stuff?

I can't even begin to answer all the fan mail but with "Jumper" there are a lot of people who considered suicide, been molested or they've had something hard happened to them. They've found a friend in that song. People have that sense of angst in "God Of Wine."

How does it make you feel when someone tells you that you've helped them with their problems or inspired them in any way?

[Pauses] It makes me feel really good. It's an added perk.

What do you and the band want your fans to get out of your music?

I always use records as this thing for me to speak my life in some way. Its like a canon piece for the summer. Its like a soundtrack for a time that I was going through. I see people doing that and it's the most you could ever hope for. I want people to get a sense of joy out of the music that we make. That is what we all go through. A perspective that you can feel good about and at the concerts I want people to come out of their shells a little bit. I want them to have like a great big romping time, where they feel like they can do that. I think those are the things that I want.


I again thanked Stephan for his hospitality and kindness to do this interview and I would also like to say thank you to all of you who have submitted questions- without your questions, this interview would not have been a success. I would personally like to thank the management for being kind and helpful- I can not even begin to portray my graciousness.


*** If you are going to take any part of this interview and use it for any type of personal use, I request that you site this source. ***