Polar Bear Club interview for allschools.de
1. Hi there! Please introduce yourself so that I know who to hold responsible for the upcoming confessions...
I'm Jimmy, the singer.
2. After Broadway Calls, Frank Turner or Every Time I Die, the SHOOK ONES finally happened to be the latest band to tour with you. What´s the worst part of having a band like the SHOOK ONES around you the most part of the day?
Not sure yet. The tour actually starts in two days so I won't know for a good week. I'm sure they'll find some way to piss me off!
3. Your blogs often talk about PBC being a „friendship-based band“. How does being a fulltime band now affect this? Are you „tired“ of having your friends around you sometimes? Do you also try to connect non-band friends with PBC (such as selling t-shirts, managing tours etc.)?
We do sometimes try and bring out a new merch person or something just to switch it up. It's hard being around the same people all the time ya know? It's changed for sure. We are a lot closer now than we were before, we understand each other a great deal.
4. Polar Bear Club was part of the 2008 „Feed the Beat“-list – but honestly: What´s your favourite food stop on the road? And have you ever really turned Taco Bell´s support to advantage?
We all love different stuff. Taco Bell is fucking cheap so that helps us. We also really like Chipotle and Red Robin. This is in America though. In Europe it's a bit harder. Burger King is always a safe bet for cheap veggie burgers. I like Max Burger in Sweden.
5. What 3 things are most essential to bring with me if I would be joining the Polar Bear Club on tour?
Thick skin. We make fun of each other a lot.
6. Speaking about your musical roots: What were you listening to when you were 16? Any embarrassing top bands from back then that influenced you all the way?
Limp Bizkit and Korn were in there for a while but then I got Pennywise's "Unknown Road" and Operation Ivy's "Energy" that christmas and was forever changed.
7. What was the first thing on your mind when you flew into Germany for the very first time?
It was exciting because I'm of German (and Russian) descent and you don't really think that you'll ever touch that soil when you're growing up. To say I'd been there was just a cool thing I could go and tell my grandfather about.
8. Name one special (secret?) talent of each band member (besides being able to play music)!
Chris can remember sports stats from like years and years ago with scary detail. Goose can dance, boy can he dance. Emmett is sort of a jack of all trades, really good at video games. Nate cycles and I act in plays.
9. After starting of with a considerable world tour now and such appearances as the Bamboozle and the Warped Tour later – what else does 2010 hold for Polar Bear Club? Any exciting plans?
We are hoping to maybe come back to Europe after Warped Tour and hit up some European and British festivals but nothing is confirmed.
10. Collaborations between musicians of all different kinds (such as Travis Barker vs. Drake or All-Star-Act „Them Crooked Vultures“, etc.) seem to be very usual these days. What would be your choice of a collaboration out of all musicians / artists?
If we're dreaming big I would say David Byrne or Paul Westerberg or Jimmy Eat World. That would be awesome. Any of our friends would be rad to work with. I think we should do a sort of "We Are The World" collaboration with Set Your Goals, Broadway Calls, Four Year Strong, Cancer Bats, Fireworks, Swellers and so on.
11. Are you guys into sports or any specific procedures to stay healthy on tour? Are you trying to take care of your nutrition?
It's hard but we try. I bring a jump rope with me everywhere I go. That's the one exercise on tour I have been able to stick to. Everything else I give up on after a week or so.
12. How was growing up in Syracuse like? How did you get involved with the „scene“? Is there still an active musical scene?
Well I grew up in Rochester, which is about an hour from Syracuse. The scene that I grew up in is my biggest inspiration to this day. The first hardcore show I went to blew my mind and I'll never forget it. There are still some good bands here. Dasha, Like Wolves and Such Gold. There aren't as many shows but I may just be saying that 'cuz I'm out of touch.
13. You´ll be playing Hamburg on February 22. What exactly is the story behind „Chasing Hamburg“ as the title of your latest record?
The song "Chasing Hamburg" was partly inspired by the last show we played there. The story is in the lyrics. I think that song in-particular, builds off the other songs really well. That's why we chose to name the album that also.
14. Any important last words or comments?
Come see us...do it.
Thank you for your time and enjoy the rest of the tour!
