Goo Goo Dolls

Part 1

0:00whole generation of Unbelievably incredible guitar players who have learned to make these weird chords. Oh really? I've never tried. How do you play it? What's your turn? Like shit? I don't even know what the tune is. It's like a guitar set up for live shows. Yeah. Yeah, I mean all my guitars I have a different guitar for each song each different tuning because every every song has a different tuning You know, which is strange to me. That's not me probably Yeah, every song has a different tuning. So I have a guitar set up for that. How do you come up with the tunings? You just yeah, I sit that you know what I do with each chord I like sitting on the sofa and just you know I'll just start banging away and twisting the strings

0:48Just tuning and detuning strings and you know cutting strings off the guitar and doing things like that and then hopefully it gets written down Yeah, and then and then I generally you know and then I'll play with it and something will hit me that I like the way it sounds And I'll try to you know work on some chord shapes and there and see what kind of things I can do with it And then then I'll take a guitar tuner and then write it down in a book or it's cool Put a piece of tape on it. Yeah on a guitar that says do not touch this guitar to be beat me Yeah, pretty much yeah, what about you for the bass? Do you ever screw around with it like that? Yeah, you know, I mean I just actually started doing an awful lot of that the past couple of records just Yeah, yeah, but more so just to kind of stay in the keys of the songs. Yeah, you have to kind of yes We're eating the bass for all songs, too. Yeah, we got us me and my guy got a system. Yeah, what system is that?

1:39System of tossing basses back and forth throwing shows. That's awesome. Let's talk about the new record Yeah, no Rob Cavallo this time Glen Ballard or valor did you record it in Buffalo too or did you go to LA to do it? No, we recorded in LA with Glenn We wrote the whole record in Buffalo. Oh, yeah, great six months, you know Just this nice self-imposed exile just got out of got out of LA, you know and and immediately felt a lot more creative You know, but but then we went and worked with Glenn because we wanted to do something different Yeah, you know, we had done we had made two or three records with Rob and it was just like All right now it's time for something new so you know he he understood and you know You know, you know, we got to do we got to do to make the best records. We can How what did he bring to the process that that's different than Rob?

2:24I mean, he's done Dave. He's done a lannus. Oh, you know, just a lot of a lot of positive energy like Glenn is Glenn is very very adept at making you forget the outside world and He he's really really good at convincing you that what you're doing is very important contribution to the world of art Yes, and to the world to man. I mean the world is large, you know for the whole Katrina thing. So yeah, you know, I mean Yeah, that was that that song came out of nowhere. It was really sort of interesting Was it written about that did it come out at no it came out after it came out. So you wrote it before I wrote Just before and You know some some producer at CNN, you know adopted is the sort of the theme music for the relief efforts and

3:11You know, it's been used in a lot of things and you know We were lucky enough to get down to New Orleans to the reopening of the super dome and you played You know down there that was cool. I saw an interview with you guys doing that before you went on your bus tour around the city What's it like down there messed up dude still? Yeah, it's still garbage. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, they need a lot of help down there Still, there's there's still piles as high as houses that they haven't gone through really just of washed up Stuff and it's it's it's just crazy and they need a lot of help and so well Hopefully with this regime change this happened last night I know Haven you guys are Democrats I take it then being musicians well most of all Democrats Yeah, well, I think most people are cuz what's the third off? I mean, you know, I mean, I'm obviously

4:01Politically leaning to the left, you know, yeah So yeah, no great day yesterday, man. Yeah, really be cool an amazing day and a potentially amazing day in our history Yeah, yeah, I think I think the entire world is Just took one sigh of relief, you know because because it was really really, you know Six years of unchecked power, you know, and there's been a lot of abuse and a lot of You know in the country, you know has been driven into You know just a massive amount of debt and Lost a lot of goodwill around the world and you know We need to start mending our fences around the world and and and refocusing our our our priorities onto onto More practical urgent matters, you know, I mean, you know, it's like your song. I was lying today

4:52Today's the day the world begins again. Yeah tonight's the night the world begins again. Yeah, so it's very appropriate tune At the moment, I guess yes works that way So you guys I was reading something you guys said you were writing a lot more together this time rather than the last couple records It was more separate. I think it was you that said that. Yeah, it was just I I think we we spent so much time together This time wait look much much much more time together in a room, you know We were spending ten hours a day together and you know, so the writing process ended up a lot more cohesive this time Then it was yeah sitting at my house writing and John's saying it is house writing so yeah, absolutely You said there was an acoustic to writing or how does it work together? Sort of pulling it together, you know, I had some ideas and you know and we brought them in

5:38But I think just the process in general this time just was a lot more we went in it was a lot more of a rock band. Yeah Sitting making their rock together as opposed to you know Us writing some songs and bring it in making a record and then presenting it to our rock band. Yeah So how it went through the cool little different this time around listen seems to be What's one you sing seems to be one that kind of goes back to the old Google Dolls kind of not grunge sounding But more alternative, you know back in the day off of a riff the John came up with actually so that's that's very okay That you say that oh, that's cool. Yeah, yeah, it sounds like old goos. Yeah. Well that would make sense because that's what that's So everything was back down. Yeah, yeah, what's the direction for you guys now? I mean the way I guess you kind of yeah I mean you must be screwing around the guitars still and stuff or any stuff is it more this new I don't want to say pop

6:27Kind of feel but you know I mean there's a difference between the old stuff and the new stuff in a way Yeah, there's a difference between you today Grow up people move on and you know you write different stuff. Yeah, that all works I mean, you know as long as it as long as it's coming from your gut, you know, I mean I think that's the important thing, you know Yeah, it's true and just keep and just work from your gut and everything will be all right, but you know I I don't know what it's gonna be it's gonna be whatever I feel like I always say I can't wait They hear what sounds like, you know, like I can't wait till we write the song so I can hear our next record It really makes me excited. Are you guys running stuff on the road or not? No, I'm taking I'm taking some time off in January to start Okay, this is a bad place to write music

7:14But in Calgary no just on the road on the road doesn't work not not not for me. It doesn't yeah You got to be at home surroundings that kind of so well at least now I don't like I don't like working at home either though. I need I need a place to go and work What like sitting on a park bench or something? No, no no no downtown the train station in Buffalo. Yeah, it's amazing We need to I mean I need like, you know a studio or a space someplace I can go to and just where where you know Nobody will hear me and I can freak out and do whatever the hell I want Yeah, you know, I mean if I want to take my pants off and write a song I can you know, it's not a problem We always used to like like like in a buffalo when we were kids there are always rehearsal halls around You know like where you could go rehearse in a really nice place with a PA etc But we never wanted to so we always ended up rehearsing and drippy, you know, 40 degree basements

8:04Because we didn't want anybody to hear what we were doing, you know It's a simple circle though. Yeah more than one Builder You know, you know, you know, you know, I mean if you're gonna I think that's another thing we learned with Glenn, you know And you know it sort of fits into this It's like, you know, you got to make a billion mistakes in order to make your best record Yeah, you know, we always sort of self-censored ourselves into The positions, you know that we were in and I think that this time, you know He really taught us to open things up a little bit more That was the best lesson. I mean, you know, it's to get the best stuff you have to be experimental You know and like 99 out of 100 experiments are gonna suck You know, and you have to realize that but you have to at least let them see the light a day before you smash

8:50Yeah, you know, it's like, you know, it's okay fine Okay, I'll play this twice and if I still think it sucks then we'll put it away But yeah, but at least it's getting done, you know, how many songs were recorded for this record? Oh, I think there's a couple left over somewhere Yeah, there was one that kind of went away early and then one that Kind of went away right at the last minute. Yeah, so yeah, but you know, you know, I mean I tend to whittle down my my songs to what I'm actually gonna wind up putting on the record because it's like You know or maybe an extra one or two hanging around but I'm not into the whole, you know Besides and rarities. It's like well you got that one record that kind of came up like that Well, those were all songs that were album on albums. It's just in February was different, right?

9:36Well, yeah, we re-recorded that but the thing was the thing was it's that is that the way the record company Worked us was that we were you know, we wrote pop ballads, you know, and and and that's that's that's a pretty small You know part of the body of ten years that yeah, it's a small part of the body of work and that's when we so we put a compilation together Called what I learned about ego opinion art and commerce You know it was all the songs that were that were you know deeply a part of what this band was all about but a lot of people Never got a chance to hear because they weren't on the radio. Yeah, you know, so and it's sort of like it's it's sort of like The de-evolution of the band, you know, we started at we started at

10:24What where'd we start with gutter flower? Yeah, I think I started with gutter flower and worked our way back to 1988 Yeah, so so it's kind of interesting. Yeah, it's a cool record. Yeah, it's a cool record. Yeah, it's a few. It's one of my favorite It's really cool and acoustic number three is on that too, which is nice. Yeah You bought a studio in Buffalo. Are you part of that or is it just your studio? Yeah, actually I bought I bought one years ago and We just moved to the place that we were we've been working instance. We were kids actually Close for the past 10 years. Oh, wow John and I now are gonna open up the room there primarily to do our next record Yeah, well, you were saying you need to go to your own little place. I was thinking that'd be a place Yeah, we got some meetings the guy that designed that did like electric lady and oh no way and did the record plant It's amazing in 1973. I think he built it for something like that

11:11So he's coming back we're meeting with him next month and we're gonna redesign the room with that's amazing That's gonna be really cool. Are you doing analog or digital? How are you gonna do it both? Yeah, you know what those you know not the you know get like a studio geek because I Am just into making records. It sounds really cool. Yeah, but yeah, you know, I mean there's a we got a Lot of old gear a lot of you know a lot of analog stuff a lot of tube gear, you know And you know you mix that up with the digital world. Yeah digital, you know the digital world is inevitable I mean, you know That it's gonna wind up in a digital format But you know I mean there's a lot of things that you can do to get it there. They'll make it sound better You know, yeah, it's what like Zeppelin records sound so much better than then you know albums that are

11:58Park records. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I totally agree. Yeah Our record even our records our records don't sound as good as those records because there's no it's not the same So yeah, so you know so we're trying to capture some of that you know get some of that on the way in You know it'd be pretty cool. Yeah, yeah, because he actually worked, you know with Eddie Kramer on a lot of No, I'm not designing those. Yeah designing rooms where you know, they actually did those drums. Yeah So so yeah, we're gonna get a big bang and we have a big bang and drum room going and like a big Like a whole lot of big old console, you know, and it'd be fun It's gonna be a good time. I mean we'll never make a dime off it and you know probably wind up selling everything in 10 years Your musicians like a dream down your own studio. Yeah, that dumb dream

12:45Trust me I've been living it for years It's you know, it is It's all about it being a nonprofit organization Yeah, and hopefully, you know Catholic charities or something will you know help us help fund us speaking in nonprofit organizations This tour you got people coming out I heard from different places in different cities and you're asking people to give Candination how does it all work and explain to people what that's all about. Yeah, yeah, I actually wasn't sure if we were doing that here But I'm glad that Yeah, awesome awesome. Yeah, good. I'm glad. Thank you very much. Yeah USA Harvest It's an it's a organization that we work with that. I guess as a sister Organization up here and they collect Cancids at our shows we've been doing What about eight years we've been working with them now? Yeah, I believe we raised well last tour last last summer

13:32Kind of grow soon with the counting crowds, you know like a two and a half three month tour We raised over a million meals So and it's cool because you don't have to go through any any bureaucracy You don't have to go through any food bank or anything like that gets it gets distributed It gets distributed within 24 hours to the directly to the shelters That's amazing and it's all volunteers is no money It's just you know people helping their neighbors out and that's that's a great thing Yeah, it's like the 60s music live and surprise more bands aren't doing that nowadays Well, it's it's you are a few are you know green day green day was really heavily involved with them and counting crows and us and God I forgot the other girl. Yeah Van Halen Van Halen was the one that really kind of started at all. Okay. Yeah so, you know, we're just following in their footsteps and

14:19I'm overwhelmed by the generosity of the people that come and see us, you know, yeah We're all just you know free loving kind of people. Yeah, tell me about the crows to our side guys in Toronto was a great show and I was a great tour, you know, and they're really really I I learned to have other fans of theirs I I learned to have to appreciate their music a lot more I mean cuz I was you know, I always have my my counting cro songs that I liked, you know, you know, like what? along December What the hell is it in that song? Angels of the silences great tune. Yeah, you know, that's my favorite song by them You know, but they're really really great guys a really great band great players. Yeah, they are just forget it, you know, I mean They're just sonically they're Amazing switched up a few musicians over the years though in the bass couple, but you know, I mean that happens part of the evolution man

15:10Yeah, you know awesome. Talk about downloading you mentioned digital studio that kind of stuff I wonder about digital downloading and when you guys started off Must have been giving out cassette tapes back when you started and yeah, you know to CDs. Yeah, and now I mean It's going away. I think yeah, I hope not. I mean I like having the artwork and all that What I think is a really interesting barometer of where the world is going is that the world famous tower on tower records on sunset Boulevard in Hollywood is closing No way closing down closing down closing down. They're clearing the store It's like it's like It's about yeah, I mean, I mean like we're just over in the UK and it's it's still about small record shops, you know, I mean That's you know local record stores and they got the big ones there too, but but but they're able to coexist, you know

15:57For some reason over there interesting but But you know but but yeah digital is going it's gonna be all digital eventually Yeah, you know and it's cool I mean there's certain rain it in so we actually make some dough off it, you know I mean it was really it was really kind of hard to it was really hard to swallow when when you know, you know You sell, you know 400 500 600,000 records, which is awesome now, which is great. It's great, but then You look online and there's a there's calculators for how many downloads? Yeah, there's like three million downloads of you and you're like and nobody paid Man, you know, I mean it's nice to it's a really nice teenage Idea to think that you're you're screwing the man, but you know, but the record company makes their money back first first

16:47They make their money back off the first hundred thousand records and it's like you're ultimately just screwing the bands, you know And it's like, you know, it's like, you know, we got to eat same as anybody else, you know, I mean it's like if I You know if I you know came into your dorm room and and stole your computer You know, I mean, it's it's like you need your computer to to you know to study and and get your degree So you can get your high-paying job, you know, but if I decide you know screw you computer should be free and they should be for everybody Yeah, I'm coming in and taking yours. I think people are more more starting to understand That concept, you know, but I think you know, it's just a it's just another one of those things man It's it's just the the industry is mutating. Yeah, and we don't know which direction it's mutating and it doesn't seem to be about

17:36Just selling that entity which is a CD and more though So, you know people are trying to figure out what that thing is right now and as as as a They're racking as it is. It's pretty exciting to at the same time. I think yeah, I mean, you know, I mean There's potential in everything and eventually, you know, I mean, you know ultimately if there's a buck to be made I mean somebody's gonna figure out how to do it, you know, so yeah, I mean, you know, it's cool We just you know, I mean we're the last guys to get paid anyway from the rocket company So it's kind of like, you know, you know, I would much rather than people bought my mortgage my bank is the last one

Part 2

0:00Hey, we're the Gugadaw Zemrabi. And I'm Mike. Hey, we're the Gugadaw Zemrabi. And I'm John, and you are watching MSN Exclusives. Is that from Woot.com? I have so much to say. Yeah, yeah. Is that where you were to your teachers? Woot? No, no, no, but Woot has some pretty amazing... Not how we got all shirts. No, no. No, we make those ourselves. Yeah.

0:45So cool cottage industry. It's funny that you're so into technology because you're not into the social media stuff. I don't touch the... I'm going to again, but... The record really is almost half too though now, right? Well, you have to. Well, the band, you know, the band's gonna count. You know what it's like, you know, you're sitting there reading Twitter, and you're having a few pops, and then somebody says something nasty about your girlfriends. You start going to Adam and then... But you don't drink it. And then you lose. I'm gonna go to the... Just saying, you know what I mean? Back in the day. Back, yeah, when I was... on the last tour of Scott. I saw you guys on the last tour in Edmonton. It was a very like all encompassing set of everything. How is that gonna change? I know you'd like to toss seven, eight new tunes and a hundred tours. So how are these mashbox shows gonna... What babies will always be in the set every new, I guess?

1:32I guess you have to do Irish. You have to do Broadway, better days. And name. Yeah, I mean, I think it's probably... Yeah, but there's more than that, man. There are more than that. So, too many hits. Like, it's beautiful. Yeah, yeah, you know, I mean, we have probably... 10, 12 songs that we play pretty much every show. You kind of have to. Yeah. Do you feel like you have to? I mean, you have to dance a little bit. Yeah, you do. I mean, you know, they're spending their cash. Yeah. So coming out. You want to try to play everybody's favorite song, you know? And you got a better shot at it when you go for the big ones. Nice. Yeah, it gets harder and harder every year to write the set list. But, you know, we're pretty... They're a long way. Yeah, I think. Say that for someone who needs it. That's their life.

2:18Who said that? My friend Andy Stachansky worked on this record. That's crazy. Andy lived in my house. Andy lived in your house. Andy and his wife rented my house while I was living in New York. He and I wrote a song for this album called Bulletproof Angel. And why are you co-writing? Because I got tired of sitting in my room all by myself trying to do it. Or, you know, I mean, you know, you want to start to get other people's opinions and ideas about what's up. So what do you look for in a co-writer? Someone who writes something completely different than you would? Or someone that's similar that way the idea is kind of... Someone with different strengths than me and, you know, people who are my equal or better. Last time we talked, we talked about crazy tunings a lot.

3:04Yeah. Because you like your crazy tunings. What's the weirdest one for this record? Oh, wow. You know what? I twist the guitar strings up into whatever tuning. I take a tuner, I write it down, and then I immediately email it to my guitar tech. And then I forget what they are. It's just, yes, some crazy weird open tuning, which is actually... God, I can't even remember. It's just insane, though. It's really good. I think I'm going to start publishing the tunings and stuff like that on our website. Just so you know, because there's a lot of people who ask about that. Well, do you have to match it to bass? Or to get the bass in each other the same way? No, no, I mean, it depends. Sometimes I'll use different guitars to match the key of the song a little bit.

3:53But I've been trying to do a little bit less of that because we got 60, 70 guitars on stage right now. That's insane. You don't have room for anymore. It's incredible. I mean, I roll out there with literally 35 guitars on stage. Are they all the same guitar? No, just every guitar is done. Well, now I'm using like 20 different guitars during one show. 20 different guitars with variations on tunings. And we have backups of everything too, so there's two of everything. You've got to have a backup for it. That's crazy. It's getting a little expensive. This is becoming a very bad habit.

4:40Do you know if you've toured with Matt Rux, it'll be cool though. Do you know them? Have you toured with them before? Have you played shows together? I've met Rob a couple of times and one of the other guys I've met too. And they're just normal dudes. They're out doing their thing. You know, I'm really excited to do it because it's one of those bills where it's like one and one equals three. And what we do is so different than what they do and we're so often compared to each other. And I'm just excited to get out there and make it happen. It should have happened sooner. Big summer, man. Big summer. I mean, this is literally other than opening for the Stones and Bon Jovi, which we were

5:25just along for the ride, a plane of 45 minutes, set opening for him. This is the biggest tour that we've ever done in our entire school. Is there no security? No, no, no, no, no, no, no. One sounded on that. We were just about one era, something. No security tour. Right, oh, since like 2000, something like that, 2001. So that must have been shows where you were sitting by the stage being like, please play this song. Everything just must have been amazing. It was pretty amazing to watch them play. Yeah, and they played for so long and we'd watch their sound checks, man. What do you like to just perform with from watching a band like that? Do you at this point learn stuff? You learn to know your limitations when you see a band like the Stones playing because it's, there's no way to win.

6:11I mean, it's not like we're going to go up there and blow the Stones away. But I mean, if you're just trying to hold your own for your 45 minutes. Yeah, but I think the thing you learn when you watch a band like that, especially when you get a chance to see them like many, many nights in a row, you know, like you see the Stones' wants them to sort of like that experience. Watch all the Stones. Oh my God, you go home. But like when you see them night after night, you realize like they're up there because they like, because they want to be up there because they like to be up there. Like you can't fake it like that every single night, you know, and go out there and give the kind of show they give every night, you know, not wanting to do it. And so I think just watching their enthusiasm, you know, and at that point, you know, they're probably in there well under their, you know, probably 60s, but never, you know, probably

6:5760s, you know, like. It's like, yeah, punks. Yeah, you know, it's like, you know, the fact that they were out there still loving what they were doing every night, they sound checked sometimes for longer than they would, their show would be. It's like, you know, just because they love to do it. So you know, it was refreshing and felt really good. I'm going to keep going with that, but we don't have too much time. Because you told me once during gutter flower, you were, there was writer's block or something we could nervousness or you weren't sure why you had writer's block at the time. Yeah. But maybe looking back now 10 years later, have you realized, was it a pressure to try and follow up those hits? Like what? Yeah, you know, yeah. Something like that sense. Yeah, you know, it's like, you know, a lot, I think, I think writer's block comes down to just, you know, fear and anxiety. You're not going to be good enough that, you know, you're, you're not going to get what

7:42you want. You're not going to be who you want to be. I'm sorry, this is funny. This is like, while I'm applauding. This is like, you know, one of those morning radio shows, you know, where the guy's got the little box. It's actually happening. It's actually happening. This is actually happening. This is actually happening. You're overcoming this. Yeah. They're loving me out there. But, you know, yeah, you get nervous. I mean, you know, I'd be lying if I didn't say, you know what? I'm a songwriter. I don't care if anybody likes my songs, because I want everybody to love my songs. I want everybody to go, wow, you're awesome. You know, we all want that. You know, but it's unreasonable. The other question I was going to ask you just in terms of looking back at things, you know, that are radio interview, like three months ago, the guy asked you, do you know if any of these new songs are about your fiance?

8:29And you said it's still too close. I can't tell you. That was three, four months ago. Yeah. The record's almost out. Yeah. If I had time to live with these songs, have you realized? Yeah. You know, I figure, you know, there's a song on the album called Come To Me, which I think is, you know, the best, one of the best songs I've ever written. And she definitely figures into the equation, that piece of music. Five quick questions. One more answers. Road or studio? Studio. Road. Leonard or McCartney? McCartney. Leonard. When you hear a song, it usually hits you first, lyrics, melody or rhythm? Melody. Yeah, melody. Song you've written you're most proud of? Come To Me. Oh, goodness. I think I think happy. One word. Happy is today, I think.

9:14The country is not what we're talking about. I know. One answer. No, it's today. I think I just wrote a song on this new record called Happy Is Today. and I'm pretty proud of, yeah. In one word, oogadoles. Uh, God. Wow, that's hard. Us. Us, yeah. Nice. Thanks, guys. Appreciate it. Want a pleasure. Thanks for being here. Thanks for being here. Thanks.