Is Atlantic [their record company] in here every day demanding another “Fly”?
McGrath: Since day one, they have always said they’d be hands-off, and we can do whatever we want. This will be our third record. We’ve been in the studio collectively [throughout those recordings] for about eight months, and the label has come by three times total. You always beat your critics to the punch. You acknowledge you’re in essence a three-chord punk band. Is that your defense against criticism? Sheppard: We’re more than that: we know four chords now. McGrath: Yeah, we know what we’re doing. We’ll pull out our [underground cult heroes] Sebadoh records if you want us to. We’ll talk “indie,” but it doesn’t interest us. Music has supplemented our lives as opposed to making us cool. We’ve always done things we liked. But I’m sorry; I like pretending I’m [Judas Priest’s] Rob Halford singing “Head out to the Highway.” I think it’s funny. I’m not trying to be cool; I just like that. We’re from the beach; it’s where we grew up. It’s a Baywatch atmosphere. We like to have a good time.
