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Cityzen: How did the band form? Matt: Me and our bass player, Justin, have known each other since we were young. We met Shawn in high school and all started playing together. Then we met Jon about two years ago. (Shawn enters wearing a pink Motion City Soundtrack miniskirt…) Cityzen: Where did you meet Jon? Matt: On the Internet…he had an ad offering his services. Cityzen: For how much an hour? Matt: A LOT (laughs). Cityzen: How did you guys come up with the name The Matches? Matt: It was sort of inspired by Jon. Shawn: Are you saying it’s not cool? What are you trying to say?! Cityzen: I didn’t say anything! Matt: Well Jon had a fire problem when he was a young boy – he was a pyromaniac. He once set a mattress on fire with a book of matches when his mom was paying for something.
Shawn: Our anniversary is almost here! Cityzen: You named your debut release “E. Von Dahl Killed the Locals.” Who is “E. Von Dahl”? Shawn: She’s from Chicago. It’s actually spelled “Yvonne Doll.” She has a band called The Locals, and we used to be called The Locals – if you can believe that we had a name like that – a bad band name like that. But we were called that throughout high school, and around the time we got Jon in the band we were already chatting about changing our name to something as cool as The Matches. We were asked by her lawyer to change our name so we decided to take that opportunity to change it. We don’t have many enemies…but we just met Lars Fredrickson and he says if anybody fusses with us he’ll take care of them, so we decided we need a couple of enemies. We don’t want to make enemies but if anyone messes with us Lars will take care of it (laughs). Cityzen: Everyone’s been saying good stuff about you guys though! Matt: Yeah except Yvonne Doll! (laughs) Cityzen: Have you heard from Yvonne Doll after you named the record after her? Shawn: Not that I know of, but actually, our fans always go on her website and go to her shows and boo her (laughs). Cityzen: So she’s your only enemy? Shawn: Well we actually had an enemy – what’s that band called…well one of the guys punched me in the face ‘cause I kissed him (laughs). They’re a metal hardcore band and we were doing the cabbage patch in their moshpit and the guy said something like “This song doesn’t go out to any of the faggots in the room!” and we were like “You can’t say that!” so I got in the moshpit and started doing 60s dancing, and then the dude started charging at us saying “Get these fags out of our pit!” so I grabbed his face and kissed him on the mouth and he punched me in the face. We were supposed to fight afterwards but I think they were too cross eyed and brain-dead to actually fight. You know, like the kind who’ll push you against a wall for about 10 minutes until they forget what they’re doing…then they’ll see an airplane in the sky and get completely distracted. I forget what they’re called but that’s probably a good thing (laughs). I should figure it out though so we can make them our enemy too, now that we have a posse going and all. Cityzen: (laughs) Sounds like a plan. Shawn: I mean we’ve been picked on all our lives and now we got some guys offering to protect us, we gotta take advantage of that, aight? (laughs) Cityzen: What are the best and worst aspects of playing Warped? You guys weren’t on Warped last year were you? Shawn: No, last year we were playing our acoustic guitars in front of the gates to the San Francisco Warped though. Matt: That was two years ago. But Warped…it’s the best of times and the worst of times is how I’ve been phrasing it…
Shawn: Of the small bands blowing people out of the water, there’s this band called Underoath. They’re a hardcore band but they’re really pushing the sound of that scene. I mean, I don’t know if that scene is stagnate or anything, but I just haven’t been interested in it for a while. But when I saw them I was just like “Holy yeahhh” they’ve got something going. So I’m pretty excited about them. Matt: I really enjoyed The Sounds. They were on the first half of the tour. Cityzen: Yeah I wanted to see them and I’m so bummed they’re not on this leg of the tour. Matt: Also another good band that was on the tour before is My Chemical Romance. Shawn: They’re really cool. They kinda have a Smashing Pumpkins vibe to them. Matt: Scatter the Ashes is really good too. They were only on like five of the days though. Shawn: Matchbook Romance, I love watching their set. Cityzen: What’s the most embarrassing CD in your collection? Matt: Ever or what I still have? Cityzen: Ever had. Shawn: Madonna – The Immaculate Collection. Cityzen: That’s not embarrassing! Shawn: I always get made fun of for it! I’m not embarrassed by much. Matt: My ex-girlfriend bought me Sisqo’s CD for reasons unknown… Cityzen: Sisqo?! Shawn: Dude that’s embarrassing. Matt: Yeah (laughs) that’s embarrassing. I couldn’t even sell it to a used CD store, I was that embarrassed. Cityzen: Why did she give it to you?! Matt: I don’t know! Bad taste? Cityzen: I hope it was a joke. Matt: No it wasn’t (laughs) I know that much. But anyways, also, somebody gave me a Shania Twain CD as a present and I don’t understand why either (laughs). I don’t like it…I really don’t like it (laughs). Cityzen: Random. Matt: Yeah. So I gave you two embarrassing CDs. Cityzen: It makes up for Shawn giving us Madonna as his! Matt: Yeah. Shawn: Hey I can be embarrassed about what I want to be embarrassed about! Cityzen: So you guys just did a video for “Chain Me Free,” what’s it about? Shawn: It’s all about duct tape… Matt: Yeah duct tape… Shawn: You know how you can make wallets from duct tape and prom dresses…
Matt: Does “loose canon” count as one word? (laughs) Cityzen: Haha sure. Shawn: That might be the runner up for Justin (laughs). Cityzen: Ok now Matt… Shawn: Matt: ask Matt what’s mine while I think of his… Cityzen: Ok Shawn: Wait I know Matt’s! It’s “business” (laughs) Cityzen: Ok now Matt your turn. Matt: For Jon I have to go with worrisome too (laughs) that’s just a good word. Cityzen: It’s a cop out! Matt: Dude it’s just a good word - it’s very accurate (laughs). He’s going to be in the category of those musicians who make it to 27…if he makes it past 27 then…power to him (laughs). Cityzen: Ok now for Justin… Matt: Justin: friendly…almost to a fault (laughs). Shawn: One word Matt! One word! Choose fault! Matt: Justin: FAULT (laughs) Shawn: Justin: ALMOST (laughs) Matt: He’s goodhearted…is that one word? Good slash hearted? Shawn: Kindhearted? That’s one word. Matt: Kindhearted. Cityzen: We’re going to have like 5 words to describe each band member in one word (laughs). Matt: That’s ok, it paints you a better picture. Cityzen: Ok…wait… is that all? Matt: That’s the band… Cityzen: Wait did you do Shawn?! Matt: No (laughs) Cityzen: Ok Shawn now… Matt: (laughs) Shawn: who? Cityzen: Awww (laughs) Matt: Shawn: creative. Cityzen: Did you make your clothing Shawn? Shawn: I didn’t make my skirt (he’s wearing a pink Motion City Soundtrack miniskirt…) but I did make the shirt…we make everything. Cityzen: The skirt is cute but way too short. Matt: Matchbook Romance has these little girl shorts – dude I want to wear them! Cityzen: Who has the nicest legs in the band?Matt: Wait…I know this…(thinking) Shawn: Matt has the best butt… Matt: Yeah that’s for sure. Shawn: Justin has the biggest butt (laughs) Matt: Justin’s last name is San Souci and…I can’t say this...well…“juicy” rhymes with his last name so sometimes people call him “Juicy San Souci” (laughs) Cityzen: What are you listening to right now? Shawn: You…talking (laughs). Cityzen: Very funny. Shawn: The Matches (laughs) you should check them out, their CD never leaves our player, it’s crazy (laughs). Cityzen: Ok cool I will (laughs). Matt: The other day I went out and bought some CDs…got the new Wilco CD, which is awesome, and the new Hives record, which is also awesome. Cityzen: Jon has a guitar solo on the new Lit album, how did that happen? Matt: We’re friends with them and they
needed someone to do a guitar solo on that song. They say it was
inspired by our band. Kevin, the bass player, wrote it and they
were just like “Dude one of you guys should be on it”
so Jon did the guitar solo for it. Cityzen: How long have you gone without showering? Shawn: Like right now, or the longest ever? Cityzen: As of right now. Shawn: Oh just two days, but the longest ever was probably two weeks. Cityzen: Oh sick! Do you guys use baby wipes at all? Matt: Baby wipes are used by certain members of the band… Shawn: They’re called man wipes ok? And I don’t have a purse I have a man bag. Cityzen: A man purse. Shawn: Yeah, a man purse. Cityzen: What’s the best plan for world domination according to you? Shawn: S & M. Matt: Yeah S & M. Cityzen: If you cold bring any one back from the dead who would it be? Matt: That’s hard! I can’t answer that one. Shawn: Rick James, bitch!
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