Conversations with fish: Part II

After the show the Daily was able to talk to Matt Wong on the group's new tour bus. One cannot help but think of the Hotel California when looking at the black and white tiled floor, the pink shades and the mirrored ceiling. Though the bus is home to band members on the road, its not always what you'd think it would be.



TD: Would you to talk about your harrowing near-death experience a few weeks ago?



MW: Yeah, it was just kind of scary. We were sleeping and all of a sudden we got up to get off the bus because it was on fire. So we all got up and ran outside. We had a couple small incidents with buses before, like little small smoky things or whatever but we got outside and it was smoking and the flames came up. So it was pretty crazy.



TD: You've guys have stuck with ska longer than other bands that came out at the same time in the mid-nineties. How do you feel about the genre and where its going?



MW: I think it's headed in a pretty good direction. I mean there a lot of bands that are still out there playing ska, even though they might not get as much attention as they did when we got a lot of attention like in the late nineties and stuff. They're still ska bands out they're still playing around. People still come to our show, that's a good sign too.



TD: Which ska bands have influences you and which do you like now?



MW: Madness, the Specials, English Beat.



TD: That's it for influences?



MW: Yeah, me personally for ska bands, but I've been influenced by a number of musicians and musical styles.



TD: Any ska groups that you like now?



MW: I don't really know, I haven't really heard anything. We've all been getting into the older stuff, like Trojan. Trojan was a label out of Jamaica and there were these box sets of different ska albums and different old stuff like Lee Scratch Perry and Toots and the Maytals.



TD:Do you remember how you guys got together?



MW: Yeah Aaron and I met in high school and decided we wanted to start a band so we just got together a band and started playing music.



TD: Do you have a favorite performance?



MW: I don't think I really have a favorite. I've been playing in this band for ten years, ten or eleven years actually, and we've played o many different places in front of so many different people I couldn't say I had a favorite.



TD: What is your favorite city or venue to play in?



MW: I think we all like the bigger cities. We've always been treated pretty well in Boston. New York is really fun to play, it gets pretty hectic. Anywhere in overseas: London is great, Japan is awesome. Hawaii is pretty cool. Sorry I can't name just one.



TD: What is in your CD player right now?



MW: Well the last thing I listened to was Doggystyle by Snoop Dogg but I just bought the new Chavelle record so I'm going to listen to that.



TD: This is the part where I rip off Inside the Actors the Studio



MW: OK



TD: What is your favorite sound?



MW: My favorite sound is my girlfriend's voice or anyone that I love, their voice.



TD: What's your favorite proper noun?



MW: Wow that's hard, I don't know.



TD: Well you guys have known each other for ten years; do you have the brotherly relationship going?



MW: Definately. That's how we deal with each other. When we need space we give each other space and so on.



TD: Any road stories you'd like to share, anything entertaining?



MW: We're actually very, very boring. So if you come after the show expecting the big party, well we really don't have the big party. Come see us though, onstage we're pretty entertaining,. I hope.



TD: What's the deal with all the facial hair? Was that a planned thing (With the exception of the drummer all members of the band have adopted the " Kaczynski look.")



MW: I think we all have pretty weak jaw lines; facial hair is the easiest way to hide that.



TD: Any final thoughts?



MW: Come see us.