Here’s a chat transcript (or what I could salvage from it) that I was able to put together after a chat room “interview” with the TTC boys. But first, some quick introductions: Jenn = (AX Editor), The boys are as follows: Mark (vocalist), Matt (guitar), Phil (guitar), Doug (bass) and Harry (drums).
Jenn: Hi guys!
Mark: Hey!!!!!
Matt: HI JENN
Doug: Heya
Phil: Heyo
Matt: Where the hell is Harry? I’ma call him.
Phil: What’s his deal?
Matt: I just talked to him. He’s like…oh…right.
Jenn: How y’all doin?
Mark: Awesome
Matt: Great. This reminds me of like 1997 AOL chat rooms
Doug: I’m super, thanks for asking.
Jenn: Glad to hear it.
Phil: Not bad ….
Matt: Anyway, Jenn, this is everyone. Everyone, Jenn. Jenn and I e-mail each other 300 times a day because we’ve got nothing better to do.
Doug: *slap* (Doug decided to play with the chat room sound effects.)
Doug: Woa!
Mark: Do it again.
Matt: What did you forget?
Doug: This is awesome!
Matt: What?
Jenn: You guys are a riot. Ok. Do me a favor and bear with me when I ask you a question, ok? I’m verbose, and I can’t type much in the freaky little box. Let me just start off here by saying that I cut the questions short. Your site is like the epic tale of TTC, so there wasn’t a whole hell of a lot left.
Mark: *whip* (I guess Mark didn’t wanna be left out of the fun.)
Doug: *meow*
Mark: shahah
Jenn: Having fun with the sound effects, huh?
Matt: Haha, oh the sounds. (Took him a while to catch on.)
Mark: Sorry
Matt: That’s neat.
Doug: Second
Matt: JENN IS ASKING A QUESTION
Mark: Ok
Phil: Yeah, the site answers just about everything but our favorite colors.
Jenn: Ok then, what are your favorite colors?
Mark: Blue
Phil: Green
Doug: Puse
Matt: Like a teal/aquamarine kinda thing. Yeah, I made the website…I have sites that are like “Band. Contact. Shows.” I like content. If you are interested in a band, and you go to their website, you should be able to learn a few things about them as people. So, I bothered these guys to give me a ton of details.
(Harry decided to join the party.)
Phil: HARRY!
Harry: What’s crazkin?
Matt: Glad you could make it, poop-tard
Doug: Ha, ha, ha
Harry: Ha, ha, lick, ummm
Doug: *slap*
Matt: Harry, Jenn. Jenn, Harry.
Jenn: Hi Harry.
Harry: Hi Jenn. What did I miss?
Matt: Nothing yet.
Phil: Favorite color: go!
Harry: What color are your eyes again???
Doug: Hazel.
Jenn: Ok. So everyone’s here. Let’s get started with a real question.
Matt: Shhh. Real question.
Jenn: You guys come across as being uber-professional. Is it for real, or are you just damn good at faking it?
(An almost eerie silence fell over the boys who I couldn’t get to shut up a few moments earlier.)
Matt: I have an opinion on this.
Jenn: Glad someone does!
Matt: Ha, ha.
Mark. I do also. You first Matthew.
Doug: Heh
Harry: I’ll go after you guys.
(More silence.)
Jenn: Drumroll please …
Doug: *drumroll*
Matt: I feel like we’re all experienced in music; We’ve been in bands, and between us, we’ve toured all over the place, booked dozens of shows, been in dozens of bands, etc. So we have the professional thing going on. Then, we’re all incredibly immature. So it counteracts it. So I would say “we clean up well.” We get things done on time and set goals for ourselves.
Mark: We love to have fun, but we know that we need to be confident when we are on stage, or we present ourselves. We practice hard.
Matt: But I think you’d doubt it if you sat in on a practice. You’d probably wonder how we tie our shoes.
Mark: Ummm, I mean …
Doug: Heh
Mark: Well, I think we practice hard. We get things accomplished.
Harry: I guess running a production company where you do lots of shows, and deal with many different people like bands, agents, labels – it’s just something that came natural having to deal with all that – but yea put us in a room and we all turn into retards. (Harry and Lisa run Project Unity, a production company in Delaware, booking all shows for The Harmony Grange, in Wilmington. – www.projectunity.cjb.net)
Matt: This is so disorganized! Hahahah. You’re going to have to paste together what people are saying!
Jenn: No problem. (And I did. Yay! Hence this still slightly garbled mess …)
(Phil left the chat room)
Harry: ppphhhiiill
Matt: Man down!
Doug: lol
Harry: take cover
Matt: Yeah, Harry has been running a production company for years. He’s dealt with a thousand bands.
Jenn: So I heard. Very cool. Shall we move on without Phil?
Matt: Sure. He’ll catch up.
Doug: f Phil
Harry: lol
Jenn: Well, in the short time that I’ve been doing this, I’ve heard a lot of local bands, some good, some bad … yet your stuff is one of very few I’d say has a really ‘irresistible’ sound. What makes you guys different? Is it some kind of mind control technique at work, or are you just that damn good?
Matt: haha
Harry: We are just that damn good .
Jenn: Simple, straight forward, good answer.
Matt: The only thing I can think of that makes us different is that we’re really metalheads playing poppy music.
(Phil re-graced us with his presence.)
Doug: Heh well I think we put alot of thought into songs to make em sound different
Harry: Haha – no really it all starts with song writing – I have to give it up to matt and Phil for making the frame and then we fill in the blanks.
Phil: Man I LOVE Macs! What was the last question?
Mark: We have a little bit of everything for everyone really.
Matt: And that said, Phil and I have a very very HEAVY musical history. (That was in reference to Harry’s statement)
Doug: < got it
Jenn: Speaking of the heavy musical history … what made you decide to go with your current sound? Did the sound of TTC really start with a boy and his video games, Matt? ( a tidbit you can read more about at the guys’ site – www.thetwilightcollective.com)
Matt: Yeah, pretty much. I actually don’t even like video games. I just like the music.
Jenn: Tres cool.
Harry: Haha
Phil: We wanted to do things that focused on song writing more than just parts, but we also wanted to challenge ourselves.
Doug: Mario Bros. sound tracks are AMAZING.
Phil: We wanted to do things that focused on song writing more than just parts but we also wanted to challenge ourselves. It was so good I had to say it twice (or Macs suck.)
Matt: We were originally trying to make progressive music. And then, when Phil and I got people to play with us, we found that we had a lot more fun playing what we do now. So the progressive overtones of the riffs that we have got turned into rock songs. The result? What you hear.
Jenn: Well, what I hear is f*ing awesome. So bravo.
Harry: Thanks!!!
Phil: Gracias!
Mark: Thank you so much.
Harry: Grassy-ass
Matt: Thanks. We owe it all to the Montreal Expos.
Doug: I think Jenn is super great.
[Harry] SECOND’
Jenn: Now, I think that one of the most interesting things about you guys was that you all just seem like normal people …maybe normal’s too strong a word?
Doug: HA!
Matt: Hey, Jenn. For the record. Doug is in a poker tournament right now. That’s as normal as it gets.
Doug: No I’m out.
Harry: hahaha are you serious?
Matt: Aw, sucks, bro.
Doug: I got a beat down actually.
Harry: Awww, like what happened at my house haha
Jenn: So as far as not just your sound, but your image and your attitudes go …what do you think sets you guys most apart from all the cookie-cutter artists?
Phil: Well we come from a scene that puts the focus on the music and not the image. For the most part we all grew up on hardcore and punk.
Matt: Maybe our gimmick is that we don’t have a gimmick…
(At this point in the chat “interview” I was talking to the guys about their newly acquired short-bus, which they purchased for touring. Everything from buying the bus in Philly to ripping it apart and preparing it for tour was hilarious. Seriously, I was in stitches. But … I’m a freak, and I didn’t copy the transcript correctly, so somehow I ended up with the beginning and the end – and therefore lost the best part. Sorry. You can read a little bit about it by digging through the archives in the band’s website at www.thetwilightcollective.com. Where we pick up, we’re in the middle of discussing the “remodeling” of the bus – i.e. everything from Harry ripping bolted down seats out with his bear hands to the loft they put in.)
Matt: Yeah, we’re psyched.
Harry:and a futon woooo
Matt: Yep.
Jenn: boys and their toys huh?
Doug: indeed
Matt: You know it.
Harry: uh huh
Doug: aw and harry’s got a flame seat cover for the driver seat
Harry:so yea carpet and a loft some electricity and we’re good
Jenn: very cool
Phil: and a weight bench
Phil: well maybe not
Jenn: a weight bench? that’s different
Matt: Eventually a weight bench!
Matt: haha
Matt: Not priority number 1
Jenn: sounds like you guys have a good plan!
Matt: hahaha
Doug: ha ha
Matt: And a spa.
Harry: oh yea we’re gonna finally get in shape
Doug: by we he means harry and i
Matt: Yeah, speak for yourself!
Phil: what are you talking about? Feel these biceps!
Doug: HA HAH A
Harry: haha
Doug: they’re uneven phil
Phil: fine…feel the bigger one
Jenn: you guys are just f*ing crazy.
Matt: I can talk all the smack I want. Harry can pick me up by my ankles and shake me till my change falls out of my pockets.
Harry: outt oofff connttrrolllll ooohhhhwwwwwwwww
Doug: omg that was great
Harry: haha try me bitchizzzz
Jenn: so i know i’ve asked matt before, but how long have you all been playing together now?
Phil: as a whole probably about 6 months
Harry: haha
Doug: well phil and matt we’re playing for a long time
Jenn: damn. not long at all. what’s pushed you guys to do so much in so little time?
Phil: but Matt, Harry and I have been playing for about 10 (months)
Jenn: ok. so that must’ve made it a lot easier for you
(Phil has left the chat.- nobody misses him this time.)
Harry: we know what we have to do to accomplish our goals – so we dont wanna f* around – we just decided if we’re gonna do it – let’s do it up now
Jenn: ok. so let’s talk about your tour …
Matt: It’s short, but it’s pretty.
Doug: like me!
Matt: Exactly.
Doug: HA
Harry: ohh yeaaa
Harry: the f*ing sleeping are the shit how about that hahaha
Jenn: how did you get involved with the sleeping?
Harry: i”ll take this one
Jenn: i haven’t heard them yet. I guess i should.
Matt: They do something kinda common, but a LOT better than most bands.
Harry: Project Unity got hooked up with the sleeping through another awesome LI band The Goodwill. We brought them down for a show and then just hit it off. they are an amazing group of guys and play together as an amazing band
Jenn: cool. so who first brought up the idea of doing a tour?
Harry: we kept doing shows for them and always kept in touch – deff one of the closest friends we have made in doing shows
Matt: Mark, myself and Phil are yet to meet them
(Phil has joined the chat.)
Doug: hey phil
Jenn: why tour right now? any significance in the timing or did the opportunity simply present itself?
Harry: they were always like “yo kid when you get a band together we’ll tour and it’ll be THE SICKEST!’
Matt: Actually, Mark, have you even heard the Sleeping yet?
Mark: i heard them once
Matt: Word
Harry: they wanted to tour with us before they even heard us haha – like i said awesome guys
Doug: jenn asked a few questions…
Harry: why tour right now?
Matt: The reason we’re touring now is because of a few reasons
Matt: 1.) Florida in Feb. sweet.
Matt: 2.) It works well for Mark, Phil, and I, who still have solid jobs.
Matt: 3.) We’re finally happy with our playing enough to go show some people.
Phil: Our plan is to travel away from the cold
Jenn: i guess that’s as good a reason as any. 🙂
Harry: i guess because we are all anxious to go out, and the sleeping asked us to go out – – deff FL in Feb
Doug: we’re a migratory band
Matt: Before now, touring would have been premature. No merch, no working bus, no skills
Matt: Mark and Phil are important. They’re managers. They had to plan their time off.
Mark: we also want to show record labels that we are ready to do this
Matt: Yeah totally.
Matt: So we were like, we’ll be ready by Feb
Jenn: ok … speaking of labels … what are you guys looking to do over the next year or two? where do you see the band?
Phil: We’d love to go fulltime by next year
(Harry has left the chat.
Harry has joined the chat.
Harry has left the chat.)
Matt: Harry called me. He’s having a connection problem
(Harry has joined the chat.)
Harry: yea that was weird – s0rry guys – i am here. where were we?
Matt: Yeah, ideally, we’d do this tour, continue talking to labels about a full length, finish writing the full length, which is mostly detail work at this point, and by summer have recorded. Then off we go. We’re all ready to go full time.
Doug: pretty much
Jenn: very cool fellas.
Harry: yea here we go. I was going to say I think most bands problem is that they don’t take a shot and go out and tour – we are all about it.
Jenn: that’s true. i just still can’t believe how quickly you guys did it. …..
Doug: we’re apparently very talented
Matt: hahaha!
Matt: Thanks, doug
Jenn: yes doug, you are. stroke the egos.
Matt: It takes a long time to get to the point where you can live off a band, A LONG time. … Unless you get lucky. So every second we sit on our hands is another second before we can do that.
Phil: If you have the drive you’re bound to do something
Harry: i dont know – it’s past experience and networking i guess
Doug: we realized we were talented when recording was near painless
Phil: I can name 1000 bands who suck who can get by on there band because there willing to make it their lives
Harry: yea to elaborate with phil – not to think of it as a job because that’s just gay you know – but if you want to get anywhere you gotta work your ass off
Jenn: good point. i’m sorry i’ve kept you guys tied up here so long! unintentional. rather than continue with boring questions, why don’t i just leave it open to you guys and let you say anything else you think is relevant, and that you’d like people to know about you. Then I’ll cut the leashes. 🙂
Matt: wow that’s a broad question
Harry: i dont mind this is cool haha
Matt: Guide us! haha
Doug: yea this was alot of fun
Harry: uh ohh shamalama ding dont – huminanheyyyyy yoooooooooo]
Doug: antics
Harry: book book book – aaayyeeeeeeeee
Matt: What?
Doug: WHAT?!
Mark: i know those words, but that doesn’t make sense
Harry: so wait where do we go from here haha
(Phil has left the chat.)
Harry: yeeaa phill
Doug: DENIED!
Matt: OK, are you going to be able to salvage enough content out of this and make us not look like assholes?
Harry: mark your sexy
Doug: lol
Jenn: lol maybe till harry’s last comment. 🙂
Doug: omg
Harry: haha
Mark: no comment
Doug: excuse harry
Jenn: ok i think we’ll be good.
Harry: hey i’m thirsty
Doug: he’s on the drugs
Harry: anyone got a tea bag?
Doug: lol
Jenn: lol my god, you guys are nuts.
Matt: Sorry
Doug: this is what practice is like
Jenn: i think we can salvage plenty. we’ve got the bus story. that’s pretty damn amusing. (Haha. In retrospect, we DON’T have the bus story. But it’s still pretty damn amusing.)
Harry: worrdd
Matt: Mark is usally like a kindergarten class by himself, and he’s the quietest here. I guess he just can’t type. Oh snap.
Doug: OMG LOL!!!!
Harry: nicee, so is that all the questions?
Jenn: yeppers. unless anyone has something they’d like to add, i think we’re good to go boys!
Doug: phil is probably destroying his comp, which is why he’s not back yet
Jenn: lol i forgot about him
Matt: No, I’m good
Doug:
Mark: thanks a lot jenn
(Phil has joined the chat.)
Doug: oh wait, h’es back
Jenn: Ok. I’ll let you guys get going. Thanks so much for taking the time to talk with me.
Mark: *meow*
Jenn: You’re all f*ing awesome!
Mark: thanks jenn!
Phil: thanks a lot for everything!
Doug: truly
Matt: thanks alot
Doug: this was alot of fun
Jenn: Ok guys. Good-night and take care! I’m out.
(So, there you have it. A glimpse into the personalities behind The Twilight Collective. They’re all f*ing crazy, but exceptionally cool. Don’t miss ’em!)
