Karl Rumpf's Flipside interview with Andy
Thompson
Page 3 of 3
Karl: Now I'll ask you some background questions. How did you get together in the first place? Were you all buddies?
Andy: Yeah, Chris and I went to high school together. We both moved here with our families in early high school and junior high. We moved out to the suburbs. We didn't know each other when we moved here, but we ended up going to this school in suburban Dallas. It was like "Suburban Hell." We both were pretty much disgusted with everything out there and rebelled against it. We ended up meeting each other through that. "Hey, another punk rocker."
Karl: Where were you originally from?
Andy: Before that I had lived in Minneapolis for about seven years. Before that I had lived on the East Coast. When I moved to Minneapolis I was 14 and didn't know what the club scene or the band scene was like there.
So we started hanging out and playing guitar together and then hooked up with our old bass player and our old drummer. It was from a lack of anything else to do and we were just so burned out on the school thing after dealing with the whole suburban school thing, college really wasn't at the front of our minds. So it was, "let's do what we like to do and put a band together and play."
Karl: Did you guys all graduate or did you just take off?
Andy: Yeah. We got through that and then started playing out. We met Ian out on the road. He was going to college out of state. Our bass player was quitting.
Karl: Yeah, I wanted to ask you about that. Isn't there a funny story about how Ian joined the band?
Andy: It sounds like a fabricated rock 'n roll story but it's true. We were going through state college in Pennsylvania and we were late for the show there. We rolled into town totally late. We were just going to throw our stuff up on stage and play but we couldn't find the club so we stopped and asked directions at a gas station and he just happened to be walking by. He looked like a young punk kind of guy so we thought he might know where the club was. So he ended up going down with us and let us crash at his place. We had a week left of touring up in the North East and he just hopped in the van with us and helped us out the last few shows. Not playing but roadie-ing and stuff and he said he wanted to play with us. So he dropped out of school, left his girlfriend and packed up a suitcase and flew down here. He ended up going back a few years later to pick up some stuff, but that was it.
Karl: He left his life behind him.
Andy: Yeah, it was like he was coming down here and we were like, "God. We don't know if he can play at all but we know at least he has guts."
Karl: Where did your name come from? I've heard two different stories.
Andy: We had the name even before we had the band. We were at a party somewhere and we were talking to an older woman. We were 15 or 16 and she started calling us young bucks and somehow it got transformed and twisted and mutated into the Buck Pets. I don't even know where the "pets" came from.
It was just something where when we first put the two words together it was weird. It didn't sound like two words that should fit together. So we thought it was catchy. Since then I haven't really thought about it. There is no meaning to it. We don't really think about it at all.
Karl: I know that Neil Young is a big influence on you, and the Replacements too?
Andy: Yeah.
Karl: So was that exciting to open for Neil Young at the Sports Arena here?
Andy: Yeah. We were into the Replacements before we were into Neil Young. In fact I went to school with Tommy Stinson for a little while when I was in Minneapolis. So that's [how] I first heard of them and then I moved down here and started listening to them.
But then we discovered Neil Young it was definitely a turning point for us, musically and creatively. So when we got the chance to open for him it was like, "Neil Young is... Neil Young!"
God, we couldn't believe it when we were told that we had the chance and then when we actually got out there it was such an unreal experience.
Karl: How did that all fall into place? Did they contact you?
Andy: Someone from Goldenvoice suggested us to Neil Young. So they called us up and we said, "Of course!"
But, if we broke up today I could always say that we played with Neil Young.
Karl: Are you guys politically motivated at all. Do you plan to discuss that stuff in your lyrics?
Andy: Yeah, I think more so just because of this whole campaign thing that started up. I never really thought too much about it; never really knew enough about it to have a strong opinion before [now].
In the last year I think we've all realized what the role is that we all play. But, it could come into the music in the future, but right now I wouldn't say that it will affect our music too much. I could see it doing more so in the future, but right now I think we're just starting to figure it all and sort it all out, personally... before we would make any kind of bold statement in our music.
Karl: I had never seen you guys before so I had no idea what you were like, until you were on Request Video. And you guys were acting so belligerent I was like," Oh God. These guys are going to be jerks."
Then I went and saw you play that night and everyone was laughing and joking around and having a good time.
Andy: (laughing) We kind of, through certain happenings in our past, developed a bad reputation with some people which I can understand because I've seen a few stupid things.
I think that may be something we were going up against with [the] record company and the people in the industry. We got kicked off the Jane's Addiction tour because... they said it was because we did this and this, and pointed out all these little things. But what it came down to was that we just didn't get along with them at all. There was such a "rock-star-attitude-treatment" thing going down. We were like, "Fuck that." Most of them were pretty cool except for Perry. I don't have any reason to slag then now because I don't feel it's necessary to. But, just to make a point that through that and a few things that we did that I know were stupid...
Karl: Well, you were teenagers working with adults.
Andy: Yeah, and I think that that is part of what I was saying that in this last year and a half everybody is going through some changes and starting to grow up a little bit. We're definitely different people and aren't going to do, at least if not any, not as many, stupid things.
Karl: Is there any story behind the dog on the cover of Mercurotones?
Andy: It's actually a rendition of Chris' dog. And it was the band's pet for a while. At the time, looking back it was like, "Ohhhh."
Karl: Oh, that part of the album turned out cool. That was a good picture (drawing).
Andy: Out of the whole thing that is the part that I'm least embarrassed by.
Karl: I wanted to ask you about a few of the songs written in the past. What is "Iron Cock" about?
Andy: It's kind of like, sitting at home here not doing anything. Trying not to fall in the rut of the daily routine here. Dallas is such a stifling stagnant town that it's real easy to forget your enthusiasm about what you're doing. So, it's about trying to stay one step ahead of that.
Karl: So you really want out of Dallas, don't you?
Andy: Yeah!
Karl: Is there no music scene at all there anymore?
Andy: There's one or two bands there that are worth listening to, but the music scene has become such a joke, now. We don't even go downtown at all, anymore. There's no reason to. There are hundreds of people on the streets and they're all college guys from SMU and frat guys... just idiots. Trust me. People down on the streets doing nothing.
Karl: That reminds me of the last time I saw the Jesus and Mary Chain out here at the Palladium and here these guys are with flat tops, neon volleyball shorts and beer tanktops, and they all go into a pit with their beer in their hands and spill it on everybody and try to beat up on people. It gets old.
Andy: The same kind of stupid attitude exists down here with just a little twist on it.
Karl: There are some drug references on the last album. Is that something you guys went through or just observations of friends?
Andy: We've done them. But some of it was... "Moon Goddess" was for Roy Tarpley who was a basketball player for the Mavericks here, who kept fucking up. So that was about him. I'm sure any other references were to us or to people close to us.
Karl: What is the song "Inamorata" about? I know what it is about, but what does the word itself mean?
Andy: Inamorata is... I don't know if I remember the exact meaning. It has something to do with objects of your affection and someone you are enamored with. It's a take off from there. That... Chris wrote that one so he can probably give you some more insight into that.
Karl: That's it. Thanks a lot.
Andy: Yeah, hopefully we'll be out there soon.
Karl: Well, if you guys need a place to crash, I've got a house with a lot of floor space.
Andy: Cool. Well come up and shoot a spit wad at us and get our attention.
End!
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