launch_host: Marcy Playground is here and we're getting set up...By the way... the official Marcy Playground site can be found at www.marcyplayground.com.
launch_marcy_playground: let's get started ...
manolis_varnassinger: how would you describe your music to someone who has never listened your music
launch_marcy_playground: a lot of mythological fairy-tale references put to rock music, because my influences have been people like Louis Carroll, T.S. Eliot, CS Lewis, Tolkien. So I take that inspiration and I put it to music in the late 20th Century.
chrissyb21: Is there a lot of pressure to produce a hit that will match up to the success of 'Sex and Candy'?
launch_marcy_playground: There's a tremendous amount of pressure from people who rely on us to make a hit; the record company. Because they put hundreds of millions of dollars into a band they believe in, and the only way they get that money back is if we make a hit. I don't think there's any more pressure now since we've had "Sex And Candy" as a hit. There's just general industry pressure consistently on us.
Shap0klyak: If you guys could tour with any band you wanted, who would it be?
launch_marcy_playground: Living or dead? I'd like to tour with Built to Spill, a band from Boise, Idaho. I love They Might be Giants. Flood was one of my favorite records when it came out. I'd also like to do a tour with Jimmie's Chicken Shack. 'Cause we've been friends for years now and we've never put together a proper tour with them. We want to do that sometime early next year.
Shap0klyak: Who are you planning to tour with in support of the new album?
launch_marcy_playground: We're still debating that. If anyone has any good suggestions we've love to hear them. We have a post on the Marcy Playground Bulletin Board ... if you'd like to make any suggestions--at MarcyPlayground.com.
SlayerRob: why do you guys say stuff like "dig it" in your songs? were your parents hippies?
launch_marcy_playground: Um ... yeah, it's because my parents were hippies. And I like Jimi Hendrix. Jimi also used dig it in a really fun way.
Barbituous: How old where you when you first picked a guitar?
launch_marcy_playground: that would be 13.
Rubberband_Girl: John, congratulations on your new little boy! I hope he is well.
launch_marcy_playground: Thanks! His name is Dylan, we named him after our bass player, who's the godfather. And he's doing really well, he's cute. He does very little except sleep and eat, but he's a lot of fun. Whenever I look at him I think about that Talking Heads song, "Up All Night."
polyesterforever: guys, let me say, first of all that I adore you. I was just curious about how long were guys a band until you hit it big?
launch_marcy_playground: In my memory, a nanosecond. But we are circled individually for years, but it's been 5 years as a band.
jez_83: Why write music, and not books, or movies?
launch_marcy_playground: There's no reason why. I mean, I'm in the process of writing a book. I think everyone should write a book even if they're not going to publish it. They force you how to learn how to write and read. It becomes a necessary outlet to either have a journal or write a manuscript, or poetry or a screenplay, for that matter. I'm writing a manuscript right now about some friends who are perfectionists who end up destroying themselves.
manolis_varnassinger: what made you deside to release your music to internet first and then to the stores
launch_marcy_playground: Somebody presented the idea to us, and since it was so unique a concept it struck a chord in us. We needed to pursue it, we thought it was a great idea. I'm the kind of guy who likes bootlegs too. Any time a fan wants to get something that badly they're going to go out and buy the record anyway.
marcyqueen: Hi John! I think you are sucha beautiful person! All mushiness aside, I was wondering if you ever read the fan mail you get from that address that they print on the back of the sticker you get when you order ZogBogBean.
launch_marcy_playground: Of course! We read it all. Our manager gives it to us, he forwards it to us and we read it.
wozza85: Did you write 'comin' up from behind' specifically for the film Cruel Intentions?
launch_marcy_playground: I didn't write "Comin' Up From Behind." It was written by Sherry Fraser. She was my songwriting partner for years. I was asked to write a song for Cruel Intentions. I decided that Sherry's song "Comin' Up From Behind" was the perfect song for the movie. And she was ready to do something, so I decided to record it with the band. It was supposed to be at the end of the movie. It was perfect for the final scene when she's in the church, and she's presented with the journal.
psychopathic_klown_gurl: Where did you get the idea for "Saint Joe On The School Bus"? I love that song, i thinks its so funny.
launch_marcy_playground: We got that song from growing up on the school bus, being picked on. Watching kids get picked on, being picked on myself. It always amazed me how kids could be so cruel.
SlayerRob: what do you think of thrash metal?
launch_marcy_playground: I like any kind of music if it's good. I like Korn a lot. Deftones. I'm not a big fan of hair bands from the 80's. Sorry. I like Quiet Riot. That's my one hair band vice.
Rachael_797: who thinks up the ideas for the video clips? is it the band or what?
launch_marcy_playground: It's "what." It's the director, usually.
SlayerRob: I find your lyrics to Sex and Candy to be quite poignant. I took the song as a metaphor for how we treat sex in this world the same as candy, and I took it as a song to promote absitence and Buddhism....was I correct in my interpretation?
launch_marcy_playground: You couldn't be further from the truth. It's a mindless song about sex and candy.
jez_83: Why did you choose the style of music that you play, and not something like, for example, ska?
launch_marcy_playground: Because I didn't grow up in Jamaica. Or England. I grew up in, you know, Minneapolis, where rock 'n' roll is the flavor of the people.
just_a_girl_from_moose_jaw: Who is the biggest role model in your life?
launch_marcy_playground: I don't really have any role models. I'm 28. I had role models when I was younger, and they were usually older kids in my school. Ended up getting me in a lot of trouble. I just do what I do bouncing happily along. I appreciate people for their contribution, but I like who I am, I don't want to model myself after anybody.
Buzznut999: what do you think of the comparison of MP and Nirvana?
launch_marcy_playground: Hmmm ... we're both rock bands. We're both 3 pieces. And we both use a lot of distortion on our records. But other than that, Nirvana was a special moment in rock history. We're not Nirvana.
london_danielle: Are you sexy?
launch_marcy_playground: Yes. I'm the sexiest man alive, doesn't everybody know that already?
floorpuncher: How do you deal with groupies?
launch_marcy_playground: To be quite honest about that, the people that I like in the music business most are the fans. I get presented with breasts and butts, "sign these!" You sign them and you move on. People who are into what we're doing have a certain connection with us as artists. I have a lot of appreciation for that.
floorpuncher: How do you feel about being labeled a one hit wonder?
launch_marcy_playground: I think it's a little premature to label us a one-hit wonder. After Nirvana came out with "Smells Like Teen Spirit," I read a lot that they said they were a one-hit wonder. We keep making records and touring until people finally get it in their heads that you're not going away. If we broke up tomorrow we'd be a one-hit wonder. Fortunately we're not going to break up anytime soon.
mrmouse29: I HEARD BUCK CHERRY STOLE THE LYRICS TO YOUR ORIGINAL SONG "LIT UP". IS THERE TRUTH TO THIS VICIOUS RUMOR?
launch_marcy_playground: I don't even know the band Buckcherry. Show me the money!
rpadilla: If you could be any item in your refrigerator, what would it be?
launch_marcy_playground: The lightbulb.
slvrchrgrrrl: have you guys ad any serious fights while you were all couped up together on tour?
launch_marcy_playground: Yeah. But it wasn't with anybody in the band. It was Dylan who fought with our guitar tech, Patrick, who he's known for 10 years. They were really, really drunk and got into a brawl.
vortexx_1_99: What did you like to do as a teen?
launch_marcy_playground: Smoke grass, but I grew out of that.
floorpuncher: What other things do you enjoy doing besides being in a band?
launch_marcy_playground: Writing. Like I mentioned before, the manuscript that I'm working on. I like playing with kids. Playing with MY kids.
craigmontoya: Has your fathers death effected your writing in anyway?
launch_marcy_playground: This is John talking. Dylan's father was the one who committed suicide. On the day Dylan joined the band. It was really difficult for him. His dad never got to see him play with the band.
Rudkas: John do you find it tough being away from your wife and son so much?
launch_marcy_playground: Of course.
ethan0826: do you have any plans to release a live album? i have a boot of your '97 gameworks show and it's great
launch_marcy_playground: That's cool. I love that. I'd love to put out a live record. I think some of our live shows are better than what we've recorded. It's just a matter of taking recording equipment out with us. And that can be heavy and take up a lot of space.
pkiofficechic: what was your most embarrassing experience?
launch_marcy_playground: When I was in 4th grade, I had to move from Marcy Open School in Minneapolis to Gladwyn Elementary in Philadelphia. And I didn't know how to write in cursive, and the teacher made fun of me in front of everybody on the first day. Mr. Fleming. And I went into the bathroom and cried for half an hour. Mr. Fleming was a very misguided individual. Cursive is the most useless form of writing in the history of the written word.
Chris_in_Toronto: I find I do my best writing of poetry and lyrics around midnight. Do you find there's a specific time of day when you do your best writing?
launch_marcy_playground: After midnight. Absolutely after midnight. I'm what they call a nighthawk.
chrissyb21: you mentioned once that the Smashing Pumpkins double CD was hard to get through because it was so long. Would this deter you from releasing a double CD?
launch_marcy_playground: Definitely. The album has some of my favorite SP songs on it, but I can't sit down and listen to the entire thing through.
scoobydoobedooo: Are you guys Pro or Anti Mp3?
launch_marcy_playground: I'm so unbelievably pro-MP3 it's not even funny. I think MP3 is one of the best things that's happened to music, right up there with pressing vinyl and broadcast radio.
allybrooke: Do you think having success has made you a different person
launch_marcy_playground: I don't know. No, it's not made me a different person. The only difference is that I can afford guitar strings and nice amplifiers and things like that.
dantheman156: What guitar set up do you use?
launch_marcy_playground: I use a Carlos Acoustic guitar, with a Seymour Duncan lipstick pickup through a univibe into a Marshall amp.
manolis_varnassinger: if you could choose to sing one old song from another artist or band what would you choose
launch_marcy_playground: "St. Dominic's Preview" by Van Morrison. I've always wanted to do that.
chrissyb21: Hey John, It's Chrissy...I just wanted to ask what your weirdest experience with a fan was.
launch_marcy_playground: I had a fan stalk me down in Toronto at the hotel and would not leave until I came down and give her a kiss. Or Montreal. Somewhere in Canada. I gave her a kiss on the cheek.
the_shannon: Most people only like a few select songs off of a cd, does it upset you that some of your most passionate work nevver gets it's deserved acclaim?
launch_marcy_playground: Yeah, it does bother me. Some of my favorite songs that I've ever done end up as b-sides on singles. "Memphis" and "The Angel of the Forever Sleep." Sometimes I wish those songs could come out as album tracks or singles.
Rachael_797: what CD is in your CD player at the momento?
launch_marcy_playground: DVD-ROM for Austin Powers. The new Jimmie's Chicken Shack record is what I've been listening to. I think it's amazing. It rocks.
butterfly_chica_13: Do you still hang out with old friends or do you not have time?
launch_marcy_playground: I really don't have time because of my kids and the work schedule that I have to keep up with. Touring is brutal. Recording is 16 hours a day, and my kids are 24 hours a day.
morgan_poppy: I think you guys would do a kick ass version of "Mellow Yellow." Any hope for that happening?
launch_marcy_playground: No. I love Donovan, but no.
Rudkas: Is Secret Squirrel on the new album?
launch_marcy_playground: Yes. It's song 5, I think.
isaiah_p: john do you consider yourself a role model?
launch_marcy_playground: I feel sorry for anybody who uses me as a role model. No, I really don't. I'm just a guy who writes songs and hopes to communicate some artistic "thing." I'm not a role model, don't tell me that!
Beowulf_Hyral: does it ever seem to you like fans seem to know a bit TOO much about you?
launch_marcy_playground: Yes. Sometimes people remind me of my own birthday. I've had fans do that.
sim1583: Do you guys like interacting with fans like this?
launch_marcy_playground: Yeah. It's great. I like talking to them on a one-to-one basis better. Yes, but I'm not going to divulge the names. It's a secret.
floorpuncher: How did you deal with instant popularity?
launch_marcy_playground: When did that happen? At one point were we instantly popular?
shellshock_9: Do you have any weird habits or rituals you must perform before you go on stage??
launch_marcy_playground: Yeah, I always have to take a leak. But that's about it.
Beowulf_Hyral: John, did you think your band would ever become famous at all?
launch_marcy_playground: Subconsciously I thought we'd become famous, but consciously I was always a realist. It's a very, very difficult thing to do. It takes thousands of people and hundreds of thousands of dollars, and I never thought anybody would care enough to offer either. It takes a record company believing in you.
slvrchrgrrrl: do you guys ever get deppressed while on tour or on stage with tension or stress?
launch_marcy_playground: I've been depressed since I was 18, and I actually take Zoloft, which is an anti-depressant. I'm also a little bit manic and the Zoloft helps keep me together on tour.
pkiofficechic: Who are your celebrity crushes?
launch_marcy_playground: Let's see ... Uma Thurman. Kim Deal from the Breeders. Belinda Carlisle from the Go-Go's. Those are the three I'm really enamored with.
floorpuncher: Do you have a lot of creative control with your records, touring and other aspects of the business?
launch_marcy_playground: Yes, I've been able to maintain creative control of the albums. This album was entirely produced by me. The record company welcomed that relationship, they dug it. They were happy they didn't have to waste money on a producer. We have as much creative control as is possible.
BelleDeesse: Do you party or sleep after a performance?
launch_marcy_playground: I personally sleep. I can't speak for the other guys.
amber_318: Have you ever been affraid you would forget the words or freeze up on stage?
launch_marcy_playground: I'm never afraid that I'll freeze up but I always forget lyrics. That's the sort of thing you just laugh off.
Kimberlyn21: what was u'r reaction when u heard u'r songs on the radio for the first time???
launch_marcy_playground: Ecstatic -- it was the coolest thing in the world. The first time I heard it was on K-rock in NY.
SilentOffy: Any chance of "Crazy Katie..." becoming a b-side since it didn't make the new CD?
launch_marcy_playground: Crazy Katie is going to be on an EP that we hope to release next year, along with a bunch of other songs.
slvrchrgrrrl: have you ever been or will you soon be on loveline (the radio show) and if so what do you think of adam? i think he's practically god!
launch_marcy_playground: I have been on Loveline the radio show and the TV show, and I think Adam's awesome. He's probably the funniest guy I've ever met.
amber_318: Do you have to have inspiration to be able to write(like an event) or can you just write at the drop of a hat
launch_marcy_playground: It takes me about a year to write a song. I usually have about 10 or 11 songs going simultaneously, but it will take a good 10-12 months to bring a song to full completion.
moon75d_99: How do you balance your home life with your proffesional life
launch_marcy_playground: It's tricky. After I've been out on tour for a long time it's like coming home from outer space, and I have to decompress. You get the emotional bends.
jose_cuervo4me: What do you think about the reason explosion of the pre-fab bubble gum pop and boy groups??? Myself Im sickened everytime I hear one of those New Kid reincarnations.
launch_marcy_playground: Yeah, it's pretty lame. I think that if they're having fun doing what they're doing, I don't know. I can't really sit around and judge them 'cause I'm not in their shoes. But if I was doing it I'd feel pretty lame about it. Until I got my check at the end of the week.
Buffy2275: What do you wear Boxers or breifs?
launch_marcy_playground: I wear boxer briefs, actually.
ethan0826: how much creative input do dylan and dan have?
launch_marcy_playground: They helped arrange the material for the album, wrote their basslines and drum parts for some songs. Dan sang some on the record. They used their veto power to get rid of stuff they hated and used their vote in the band to do things creatively.
tangonuttier: Hey John, it's your sister. Never thought I'd do this, but there's always a first. Liked the story about R.T. Any more stories like that?
launch_marcy_playground: Got a million stories like that. Growing up with my mom you can't escape interesting stories. She was a nutty, nutty woman.
saskatoon_bizkit: if u could have three people to dinner...who would it be??dead or alive
launch_marcy_playground: Sigmund Freud, CS Lewis, and John Lennon.
SlayerRob: I heard a rumor once that you were a distant relative of Albert Einstein's nephew...is this true?
launch_marcy_playground: No. Albert Einstein, Jesus! If we're related it's in a really, really distant way.
sim1583: Has the whole celebrity lifestyle ben worth the effort? Would you do it again?
launch_marcy_playground: I don't actually live a celebrity lifestyle. I frown upon the celebrity lifestyle. I've never been to a party that had anybody other than my Uncle Mel there. It's just not my style. I live a punk rock lifestyle.
whenIwasanalien: Whats the best way to get a record company's attention?
launch_marcy_playground: That's a really good question. I think the best way is to get a lot of people to come out to your shows, create a buzz, as they say in the industry. Sell a bunch of records, get some local radio airplay. Submit a copy of your music to many of the labels, in a solicitive way. Create a buzz by being good and playing a lot. We have time for one more question ...
SuckmeJoeCamel: Does sex and candy smell like mackeral and jolly ranchers?
launch_marcy_playground: Oh, gnarly. Not in my mind. If you could liquefy bliss and put it in a bottle, that's what it smells like.
launch_marcy_playground: We're going to be going on the road in November in support of the record, and we're really looking forward to seeing everybody at the shows. So look for us coming to your town! Gotta go now. Bye, everyone!
launch_host: Thanks for coming everyone. Don't forget to check out www.hollywoodandvine.com/marcyplayground to get all the details on how to download Shapeshifter before it hits the stores. Go to the official Marcy Playground site for the latest tour info, news, and exclusive information at www.marcyplayground.com.
