BUGGING THE HELL OUT OF PAPA ROACH BASSIST TOBIN ESPERANCE
PAPA ROACH bassist Tobin Esperance called in last week to talk about the band's upcoming new disc, 'Getting Away With Murder', the band's third major lablel release, which is being released on August 31st by Geffen Records, their new home after their deal with Dreamworks went away after the label merged with Universal. Tobin was doing a ton of press, so not surprisingly, he sounded exhausted when he called. It was all good though; we managed to get in a few dumbass questions with the normal ones we threw at him. ...and thank God for the lovely FoundryMusicDana, who transcribed the whole sucker...
Steve C: How many interviews are you doing today?
Tobin Esperance: Oh man, this is about the fifth one. Well, we just got done doing
Headbanger's Ball and
MTV and stuff like that. So, we've been in New York for a couple of days doing press. [We] did
Fuse and a lot of international press. Then we are going to fly over to Europe, do some more press and play a couple of shows.
SC: Are you guys using the web more now for press or is that something that you have always done?
Tobin Esperance: That's something we've been doing for a while. Just hitting every avenue, you know.
SC: Is it helping?
Tobin Esperance: Well, yeah. Definitely! All the press of ours has been awesome. The response from the fans has been off the hook. Everyone's digging it. Everyone's loving it. So, we're just excited. We just can't wait. We're anxious for
the record to come out.
SC: I've only heard
the first single so far and I like it. The video's great too. You guys have said the past that you are not afraid to experiment musically, but what happens if you do that and you alienate a portion of your audience because you have deviated from the sound that made you famous?
Tobin Esperance: Well, our fans got to understand us as a band first of all. No matter what, you're always going to win some and lose some, you know? But, we have been doing this for 11 years and every demo, every record that we have ever done, it's never been the same. Our fans are just going to have to grow with us and that's just the challenge of what we do. Just pushing ourselves everytime and then having to go out and play live and prove it and back it. 'Cause we are not the type of band that has ever made the same record or the same song. We have always kind of switched up our styles in different ways in the context of a Rock N' Roll band. But, for us to do the same fucking thing over and over again, which some people might expect, would be boring. I know a lot of bands do it and it works for them, but not for us.
SC: Infest was a huge record. It sold three million copies, right?
Tobin Esperance: Yeah, three million in the States and six million worldwide.
SC: And
LoveHateTragedy only sold 600,000 domestically?
Tobin Esperance: Yeah. It only did 600, 000 in the States and 1.5 million worldwide.
SC: You wrote over 30 songs for
Getting Away With Murder?
Tobin Esperance: Yeah.
SC: What mistakes did you make on the second album that you tried to correct with this one?
Tobin Esperance: Mistakes? We really didn't get a chance to take very much time with that one. We had just came off the road. I'm sure because the first record was so successful, we probably could have gone and made the same record and copped that whole vibe again. But, we always kind of move on. Plus, we were in a different head space. To be honest too, when we were making that record, we were all just fucked out. 'Cause being on the road so much and going through that Rock N' Roll rollercoaster which we didn't expect, you know? It takes it's toll. I'm sure at that point, we were just crazy. We thought everything would be easy, but that wasn't the case.
Bring me my chili fries, bitch!
SC: You guys have been in music business for a long time and the whole music business has changed with invention of file sharing. Do you think filesharing and MP3 downloading has helped your band sell records?
Tobin Esperance: Um, for me it's weird, of course I grew up in the time where you worked hard to make that money to go buy tickets, to go to see that show and drive to see your favorite band or you did chores to go buy that record that you wanted at the end of the week. Now it's like people can just get a hold of and steal your music and throw it up there before it's even done or finished. That I don't like. It kind of takes away the element of surprise. But, it does create awareness for a lot if independent bands. A lot of times people go out and buy a record cause they hear one song and then the album sucks.
At least you kind of get to hear it first. I don't mind that, just as long as people go out and buy the record cause it takes money to make a record.
SC: Let's just say you are hanging out in your neighborhood and some kid approaches you and says, "Dude, I just downloaded the whole record, it sounds amazing! You guys rock!" What's your reaction?
Tobin Esperance: Right on man! That's cool. Thank you. You better go buy that fucking shit, asshole.
SC: I get a different answer everytime I ask that question. Some guys love the downloading and others are just so pissed off that it's going on.
Tobin Esperance: No, I mean, hey cool. Glad you like it. Go buy it. Tell all your friends about it. Let them hear it and if they like it, tell them to go buy it and support the band because it costs money to make the record and the tour. I understand the economy and everything kind of effects...I believe in lowering the ticket prices. [However], I don't know if kids realize how much the record labels and everyone else makes off the [album sales.] It's not like the band is living it up.
SC: Speaking of which, I was on
E-Bay the other day and I noticed that there are quite a few Papa Roach bootlegs for sale. Is that something you try to stop or is it good promotion for you?
Tobin Esperance: It's promotion, I guess. There's nothing we can do about it. You just kind of have to roll with the punches. This happens a lot. In Europe, when you go to the shows, bootleggers set up tents outside the venues and they make their own shirts of your band and just sell it. They will sell tons more than our actual merch will [because it's cheaper]. Sometimes the designs even look cooler and I'm like, 'those fucking bastards.' [laughs]. They don't even care. We've had some run ins with some before and they will have a whole mob of people and it's like Manchester United. You walk up, 'Hey, what the fuck are you guys doing?' and then have all of Manchester United running after you. There's nothing you can do. People don't realize too that when you are trying to sell shirts at a venue, there are taking away a percentage of it. A lot of bands survive and make their money off of that. That's why there's a lot of politics involved. There is a business aspect and you have to treat it like that and make educated decisions.
Hey guys, I think this dude crapped himself.
SC: With all the record companies downsizing and the music business suffering as a whole, do you ever think, 'screw this, I'm going back to school' or are you in this for life?
Tobin Esperance: I'm in this for life. Music is the only thing that I can count on and that I know that I do well and know that I do right. This is my passion. I believe I was definitely born to do it and it's in my blood. But, I think the whole consolidation thing is a good thing cause I think it got out of hand for a while. I think labels were spending ridiculous [amounts of] money on bullshit and some people just weren't even working hard for bands.
[They] were just spending money. Like a video. We used to make videos. They could be from $300,000 to $1 million. Now we just did a video for Getting Away With Murder, it was only $75,000. It's awesome and that's our favorite video.
You don't need to spend that kind of money. If you set the standards lower then it's all good. You don't have to take a jet everywhere or a fucking
limo. Spending money on all this bullshit.
SC: Very true. I know you guys are all married, but if I was to ransack the Papa Roach tour bus, what kind of smut would I find? Would I find German fisting videos?
Tobin Esperance: Oh hell yeah! All that shit. There's shiza. I've seen it all. Bestiality...I'm not into it personally...I've even seen [porno] live and direct. One time, we were on tour and this girl was with a bunch of her friends and they all wanted autographs and she's like, 'No, I want to give you my autograph' and I'm like 'okay.' So, she comes and takes a sharpie and sticks it up her ass and writes her name on a piece of paper.
SC: [Laughs] See, that's the cool part of being in a band. Speaking of which, your drummer Dave [Buckner] married Steven Tyler's daughter Mia and AEROSMITH has been on Geffen records for a long time, has the Aerosmith connection helped you guys out at all?
Tobin Esperance: Oh, no, no. Papa Roach is a band that relies on no one but ourselves and we only got here cause fucking we worked hard for it. We don't expect anything. We don't got no hookups. There ain't no family thing going on here. This is just hard work and timing, you know what I mean?...[Geffen] got the record, fucking loved it and now we got a new home and a team that we already feel real confident about.
SC: What happens if the record comes out and it tanks and then Geffen decides that they are no longer interested in having your band on their label?
Is it time to reconsider what course to take or do you keep plugging away with a different label?
Tobin Esperance: Well, first of all, that's not gonna happen. That will never happen cause the record's too good. Second of all, we already have other resources, [other places we could go]. We have our own independent in print.
We could put out records ourselves, that's what we could do and probably make more money.
SC: I read the other day that PRINCE had factored in the price of a CD into his concert tickets. So, he is handing out discs at his shows and it all gets counted on Soundscan. Therefore, if he's sold a million tickets, he essentially sold a million CD's. Have you guys ever considered doing something like that?
Tobin Esperance: Well, I think you have to consider that Prince has already made his mark and he has already sold millions of records and is pretty much set for life. I think once you're established, you're more capable of doing things like that. If you're Madonna and you've already sold millions of records and everyone knows you're this huge icon, why are you still trying to sell $300 tickets? Give your fans a break, you know what I mean? So, I commend Prince for that one.
SC: Are you guys at the point where you are all living in large homes with fleets of cars?
Tobin Esperance: Oh, no. We're fortunate enough to buy just modest houses and I have a couple of cars. I have everything I need, but it's not like what kids think it is..like on [MTV's]
Cribs. I don't know where those motherfickers get those mansions.
SC: It's all rented.
Tobin Esperance: It's all rented. It's all bullshit. Everything I have, I got and I paid for. The rest of the money I save because everyone knows this is a fickle business and you could be here today and gone tomorrow. But we're also very confident and I know what I want to do after this too-producing, writing and working with others. If music is your love and your passion, you will do whatever you can to survive in that business and move on.
SC: What the biggest toy you have splurged on and bought for yourself?
Tobin Esperance: Aside from a car, I got a Mercedes. I have a nice car which is good, but it's a family car. It's the big family sedan to keep the family safe.
SC: Are the gas prices killing you?
Tobin Esperance: Oh yeah. I have a Cadillac Escalade, which is the ESV, it's like the bigger one, that one guzzles gas like a motherfucker. But, I am grateful enough to get all the free shit-like the rims, the tires and the accessories. You've got to take advantage of that shit, but do it wisely. But dude, that's all meaningless shit. If it was gone, I would still be happy to make music, have friends and family cause that's the most important thing.
SC: Since I know you guys are primarily in your 20's, it is possible that a military draft will be reinstated. What happens if, God forbid, you get a notice to show up for basic training?
Tobin Esperance: Yeah, I don't know if [I could get excused] for being a rock star. You can't pull that card. Well, I wouldn't go. I wouldn't want to go cause I wouldn't believe in it in the first place. I would probably go to Canada or Mexico.
SC: Speaking of traveling, how long are you guys going to be on the road?
Tobin Esperance: After we leave New York, we are planning to go to Europe to do press and just a couple of festivals and then we will come back in September. Then have a couple of weeks off cause Coby's having a baby. Then we're going back to Europe, starting the tour there, coming back in October/November doing the US and then after the holiday's go to Japan and Australia. Just do a world tour for Getting Away With Murder.
SC: Just curious, do you guys carry laptops on the road?
Tobin Esperance: Yeah. Actually on the way back to the hotel, Dave was telling me he bought the new Apple G4. The 17 inch one. I was like, 'How much was it?' He was like, 'too much.' I don't have one. I mean I want one, but I'm not a big computer tech geek. I like simple things. I'm kind of old school.
SC: Finally, if I was to check out everybody's laptops, who would have the most incriminating web history?
Tobin Esperance: Definitely Coby or Dave. [They are into] dirty shit. All that dirty porn stuff. Dave
likes the fat bitches or
Rotten.com. On a serious note,
Homestarrunner is one of Jerry's [Horton, guitarist] favorite sites, but there's also a lot of politically based sites that they're always up on. Getting educated. They're all huge
Michael Moore fans. But then also,
our website cause we do alot of interactive things with the fans [such as] keeping in touch with them and sending them photos. We do everything [from the band's] artwork, to the scheduling, [all the way down to] the website.
...actually, the conversation didn't end THIS abrubtly in reality. I spent about five minutes trying to convince him to stop by the XM studios while he's in New York just in case we manage to get another young lady in the studio to blast a bottle rocket out of her cooch. I'm sure they'll show up, schedule permitting.
No need to take a mugshot officer, I got my own.
'Getting Away With Murder' ht stores on August 31st.
Check out the video for the title track, 'Getting Away With Murder'
...and lastly, for all the other goodies, tour dates, and official stuff, check out the band's official website at PAPAROACH.com
