Matchbook Romance – Interview

EastScene recently had the chance to chat with Aaron Stern drummer of the recently reunited Matchbook Romance about what the future holds for the band.

Es-You guys recently decided to get back together to play some shows what made you decide this?

Aaron Stern-Well it was a long time coming. We had to go back to where things kind of left off for us we were in a place where not all our heads were together or were fully in Matchbook Romance at the time. That’s kind of why we parted ways and a couple years went by and we did our thing we have a much better perspective on music and life and we thought we have so many fans out there that love our music and we felt it was the right time to do it you know?

ES-Throughout the hiatus did you guys keep in touch?

AS-Yeah. I mean it was definitely a bit of a roller coaster for us. After the hiatus started happening everyone kind of went their different ways and wanted to do different things and projects, everyone wanted to stay within the music industry doing music and we kind of all had our way and went different directions. We did keep in touch through it all were all still good friends and we kind of maintained that in between. We support each other and things are good enough to where we speak to getting back together and doing something.

ES-Have you guys talked about making it a full time reunion or is it just shows for now?

AS-Our plan is to just do these shows. At heart I think all of us would like to do a record but I think were going to do these shows and see how things go.

ES-As of now there are only 3 or 4 shows planned, is there a plan to expand it to a few more?

AS-We’ll see. That’s all I can say. It’s up in the air but me and the guys are really excited to get
out there and at least do these shows and see how it goes.

ES-When word of the reunion broke were you guys offered any tours or to play at any festivals like Bamboozle for example?

AS-We had thoughts of doing Bamboozle for sure but we kind of felt like our environment was having a close set of fans and we kind of wanted to have that for the reunion we wanted our fans by our side, that’s what’s most important for us. I think we would get lost in the mist of the No Doubts, Fallout Boys, and Taking Back Sundays. Our reunion would kind of get overshadowed. We wanted to give our fans the opportunity to really be present to when we get back there and we want to be present to them as well. That’s why we wanted to do our own shows close to home and the atmosphere were looking for in terms of being personal with the people we’ve missed for so many years

ES-Monsters has been included in a handful of video games, notably Guitar Hero 3. Are you fans of video games?

AS-Yea, we all are, we’re all extreme fans of Madden, we were pumped when that happened. When we got the call for Guitar Hero it was unbelievable but bittersweet because we had just gone on hiatus and it was like, “Man I wish we could all enjoy this as a group.” We were all huge fans of GH before it happened. To be part of a video game is really a blessing and its something you dream of as a kid you want to be part of a video game somehow you never know how. To have your song put in a game where you can play the riffs is just really flattering. We weren’t really a band anymore so we couldn’t enjoy it to its fullest extent.

ES-Have you guys considered giving out more songs for GH or Rockband?

AS-You know if video games were looking to use our songs we wouldn’t say no that’s for sure.

ES-I had heard somewhere the name Matchbook Romance comes from the 30s/40s and has to do with people leaving their addresses on matchbooks for their suitor. Any truth to this?

AS-Yeah, absolutely. It’s kind of based of that concept but we didn’t know at the time. we kind of just had the name Matchbook Romance. You can kind of think of it as back in the day when you were in the bar and a women or man would write their number on it and it was kind of like the 40s and 50s era you could take that from. It just made sense for the music at the time we picked the name and the name wound up fitting the music more than anything. I guess you could say the name is from that era to make the name make sense

ES-You guys matured drastically from Stories and Alibis to Voices, if there is a third album will the progression continue or will you try to mix the best elements of both albums?

AS-One of the biggest things we had out as a band when we were making this third record the first time a couple of years ago we kind of wanted to nail the two between where stories and alibis meets voices were and go into that middle ground and go back there. Now we haven’t really spoken about where things would go but I’m sure it would be a progression but it would still be Matchbook Romance we can’t get together and write songs that wouldn’t have the hooks and the power and angst behind it. One thing now I kind of go back and listen to our music and hear angst behind a lot of the music itself aside from the lyrics and that’ll stay consistent. There’s no way this record cant progress after this time and I honestly have no idea what sound would come but it would definitely be Matchbook.

ES-When you guys went on hiatus you were still on Epitaph. If there is a third album are you contractually obligated to release it on Epitaph or will you seek release on another label?

AS-I believe we’re contractually obligated to. I don’t think there’s any other label we’d put it out on even if we had the chance. Epitaph has always been 150% a supporter of us and we support them. We would absolutely love putting and be fortunate to put the record out on Epitaph, if we decide to put out the new record, and if they decide to have us. We haven’t talked to them about it but if we do decide to it would 100% be Epitaph.

ES-How did you guys get hooked up with Epitaph in the first place?

AS-Well as the story go Brett Gurewitz is very much into the scene and very much part of the music scene. He’s constantly out there reading the punkmusic.orgs of the world looking for bands that he loves and would like to pick up. Sure enough we were one of those bands years ago when we were The Getaway, he heard our songs and e-mailed us and we didn’t really believe it. It said something like “Hi my name is Brett Gurewitz and I’m the owner of Epitaph Records I was just wondering if you guys were signed.” We thought it was fake and the next thing you know we were in California signing our record contract.

ES-My last question comes from a reader and she wants to know do Your Eyes Still Burn?

AS-(laughs) Do my eyes still burn? Of Course, They’re always going to burn. (laughs)