Interview by: Mac M.
Fans of Forever the Sickest Kids are no doubt familiar with Caleb Turman and Rico Garcia who are now dedicating all their time to the band they call TEAM*.
I sat down with the guys not long after their live set at Fort Worth Music Festival to talk about their new EP, their producer Will Pugh, touring with Third Eye Blind and one limited edition Darth Vader doll that had been doll-napped by an unlikely individual of a certain well known band!
:::::WARNING:::::
The interview you are about to read is rather lengthy with a lot of banter but worth it! Trust us!
Welcome to Fort Worth guys! Kind of a joke but still welcome!
GBS:
Good Morning Bad Day just released last week. Congrats on the new EP! Very solid release and I'm pretty sure my favorite track is "All The Time".Considering you guys worked with Will Pugh (Pew) on this EP and the TEAM* EP do they both feel like connected releases or completely separate?
Caleb:
I think they're separate and we've grown alot as a team. Since we started recording the first EP we've been progressing the entire time. At the end of this record we felt we had come so far and we feel like this is a big move and we're all very proud of it.
Rico:
Let me reiterate on that and say that whatever we did on the first EP with Will it was literally a week after our first show. Will just saw us and said we should record. He had an idea but I think you can tell with the second record he grew with us and knew exactly what Caleb was writing and where he was going and knew exactly, like a puzzle piece to fill in those gaps. It was great to see the progression!
The other one was done so quickly which we are very proud of it but since there was a good gap that Will was very involved and played with us as a team and really nailed these vocals and melodies.
Caleb:
No pun intended... lol
Rico:
It was cool that Will was acting almost as a silent member.
GBS:
That is cool for a producer because you get some guys that have been around for awhile that like to try and direct vs produce.
Rico:
Right. He's been on both sides of the table.
Caleb:
He is a team member. We respect each other so much!
GBS:
Kings of A&R called you guys one of their favorites and you're playing select dates with both Third Eye Blind and of course Jimmy Eat World who are here tonight. Have you had a chance to hang out with any of the guys from either band?
Rico:
We did the full tour with Third Eye Blind in the fall and they asked us to come back. We actually have a really good relationship with Third Eye Blind. They gave us a chance to go out on a legitimate tour and we're grateful for that. We definitely have a good relationship with them! As for Jimmy Eat World I'd love to hang out and have a beer with Jim Adkins so if you're interviewing him later if you could tell him that?
GBS:
I'm not but I'll throw that out there and see if he bites! lol
Caleb:
I've been contemplating walking on his bus all day long.
Rico:
If we act like we're suppose to be there maybe they won't question it?
GBS:
It's the same as anything else. As the bus door opens just go right behind him!
Rico:
Go straight to the bunks and lay down! If he gets out from his bunk. He's been sleeping all day!
GBS:
How's touring with Third Eye been so far? Do they treat you like an "opening act"?
Rico:
Not at all they treat us like family. They've been really supportive! Some of the first people to buy our first record were guys from Third Eye Blind! We're like what the heck? Alex LeCavalier just
bought the record. They've been really cool and supportive and whenever they knew they were doing a couple of one off's they called us and said hey are you guys free? I was like why? Do you want to do some shows? We were like YES! They took us in.
Caleb:
And I have to say I've been touring for a long time and I feel closer to Third Eye Blind than I probably ever felt to any other band. It's really insane!
GBS:
That's cool for a band that's been around that long and that big to have that type of relationship with them.
Rico:
Actually Stephan and Caleb when this is all done they are suppose to split an apartment together in San Francisco! They want to have a farm and Stephan wants to be by the beach! lol
GBS:
Did you guys catch them at Suburbia? Aside from being awesome and the front man of the band he does a great Mick Jagger!
Rico:
Dude he's in amazing shape!
Caleb:
His pecks!
GBS:
Do you have a personal relationship with his pecks?
Caleb:
You could say that!
Rico:
If his pecks would call him back!
Caleb:
We've shaken hands a couple of times!
GBS:
You're both doing a lot of time splitting between TEAM, Forever the Sickest and running Field Day Records. What's the balance like trying to make it all happen in a cohesive manner?
Caleb:
No, we're full time TEAM*. Rico and I knew whenever we made the transition. We were pretty quiet about it. There was a short period of time where we were doing some one offs but writing and recording with our new band. It's all TEAM* now, we've decided this is what we wanted to do and this is the direction.
Rico:
Everything happen really unforced too. It was a very organic transition. FOREVER kinda started doing a little less and we started doing a little more. It was never any hard feelings or anything that's just kinda what happen.
GBS:
Sure, it's just change that's all!
GBS:
As far as your label, Field Day Records, you guys are killing it as artists but is there more coming? Are you looking to aggressively go after more bands?
Rico:
I plead the 5th.
Caleb:
We have some things coming up. Rico has been on his computer 24/7 looking at new artists. I think we have some people we're interested in but that's something we'll talk about later!
Rico:
And off the record half the time I'm looking at porn!
Caleb:
Half the time I'm watching him look at porn!
GBS:
That's a visual! At least you have a backup plan in case the label doesn't quite expand as quick as you might have hoped. You could try porn!
Caleb:
He's in no big rush I promise you. We're alright!
GBS:
You recorded part of or most of the new EP in Nashville right? Was that your first time tracking there?
Caleb:
All of it!
Rico:
We did drums and stuff in Dallas. Well started in Dallas but then got to Nashville and this guy [Caleb] went to work.
Caleb:
There was a lot of pre production involved. Will started coming over to our house putting a mic in the middle of the room and create songs together. Do all that bullshit before we ever set foot in
the studio. So when it was go time it was go time!
Rico:
We were probably in Nashville for less than two weeks. It was like 10 days, we did the whole record in 10 days.
Caleb:
His drums took literally a half a day. He knew what the fuck he was doing and has a real natural sense of time.
Rico:
They didn't give us much time. So what I did is I hit it and they like put it together in post I didn't even show up.
GBS:
You mailed it in!
Caleb:
He emailed his drums!
GBS:
You guys should have went to London. They would have gave you three weeks on drum sounds!
Caleb:
No way!
GBS:
Yeah, all those British guys they take like three weeks on drums.
Rico:
Can you just imagine that process?
GBS:
For Phil Collins, yeah! But for just any drummer, no.
Caleb:
Can I just say I'm not too impressed!
Rico:
You don't like that? Phil Collins snare drum!? What was really fun about the whole record is it was very uh.... Caleb has done a lot of records and I have done a lot of records that weren't legit let's be honest. We hadn't done anything I'm too proud of! The way we recorded it, it reminded me of stuff when I was 14 it was like very do it yourself and low budget but very real and I was very happy with how it came out. There were a couple of guys in a 10 x 10 room that gave a shit!
Caleb:
That's just it, we gave a shit! The whole way through we were like this may not be perfect but we give a fuck so let's keep trying until we got it.
Rico:
There was no fancy studio. It was in Will's town home in his little 8 x 8 studio.
GBS:
So you guys were literally doing the bedroom sessions?
Rico:
We recorded this record with less than I did in high school! It was very very grassroots.
GBS:
That makes the EP that more impressive. I know the technology is there but the talent has to be too so that's awesome.
Rico:
Smoke and mirrors on my end it was all this guy!
Caleb:
A lot of smoke, not too many mirrors!
GBS:
Best argument you have ever had with one another that resulted in something positive?
Rico:
I'm sorry, what? We live together and that's been a fun thing! You know we've toured for a long time together and you're always like in fun mode. When you get home it's a little different!
Caleb:
A couple of weeks ago we were like hey man, you know what? You brush your teeth too loud! It's kinda funny actually but that's the worst argument.
Rico:
I'm learning so much about myself when he points out things. I realize oh my god I do that! That is annoying! And I don't even realize it so I almost feel like I'm in a marriage where I'm learning and he points it out and I'm like shit I need to work on that.
Caleb:
Also I just got back from Portland, my girlfriends parents live up there, her brother will be doing drum beats and she's like John shut the fuck up! Then he's like oh I'm so sorry. They know each other. When you get close to somebody you have to actually come to that point to this is what's happening. I'm confident in our future because we are at the point where it's no more bullshit let's
talk about it. I'm ready to do 10 more records.
Rico:
Over 80 years!
Caleb:
We'll be 97 touring.
Rico:
We'll be the Rolling Stones! There will be a hologram of us and us! We've been talking about it but we don't have the cash.
GBS:
Give it 20 years and holographic stuff will be really cheap.
Rico:
I know they're trying to figure out who to do it next with and I'm voting for Freddie Mercury honestly!
GBS:
I'm amazed that they haven't tried Elvis yet. It would bomb horribly but...
Caleb:
What version of Elvis would it be?
GBS:
Would you waste the money to do the fat Elvis? I don't think so! lol
Caleb:
Maybe he just ages 50 years...
GBS:
Or maybe he's still alive and he just shows up?
Caleb:
My mind just exploded!
GBS:
Coolest thing a fan has ever said, did or given you?
Rico:
He gets a lot of stuff so this is a question for him.
Caleb:
I'm a huge Star Wars fan and a lot of my fans bring me Darth Vader dolls and light sabers and what not. I think the coolest thing would be that. The weirdest thing would be locks of hair and like things like that.
Rico:
A stack this thick of love letters they wrote everyday for a year.
GBS:
They waited to give them to you?
Caleb:
I don't want to put this person on blast just because I know she's going to read this but I've gotten some interesting things.
Rico:
And for the record as for Star Wars somebody in Oklahoma brought him a limited edition Darth Vader and Kryz from Third Eye Blind stole it so you DICK! GIVE IT BACK!
Caleb:
Dude where is that!?
Rico:
Dude they've been posting pictures like on the bus with the band!
Caleb:
How come you didn't tell me that shit!?
Rico:
I thought you saw it!
Caleb:
NOOOO!
GBS:
He didn't even know it was missing!
Rico:
They did this whole pic-stitch of Third Eye Blind because you know their bus is black!
Caleb:
That's messed up!
GBS:
It's on the bus, you know that right?
Rico:
Third Eye Blind is touring with a black bus and it's their mascot. HIS Darth Vader Doll, give it back.
Caleb:
GIVE IT BACK!
GBS:
He's riding on the dash up front with the driver!
Rico:
He's probably in Stephen's bunk!
GBS:
There's going to be some social media talk about this and Third Eye Blind stealing figurines!
Caleb:
I hope so!
Rico:
They've got sticky fingers!
Caleb:
So sticky!
Rico:
Not only is it on their bus but they went to the merch table and just took it!
Caleb:
The last time I saw that Darth Vader it was kinda tucked away. So I'm assuming someone from my crew...
GBS:
No, you know your guys wouldn't do that to ya. But your other guys will!
Caleb:
It's actually one guy! Prankster! It's Kryz but I'll take it out on Stephen.
GBS:
Rico! Favorite drum break on any song ever?
Rico:
Oh geez, you [Caleb] just gave me like a Risky Business [lowered sunglasses]
Caleb:
I can't speak for you. Drum break? What is that like a fill? I'm not a drummer this is off Revolver. Ah yah yah, relax your mind.... [Caleb beatboxes a drum fill].
Rico:
That's not really a drum break.
GBS:
Cool, that's more of a cadence but I feel ya. It's a great part!
Rico:
We've got a drummer on board!
Caleb:
Gosh, you just denounced my statement!
Rico:
Ok you know one of my favorite drum breaks that I've been hearing alot is actually not recorded but it's a thing that's live. Does that count?
GBS:
That's fine!
Rico:
On Never Let You Go by Third Eye Blind right before the bridge it goes [Rico beatboxing] dude Brad just goes off!
GBS:
Yeah I actually saw him at Suburbia!
Rico:
He does like four bars and just seeing that every night I'm like [hand moving off head mind blown]. Dude doesn't play to a click, he's a human metronome! The last run we did he was giving me lessons he's incredible. I love watching him. For awhile that's been my favorite but seeing him every night because he never plays it the same! He's actually a drummer!
GBS:
Caleb! Favorite guitar riff or solo on any song ever?
Caleb:
Corrina from Bob Dylan there's a little guitar riff if you've never heard of it look it up! It's not nearly as cool as your response but it means something to me!
Rico:
His is better because it's actually recorded and you can't look mine up!
GBS:
Either one of you finish this sentence with the first thing that comes to mind ......... you're so 80's if.............?
Caleb:
If you don't shave your pubes!
Rico:
I'm sorry your so 80's if....
Caleb:
Yeah, you wish you had MINE!
Rico:
Whatever I say is going to be just terrible! You are so 80's if you think... VHS really is better than DVD! Because I literally had a guy that was like VHS is so much better! No, it actually isn't!
Caleb:
It isn't vinyl!
GBS:
Insane technology that was horrible! Awesome, thank you both!
::::::::::::::::::::::UPDATE:::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Lookie what showed up on Mr. Kryz Reid's of @3eb personal twitter page a few days before this interview!
https://twitter.com/Kryzreid/status/463852943528058880
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