Interview with Moneen

Moneen

Hendrik (P76):: Hello, how are you and where are you right now?
Kenny:: : I am fine. We are in Wiesbaden, Germany, today. Some may call it WEED-baden, Ha ha ha! Second last show in Germany for us.

Hendrik (P76):: You just did some german shows. What is your impression of the german fans?
Kenny:: : I liked them a lot. I like when people come up to us after the ahow and say “congradulations, I like your band.” That makes me smile. We have had a lot of really good shows here. Played some fests, had some good times. We even found the spinning plate of death in berlin. It’s this huge spinning plate that kids are supposed to play on. It has nothing to hold onto so the faster you spin the greater chance of flying off and getting really hurt there is. Its great. We actually formed a gang with the Aexisonfire guys to protect the spinning plate of death.

Hendrik (P76):: In my opinion it is pretty easy these days to listen to new music and get to know new bands with things like Myspace.com or Purevolume.com. But A live-show is always something really different and special. For audience and bands. What importance has touring for bands these days?
Kenny:: : Live music is more important than ever. Any band can go and record and put up a few songs on the internet. So now bands can get known without having to leave their house. So to bring a more intimate feel to the music you need to play in front of people. There is something very special about playing live that a record will never recreate. Playing live is my favorite thing as well at the same time my nemesis. I love playing so much, but touring is also a great way to feel like crap all the time as well. I think I’m just my own worst critic. I am always so hard on myself. I rarely think I ever do well. But then I realize that everyone has had a good time and that I should stop thining so much. It’s the only way to push myself…

Hendrik (P76):: What has your band, that seperates you from all other bands in the scene? Any specialities?
Kenny:: : Hmmm? We can jump real good. Ha ha, I don’t know. Our shows are always different. There is never two shows the same. We really feed off of the crowd, we wont hesitate to pull some kid onstage to sing or play guitar or have a hand stand compettion. Everyshow is an adventure.

Hendrik (P76):: You were on tour with the guys of Taking Back Sunday: Your impressions?
Kenny:: :Great dudes. Their new record is really good as well. That was one of our favorite tours. Saves the day and taking back Sunday. It was bout 3 months long and we played in front of so many people, as well we had so much fun with all those guys. At one point someone bought a tazer…that was not fun at all. If I got tazed I told everyone I would quit music all together.

Hendrik (P76):: Can you "learn" from those bands who have been so successful and have much experience in playing live shows?
Kenny:: :We get inspired by a lot of bands we play with. Saves the day made us push harder to be a better band, alexisonfire makes me want to continue having fun playing music forever and muse makes me want to never sing again.

Hendrik (P76):: How did you come to the name of the new Album "The Red Tree"?
Kenny:: : It was really inspired by the artwork. I drove around looking for certain images I had in my head and found all these perfect pictures of trees and fields and lonliness. It worked out well. So in the end, it just came together with the images. Picture one lonely tree, different from all the rest. It would seem that if it disappeared it would never be missed. But that is not true, everything we have is connected. So anything that happens creates a ripple effect to everything and everyone else. So this thought of a little red tree alone in the world really stuck out to me.

Hendrik (P76):: One of the new songs is called: "There Are a Million Resons for Why This May Not Work...And Just One Good One For Why It Will". Is this correlated to the band itself and the way you have gone? If not, what does that title refer to?
Kenny:: : This is a love song. Yup I ended up writing a love song after I said I wouldn’t. This song is all about the one moment when you realize that you want to give everything you have to another person. That moment seems impossible and frightening before it happens. But when it does there is nothing that feels more right than to know you have found the person you want to be with for the rest of your life. Then you get scared off and run off to mexico the day of your wedding. Ha ha.

Hendrik (P76):: Another one is called: "The Frightening Reality of the Fact That We Will All Have to Grow Up and Settle Down One Day". Are you afraid of growing up? Who is forcing you top settle down?
Kenny:: : Ha ha ha, the whole world is. That is what we are designed to do. Grow up and have a real life. I used to hate that. But then I realized that mindless security ain’t so bad. I will never really have that being in a band, but just thinking of the simple life seems pretty cool. I would hate it if I was thrown into it. I have always had a huge fear of commitment. I am o.k. now. But selling yourself on one thing for the rest of your life is a pretty crazy thing. The two songs are sort of a before and after to the thought of giving your self to one person.

Hendrik (P76):: The easiest and the most difficult thing about the new album?
Kenny:: : The most difficult would be actually making it, that was a little tough. Fun and the best times of our lives…but getting there was pretty hard. We just had no idea what direction to go or how we were going to get there. I was stuck in a real bad headspace of thinking that nothing is good enough. Nothng is ever good enough. I don’t really think that way anymore…but at the time it was horrible. When we actually started recording it was amazing. We had such a good time with Brian. Anything we had an idea for…we did. If it was us in a bathtub humming songs then we would have done it. Smiles everyday.

Hendrik (P76):: What would be your biggest wish for the near future, concerning the band. Kenny:: : World peace right??? Ha ha. We just want to be able to keep doing what we are doing. If we got to a point where we could play in front of as many people as we do back at home in Canada, but everywhere then we would be the happiest dudes ever!

Hendrik (P76):: Many Tour Dates are coming up next. What is probably going to be the best show? Kenny:: :I have no idea??? There re too many to be able to guess at that. We are pretty much on tour for the rest of our lives which will end shortly after warped tour.

Hendrik (P76):: Any last words? Kenny:: :I love people who love me back!

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