Karl Koch interview with Rivers Cuomo - Summer 1998

Print interview with Rivers Cuomo
Publication	Weezine Issue 13 [1]
Interviewee	Rivers Cuomo
Interviewer	Karl Koch
Date	Summer 1998
Title	AN INTERVIEW WITH RIVERS
Format	Print
External link	https://www.weezerpedia.com/wiki/Weezine_Issue_13_-_Summer_1998
References	See where this interview is referenced on Weezerpedia

AN INTERVIEW WITH RIVERS Author: Karl Koch Weezine Issue 13 - Summer 1998 Published: 1998 AN INTERVIEW WITH RIVERS K: Regarding Matt...I don't think there is, but is it like a "bad feelings" situation? R: There's no bad feelings whatsoever. K: Are you guys still in touch and stuff! R: Oh, yeah. In fact, Matt was staying at my house this spring while he was finishing up his record... I went back there and tried to help him with one song for his record, and he also helped me out with the Homie song... we both wanna keep working together as often as we can. K: Was the audition process as difficult and "grueling" as Brian says? R: (Long pause) It wasn't easy but...nothing is! (Editors note: Blur reference) K: When you got Mikey in there did things click all of a sudden? You knew him already right? R:Yeah, in fact, some... uh... humans... (Laughter)...I played shows with him already (in Boston). K: "Humans?" (More laughter) R: What I mean is, some Weezer fans may already have seen us playing together. K: In Boston, you mean? R: Yeah. K: Okay, so he was a "candidate" before the auditions began, then? R: Yeah, I loved hanging out with him... I loved playing with him... It (him auditioning) seemed kind of unrealistic, because he was in Boston and we were in LA K: And he was fully employed with bands already. R: Yeah, he played for Juliana Hatfield full time. K: Is she not doing anything any more or...? R: Well, she doesn't have a "band", she hires people on and gives them a salary. I guess his contract was up and he decided not to re-sign. He just called me up one day and said "Dude, I'm comin' out. I'm gonna audition for the band and I'm gonna get the part. K: Wow. So he really wanted it. R: Yeah, so I said "Alright Mikey, but...we can't get you a plane ticket and there's a lot of people auditioning, so you only have a slim chance." But he came out and everything clicked instantly. It just g sounded so much heavier when he was playing. He was the first guy that we all instantly liked. K: Describe what the new music sounds like... R: NO! We haven't decided yet! K: Okay, so you have a lot of songs and you don't know which ones to choose and you don't know how you're going to play them yet? R: Both. K: So a lot of stuff is up in the air. R: Although everything is coming together. K: Are the rehearsals grueling or fun? R: They're both it's hard work but it's what we love to do. All I can say is, we're working every day and having fun and...we'll make a record as soon as we can. K: Right on... Okay, I know there's some songs that Pat wrote and is singing on, is that an indication that if any one in =w= came in with a song, you'd play it or is it basically, you're just playing songs that you or Pat write or is it a free for all jam thing? R: We've played some of Brian's songs too...and Mikey doesn't have any interest in writing. K: He just plays. R: Yeah. K: Clarify if you could how the stuff you were doing in Boston relates to what's going on in the rehearsals now if at all... I mean, there were some different incarnations of personnel doing those Boston shows, and different sets of material one went on to be known as "Homie"... . R: Which incantation are you talking about? (Laughter) K: There was Homie, right? R: The Homie incarnation (Laughter) was totally unrelated. And the other group of guys... (See Weezine #11 for the then-current Rivers explanation of all this.) K: Does either "bands" material have anything to do with new Weezer material? R: Homie was just a total goof ball stuff I did while waiting for Matt to finish his record (Editors note: which included some old non-Weezer songs too.) K: But you recorded an album of Homie stuff, right? Or was it another thing? R: Homie one of which ended up on that soundtrack ("Meet the Deedles"). We had a great time doing that total in the studio creative fun. K: And the other Boston thing? R: That was me playing with Mikey and Zeph from Stompbox. (Long pause) We may play some of those songs on this record. (When) the record comes out, all the mysteries will be made clear. I don't want to say, "This is what's happening" and then disappoint people if it doesn't. We're definitely not lost or confused though it's all just (adopts artsy voice) 'part of the creative process." K: You're blending and shaping. (A famous, pompous mixing engineer's phrase for what he did in his job.) R: Yeah. (Laughter) K: That's the best way. R: Relaxing, having fun, watching TV, writing songs, playing music and not worrying about deadlines. K: Cool. So, there are all kinds of crazy rumors that went around so far...you died and got married to Lisa Loeb. She's not your type, you know. R: I knew that. I also supposedly got arrested for sexual assault! K: Isn't the Internet wonderful? "I believe virtually everything I read." (David St.Hubbins, Spinal Tap) R: (Continues quote) "So I believe that makes me less gullible than people who are more skeptical." (Laughter) There were people coming up to me and going "Oh my god! I heard you died!" I say believe everything you read. I married Lisa Loeb, got arrested for sexual assault, and then died in a car accident. (Lots of laughter) Thanks a lot for doing this. K: Thanks for setting aside the time. Bye now.