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Rivers to Cross
Author: Brian Hiatt (Entertainment Weekly)
Published: April 9, 2002
- Rivers Cuomo on Weezer's uncertain future. The frontman explains the unusual story behind the band's new album, Maladroit'
Less than a year ago, Weezer were on their way back to the good life. The Green Album -- the band's first release since 1997's[sic] cult favorite, commercial flop Pinkerton -- debuted at No. 4. And the hit single "Hash Pipe" returned Weezer to MTV, reaching a new, TRL-loving audience. But band leader Rivers Cuomo apparently isn't content to have anything like a standard career path.
When EW.com spoke to Cuomo last month, disagreements between Weezer and their label, Interscope's Geffen, threatened to derail the release of their new album, Maladroit. The band/label warfare has since ceased, and the album -- which gives Weezer's quirky brand of power-pop a dose of steroids on songs like the unofficial single "Dope Nose" -- is due in stores May 14. But Cuomo explains why it almost never came out at all, why he'd like to release his music for free, and how his band "started to veer off into outer space."
Brian Hiatt:
What led you to send a Maladroit sampler to journalists and radio stations without submitting the album to your label?
Rivers:
We hadn't talked to the label in four months, and I guess there was no one around telling us what to do. So we just made a record and sent it around. I think we had a big fight [with the label] about something -- I don't even remember what it was about. We just weren't seeing eye-to-eye anymore and there was just no reason to talk to them. We're a self-sufficient band.
Brian Hiatt:
But then you sent a letter to radio stations asking them to stop playing the album. Why?
Rivers:
The record company took note, and they were very upset. They said, "Rivers, we have to stop this now, so please write a letter to all the radio stations asking them to not play your songs." They were angry, and I don't really know what the hell I'm doing, so I didn't really have a choice. What I was supposed to say? At the end of the day, they have a frightening amount of power over my life. If they wanted to, they could pretty much completely end our career and make it impossible for us to release music anymore. It's frustrating for us, because it's our album. We made it, we paid for the thing, and we sent it out to everybody. We got it on the radio. We got the attention from press. And now, unfortunately, they have the right to claim ownership of it -- so we have to turn it over.
Brian Hiatt:
And are you going to?
Rivers:
Unless I totally freak out. They requested the masters -- they definitely want to put it out now.
Brian Hiatt:
They didn't want to before?
Rivers:
My understanding was that they were opposed to the idea of us putting out an album so quickly after the last one. We had played them early versions of the songs, and they definitely were not into them. I'm under the impression that's one of the things we were fighting about: They didn't like the direction we were going in. They said it sounded too much like Lynyrd Skynyrd -- seriously. This one guy at the company is paranoid about classic rock, and if we do anything remotely [like] classic rock, he gets totally bummed out on us. And recently, we've just really been in a Skynyrd mood. [A label spokesperson declined to respond to Cuomo's comments, except to say: "When Rivers is ready to put out his record, Geffen is ready to put it out."]
Brian Hiatt:
You also pulled down the MP3 section from your Web site. Was that at the label's request?
Yeah. It's a shame too, because the most important thing in the world to me is getting our songs out there. And we have a ton of them and I wish we could just constantly put new songs up for people to hear. We just recorded 10 to 15 new songs and if I had my way, I'd put them up right now, so everyone could download them. See, that's what I'd do if we owned the masters. I'd do stuff like that. Just give the music away for free. [Geffen has since agreed to the return of the MP3 section.]
Brian Hiatt:
Um, but how would you earn a living, then?
Rivers:
I don't know. It's just karma -- somehow we'd get paid back. I guess maybe from concerts or....
But now they want the album and unfortunately they have the right to claim ownership of the tapes. It's crazy. It's totally unfair. I mean, that's us on the tape. That's me singing. Those are our songs. That's us rocking out. How come they can just walk in and pick up the tapes and say, they're ours? They didn't even pay for 'em -- we paid for 'em.
I don't know. We don't really worry ourselves about it. The goal is just to make music and get it out there. And to have tons of people singing along to our songs. That's what makes us happy. I swear we pretty much just put the whole business side of things out of our minds and keep rocking. Unfortunately, through neglecting the business side, it's like our business problems are just piling up. I guess that's what happens when you don't have a manager. [laughs]
Brian Hiatt:
So what are you going to do about it?
Rivers:
I have no idea. I don't really care, either, because at the end of day no one can stop us from getting together and playing and as long as we can do that we'll be happy.
Brian Hiatt:
And if and when the record comes out on Geffen?
Rivers:
We'd just ignore it. We don't really bother ourselves with the actual album. All our fans already have the songs -- they downloaded them off the Web site before it got shut down.
Brian Hiatt:
How did you guys get this far from where you were last year?
Rivers:
I think it was gradually getting more and more focused on making music and turning away from the idea of trying to be a successful product. It was probably a year ago that we fired our manager and we just started to veer off into outer space. I really think it was the best thing we ever did, because we don't have people whispering in our ears all the time trying to steer us back onto a normal course. We've been free to just do whatever we want to do, and figure out what it is we want to do. And that's led us to where we are, for better or worse.
Brian Hiatt:
And yet it seems like a creatively fertile time for you. Maladroit is the biggest-sounding rock you've ever done.
Rivers:
Yeah, we feel the same way, and we're really excited about moving forward and just developing from there. Now we're starting to try songs that the other guys wrote and that the other guys sing on. We just have a very relaxed and live and creative feel in the studio. It's our home.
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