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Terra Ocio interview with Rivers Cuomo and Mikey Welsh - June 28, 2001
We interviewed Weezer with a few of the many questions that you've sent us from all over the world. Even so, they didn't answer in exactly the most intelligent way possible. Oh well, you can't have everything in life...
Terrra Ocio: Why have you titled your album "Weezer" again?
Rivers: We couldn't find another name. It was part of the creative process.
Mikey: Because we're gay.
TO: Why is the album so short? Have you saved some songs for the b-sides?
Rivers: People should pay more attention to what's on the album rather than what's not. Anyway, you got what you got.
Mikey: But now that we're underway, the public will get more of our albums in a shorter period of time, unlike the past. But in any case we've worked hard on these 10 songs and we're very proud of them.
TO: Were you nervous because you had set such a high standard with your previous albums?
Rivers: I feel the pressure more from albums by The Beatles and Nirvana than our old albums. Those are great records and they are the ones we'd like to compare ourselves to.
Mikey: I feel pressure from the chick that gives us massages.
TO: Has the reaction you've received in Madrid (sold out tickets a week before the show) surprised you?
Rivers: Yeah, we were pretty surprised since we haven't been here in five years, but it seems they've remembered us.
TO: How do you feel when you see your name on a web page listing the best bands of all time? And by the way, are you addicted to the Internet?
Rivers: We think we deserve to be on that list and we want to rise higher on it to fuck the others.
Mikey: My lawyer told me not to speak about my addictions.
TO: Many people feel that Pinkerton is deeper, more complete [than The Green Album], and an essential album. Why do you think The Green Album has had less acceptance?
Rivers: Pinkerton is a very tangled up record, very complicated...It doesn't surprise me that so many people don't like it, it surprises me that there's so many who do like it. It seems crazy to me.
TO: Do you know the group Jetlag that (opens for you?) on your tour?
Rivers: No. Are they good?
TO: Yes, they're very good.
Rivers: Do they sing in English or in Spanish?
TO: They sing in English.
Rivers: Spanglish...
TO: No, no, in English. So I imagine you don't know any Spanish bands...
Rivers: Julio Iglesias.
TO: I was guessing you'd say that. [laughter]
Rivers: But are there any?
TO: Yes, of course.
Rivers: But are there any who are internationally successful?
TO: Yes, there are a few. Have you heard of Dover?
Rivers: Yeah, they sing in English.
TO: And there are others like Sexy Sadie...Anyway, what do you see "only in dreams"?
Rivers: That's a difficult question because dreams are a form of expressing our desires and repressed frustrations.
TO: What do you think of the USA? Are you a patriot?
Rivers: I'm not very patriotic but it's a nice place to live.
Mikey: It's very "cool" to express patriotic feelings but I like the country... Even if President Bush sucks. About the dreams question, I'd like to say that our guitarist Brian Bell has a recurring dream where he's a professional ballet dancer.
TO: Do you identify with the "indie" label you are given?
Rivers: We can't be called indie when we're signed to an international label and we've won several MTV awards.
Mikey: The term "Indie rock" lost its meaning because many bands call themselves that just to be snobs. Music should be free, without frontiers, and labelling it or classifying it doesn't make sense. That's for idiots and gays.
TO: Were you invited to any festivals in Spain?
Rivers: Because of touring dates it would have been impossible.
TO: What do you think of being identified as a mix between the Beach Boys and Nirvana?
Rivers: That's a good combination.
TO: What music do you listen to?
Rivers: We download lots of 80's songs from Napster.
Mikey: Stevie Wonder, Led Zeppelin and a new demo with the new songs we're doing now.
Rivers: And above all, a lot of funk.
TO: What do you think of music piracy? Should records be cheaper?
Rivers: Pirates? It's not something I think about much. With regards to record prices, the cheaper the better, as long as it doesn't affect our records.
Mikey: What do you think of the moonlight?
TO: Do you have a press officer or do you take care of your image yourself?
Rivers: Without a doubt, we have one. Normally I choose his clothes and he chooses mine.
TO: What places have you thought about touring, globally?
Mikey: Places like Argentina where there are hot chicks and free drugs.
