o how many shows have you done so far here at SXSW?
Alex: Zero
Nick: Yeah, we heard about all the hard-working bands and wanted to be the least hard-working. It's rough, we're at the end of our tour, just came off a long drive.
Alex: It's been a bit of a reality check, from being spoiled with Modest Mouse's day rooms, and now we're back to reality, with no hotel room. The band is at the pinnacle of male-dom.
Nick: We just smell like BO
Andrew: The van has a mystery layer on the floor of loose change and junk
Nick: And a scent we can't figure out. Desperation, maybe?

Ha. So something like the smell of high school.
Nick: I don't know, now I think it's almost refreshing and kind of nice.
Alex: We could have an art show. Just not touch anything and put the van in a gallery.

So this really is a whistle-stop for you. Do you feel like you'll catch the bug and have to come back next year in a bigger way?
Alex: Actually, we really wanted to play this year as much as possible. It's what we really like to do, but things just fell through. It may have been a blessing in disguise. By the time we got here we were pretty ranched-out, you know?
Nick: Yesterday about 5pm, I thought we were about to die.

Then how are you feeling about performing? You put on an upbeat show.
Alex: You really think so? I'm just interested because I think that came mainly from the marketing pitch we got. With the first single, "Single Fins & Safety Pins," we wanted to make a cliche pop song about the beach. With every review we got comparisons to the Beach Boys. I mean, man! I wish we could sing and harmonize like the Beach Boys. But I guess I'm glad people feel

we're upbeat. We're not that depressed... I mean, maybe a little...
Nick: Maybe just now, off the tour...
Alex: No, it was an honor to be on that tour with the guys in Modest Mouse. We just did something like 20 shows in 24 days.

Was it weird playing in the bigger venues?
Nick: There were a couple of shows where I wanted to play on the floor; we're not big enough that we'd get attacked. It's also cool getting comfortable in those expansive spaces. And I love playing those all-ages shows because kids connect with the music more. They're die-hard. I mean, everyone connects with music but when I was a kid, music is kind of what saved my life.

So are the kids really into it?
Nick: It changes from crowd to crowd. Some kids are amped, others just listen and will get excited later, and others are just zombie-eyed.
Alex: Yeah, that used to bug me, but after doing this tour and playing at home for so long with people that already know our music, I kind of got to like the various responses. There's already so much that's accessible. So when people don't like it or there's negativity or they don't even give a flying fuck that means you're doing something you want to be doing. You're not just doing it to please.
Nick: But I think it's amazing that we didn't get that much negative response on the tour. We didn't have the dude yelling "YOU SUCK!!"
Alex: It's probably been blogged, though.

I'll make sure to find that and forward it to you.

JAPANESE MOTORS: Single Fins & Safety Pins

JAPANESE MOTORS: Better Trends