Interviewed in person at the 2009 Leeds Festival
Broadway Calls sit down around me on the floor eagerly awaiting my questions, seemingly keen to get back out to the festival. They joke around, and are very smiley. Matt is full on and has a pleasant but intense look on his face, Josh is the most relaxed and Ty seems to be scoping me out. They are serious about what they do but happy to have a light interview.
Altsounds: Ok, so if I wanted to go to Oregon to rock out where would I go?
Josh: Portland.
Altsounds: Oh, crap, is that a city?
Ty: It's a city yeah. Oregon's a State, Portland's a city.
Altsounds: Oh. Damn it. [Nervous laughter, wish I had better geography skills. I may have to study maps for a while]
Josh: Wait, what was the question?
Altsounds: Where would I go in Portland to rock out?
Ty: There's a club called Satyricon we play a lot at.
Josh: Dantes. How old are you?
Altsounds: 22
Ty: Or just any like basement shows.
Altsounds: So it's quite a good scene then?
Josh: Mainstream and underground.
Altsounds: What's your favourite joke?
Josh: My favourite joke is...what did the....[Matt whispers to Josh] what did the blind, retarded child get for Christmas?
Matt: You can't...
Josh: Aids.
[All laugh]
Altsounds: What, that's an awful joke, it's not even a joke!
Josh: It was going to be cancer but the last person I told it to, her parents had cancer. Not so funny then.
Matt: I like, “Knock, knock”
Altsounds: Who's there?
Matt: You're friend Matt. He's always going to be there for you.
Josh: Let's get a real joke.
Matt: Yours was a real joke.
Altsounds: That was an awful joke.
Josh: But you laughed!
Altsounds: I laughed AT you, there's a difference.
Josh: Aww.
Ty: What kind of wild animal do you not want to play cards with?
Altsounds: I don't know.
Ty: A cheetah.
Josh: Do the Will Smith one, that's my favourite.
Ty: OK, let me think how it goes. How do you find Will Smith in a snow storm? You look for the Fresh Prince.
Altsounds: Who have you seen/are going to see this weekend that you're really excited about?
[Matt checks his phone]
Altsounds: Hey, you can't check your phone when you're doing an interview!
Matt: I was checking the time. Brand New at 4 o'clock.
Altsounds: Oh, ok.
Ty: Yesterday we got to see one song by Chuck Ragan, Polar Bear Club and Set Your Goals. All our friends basically. We came a day earlier just to hang out so that was really cool.
Josh: I want to see Vampire Weekend and Crystal Castles.
Altsounds: Oh yeah, Crystal Castles are on at 4, I can't go see them.
Josh: They're on a 4?
Altsounds: Yeah, oh wait no, Crystal Castles? No, sorry I was thinking of a completely different band.
Josh: Who were you talking about?
Altsounds: I was thinking of Crystal Method....completely different.
Josh: Oh OK, the dance tent.
Altsounds: So very different.
Josh: You could still dance though to Crystal Castles.
Altsounds: So do you guys drink?
Matt: I don't, he drinks [points to Ty]
Josh: I was forced to drink on the last day of our tour. I didn't drink prior to that.
Altsounds: So, Ty, what's your best hangover cure?
Ty: Get breakfast with friends, then go back to sleep.
Altsounds: And your best festival tip?
Ty: Stay out of the sun I guess? [laughs] For bands, or for kids?
Josh: For Reading kids. We don't really have festivals in America except for Warped Tour.
Matt: Sunscreen at Warped Tour.
Josh: And don't pay $8 for a bottle of water!
Matt: Smuggle your food in.
Ty: When you can cheat the system, do it.
Altsounds: Bit of a rude one now. Tits or ass?
Ty: Ass.
Josh: I don't know, both are good. I can't choose. I can't answer that.
Matt: I'll say ass. It's a tough question.
Josh: Really, it's like 50/50.
Matt: It's like 55/45 to ass.
Altsounds: What was the turning point when you thought 'this is it, this is what we wanna do?'
Ty: Um just our first show, when kids actually turned up. We had a demo out before we played our first show and when we played that and there's a bunch of kids singing along, it was just awesome. We had another band at the time also, so it was easy to make the shift towards this one.
Altsounds: Altsounds is by the people, for the people, what message have you got for our lovely readers? Why should they check you out?
Ty: Ummm, we have a new record out on Sideone Dummy Records that we're really excited about called "Good Views, Bad News".
Altsounds: This is your third label isn't it?
Ty: Yes.
Altsounds: Did you not get along with the other ones?
Josh: It's all been one offs and not multiple records.
Ty: We never had contracts with the label before. We're really excited because our friends at Adeline also manage us.
[Matt has been pulling and stroking Ty's knee hair which is protruding from a rip in his jeans].
Matt: He's got knee hair hanging out of his jeans!
Ty: If you had a hole in your jeans you'd have hair hanging out too!
Matt: That long!?
Josh: Does the carpet match the drapes?
Ty: Maybe.
Altsounds: Pop punk is coming back in so there's a lot of competition, why should people listen to you?
Josh: We're not a gimmick. There is a lot of Pop Punk bands who are just a gimmick
Altsounds: Like Blink 182?
Ty: No, we like Blink 182.
Josh: No, the newer bands. The ones that are mixing maybe some Metal with some Pop Punk. Some Break Beat. You don't need that.
Ty: Not a fan.
Matt: Also, we don't have hair straighteners. Broadway Calls do not have hair straighteners!
Altsounds: [Laughing] I like that. I'm not a fan of boys straightening their hair! Ok, so, please tell me a story of something crazy that happened to your band recently.
Ty: We showed up at the airport to pick up our rental van for this tour and we get there and it's this cargo van – with three seats in the front, separated and just a big empty room in the back. No seats.
There's five of us travelling. I was like, this has to be a mistake. So this is what we're actually in. Two or three of us ride in the actual seats and the others ride in the back where we can't communicate at all with the rest of the guys and it's dark.
Altsounds: It's kind of like hostage situations.
Matt: It wass really depressing.
Josh: People smuggling. You can't see the road, there's no natural light and you're sitting on a pillow so your ass doesn't go numb.
When we came here, there was cars honking and he wass driving [points to Ty] and we are not allowed to take it to Europe but we're still going to hopefully.
Matt: Give it a couple of days before you put this out because you know the cops are reading this and are like... "WHAT!"
Altsounds: Last question, if I were a princess trapped in a tower, how would you rescue me?
Josh: You hair is not that long. Maybe a pole volt. I don't know how we'd get down.
Matt: I'd have Andre the giant on one side of the sling shot and the other guy from The Princes Bride....that little guy...Billy Crystal on the other side. And as they're holding it I'd walk back and shoot myself up in the tower and.....
Josh: But how would you get down? You have to rescue her!
Matt: Yeah. We're dying up there. Sorry, sorry. I came up to die with you!? Sorry, I didn't think it through.
Ty: Probably just drive our stupid van up next to it, stand on top of it and see if I could reach you.
Josh: No, what you should do is.....
Ty: Is crash the van into the tower?
Josh: Here's what he does. He gets a big boom box and plays it out in front of the castle.
Ty: What's the song?
Josh: Whatever you want.
Matt: That song that was playing when we were having sex?
Altsounds: When you were doing what now?
Matt: We recorded a movie.
Josh: Have you seen when John Cusack was holing the big stereo?
Ty: But that doesn't get her down.
Josh: But it's awesome, if you did that, she'd be in love.
Altsounds: But how would I get down?
Josh: Who cares when you have love? I'd lay down on the ground and say 'Just jump and try to bounce off my stomach!'
Matt: Or your butt!!
And then my rather random and comical chat with Broadway Calls was over and the boys skipped away to go an check out some of their favourite bands around the Leeds festival.
Altsounds: Ok, so if I wanted to go to Oregon to rock out where would I go?
Josh: Portland.
Altsounds: Oh, crap, is that a city?
Ty: It's a city yeah. Oregon's a State, Portland's a city.
Altsounds: Oh. Damn it. [Nervous laughter, wish I had better geography skills. I may have to study maps for a while]
Josh: Wait, what was the question?
Altsounds: Where would I go in Portland to rock out?
Ty: There's a club called Satyricon we play a lot at.
Josh: Dantes. How old are you?
Altsounds: 22
Ty: Or just any like basement shows.
Altsounds: So it's quite a good scene then?
Josh: Mainstream and underground.
Altsounds: What's your favourite joke?
Josh: My favourite joke is...what did the....[Matt whispers to Josh] what did the blind, retarded child get for Christmas?
Matt: You can't...
Josh: Aids.
[All laugh]
Altsounds: What, that's an awful joke, it's not even a joke!
Josh: It was going to be cancer but the last person I told it to, her parents had cancer. Not so funny then.
Matt: I like, “Knock, knock”
Altsounds: Who's there?
Matt: You're friend Matt. He's always going to be there for you.
Josh: Let's get a real joke.
Matt: Yours was a real joke.
Altsounds: That was an awful joke.
Josh: But you laughed!
Altsounds: I laughed AT you, there's a difference.
Josh: Aww.
Ty: What kind of wild animal do you not want to play cards with?
Altsounds: I don't know.
Ty: A cheetah.
Josh: Do the Will Smith one, that's my favourite.
Ty: OK, let me think how it goes. How do you find Will Smith in a snow storm? You look for the Fresh Prince.
Altsounds: Who have you seen/are going to see this weekend that you're really excited about?
[Matt checks his phone]
Altsounds: Hey, you can't check your phone when you're doing an interview!
Matt: I was checking the time. Brand New at 4 o'clock.
Altsounds: Oh, ok.
Ty: Yesterday we got to see one song by Chuck Ragan, Polar Bear Club and Set Your Goals. All our friends basically. We came a day earlier just to hang out so that was really cool.
Josh: I want to see Vampire Weekend and Crystal Castles.
Altsounds: Oh yeah, Crystal Castles are on at 4, I can't go see them.
Josh: They're on a 4?
Altsounds: Yeah, oh wait no, Crystal Castles? No, sorry I was thinking of a completely different band.
Josh: Who were you talking about?
Altsounds: I was thinking of Crystal Method....completely different.
Josh: Oh OK, the dance tent.
Altsounds: So very different.
Josh: You could still dance though to Crystal Castles.
Altsounds: So do you guys drink?
Matt: I don't, he drinks [points to Ty]
Josh: I was forced to drink on the last day of our tour. I didn't drink prior to that.
Altsounds: So, Ty, what's your best hangover cure?
Ty: Get breakfast with friends, then go back to sleep.
Altsounds: And your best festival tip?
Ty: Stay out of the sun I guess? [laughs] For bands, or for kids?
Josh: For Reading kids. We don't really have festivals in America except for Warped Tour.
Matt: Sunscreen at Warped Tour.
Josh: And don't pay $8 for a bottle of water!
Matt: Smuggle your food in.
Ty: When you can cheat the system, do it.
Altsounds: Bit of a rude one now. Tits or ass?
Ty: Ass.
Josh: I don't know, both are good. I can't choose. I can't answer that.
Matt: I'll say ass. It's a tough question.
Josh: Really, it's like 50/50.
Matt: It's like 55/45 to ass.
Altsounds: What was the turning point when you thought 'this is it, this is what we wanna do?'
Ty: Um just our first show, when kids actually turned up. We had a demo out before we played our first show and when we played that and there's a bunch of kids singing along, it was just awesome. We had another band at the time also, so it was easy to make the shift towards this one.
Altsounds: Altsounds is by the people, for the people, what message have you got for our lovely readers? Why should they check you out?
Ty: Ummm, we have a new record out on Sideone Dummy Records that we're really excited about called "Good Views, Bad News".
Altsounds: This is your third label isn't it?
Ty: Yes.
Altsounds: Did you not get along with the other ones?
Josh: It's all been one offs and not multiple records.
Ty: We never had contracts with the label before. We're really excited because our friends at Adeline also manage us.
[Matt has been pulling and stroking Ty's knee hair which is protruding from a rip in his jeans].
Matt: He's got knee hair hanging out of his jeans!
Ty: If you had a hole in your jeans you'd have hair hanging out too!
Matt: That long!?
Josh: Does the carpet match the drapes?
Ty: Maybe.
Altsounds: Pop punk is coming back in so there's a lot of competition, why should people listen to you?
Josh: We're not a gimmick. There is a lot of Pop Punk bands who are just a gimmick
Altsounds: Like Blink 182?
Ty: No, we like Blink 182.
Josh: No, the newer bands. The ones that are mixing maybe some Metal with some Pop Punk. Some Break Beat. You don't need that.
Ty: Not a fan.
Matt: Also, we don't have hair straighteners. Broadway Calls do not have hair straighteners!
Altsounds: [Laughing] I like that. I'm not a fan of boys straightening their hair! Ok, so, please tell me a story of something crazy that happened to your band recently.
Ty: We showed up at the airport to pick up our rental van for this tour and we get there and it's this cargo van – with three seats in the front, separated and just a big empty room in the back. No seats.
There's five of us travelling. I was like, this has to be a mistake. So this is what we're actually in. Two or three of us ride in the actual seats and the others ride in the back where we can't communicate at all with the rest of the guys and it's dark.
Altsounds: It's kind of like hostage situations.
Matt: It wass really depressing.
Josh: People smuggling. You can't see the road, there's no natural light and you're sitting on a pillow so your ass doesn't go numb.
When we came here, there was cars honking and he wass driving [points to Ty] and we are not allowed to take it to Europe but we're still going to hopefully.
Matt: Give it a couple of days before you put this out because you know the cops are reading this and are like... "WHAT!"
Altsounds: Last question, if I were a princess trapped in a tower, how would you rescue me?
Josh: You hair is not that long. Maybe a pole volt. I don't know how we'd get down.
Matt: I'd have Andre the giant on one side of the sling shot and the other guy from The Princes Bride....that little guy...Billy Crystal on the other side. And as they're holding it I'd walk back and shoot myself up in the tower and.....
Josh: But how would you get down? You have to rescue her!
Matt: Yeah. We're dying up there. Sorry, sorry. I came up to die with you!? Sorry, I didn't think it through.
Ty: Probably just drive our stupid van up next to it, stand on top of it and see if I could reach you.
Josh: No, what you should do is.....
Ty: Is crash the van into the tower?
Josh: Here's what he does. He gets a big boom box and plays it out in front of the castle.
Ty: What's the song?
Josh: Whatever you want.
Matt: That song that was playing when we were having sex?
Altsounds: When you were doing what now?
Matt: We recorded a movie.
Josh: Have you seen when John Cusack was holing the big stereo?
Ty: But that doesn't get her down.
Josh: But it's awesome, if you did that, she'd be in love.
Altsounds: But how would I get down?
Josh: Who cares when you have love? I'd lay down on the ground and say 'Just jump and try to bounce off my stomach!'
Matt: Or your butt!!
And then my rather random and comical chat with Broadway Calls was over and the boys skipped away to go an check out some of their favourite bands around the Leeds festival.
