Sugarcult
Interview with bassist Airin Older
Issue 4, Summer/Fall 2004
S&S: How does it feel to have your new album drop after what
feels like such a long time?
Airin: Great. It's been a long time. We've had to go through a lot
of bullshit, but it's out.
S&S: What is your favorite song off "Palm Trees and Power
Lines"?
Airin: Maybe "Back To California."
S&S: Do you have any favorite pranks you or the band has pulled?
Airin: No. That would be question for the other guys.
S&S: What have they done?
Airin: I plead the fifth.
S&S: Most memorable moment with the band all together?
Airin: There's a lot. Conan was cool. We played Conan O'Brien. That
was pretty memorable.
S&S: Were you nervous at all?
Airin: Not really. It was just another show. We play a lot of them.
The only part of it that's a little nerve wrecking is everybody is far away
and sitting down. You're not interacting with the crowd as much. So, the
energy isn't really there. You have to fake that.
S&S: Describe each band member, including yourself, in three
words.
Airin: Oh God! I don't even know words. Words are misleading anyway.
Tim is lead, sing, guitar. Marko is lead guitar player, Kenny is hits drums
hard and I pass on me. I don't know.
S&S: Do you ever get tired of playing a certain song, a single
for instance.
Airin: No.
S&S: Do you guys party after shows when you're on tour or do
you crash?
Airin: It depends on where we are, if we're tired, if we partied
the night before.
S&S: Favorite on the road snack?
Airin: Water. Water is a very important thing. On tour, we have cases
of it that seem to disappear really fast. It's always a hot commodity.
S&S: What was high school like for you?
Airin: It was alright. It had its moments.
S&S: Did you have good grades?
Airin: I went through periods of having bad grades, but for the most
part, I had good grades.
S&S: Did you know during high school that you wanted to play
music?
Airin: Oh, yeah, before high school. My mom's an opera singer, so
I grew up around music. It's always been a part of me.
S&S: Were you in any bands when you were younger?
Airin: Yeah.
S&S: Did you ever think that they were really going to go somewhere?
Airin: I was just playing to have fun. I never thought about it really.
S&S: Are you still like that now, even though you guys are
obviously getting big.
Airin: Yes.
S&S: If you could have one part of your body massaged every
day, what would it be?
Airin: I think that's obvious.
S&S: (laughter) I thought you might say feet or something like
that, since you stand on stage a lot.
Airin: That's what I was going to say. Feet, obviously. No, probably
my back. There's a lot of pressure points there.
S&S: If you had to cancel forever a single thing that you have
to do every day, what would it be?
Airin: Eating.
S&S: Even though you get energy from eating?
Airin: Well, if I had to cancel it, I would get energy some other
way. I don't know. It's your hypothetical [question]. (laughter) It's such
a drag. You have to figure out where you're going and how much it's going
to be. On the road, it's hard.
S&S: Even when your songs are about heartbreak and disaster,
the melodies and hooks are rockin' and positive. What's a positive message
you'd like to send to your fans?
Airin: Don't be too serious. Don't take things too seriously, and
always look from all perspectives.