Soul Coughing
(MR.SONIC) We're here with Doughty and Mark.
(Doughty) Hi, we're Beck. No, sorry, we're Foghat.
(SOUL-Mark) No, we're Glove Hansen.
(Doughty) YES! We are Glove Hansen. We have come to rock.
(Mandy) Where are you?
(Doughty) Nueva York.
(MR.SONIC) In the big, rat infested hell we call New York.
(Doughty) Love them rodents.
(Mango) Rats are cool...hu hu hu.
(Mandy) Can we have some money?
(Doughty) Yes, and here's our Amex #.
(MR.SONIC) So, what's the band up to these days? Recording?
(Doughty) Oh, you know, smokin', drugs.
(SOUL-Mark) Yes, rehearsing, touring, second album in March.
(MR.SONIC) What can you tell us about the next record?
(Doughty) It's going to be very, very ugly.
(SOUL-Mark) It will have two songs that aren't very good.
(Doughty) It' s not going to be pretty at all.
(RottenLun) Is it gonna rock like my cock?
(MR.SONIC) Maybe, Rotten.
(Doughty) No, it's going to rock like Mark's cock.
(MR.SONIC) Sounds like a short record.
(Doughty) No, 'Live!' like a cock. That's the working title for our live record.
(Mandy) Is AC/DC an influence?
(Doughty) Shit yeah, girl.
(SOUL-Mark) Well this is really our prog. rock stage, so the songswill be 35 minutes each.
(RottenLun) Rush?
(Mango) Cheap Trick?
(SOUL-Mark) Maybe more like Warrant.
(Doughty) I met Cheap Trick when I was thirteen. Robin Zander wassnooty to me, but Guitar Freak Guy was cool. Whatever the hell hisname was...Rick Nielsen!
(MR.SONIC) Rush were the kings of 35 minute songs. What everhappened to single album side epics?
(Doughty) WE'RE BRINGING IT BACK, LAD!
(Mandy) They died with Jerry.
(Doughty) Don't f*ck with Jerry, man.
(MR.SONIC) How did you all deal with Jerry's death? Did you go toCentral Park?
(Doughty) I dealt with it in my own, personal manner.
(RottenLun) I masturbated with a fake beard.
(MR.SONIC) Rotten, how did you get out the tangles?
(Doughty) I think the tangles are kinda sexy, actually.
(RottenLun) Starch, and plenty of it.
(Mango) What is "Is Chicago" about?
(Doughty) Like, lyrically?
(Mango) Yeah.
(Doughty) I was tripping in Chicago, and it occurred to me thateverything outside the limits of my body Is Chicago, and everythinginside was not Chicago.
(Mandy) Mark, do you ever wonder what the f*ck Doughty is talkingabout?
(SOUL-Mark) No.
(Mango) Do you like Coltrane?
(SOUL-Mark) No.
(Doughty) Mark, you dick. Of course we like Coltrane. That's likeasking if we don't like death.
(Mandy) What about Pamela Anderson?
(SOUL-Mark) No.
(MR.SONIC) Now there's an influence.
(Doughty) That's Pamela Sue Anderson, pal.
(RottenLun) Pamela Anderson has a great set of pipes.
(SOUL-Mark) Nancy Drew rocks my world.
(MR.SONIC) What ever happened to Nancy Drew?
(Doughty) She's hanging with Sean in Malibu, G.
(Mandy) She became a yogurt chef.
(SOUL-Mark) She's playing drums with Richard Carpentar.
(MR.SONIC) Yogurt chef?
(Doughty) Man, that's cruel.
(RottenLun) Yogurt is cool.
(Mango) What do you think of the NYC music scene these days?
(Mandy) What scene?
(Doughty) Sucks. Hate it. Let's move on.
(RottenLun) Why does it suck?
(Doughty) No, really, there's decent stuff but it's all unrelated --Cake Like, Cibo Matto, Dim Sum Club Job, Drink Me.... There's noscene to speak of.
(RottenLun) Was the New York scene ever cool?
(Mandy) Ever hear of the Ramones, dork?
(SOUL-Mark) Or the New York dolls?
(Doughty) I don't think so; not any cooler or less cool than it isnow. There's a tremendous influx of people who want to be involved inany kind of culture here. It's always more lively than any other citythat's not a quote cultural capital unquote.
(Fishstix) How would you all describe your band?
(Doughty) I wouldn't. How the f*ck would you describe it?
(SOUL-Mark) Addicted to Carmex.
(Doughty) As always, Mark gets the Haiku Prize.
(Mandy) Carmex is a great lubricant.
(Doughty) Really? Wow, I would think it would engender a burningsensation. That cool mint buzz...ugh. Not very kind to sensitiveareas. I've tried with Kool menthol, so I know.
(RottenLun) I prefer Soft Scrub.
(SOUL-Mark) Howz about Tiger Balm?
(Mango) What do you guys think of Tabitha Soren?
(Mandy) If she only had a brain.
(Mango) I heard she's a big fan of yours.
(SOUL-Mark) Yeah, I love Kurt Loder so much more.
(Doughty) I heard she asked Bill Clinton, after he told her he wasinto Thelonious Monk, "Who's the loneliest monk?" But, that could beapocryphal. You did not hear she's a big fan of ours. Where did youhear that? WHERE THE HELL IS TABITHA RIGHT NOW!?
(Fishstix) Who are your favorite authors?
(Doughty) Alan Motherf*cking Dugan. David Mamet.
(SOUL-Mark) Right now, Calvino.
(Doughty) Ntozake Shange.
(Mandy) Who's Alan Dugan?
(Doughty) The King. I'm serious. He's the f*cking man.
(chriscarm) Hello?
(Mandy) We're here with Soul Coughing and they think they'resleuths.
(Doughty) We do not, we're just stoned.
(SOUL-Mark) Hardy Boys style.
(Doughty) Wow, this is like a Teen Mixer.
(chriscarm) I met Soul Coughing and used to email Doughty... But heforgot me :(
(Doughty) Whoa-ho-ho.... Oh? Really?
(Michael) Saw SC in SF the last time. Whatcha gonna do here inOctober (musically speaking)?
(Doughty) We'll probably do loads of non-record stuff on the tour ingeneral.... We're getting it tweaked for the next big elpee.
(MR.SONIC) This is dangerous under the influence, like operatingheavy machinery.
(Doughty) We're not really stoned.
(Michael) Are you just saying you'll play new stuff next month justto get us to come to the show again? Or are you *not* lying??
(Doughty) Well, most of it we've been playing on stage for awhile.But there's a few new songs.
(Mango) Soul, did you go to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?
(Doughty) Hell no.
(SOUL-Mark) Yes, before it was finished (big deal).
(Doughty) I watched the HBO broadcast ... pretty pathetic. They werehaving some massive monitor problem, it really looked like no onecould hear each other. Johnny Cash's guitar player kept making theseweird nods at the drummer.
(chriscarm) That rock n roll hall of fame is kinda silly looking.
(Doughty) Yeah, I think it was Jon Stewart that pointed out that itlooks EXACTLY LIKE THE DAMN PYRAMID AT THE LOUVRE.
(chriscarm) Well, it's the same architect.
(Michael) Lessee, there's 14 tracks on Ruby Vroom -- how many othersare you doing live now?
(Doughty) I don't know, there's maybe ten other songs we do live,frequently. And ten others that occur from time to time.
(RottenLun) Mark, are you the guy who comes up with the weirdeffects?
(RottenLun) Did you record "Satan rules" backwards in any of yoursongs?
(SOUL-Mark) No, forwards.
(Doughty) Actually, no, we did -- at the end of "Zoom." I forgot about it; I listened to the CD the other day andwas like, oh, yeah, that's right.
(Mandy) You played on John Stewart? How was it?
(Doughty) Toby Huss was on when we were on. He's insanely funny.Other than that, it was nerve-wracking for me. I had a tantrum.
(Michael) In live shows, does Mark change his samples on the fly? Ordoes he pretty much duplicate what's on the album?
(SOUL-Mark) On the fly and don't you forget it.
(Doughty) Yeah, everything is mutable.
(Doughty) We were gonna play with the woman that does that answeringmachine vocal on Janine, in New York, but it looks like we're notgonna get the chance. No time to rehearse it.
(chriscarm) That's too bad.
(Fishstix) You guys want to be famous or rich?
(Doughty) Both, now, please.
(Michael) Is he always mixed so low in the live mix? (At least hewas when we saw you at the Great American in SF.)
(SOUL-Mark) Maybe a bad night, sorry.
(Doughty) The sound is less than spectacular at the Great AmericanMusic Hall.
(chriscarm) The samples were mixed perfectly in Cincinnati. Well,Bus to Beelzebub has such a great intro you need to do it loud.
(SOUL-Mark) Thank you.
(Michael) Mark, how do you choose/discover your samples? Do youhave any influences in this area?
(SOUL-Mark) John Cage, Eric Satie, etc...
(chriscarm) You should sample Reservoir Dogs. Great lines in there.
(Fishstix) What do you guys think about Time/Warner's deal withInterscope? Aren't you on Warner?
(SOUL-Mark) Slash.
(Fishstix) Yeah but Slash is Warner right?
(Doughty) I think they're crazy to drop them like that. That'sserious $$$, and they're giving it up for a real campaignyear side issue. Ultimately, nobody's that bothered by Snoop.
(Fishstix) Does that make you feel shitty to be part of theirempire?
(MR.SONIC) We're all part of their empire.
(Mango) That's true.
(Michael) Mark -- no Negativland??
(Doughty) Hey, everybody is in someone's empire. Were I an autoworker, would you ask me why I work for Ford? And their empire?
(chriscarm) That's back to the issue of "selling out."
(SOUL-Mark) Is making enough money to pay rent selling out?
(MR.SONIC) How would you define selling out?
(Doughty) Man, I'll sell to the highest goddamn bidder.
(Fishstix) Playing for money over soul.
(chriscarm) It's impossible to define. You can't say that MichaelJackson sold out because he's always been that way.
(SOUL-Mark) Selling America by the pound.
(Doughty) Mark, let's sound more like late-period Genesis.
(Fishstix) Stone Temple Pilots.
(chriscarm) STP was put together by a label.
(Doughty) Oh, c'mon; STP is just a rock band. What, like they usedto be Public Enemy or something?
(SOUL-Mark) At one time he was the most talented dude on the scene.
(chriscarm) [laughs] I dunno, rumor has it.
(Doughty) No, they weren't put together by Atlantic, though thelabel asked them to change their name from Mighty Joe Young, forcopyright reasons.
(Mandy) Doughty, are you still dating Maggie Estep?
(Doughty) [silence]
(Mandy) Does that mean you're available?
(Doughty) Nah. Maggie and I broke up in the spring.
(chriscarm) That's too bad.
(Doughty) More or less.
(chriscarm) Watch out, Courtney Love might come after you.
(Doughty) M or F? M or F?. Oh, Courtney could find a prettier boythan I.
(Doughty) Plus, Courtney hates hip hop. Wouldn't work.
(RottenLun) Who would you rather jam with? Miles or Marley?
(Mango) Marley.
(Doughty) Miles, but with the Wailers...the version that includedJunior Murvin on guitar.
(MR.SONIC) How about Styx or Journey?
(Mandy) Styx all the way.
(Doughty) JOURNEY!
(SOUL-Mark) So Mandy, I sang in a choir for Barry Manilow once.
(chriscarm) I saw Styx's singer do Jesus Christ Superstar. He wasJesus, and had an amazing voice.
(Doughty) Domo Arigato, B.
(SOUL-Mark) I saw the Babys open for Styx.
(Mango) What year?
(SOUL-Mark) 1979?
(Doughty) Man, you get more cool points than you know what to dowith.
(Mandy) What do you think of the REO reunion?
(Doughty) You're kidding me!
(RottenLun) Heard it from a friend.
(Doughty) I'm with it, I'm all the way with it.
(SOUL-Mark) I saw the Rockets open for REO in LA once.
(MR.SONIC) Yeah, REO played with Pat Benatar at Jones beach, Ithink.
(Doughty) I saw Peter Tork open up for Joan Jett. Solo!
(chriscarm) Wasn't Joan Jett making a comeback recently?
(Doughty) Comeback is an interesting and subjective word. If I hangout with Kathleen Hanna, am I making a comeback? Mark, did you eversee Bikini Kill open for REO?
(chriscarm) REO, ELO, BTO.
(SOUL-Mark) ELP.
(Doughty) NWA. JFA.
(chriscarm) How did you get the name Soul Coughing ?
(Doughty) From a poem about Neil Young throwing up that I wrote.Poem sucked, cool title. Like that.
(RottenLun) Who's the coolest artist you've met since you've been aband?
(Doughty) I met Sonya Aurora Madan from Echobelly today!
(Doughty) Did a joint interview. Damn cool.
(Fishstix) Is she hot?
(Doughty) She rules my personal earth.
(Mango) You smoked a joint at the interview?
(Doughty) Nah, she had a cold and refused. But, her odd Swedishguitar player got stoned.
(Doughty) There was a photo session afterwards, and Sonya and Ireplicated the RUN-DMC 1986 Fresh pose. It was the high point of myweek.
(Mango) What's the pose?
(Doughty) Back to back, one arm crossed, one hand under the chin.
(chriscarm) When is the new album expected?
(SOUL-Mark) March.
(Michael) I saw Soul Coughing open for Jeff Buckley once -- but weleft after the opener to see Painkiller at another club.
(Doughty) Painkiller? Wow.
(Michael) Yeah, Painkiller at Slim's -- had to be much better thanJeff Buckley.
(chriscarm) [laughs]
(SOUL-Mark) Of course.
(chriscarm) Doughty, you should wear a big clock around your neck inconcert. :)
(Doughty) No, man. I'm strictly old school.
(RottenLun) Who would win in a fight? You guys or REM?
(Doughty) Oh, us. Easy. I can take that punk Bill Berry any day.
(chriscarm) REM's more passive. But Mike Mills isn't a small guy.
(Michael) What do you guys do for recreation? Bowling? Golf? Midgetwrestling?
(SOUL-Mark) Pole vaulting.
(Mango) Excessive masturbation.
(Doughty) Mark is being serious.
(Doughty) "Excessive." What a limited viewpoint.
(Fishstix) What comes first, music or words?
(Doughty) The Egg.
(SOUL-Mark) The only unnatural act is the one that can't be performed.
(Doughty) Oh, how the mind reels with potential experiments!
(Fishstix) Where's your favorite late night snack in New York?
(Doughty) I'm deep on Veselka.
(SOUL-Mark) Samurai Sushi on Sullivan.
(Fishstix) 2nd Avenue Deli.
(Doughty) The mushroom barley is the joint. I'm into the Polishthing.
(Mandy) What magazines do you all read?
(Doughty) I read Sassy before it died.
(RottenLun) Rolling Stone or Spin?
(SOUL-Mark) Turkey hunting.
(Doughty) I read all manner of Junk Culture.
(chriscarm) Handguns & Ammo.
(Doughty) I'm addicted to that shit and the E! Network.
(Fishstix) Do you watch the Stern show?
(SOUL-Mark) No.
(Doughty) Nah, but I'm all over TV's Bloopers and Practical Jokes.
(MR.SONIC) Midnight Blue?
(SOUL-Mark) Yes.
(chriscarm) Real Stories of the Highway Patrol rules.
(Doughty) Just the ads for The Dungeon.
(Michael) What's the deal on the new EP? I just heard the remix ofSugar Free Jazz on college FM, what else is on it?
(Doughty) Two other mixes of Sugar Free, and a live remix we did ofScreenwriter's.
(Michael) Screenwriter's with new samples on the fly? (Heh heh.)
(SOUL-Mark) Yes.
(Doughty) Love that deep manly voice.
(MR.SONIC) What ever happened to Voyeur Vision?
(Doughty) All kinds of screwy shit on that tune.
(Mango) Is the remix album out because the other ones just not doneyet?
(Doughty) Yeah, basically.
(Fishstix) Suckers.
(SOUL-Mark) No, promo for Sugar Free as a single.
(Doughty) We write a whole lot. Sadly, there's not a whole lot ofspace in The Modern Industry for prolific types like us.
(Mango) Do you have much money from your record?
(Doughty) We're ROLLIN' IN DOUGH!
(chriscarm) No, they give all their money to the Save Sunny DayFund.
(SOUL-Mark) Yes.
(Doughty) Straight up. Ouch.
(Mandy) Is it a misconception that I can quit my day job if I get arecord deal?
(SOUL-Mark) Yes.
(Doughty) No, we don't have day jobs. But, we're damned po'. Well,not crazy po', but po'.
(Mandy) Does it f*ck with your head having to struggle?
(SOUL-Mark) No.
(Doughty) Nah, it's better this way than, say, as a waiter.
(RottenLun) Just sell crack.
(chriscarm) Mark, are you preoccupied, or is Doughty a bettertypist?
(Doughty) I'm just smoking crack, that's all.
(Michael) I caught your appearance on late night TV (Jon Stewart?)Any more coming up?
(SOUL-Mark) No.
(Fishstix) How's the drug scene in NY these days? I'm calling fromSweden.
(Doughty) Scene? Is there a drug scene here? Can someone give medirections?
(SOUL-Mark) Drugs are abundant.
(Fishstix) I've never been to New York but want to come and gocrazy.
(MR.SONIC) You'll have plenty of company, fish.
(Fishstix) Have you guys ever had to deal with shit to get yourvideo on MTV?
(Doughty) It's on Beavis and Butthead right now, which is beyondsurreal. They came to a split decision.
(Mandy) Have you ever met them?
(Doughty) Beavis Yay, Butthead Nay.
(Michael) Hey, D. -- Blue-eyed Devil is really about Sinatra, right?(ha)
(Mango) What do you think of the new Knitting Factory?
(Doughty) [uncomfortable silence]
(SOUL-Mark) Yeah, just ask the chin.
(Doughty) Like it, actually. Cool space.
(SOUL-Mark) Much, much better place.
(Mango) Did you go to the MacFest there?
(Doughty) I miss the old joint for nostalgia purposes. There's arecord store where the performance space used to be; I went there,and remembered all the marks on the floor I used to have to sweepdust out of. Very weird.
(Fishstix) Soul Coughing, when are you coming to Europe?
(Doughty) We're not coming back to Europe 'til next year.
(SOUL-Mark) In the spring, been there four times since January.
(Doughty) Never to Sweden, though.
(RottenLun) How stoned are you guys now?
(SOUL-Mark) Not enough.
(Doughty) I'm actually not stoned, myself. I'm just trying to lookcool.
(chriscarm) Why not Sweden?
(Doughty) Don't know -- we've been all over Denmark. Though, theSwedes, being Scandinavians, are My people.
(chriscarm) You should write a tune about chatting on the computerwith people from Sweden and Ohio.
(Doughty) Done it. Next!
(Fishstix) Don't knock the Midnight sun dude.
(Doughty) If the van is rockin', don't come knockin'.
(chriscarm) Ever see those condom poems?
(Doughty) Nope.
(chriscarm) If the van starts rockin', your dick needs a tockin'.Stockin'.
(Doughty) A tockin' is much more poetic.
(Fishstix) See you guys soon. I hope. I must go, it's very latehere.
(Doughty) Maybe so. Hope so.
(Fishstix) Bye.
(SOUL-Mark) Caio.
(Doughty) Okay, any Final Important Questions?
(chriscarm) When are you coming back to Cincinnati?
(Michael) Is Chicago?
(Mango) What is the meaning of life?
(chriscarm) And when are you going to do email again?
(Doughty) Oh, please.
(Mandy) Drink beer.
(RottenLun) That's simple, yet elegant, Mandy.
(Doughty) I don't actually drink beer.
(chriscarm) Chicago/Not Chicago = To Be or Not To Be?
(Doughty) We're kinda inundated with it -- it's hard for me to writeback to everyone. Mark does it as well, and it's still a lot tohandle.
(chriscarm) That's understandable.
(Mango) See you all next time you come to Atlanta.
(SOUL-Mark) Hotlanta
(Doughty) HOTLANTA! Somebody f*cking reamed me onalt.music.alternative, re: Chicago, screaming on me that I daredappropriate an idea from Descartes.
(chriscarm) Yeah, I saw that. A.M.A is very cruel and harsh, and notrightly so.
(SOUL-Mark) Descartes was wrong!
(Doughty) I think, therefore f*ck you, pal!
(chriscarm) You guys gotta come to Cinci ASAP. We'll make youburritos. And chocolate milkshakes.
(Doughty) We're gonna be in...Toledo? Something like that. Though werealize it's not the same.
(Michael) Mark, you musta sampled that last remark from the Beatles?
(Doughty) Genius.
(SOUL-Mark) Do people live in Toledo? Nice air.
(MR.SONIC) Okay, thanks for hanging out guys.... Come back anytime.
(SOUL-Mark) Thanks a lot, see you next time you are nice enough tohave us.
(Doughty) Very cool to be here and to see you all.
(SOUL-Mark) Bye Michael.
(chriscarm) Yeah, this was killer, I missed you last time you namedyour funky little devil. Anyway, thanks again, looking forward to thenew album.
(Michael) Bye, and thanks for sharing!
(Doughty) Cool, y'all.
(chriscarm) See ya, take care. Now I gotta learn how to quit.
(Michael) Don't forget to write.
(Doughty) One love, goodnight.