My Interview With AJ



See, I had gotten a hold of AJ's managment and asked if I could get an interview with AJ, after a while they set me up for a phone interview for Wednesday August 13, 2003 with AJ and Badge. His management said he would call around 7:00 P.M. Well, my friends came over for moral support around 6:00 and after about an hour and a half we remembered the time difference from Ohio and California so figured AJ would call around ten. So we waited and around 10:30 he still hadn't called so I emailed his management and trying to be as nice as I could asked them to email me back and tell me what was up and then I walked my two friends, Angel and Michelle halfway home. Well when I got back home it was then 11:09 and my brother handed me the phone, and guess what! It was AJ! So here is how it went.

AJ: "Hi, is this Amanda?"

Me: "Uhmm, yeah."

AJ: "Hi Amanda, this is AJ Trauth. How you doin'?"

Me: "Oh, I'm good, how are you?"

AJ: "I'm doin' good, I'm sorry I called so late, we're in the studio right now, playin and I lost track of time. Are you still able to do the interview?"

Me: "Oh yeah! Uhmm, could you hang on a second."

AJ: "Yeah sure. Do you want me to just call you back in like 5 minutes?"

Me: "Yeah could you? That'd be great!"

AJ: "Yeah, I'll talk to you in a few minutes."

Me: "Okay thank you"

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AJ: "Hi Amanda? It's AJ"

Me: "Hi! Thank you so much for calling back."

AJ: "Your welcome. How you doin'?"

Me: "I'm good, you?"

AJ: "I'm good."

Me: "I actually emailed your management a little bit ago, I told them I was really disappointed that you didnt call and I asked if you could call back, so could you just uhmm ignore that?"

AJ: "Yeah, sure. Uhmm, *whispers* I'll be off in like 15 - 20 minutes."

Me: "Well, I guess we should start then huh?"

AJ: "Sure."

Me: "So, you are still currently working in the studio on a CD?"

AJ: "Yeah, actually the producer just walked right by me. We're workin' on it now and we hope to have it done by next year."

Me: "Oh really? That's cool. Uhmm, do you plan on going on a U.S. tour in the future?"

AJ: "Oh, yeah, yeah definatly. Probablly in 2004. We're trying to get this album out first and then after we finish it we're going to tour. So once the album's done."

Me: "Awesome!"

AJ: "Yeah."

Me: "Uhmm, how old were each of you when you began to play?"

AJ: "Pete, uh I think started playin' the piano when he was five, he got lessons for three years then kinda played by himself. Chris was, I think he uh, was fifteen when he started playing the guitar and I was thirteen. And Mike started uhmm, playing the drums I think when he was eleven."

Me: "Oh, that's cool. Uhmm, how do you come up with idea's to write your songs?"

AJ: "Uhm, it's usually like you can't force yourself to write a song. Like you just sit there and it comes to you, we don't plan on it. We just think about it."

Me: "Who was your biggest influence to be in a band?"

AJ: "To be in a band, I don't know. Uhmm, Chris and I started playing by our dad. He's a guitar player from Chicago and he runs a guitar shop and everything so yeah, from my dad."

Me: "Uhmm, okay. What's one of the things you've expeirenced in the music biz?"

AJ: "Prolly the highlights of playin' would be at the whiskey. So many people have played there, Led Zeppelin, The Doors you know. Uhmm, it's really great just being there and everything."

Me: "What do you think of pop/punk bands such as Good Charlotte, New Found Glory and Simple Plan?"

AJ: "I think they suck. Uhmm when I was a host for Say What Karaoke I heard uhmm about five people sing, I think it was The Anthem or Lifestyles Of The Rich And Famous and it was insane. Their not a bands like Phish or anything."

Me: "Really? *laughs* Uhmm, What advice would *I started stuttering, LoL I couldn't talk for ever!* you give to someone starting a band? I'm sorry I can't talk!"

AJ: "Uhmm starting a band, I'd say practice all the time, it's the most important thing. When I went from an actor into a band I didn't understand how difficult it is so practice a lot. It takes a lot of time and stuff to so make sure it's what you want to do."

Me: "Okay, thanks! Uhmm, can we expect any new movies or shows from you soon?"

AJ: "Oh, yeah definatly! I'm filming a movie in January, I don't know what it's called yet so I can't give you a name. And there's been talk about more movies and stuff so yeah, you can keep checkin' the site, it'll tell you everything there."

Me: "Uhmm, thanks! Uhmm .. will Greek Clothing be sold in any other states besides Cali?"

AJ: "Actually, it uh,,. it fell apart recently. Because I was filming and the two guys helpin' me out with it were filming movies and it got complicated, it might come back but it fell through."

Me: "Awe, I'm sorry, that really sucks."

AJ: "Yeah"

Me: "Uhmm, what advice would you give to an up-coming actor?"

AJ: "Uhmm what advice would I give to an actor? Obviously practice and crap. Practice in your bedroom and go to acting school. Uhmm, look up some theaters and get involved with that around your town, or in big cities."

Me: "Alright, thanks! Uhmm, would it be possible at all for me to get an autographed picture from you?"

AJ: "Oh sure uhmm, email me your address and stuff. Usually I wouldn't send one from an email but since this is an interview, yeah, send me your stuff."

Me: "Alright thank you! Uhmm, that's all the questions I've got now, so, thank you very much I apprciate this so much!"

AJ: "Oh thank you! And if you come up with any other questions or you forgot any, just email me and I'll get it back to you."

Me: "Oh really? Great, thank you so much!"

AJ: "No problem. Well, alright, take care!"

Me: "Thank you, you too!"

AJ: "Alright. Bye."

Me: "Bye."

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