Interview9

THE VERVE PIPE TAKES ON LAKE EFFECT

John Serba for Grand Rapids Press 6/30/2000

Between filming a movie, being on television and running a record label, you can't help but wonder if Brian Vander Ark has set aside The Verve Pipe for other endeavors.

Of course, that's an incorrect assumption. Sure, he plays a poofy-haired member of Mark Wahlberg's heave metal band in the upcoming film "Metal God." Yeah, he was recently one of the celebrity guests on VH1's "The List." Yup, he helped produce a record for Detroit band The Atomic Numbers and demos for Grand Rapids' Molly, both signees of his record label, Sid Flips. (And he also has recently landed a modeling gig with an agency in Los Angeles.) However, he's also has the time to pen about 20 new songs for The Verve Pipe's soon-to-be-recorded album, and he and his bandmates - guitarist AJ Sunning, bassist and younger brother Brad Vander Ark, keyboardist/percussionist Doug Corella and drummer Donny Brown - are playing a few summer gigs, including one at the Muskegon Summer Celebration, before venturing back into the studio to record the group's third record for RCA.

Somehow, Vander Ark managed to wedge some time into his schedule to answer some stupid questions about the band's show on Saturday.

Q: Will Muskegon's lake-effect winds affect your performance on Saturday?

A: I think the lake effect has a psychedelic effect on our music. That's why my apartment faces the west. It's funny, because the "Villains" album was written with the lake effect in effect, and the last album ("The Verve Pipe") wasn't, and we went from selling a million-and-a-half records to just under 100,000.

Q: So it's something in the air that's affecting your success?

A: Yeah. I think it starts somewhere just off the coast of New Haven.

Q: Are you going to get an elephant ear of some chili fries while you're at the fair?

A: I'm definitely an elephant ear guy. But I prefer to strap them on instead of eating them. They're so bad for you. You know, these answers are as bad as the questions.

Q: I see that you were on VH1's "The List." The topic was "What is the Best Guilty Pleasure Song of All Time?" (The show features celebrity guest stars who come up with lists on music-related topics.)

A: I was actually good at that. I got the No. 1 and No. 2. The No. 1 was Right Said Fred ("I'm Too Sexy"), and my No. 2, which I wish was my No. 1, was "I Can't Fight This Feeling" by REO Speedwagon. That's definitely a guilty pleasure. But if you see the show, there's this underlying argument I was having with Nicole Eggert the whole time. She was so nasty, you know. She picked (Soft Cell's) "Tainted Love," and I was like, "That's a great song!" and then she snapped at me.

Q: At least none of your songs were on the list.

A: That's the one thing I was fearing, that I would be there for the one-hit wonder list or something.

Q: Would you be honored or embarrassed if "The Freshmen" ended up on a K-Tel compilation?

A: Honored. Well, let me put it this way: Am I gonna get paid for it? (laughs)

Q: When is the movie coming out?

A: They were originally going to put it out in 2001, in January or February, but they're trying to push it up to Thanksgiving now.

Q: I hear you had to wear heavy metal hair for your role.

A: I had a mullet and a whole new repertoire of women. (laughs)

Q: I was just going to ask you if it was a mullet.

A: It was a total mullet - short in front and long in back.

Q: I also hear that you get to bash (Third Eye Blind lead singer) Stephan Jenkins' character on camera.

A: Ooh...who told you that?

Q: A little birdie.

A: That's supposed to be a secret. That was an ad-libbed line that I don't know if it'll make the movie, because it's fairly nasty. But it is pretty funny. If it makes it, it'll be a good moment for me.

Q: Maybe I should start asking you some real questions. ...So what's the scoop on the new album? Have you lined up a producer yet?

A: Yeah, I've been sending demos back and forth to Adam Schlesinger from Fountains of Wayne, and I think he's the man for the job. We'll go into preproduction in August, the album will be done in late September, and released early in 2001, along with the movie.

Q: So you've been writing some new songs?

A: Yeah, I've sent (Schlesinger) 12 songs, and I've got about eight more that I'm wrapping up this week. Donny's got some, and Brad wrote a bunch this time. Everybody's going to have their fingers in the pot.

Q: What do the other guys in the band do while you're jet setting?

A: Actually, I don't know what they do. I've been really concentrating on the movie and the new demos. Everybody's been writing, working on music. That's about it. They're a little antsy to get back into the studio.

Q: You've got a handful of shows lined up for the summer. Why didn't you do a full-blown tour for the last record?

A: We ran out of money. That album didn't have much success outside of Michigan...I don't think many people knew that the album even came out. I had such horrible promotion, which is probably my fault. This person was too busy living under a mullet maybe, I don't know. (laughs)