Interview with Brian Vander Ark of The Verve Pipe by Pete Bruinsma September 8, 2001 in a smelly tent at Ah-Nab-Awen Park "… I think on the last record RCA dropped the ball, but the ball was a 500-pound bowling ball covered in grease." Pete: Do you think there’s a certain kind of character that comes along with growing up in Grand Rapids? Brian: You mean a maintaining of character from growing up with humble roots in a small town? I would think so … I grew up in a very conservative Christian Reformed family, and I have decent values (that I question daily). I’m faced with moral issues day by day on the road, and I think that if I wasn’t born the way I was I could very well be dead right now. Pete: Do you remember having any traditional Dutch pastries as a kid? Brian: Dutch pastries? I don’t think so … well, I remember we used to eat those cream puffs. My grandmother made those, and they were full of that white … chalky … goodness. The Dutch don’t like anything real flavorful. That’s all I remember, they don’t like any spicy food, any pepper, anything like that. Pete: How are you with money? Brian: Here’s the thing, I’m not good with money. My brother Jeff is in charge of it. I do love to spend money on friends, and I love to pick up the tab. Pete: How do you compare your new album Underneath to Villains? Brian: Comparing that and Villains, I think they’re complete opposite, it’s the bizarro Villains. I don’t that there’s anything on this album that could fit on Villains, except maybe “Medicate [Myself],� it’s a little heavier. This a sunny summer day record, and Villains is just a dark record of evil proportions. Pete: The second track reminded me a little of the “Freshmen� single. Brian: “Never Let You Down� was written by Donny. The lyrics are simple like the “Freshmen� single, there’s nothing too esoteric or ambiguous about it. There are similarities there, I would agree. I would agree that “Colorful� and “Freshmen� might have some of the same qualities too, but for the most part this record is very acoustic, the acoustic guitar is prevalent through almost every song, and its a much shorter record. Pete: Is Donny more into writing the more melodic tunes … Brian: Donny’s into writing the hit songs. He wants hits. I don’t particularly want to write the hits, but I want the hits on the record, so we have a good relationship that way. I let him write the hits, for this album at least, he wrote the first two hits. “Happiness Is� is supposed to be the second single [the first is “Never Let You Down�]. I wrote stuff I think is a little less commercial and radio friendly. Pete: More like your first two albums? Brian: Well I think the last album [“Verve Pipe�] was such a personal statement that no one in their right mind outside of Michigan would buy the record. Basically it didn’t have anything for radio at all. Pete: Were you kind of just indulging yourselves on that one? Brian: Oh, it was completely self-indulgent, and it was me, it was my fault. By “fault� I mean we went from playing clubs of 2000 people to playing in front of 50 people. Everybody’s looking to me like “look what you did!� I love that record, and I think we all loved it. It’s just a shame that more people didn’t hear it. Pete: Is your relationship with RCA more a love-hate relationship, or an engagement? Brian: Well it started with love, and then it was hate, and then it was love again. They’ve always basically loved us. All record labels will sign you to a couple of albums, with options, but they’re all their options. I played demos for Jack, the president of RCA, I went in and played him home demos, just to kind of keep him involved, and to keep Brian involved, our A&R guy. When you do that, people feel like they can personally champion the record. That’s something we didn’t do for the last record, and in the end it failed us. How do I say this in the best way … I think on the last record RCA dropped the ball, but the ball was a 500-pound bowling ball covered in grease. Pete: When its all said and done, will you feel more like you have “used� the music industry, or that they have “used� you? Brian: Oh, we’ve totally used them. I’ll tell you, I wish they’d exploit us more. I guess I would never understand that complaint, exploitation in music is the highest form of flattery. The fact is that we have definitely used the industry. We’ve always been a band that’s written songs to try to reach the masses, we make no apologies for making commercial songs, or for writing hits, and in order to facilitate that you need to have a label that’s way behind you. Pete: Do you think there’s any band that did it wrong? That kind of followed in your footsteps and got the short end of the radio stick? Brian: I don’t know if there’s any right or wrong way to do it. I don’t know the inner workings of bands like Domestic Problems, or the inner works of even Molly, who’s on our label. I do know that Domestic Problems has the right idea, of all the bands that I’ve met. Andy is very meticulous about his mailing lists, and keeping people involved. He’s very business like, and you need to be that way. As far as bands doing it wrong, I don’t think so, other than Taste. The band Taste, they’re doing it all wrong (long laugh … that’s my friend Craig). I’m like “Craig, get a mailing list!� I’m just doggin’ him. Pete: You have a show that really sticks out in your memory? A really good one, a really fun one? Brian: It would be easy to say the State Theater, but I remember one time in Cincinnati in a really awful club, we drank and drank and drank before the show. I remember being on stage playing “Cup of Tea� for the first time ever, and just going “Wheeee!� It was so much fun. It was one of our better shows, just unfortunate that it was alcohol-induced. Pete: Do think about that moment when you play shows today? Brian: Oh, totally. I think I try to get that feeling back without it having to be alcohol-induced, you know, which is very difficult. Pete: When was the last time you played “Celebration on the Grand?� Brian: It was about four years ago. I’ll never forget it. This is the one place where I’ve feared for my life. Somebody came running out of the audience to come and tackle me. He came running up, he was going to, like, pummel me. He was flailing his fists, and my friend tackled him, probably within ten feet. My friend is big, and he jumped on him and took care of him. That was pretty freaky. That’s why they have that fence up here tonight.