SR-71 – Interview

suckin’ with
sr-71!
a chat with
bassist jeff reid

SR-71 is on top of the world. They have a huge hit song, “Right Now”, and they are touring around the world, doing what theyve always dreamed of doing. Find out what they are up to now and find out whats up with hurry up and suck.

Has this all been a trip?

Yeah.

Is the trip fun or is it overwhelming?

Its everything piled into one. Thats the best way to describe it. Were out here living our dream, but at the same time there is just so many demands on our time, and the two things that get taken away from you is sleep and steady meals. But you cant complain, because this is what weve worked for our whole life. Its totally cool. We never want this to end, except to do the next record. We get to roll into towns where weve never been, and not only do people know our first single, but they sing along to the whole record.

Do you get time to hang with your tour mates, Wheatus and Harvey Danger?

Yeah. Sometimes we bring them up on stage with us and well sing together. There isnt a huge amount of time to party.

I know you have a day in Hawaii. Now are you going to be able to chill a bit there?

Yeah, we get one day off to lay on the beach.

That has to be one of the pluses. I mean, part of the job is getting to look over America and then Europe.

That is amazing.

When did you guys get together?

This band got together in 95, but Mitch and I have been together since 92, and then in 96 we put out an independent cd. We toured the east coast and sold records out of the back of our van. Then, about two years ago, we focused more on playing in New York City and built a following there. The biggest shows for us was the Nashville Extravaganza and South X Southwest. We had interest from a dozen different labels.

Were there times between 95 and getting signed that you thought to yourself, Maybe I need to find something else to do?

We all went to college, so, not that we had a fallback, because I think our families tried talking us out of it forever, but I think they realized that once you get it in your blood there is no going back. There were frustrating times where we walked away from it for a little, but only to come back and reinvent ourselves. We did that probably three or four times. Wed take the time off and write some more songs. We thought just playing out and building a following was the answer, but we realized it wasnt. We were an original band playing cover rooms. We were making a living, but we realized that we might have to get day jobs. Anyone from our hometown will tell you that we were about the bigger-than-life show. We had the biggest stack, lights, and fog machine. We were the Motley Crue of the pop scene. When we started playing in New York, we couldnt do that. There is no sound check or light show. We called it hurry up and suck. But it made us strong and appreciate sitting on our bus and the fact that we have a four-man road crew, and the stage looks like God each night.

What did you go to school for?

I went for Electronics Engineering. Mitch and Mark were Mass Communications and Dan had a Music degree.

So your families thought youd be riding in a van the rest of your life, letting your college education go down the toilet?

Yeah. Well, no, they were behind us. They wanted to know if we were ever going to get serious and buy a house. None of us ever had new cars or bought a house. We put all our money into this. I drive an 87 Suburban and I share a house with a roommate. We are hoping that it starts to pay off, but its an obsession.

Now you have this whole new second phase of your careers happening.

You know, a lot of people are like, Can you believe what is going on? But weve paid our dues. This is the next step and we are ready for it. The only thing that has changed is how people treat us. We are still the same four guys doing the same thing weve always done. The scope has just changed.

People treat you like youre not human.

Yeah. And a couple times a week well ride around in limos and we are like, What the fuck are we doing in a limo? Just get us a cab. (laughs)

Is it weird when you get people thinking you came out of nowhere?

There is some of that, but back home they tell us how proud they are of us. That is the part that is weird. I havent been home for months and months, and I went out, and being in a band from Baltimore I knew everyone, but now everyone knows you. Its cool, but it takes some getting used to.

How did the Marvelous 3, and especially the hookup with Butch, happen?

We met them down in the Carolinas before either of us was signed. We watched them and they were just amazing and we befriended them and stayed in touch. We played a few more shows with them. “Right Now” is a song Mitch brought to the band, and we kept working on it with our producer but we couldnt get anywhere with it and shelved it. When we got back from London, Mitch wanted to give the song one more shot. He flew down to Atlanta and spent a few days with Butch. They sped the song up twice as fast. Butch put his spin on it and there was the song. I dont know if you knew Butch co-wrote that song?

Yeah. He was talking about it when we were chatting.

We wanted to tour with those guys, so we went out for three weeks with them and Tsar. We had so much fun on that tour. We still call each other every few days.

I still cant figure out why the Marvelous 3 arent the biggest band in the world.

I think maybe Butch is ahead of his time.

So who were some groups you grew up listening to?

We listen to everything. The reason I play bass is because of Chris Squire, but at the same time I love Led Zeppelin, The Beatles. I mean, once I discovered Paul McCartney, I couldnt believe how great he was. Its so simple, but genius.

What gets you amped?

Before we go onstage we listen to Motley Crue, Poison, or Ratt and just crank it.

What about artists today?

Third Eye Blind, Stone Temple Pilots, and like Mark loves U2 and Kiss. Were actually all over the place. Actually, Butch and I were having this conversation, and we were talking about how so many bands come out and all they listen to is like Korn or Limp Bizkit.

They get stuck.

Yeah, and it sounds just like that. Our problem is we have too many influences and everyone wants to pigeonhole our music and its just rock n roll. Its our own version of rock n roll.

+ charlie craine