LINKS:

myspace.com/econolinecrush2007

It's been fifteen years since Econoline Crush first formed in 1992. A small town boy, who wanted nothing more than to share his passion for writing and creating great songs, moved to Seattle and answered an ad in a local newspaper looking to form a new band.Econoline Crush released it's first album Purge in 1994 and started building a dedicated fan base. In 1996, they released Affliction which solidified them as the new industrial rock band with a sound that had made them popular back home in Canada. In 1998, Econoline Crush released The Devil You Know to rave reviews. This gave them the chance to finally start touring in earnest throughout the United States and Canada. Certified Gold back home, with hit singles such as, " Surefire", "Sparkle and Shine", "Home", "All That You Are" and "Razorblades and Bandaids", the band developed a very dedicated following.

In 2001 the band released what would be their last album together, titled Brand New History to mixed reviews. Eventually they disbanded and Trevor reappeared with a new band, simply called Hurst. They released Wanderlust in 2005, but Trevor missed the thrashy industrial rhythms and monstrous guitars that were much a part of his earlier band, Econoline Crush. Fans were constantly approaching him as to when he might start up the band again, recreating the sound that was so loved by his following. It didn't take long before Trevor Hurst decided that it was time to give his fans what they have been begging for~Econoline Crush is back!!

I had a chance to talk with Trevor Hurst in Toronto recently, on a beautiful sunny day, which seemed dim in comparison to his passionate feelings about his fans, his revived band and his rejuvenated feelings of writing and creating his beloved music.

TINA PEEK: Hey Trevor.

TREVOR HURST: Hi.

TP: Econoline Crush is back, so tell me how that came about and what made you decide to bring back the band and the name?

TH: Well, I'd done that thing with Hurst, obviously, I'd gone out and played, and when we were finished touring with Hurst, we went back in to write a bunch of songs. I'm almost like, overwhelmed, by everything that's going on in the world right now. I mean, if you turn on CNN or CBC News World or whatever, it is just like, it makes my head spin, the way that everything's turned. And so when I started to write about that, and other personal issues, it came off kind of "edgy", the songs came off kind of aggressive. The songs were heavier, they were more guttural and less sort of artsy, and everybody that I played it for, were like, "Dude, this is great...but, don't take this the wrong way, but it sounds like Econoline Crush." And I was like, "Well, it should, I mean, I was in the band." And so we kept talking about it, and then, a bunch of things kinda fell into place. One of them was, my hometown, a little tiny town in Manitoba, Virden Manitoba, is having it's 125th birthday. So they phoned me and said, "Would you play, whether it's Hurst or whatever, would you come play a show for us?" And I was like, honored. And so I thought, "Wow, I wonder if I could do it as Econoline Crush? Would the guys come and do it?" So that was one thing. And I started answering in my head and said, "I'll get back to you." And then a really close friend of mine, Jason Sakowski, who was my guitar tech back in the day, he phones me up and says, "What are you doin'?" And I said, "Well, we're working on the Hurst stuff, but everybody tells me it's sounding like Econoline." And he says, "Funny you should mention that. I wanna to put a little bug in your ear. What would you think about playing a few Econoline Crush shows and just see what's going on?" And I said, "Why do you ask?" And he said, "Well, I'm in Texas, and I'm in Florida, and people always ask me about you... 'what's going on with Econoline? Where did he go? What happened?’" And I go, "Well, let me think about it..." And then, it was like an organic thing that just went reeeally fast. So I phoned Ziggy, and Ziggy was like, "Well I'm living in L.A., so I don't know." And I phoned Rob and he was like, "I broke my wrist." And I phoned Dan and he said, "I'm in." I phoned Johnny and he's goes, "I'm in The Dreaming and I don't know." But all of the guys, as a whole entire group, you know, we had been fractured apart, and we'd been away from each other for so long, and we all talked, and it was like closure on a part of my life. It was like going through some 12-step program, but it was really amazing, because I got to put to bed a bunch of things that had been grinding on my soul for such long time.

TP: I bet...

TH: Just the way certain people, like the way Rob and I ended it, and the way the band ended, nobody understood why we stopped in some respects.

TP: And why did you stop?

TH: Because it was--cumbersome. I mean, that's the perfect word to describe what it was. It felt like I was carrying lead weight in every appendage of my body. I had management hanging over my head; I had record company people hanging over my head; I had band members that wouldn't move gear, that wouldn't fucking do things...everybody lost perspective. We lost the plot. The reality is, that we do this, I do this, because I love music. I love to play music. I love to create music. Being a rock star, blows. It looks great on TV, but it fuckin' sucks in real life. The reality is, being an artist is the greatest thing. And all you gotta do is cling to that, cling to the fuckin' art. Let the other shit go away, because it's all just a bunch of shit! So I just lost the faith. I felt like the industry was going sideways--and it was. I felt like every promise that had been made to me by every record executive I've ever met was a bunch of bullshit. I found all kinds of shit going on business-wise that made me want to puke. And I was just sick of it. Because you know what? If I can't make music, for the sake of making music, then I don't want to do it anymore. And everybody can fuck off!! I'm passionate about what I do. I don't write these songs, you know the lyrics to those songs aren't some joke. It's my life. It's chronicled to music. I wear my heart on my sleeve, for better or for worse, that's the way I am, that's who I am. I can't look at some scenario, and be like, "I'm going to write a song about dumpsters, (sings) ‘Da Da Dumpsters, they're so cool’"...it just doesn't happen. It has to be something that connects to me with my heart and my soul.

TP: You have to write about what you know.

TH: Right! And not only about what I know--about what hurts, about what moves me--it's like, it's my therapy, because I can't go out and get hammered. I'm not a drinker, I'm a recovering alcoholic, and daily I have to fight that demon. And the only way that I can exercise my shit, is to get up on that stage and sweat it and work it out. That's how it happens, otherwise, I'm a dead man. There is no way I could live without it.

TP: So you and Econoline Crush parted ways and you quieted down for a while, then you came back with Hurst and released Wanderlust.

TH: Yes.

TP: I have that album, it's a great CD.

TH: Thank you!

TP: So what happened to Hurst? What prompted you to move away from that direction and now come back to this? What happened there?

TH: Well, like I mentioned, the writing of the songs, didn't fit the Hurst project. If I were to put it out and you put both CDs side by side, you'd be like, "Wait a minute, this is way too heavy for what this is", ya' know?

TP: And of course, Econoline is heavier than Hurst...

TH: Yes.

TP: So was that a conscious choice when you started the band Hurst, that it would be less heavy, that it would be more melodic?

TH: I think it was a bit of a conscious effort that it would be more melodic, but also, I was committed to this organic thing. And one of the things that really kind of gets me off as an artist, is the kind of weird, industrial sounds that we have in Econoline Crush. And I was missing that immensely. And also the fact that Ross Childress was no longer interested in working on a live performing project, who was kind of my partner. The Hurst project, even though it was called Hurst, it really was a partnership between myself and Ross Childress. And I'm so grateful that I have that experience, because I'd lived in Atlanta off and on for about 3 years and worked on this stuff with him and experienced Southern hospitality and Southern life in America and it's something that I'll never forget. It was great. But when he didn't want to tour, I decided—those songs are very...like I said, they're very personal to me and they were my little babies and I wanted to show them to the world, so I went out and did it as Hurst. But really, without Ross it just wasn't right. And so going in and writing the new stuff, it was really coming off, because it was just me doing it, as Econoline Crush. And then, the idea of--well we started to play, at the end of the Hurst tour, we started to play a couple of Econoline Crush songs and people would come up and tell me these stories, like, "You know, five years ago I was divorcing my wife and I couldn't get through it, but I was listening to the CDs..." and they would tell me these stories and I realized that I am this thing, this entity, this magical project or concept or whatever it is, called Econoline Crush, that has touched a number of lives. And that maybe I should stop being so fricken selfish and take a look at it from the perspective of my audience and say, "I owe them another record."

TP: So why not take the Hurst guys and turn it into Econoline Crush and use them for Econoline?

TH: Well, Ross wasn't there, so that kind of sucked. And then...it was a different style of music...

TP: And you don't think they would have been willing to?

TH: I don't think, not necessarily willing, but maybe not necessarily able. I mean, the other thing, I'm sure you hear from artists all the time, is that every record has to beat the previous three or four you've made.

TP: You're only as good as good as your next record...

TH: Right. So I felt like, I need to get involved, and work with some characters that actually understand what kind of music it is that I'm trying to make. And when I made the connection with Kai, the two of us in the studio, it was like, it was the same thing with Ross, when he and I got together. When Ross and I got together for the Hurst stuff, when we first started writing together, it was the shit. I think in the first three days we wrote like 10 songs like boom-boom-boom-boom--we connected. The same thing with Kai and myself, just connected, and I want that crazy, angst, guitar player--I need that other character. I'm better with a partner with that kind of stuff.

TP: Because you feed off each other...

TH: We feed off each other, and if there's anybody that wears their heart on their sleeve like me, it's Kai. And he just unleashes some of the coolest shit I've ever heard. And it just gets me revved!! I'm so inspired to write, because of it. And so, he fits. And I've got a few things that are being put together to see what else we can do...

TP: And is Kai with the band now?

TH: No, I mean his last thing was the Methods of Mayhem disk...

TP: Are any of the original members back with the band?

TH: Well, Dan came out for a while and actually hurt his knee on the last tour, so he would've probably done this tour, and the other guys are pretty happy living in America, and for them to come up, get in a van and blast across Canada doesn't seem as glamorous as riding in a tour bus. You know, it's gotta cut pretty deep to be in a van, and I'm sure you've met bands and you can tell that it doesn't matter what it takes, if they have to do it by horse and buggy, they'd do it.

TP: Oh yeah for sure. I interviewed Priestess and they were exactly like that. Exactly like that.

TH: Right.

TP: They were in a van and that's where we did the interview.

TH: Exactly! And that kind of commitment is what you need! This is a new era in the music business. This is the do it yourself, create it yourself, sell it yourself, era of rock.

TP: So will you stay indie?

TH: Unless something really remarkable comes along, I don't see why I would want to get right back into the mess I was in the last time I was in Econoline Crush, where everybody else has a fuckin' opinion.

TP: And everyone else has a bigger piece of the pie than you do...

TH: Yeah and that sucks. And you know, if it was about the money, I would not be here now, I would not have been here five years ago, I'd be off doing something else. It's about the art. And I just want it to be the best it can be. Like, it drives me and has always driven me crazy when I watch bands, or even in my band near the end, where just because we showed up, everybody cheers...well you know what man? Somebody worked three hours maybe, at some fucking shitty job to buy the ticket. They deserve better.

TP: And they might have driven all over hell's acres just to be able to come and see you play...spent money on gas and hotel rooms...

TH: Exactly. Yeah and you're up there just going through the motions. No way. No Way!!! Never again.

TP: Well I never felt that you "went through the motions", because I've seen you perform on numerous occasions when you opened for Theory Of A Deadman a few years back, and I remember your shows as being very high energy. You were always putting yourself out there. I always enjoyed your shows and thought your live performances were always above par.

TH: Thank you!! And I strive for that. That's my goal. At the end of the day, that's the most important thing, is that the people get that.

TP: I would think that you've been working on a new album, seeing as you're touring. So can you tell me a bit about the new album? Have you got a title? How many tracks, or how many songs have you written?

TH: Well, we have three tracks that I'm really excited about, ummm, I don't know if I can give them out yet (laughs). I'll say that tentatively we were talking about a title from the Edge, because it feels like, right now, that all of us involved in this thing, have gone right...

TP: To the edge?

TH: To the edge...of our business. I mean, every aspect. Emotionally, financially, physically--everybody has pushed this thing. We've always been an underdog band and I can remember, the first record I released with Econoline, "Nope. We can't get you on radio because you've got keyboards." "Nope. We can't get you on the radio because you have loops." "Nope. We won't book you with this band because you're too heavy." "Nope. We won't book you with that band because you're too light." You know it was always this, that--there was always...

TP: You never fit in a specific genre.

TH: No, we never fit. We never fit in. And it seems like, you know, again we're up against it. But maybe that's the way we're always supposed to be, that maybe we were always supposed to be up against it and that's part of our charm, or whatever, is that we're the great underdog ya' know? Like before, our music was, whatever, and now I'm being told I was ahead of my time and a genius (we both laugh). I mean, what the fuck?? What changed?? I'm still the same guy.

TP: Time changes things. People look back and things always seem different when you look back.

TH: Yeah. Hindsight is 20/20.

TP: So who's doing most of the writing? Are you and Kai doing it together?

TH: Yeah, it's basically the two of us and that's probably the way it's going to stay, will be the two of us writing this record. And as you can imagine, I don't want to speak for Kai, but I just want to say, that he has been through the music business, he was in a band with Tommy Lee at the height of everything. It probably didn't do what they thought it was gonna' do sales-wise and expectations were probably pretty high. I think he's had his fair share of rock 'n' roll disappointments, as have I. So I think as a pair of songwriters, we have a lot to prove.

TP: To yourselves?

TH: To ourselves and to our audience. Like, after the Hurst thing and after talking to people that realized that I was the singer from Econoline Crush and all that stuff, I'm pretty passionate, more so now I think, than ever, about my audience.

TP: Really? Do you think it was the time away, to reflect, that makes you feel kind of rejuvenated now?

TH: I think it's that, and I think also it's just that, you can get into a culture of, and I don't even know how to phrase this, but you can get caught up in the music industry culture and lose perspective as to why you're doing it and what you're doing--when chart position, sales figures, fashion and all this other shit becomes more important than what it is--the message and the music. And so I think the ability now to not have the record company dude whispering in your ear every time you go for dinner, not having the manager bitching about this and that, not having all this shit going on, I'm able to get the perspective, where I realize, what it is that we did and what it is that we can do, going forward. And regardless of, "Oh you guys are in a band and it's never going to happen, blah, blah, blah..." Well you know what? Everybody can just...I don't care. Because the reality is, that we have something to say and we're going to say it and we're going to record it and we're gonna go out and we're going to perform it.

TP: And how long do you think it will take to finish the album? When do you anticipate the release?

TH: I think by the end of August we'll be done, mixed, mastered, if I have my way. And I'd like to have a fall release. I'd like to be out in time to go play some schools, to rip across colleges.

TP: Yeah, the colleges and universities.

TH: Yeah exactly. And I know we have a following in Germany, I know that we have a following in South Africa, I know that we have a following in Australia. We have a number of audiences that we need to go and play to, so I want to chase down all of those opportunities. It's just, you know...it's weird. I couldn't in a million years have predicted how things would've played out for me. But, I have to believe that everything happens for a reason and that all of these things, even just in the last say, three, four months, all the personal things and the heartache and growth and everything, have led me to this point and will lead me to the point of when I get in the studio again, hopefully with everything working out with Sylvia Matthew Shivey and be able to kind of--because you know, when we made The Devil You Know, that forty day period that I spent with Sylvia making that record, was probably the most spiritually uplifting and musically satisfying time in my whole entire life. It was just a great experience.

TP: So you'll be using her to produce again?

TH: Yes. She's such a great human being, and she makes you just be a better artist and that's all I want out of a producer, is just help me be a better me. Help me expose the things that are my strengths and help me hide my weaknesses, I guess, as an artist. I've worked with a lot of producers and stuff over the years and with engineers and nobody has been able to bring the passion out of me, like Sylvia can.

TP: Maybe because she's a woman?

TH: Partially.

TP: Men usually rule that "world", the production end of it. It's not often you find women in that position. I'm not sure how to say this, the words I'm trying to find, but maybe because she's a woman, because women seem to be able to bring things out, that it's easier with her.

TH: There's more emotion--they're more connected to the emotional side of things. And she's an anomaly and an enigma all on her own, because she's so different than anybody I've ever met. It doesn't matter in some respects what sex she is, it's just who she is.

TP: The person...

TH: The person...and herself, like I don't know how much is documented online or anything about her, but she comes from a kind of checkered past, where life wasn't always so great and she had to overcome some addictions and overcome some things and it's like, I think that's the common bond between Kai and myself. You know, when you've been through the ringer, when you've hit skid row, there's a certain bond there that nobody else can relate.

TP: An understanding that no one else can understand and relate to?

TH: Yeah, yeah.

TP: So what can your fans expect from the new album? Is it going to be as diverse as the past material from Econoline Crush, will you be adding something different to the mix?

TH: It'll probably be fairly diverse, but I'm hoping--one of the things I thought, was I tried to do something--it's interesting, because I put on the brand new, I don't know if you've listened to the brand new Linkin Park?

TP: Yes I have.

TH: Okay, so if you listened to it, it's a great record. He covers a lot of bases. And that's kind of what I tried to do with Brand New History, but I don't think I hit the mark. It's good. It's close. But it's just not, there. I'd like to kind of, on this next upcoming record, synthesize it down, simplify it a bit and try to narrow the focus. See more high energy rock, but having said that, I am an artist and we are experimental as hell, so who knows what's gonna come out. But the reality is, that I think that we have a pretty good idea of what we wanna do and it's almost like "Sparkle And Shine" and "Home" and "Sure Fire" and "You Don't Know What It's Like". I mean, those are the songs that when I play them every night, and then that's what's important, that's probably the biggest thing about this tour that we're doing right now, is that, when Econoline Crush made records before, we toured, we took three months off, or four months off and started writing, and then went into the studio. Well, you're cold. I wanna go right from the road, into writing, into the studio, boom boom boom, so that when I close my eyes and I'm in the booth, I see the Lee's Palace crowd from Toronto, I see The Drinks crowd from Regina, I see The Edge crowd from Edmonton, I see these people, and I know who I'm writing for. I know, not just myself, not just Kai, but our audience. And the songs, to me, that I connect with when I'm playing them live, are those ones that kind of have that riff-rock, that passion, that aggressiveness, that whole deal. And I think that that's going to be one of the biggest influences on this record, is the fact that we will be playing live and we will have played a bunch of shows prior to going into the studio. And you'll feel that. I know people have said to me tons of times, "Geezus dude, the way you guys are live, if you could just get in onto CD, if you could just..." And I want people to feel that energy.

TP: And have you been playing any of the new stuff live yet?

TH: No, not yet.

TP: But you've got three or four songs completed?

TH: We've got probably six songs completed, but no, I wish we were playing it live but...

TP: Then why aren't you, if you've got a few completed, why not try them out on the fans and see how the reaction to them would be?

TH: We will be after tomorrow.

TP: Oh sure, after tomorrow, when I've done this show, sure!! (we laugh)

TH: Well yeah, because it'll be when Kai comes out on the road, that's when we'll play them.

TP: Oh and he's coming out on the road in a couple of days is he?

TH: Yeah, after this run, I'm going into the studio with him, we're going to finish up a few more and then the next run, which includes my hometown, the 125th (birthday), that will be the first show and after that we're gonna' go all out and it'll be, you know...

TP: You sound really happy Trevor, you really sound kind of pumped and happy, which is good to hear. So out of the six songs you've written, have you got a personal favourite that means more to you than the others? One in particular?

TH: Well there's a song tentatively titled "The Love You Feel". And in my entire time, with maybe the exception of "Razor Blades", which really was kind of a vindictive song and not very loving, I've never been able to kind of express what it feels like to be happy in a relationship. And "The Love You Feel" I wrote about my two step-daughters and my wife. And it encapsulates just how grateful I am, that I have people in my life that make a difference.

TP: That's really great to hear, because I think there's a misconception, a myth out there, that all rock bands are into themselves, into the partying, they don't know what it's like to commit, they're not generally able to commit, for a variety of different reasons. Obviously being on the road is difficult at best. But it's nice to hear you talking so, passionately, about your wife and your step-daughters, that you were able to write a song about them, that's pretty cool.

TH: Well it's the growth I guess. I wouldn't be able. It's a fact, I could not do this without them. They are my backbone. They are the people that I rely on for emotional support.

TP: And you've been married for two years now?

TH: Yes, and it's really great, you know? And I know, because rock 'n' roll is an acronym for fucking and that's where it comes from and it's supposed to be this perception. I don't know, rock 'n' roll seems to be like a Vegas slogan, "What happens here, stays here", you know what I mean?

TP: What happens on the bus, stays on the bus?

TH: Yeah, some dirty rotten thing. But you can still rock and love your wife. There's nothing wrong with being in a committed relationship and being a rock 'n' roller. Bono has done it for years!

TP: A lot of artists are very committed. Alice Cooper is someone else who's been with his wife and has two daughters, a son, and has been committed in a marriage for God knows how long now! Unfortunately, there is this perception that if you're in a rock band, all you do is drink and fuck.

TH: Even the singer for The Killers is a happily married guy. And it doesn't affect your ability to write music, it doesn't mean that you don't relate with what it's like to be single. Like, I didn't have a brain aneurysm (we both laugh). I didn't forget all the shit I went through in this life.

TP: Yeah, no kidding. Okay, who would you say had the most impact on you personally, that influenced your sound and style?

TH: Wow, I think that it's a combination. It's an interesting thing--Bono, early U2, his passion--one of the greatest quotes, and I don't know if we can ever find it again on the internet, but he used to kind of bag on dinosaur rock, like on Zeppelin and shit, he used to really bag on it when he was younger. And I identified with him, because I grew up in a small town and everybody who listened to Zeppelin and AC/DC seemed like shitheads to me, and I liked the new music because those people seemed more intelligent. Now that I've been in the music business for a while, I realize the greatness of AC/DC and the greatness of Led Zeppelin, and I am a huge fan. But back in the day, when I was younger, I identified with that (the new music). And then, Nine Inch Nails. I'm always, always, wowed by Trent Reznor. Every time he puts out a fricken record, I'm like, "There's no way that he can...oh God, listen to that! Oh, how can he come up with better sounds, how can he come up with better songs?" If only. Stellar. Stellar!! And it's just great, so he always influences me and he's kind of like a guy that, not only musically, but what he does production-wise at his shows. You know I could only dream to have a budget that big and just go crazy. And marketing-wise, I think that's a big influence. And then, singer/songwriter-wise, I'm a fan of Bob Dylan, and I find that listening to some of those classic, older songs, just the way they were constructed and lyrically constructed, it's really great stuff, it's really, really smart. And I--tip of the hat, it's just great, great music.

TP: If you could only listen to five albums for the rest of your life, what would they be?

TH: Patsy Cline's Greatest Hits would be in there. I love the sound of her voice. Afghan Whigs, the one with the song "Gentlemen" and (pauses)...U2, Achtung Baby. I think "One" is one of the best songs ever written. There is a Willie Nelson record that I really dig. (we laugh) Well you think, you've got to keep it pretty diverse!

TP: Yeah you do, otherwise you'd get tired of it pretty quick.

TH: Yeah, and...anything that Devine Brown ever sings on, would be worthy. There ya' go.

TP: Alright. So what are you listening to these days? What's in your CD player?

TH: Well, the last Nine Inch Nails record, for sure, Arctic Monkeys I dig and then, I've kind of been blasting to Depeche Mode lately, and I’ve gotta say that new Linkin Park seriously, it's a really well done record. Rick Rubin is a monster, he really is.

TP: Yup, he certainly is. So, what are you looking forward to most in 2007 for Econoline Crush?

TH: When I've got that final master record in my hands, my gosh, I'll be walking on air. That's my biggest thing, to complete the record and be done with that and get ready to go out and tour it, that's my light at the end of the tunnel.

TP: The goal for 2007.

TH: Yes.

TP: What would you say is the best part of touring?

TH: I think it's--there are things that happen on the road, not like the scandalous sex shit and all that, but there are things you see happen, like, for example, I was at Tweed-my friend threw this thing at a park and you know, a guy comes up to me and says, "Hey dude," and I meet and befriend a guy who owns a monster truck. We drove out and took his monster truck and ran over a car with it! And it's like, when does that shit ever happen to you in real life? (we both laugh) You're walking down the street and someone comes up to you and says, "Hey, c'mon, let's take my monster truck and go wreck something!"?? That, and the people you meet, and the stories you hear, and especially now. Because I have this history, I get these great stories from people sometimes that are so funny and great and moving and I think that's it, the interaction with the fans, and the camaraderie in the band. There is no one that will ever understand what is happening like your other band mates. No one will ever understand the heartache when something goes wrong or something happens and it shakes the band up and no one will ever understand the triumphs. And when you do a good show and every thing is just on fire, and you can't believe how good it was and you all get in that dressing room afterwards and you're soaking wet and you look at each other and you go, "Yeah. YEAH!!!" And you know, there's nothing like that. It's like a slap shot in the top corner for an NHL hockey player. It's like when you do that great show and you have this camaraderie with these guys and you've shared this experience, it's pretty dramatic. And when I think of that, that's something you can never duplicate.

TP: Worst part of touring?

TH: I miss my family and I miss my dogs.

TP: How many dogs do you have?

TH: Two

TP: What are they?

TH: Just mutts. Well actually, I've got one mutt and I've got a hairless, Chinese-crested, hairy-hairless...Lola.

TP: Oh my God, are they the ones with the white strip...

TH: The Mohawk!

TP: Yeah, the Mohawk, with the fluff on the tail?

TH: Yeah...

TP: I love those dogs!!! Well that's not a mutt, that's a pure-bred!

TH: Yeah she's so...her name is Lola and she's like a showgirl, she is so totally Lola Falana. She's a beautiful dog, and I love my dogs. But that's the hard part, being away from family and sometimes you get over-tired and being an artist you're kind of emotional and shit. It sometimes gets to be a little overwhelming. But like I said earlier, when you have people in your life that you love and care about and that love you back, it gives you the strength to get through the tough days. To get through the promoter bullshit and things that happen and the nasty side of the business that we try and insulate ourselves from, but eventually, you're always exposed to it.

TP: Exactly. Okay, finish this sentence..."If I wasn't in a band, I would...."

TH: Be playing for the Philadelphia Flyers!!

TP: I'm a Toronto Maple Leaf fan myself.

TH: I'm sorry... (we laugh)

TP: I know, it's really pathetic because...

TH: It's not as pathetic as being a Philadelphia Flyers fan though!!

TP: Well apparently we're in the same boat this year, not making the play-offs.

TH: Yeah (laughs)

TP: Who do you think is going to win the Stanley Cup? Ottawa or Anaheim?

TH: I think Ottawa is going to win...

TP: Ottawa seems very strong this year

TH: I think they're very strong

TP: I hate admitting that. They're Toronto's nemesis, and I'm not a fan at all, but to me, they're the only Canadian team left, so I have to go with Canada.

TH: But hello, I believe that I'm correct on this, that there are more Canadians on the Anaheim Mighty Ducks.

TP: Yes you are correct, that's very true.

TH: Because when Brian Burke went to build that team, he said, "I want to build with strong Canadian boys, because I know what I'm dealing with then." And it's nothing racist or whatever you want to call it, it's just that you know what kind of hockey upbringing they've had, how they've been trained and how they've played, and if they've played in the Western Canadian Hockey League or the OHL or whatever.

TP: Have you caught any of the play-offs?

TH: Oh as much as I can. I'm a big hockey fan.

TP: Me, too. Huge. Huge.

TH: And may I add too, just as an aside (I start laughing), to defend my love for...

TP: Your Flyers?? Sorry, no asides allowed...(we laugh)

TH: To defend my love of the Philadelphia Flyers, but if you check for accredited journalists flying to Ottawa to cover the NHL finals, there is no one from hockey town U.S.A., coming to cover the games. Both papers from Philadelphia have a correspondent there. So where is hockey town U.S.A.? I think it's in Pennsylvania!!

TP: Oh all right, I'll give ya that (we both laugh). Well we'll see what happens next year. We'll have another conversation when hockey starts back up. Okay Trevor, I think that's about it, unless there's something you'd like to say to the fans, or something you'd like to add that I haven't asked you?

TH: I'd like to say that after Sunday, the MySpace site will be updated. We're going to start blogging, we're going to start doing all this stuff.

TP: Good. Yeah, you need to blog Trevor.

TH: Oh I agree. And when we get all this done, look for us on tour, because we're all going out to kick some ass!!

TP: Kicking some fucking ass, yeah! Well thanks so much for the interview Trevor, it's been great!

TH: Thank you!