You guys pick on yourselves a lot (e-mail newsletters, for example) - is it all just jokes, or a little insecurity? Do you feel more stable now, with a growing fan base? Why do we pick on ourselves... well, mostly it's just humor. It may be more than that. Dave and I have always had a problem believing that people actually enjoy our dumbass songs. We never wanted to come across as "yeah, we rule, look at us." I think that a few of our tunes are really cool, but that's probably just because I wrote them. I obviously wouldn't write stuff I don't like. The writing is done pretty evenly between Dave, Ben, and myself - the various songs we write reflect our difference in interests for the most part. Darla don't write anything, in fact, she pretty much hates ska/punk/hardcore/and such. She's into girlrock like varuca salt or something I guess. So, anyway, what I was saying is, we never could really tell if what we played was actually good to others. We kinda thought it may be, so... we just diss ourselves a lot, in case it isn't. It eases tension, makes us feel like we don't have to come out looking as good. It's funny sometimes I'm sure. I don't know, I quit this question.

craig

Was the show with the pietasters your first show opening for a a national band? How was that show different from a regular local show?

The Pietasters show was our first national. I mean, we've played with many touring bands, but I guess they don't fit National in description. We had a show with Adam's Alcoholics, whom I guess a bunch of people know. I didn't know them, oh well. They rocked though.
Why was the Pietasters show different? Well for one, there were people there. That was a bonus. We got to sit upstairs and chill with them, they were cool guys. A few of them were too drunk to talk, but that's ok. People had to go through ticketmaster to see us. That was gay. They shafted us bigtime paywise. They shafted the Pietasters as well. It's hard trying to pay for recording and band gear when you get paid virtually nothing for shows.

ben

Do you get to go out and see a lot of the other bands in the area? Any favorites or recommendations? We go out now and then to see shows. I think as a whole, we all really dig Mexican Cession. I know I do. I think they are an amazing group of guys, and they should be very rich signed to something large by now. In my mind, they don't fit "local band" status whatsoever. Playing with them is like playing with the Pietasters in my mind. When Mephiskapheles came, mex ces opened for them, and I enjoyed them more than meph. I used to love Counterclockwise. They don't play too much anymore though, if they do, I never know about it. Check out Never2Late, they're pretty cool. The Conservatives are friends of ours. They play radiohead type of music... but they are REALLY good. It's still not the most common thing to have one girl in a band of guys. Do people discount Darla as a drummer, thinking she's more there just for show? I don't know what people think of Darla. I usually hear that they think she's cute and she's good, both of which are questionable. :p

Here is the fabled story of Darla. Ben and I wanted to start a band. We got Dave to play bass. We needed a drummer... she was the only one we could find. She's the sister of Ben's friend Mike. Our first practice was the first time she ever played drums. She was terrible, we kicked her out after a while and got Ray Lampke. We had Ray a few months, but then he quit, much to my delight. So, we needed a drummer. Once again, she was the only one. So we got her back. She was much better by then, and she keeps getting better everyday as we speak. Sure, I get very upset with her fairly often when I want her to do stuff and she can't. But if she works on it, she usually does it. Sure, it may take a real long time...

Would you say WUC is a ska-type band? Have you ever thought about adding horns, either permanently or just for a cd?

I think this is a ska type band. It has the ska-like elements there. But, based on that, it's alot of things. Mostly it is pop-punk I guess. I don't know what it is, to be truthful. It's just WUC? We tried to get horns once. We got a sax, trumpet, and trombone (how original). They didn't work out, there was no need for them. Trust me... every once in a while I wish so much there was something I could use in a song: another guitar, or a horn. But it's not worth it to add another member and lag more equipment for a little part in one song.
In recordings, I can play all the guitar parts I want, which solves that. We are set to record in November again, and we are contemplating bringing the saxophone player we had to do a song. We'll see.

You had a song, 'Guess What,' on the Watchmen comp, and will be on the forthcoming 'This Place Sucks' CD. How did you hook up with those? Do you have any more in the works? "Guess What" was the first song we ever wrote as a band. It was simply just known as "the ska song" for a very long time, till the watchmen comp. We needed a name, we had about 5 seconds to think of one. "Guess What..." was it. Doug from Watchmen asked us if we wanted to be on the comp when we recorded our demo. We had to pay 100 bucks to get on it. With that price we were placed on the comp, and we got like 30 or 40 cd's to sell and keep the profits on. The money we made from the comps is what finally got us the funds to release Polkachoad. The boys from Never2Late asked us to be on "This Place Sucks." I don't think "Guess What" is gonna be on that, I thought it was going to be "Shitty Drums." Maybe I'm wrong. We have no more comps in the works.

darla

Who is a band you would most like to play a show with?

Oh man... If I could play with the Aquabats, I'd be a happy guy. Darla would probably like to play with Elastica or something gay like that. I don't think Ben likes anything, really. Dave would probably say Aquabats too, or Skavoovie. As always... we love to play with Mexican Cession. They are always great shows for us.

Where is a place you would really like to play? (city-wise)

I really can't say any one place we would like to play. Anywhere not here would do just fine for a change.

Where did the name come from?

I would love to tell you where the name came from, but I don't think I really know. I made it, somehow. It had something to to with a band named "front of truck," a kid in my class named eric (aka Chuck) and Ben. I don't remember the rest. Past names of the band were: 7a, Malt, Simpickle, and Bacterial Salamander... none of which were credible.

dave

What was the best moment in your career so far?? Almost all of the goals I set have been reached. In the beginning, our goals were basically as follows: Play at Showplace, play with Counterclockwise, make a recording, have people we didn't previously know come to see us/listen to our recording, play a national, and get with Darla. Only one left to go. :P Wait till she reads that. Pretty low goals we set, you may think. No "get signed by Moon Ska" or anything like that. But those goals all really meant a lot to me, and I take pride in doing just what we have done. Anyhow, here is the list of "New Goals To Be Sought After By Craig In Regards To What's Up, Chuck?:" 1. Play more nationals! 2. Make a CD Ok.. that about does it. Oh yeah... shit.. I forgot about that one.. 3. Turn on the radio, hear one of our songs on it, laugh with glee and pride, and then realize that somehow my copy of the WUC cd got in my cd player, BUT manage to

look up in time to realize that the car in front of me has stopped before I crash into it. And as I watch the guy get out of the car and come my way, I notice something. And just before I lose consciousness from him pummeling me into the ground cause I hit his Camaro, I realize that, yes!, THE DUMBASS HAS A WHAT'S UP CHUCK? T-SHIRT ON! WHAT A LOSER!

thanks again, craig!

interview by jennie and sarah

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