“Gym Class Heroes are the new Black Eyed Peas” Not so much damning with feint praise as shredding all notions of accolade, rubbing it in shit then burning the remains on a midnight pyre. Alexander Pope would bum himself stupid… As such it’s a damn good job we’re not doling out any such indignities on the reigning hip-pop regents – taking a stance far more suited to cheery indifference than venomous indignation as they drop nugget after nugget of breezy East-coast whimsy.
Sugary on the surface but potty-mouthed beneath, Gym Class Heroes deserve a pat on the back for bringing a much needed degree of subtly to the increasingly overt lewdness that pervades this particular pop division. Yes ‘Clothes Off’ is fairly blatant, but have you fucking heard ‘My Humps’? Case closed. With the tricky afternoon slot at Reading and Leeds fast approaching, we thought it was a pertinent time to chat to the lads about the British weather and how to dodge an armada of Evian bottles foaming with piss. Helmets are the new concussion.
Holed up in the neon-enema of Las Vegas, front man Travis McCoy (brimming in tattoos / scallywag attitude) and drummer Matt McGinley (think the ginger bloke out of Air in a porkpie hat) were in town to perform at the Heineken Thirst Studio event and record the video for ‘Clothes Off’ – still finding time nonetheless to let a sun-crisped Clash into their hotel room for a bit of jaw. And guess what? They turned out to be right chatty fucks. Fix up, read sharp!
How are you?
Travis: We’re good – just a bit jetlagged…
Have you been to Las Vegas before?
Travis: Hell yeah – it’s a cool place, but only for a short while. Stay here too long and you’re lost. Trust me, I know.
So what’s with the name? Can we assume you met doing P.E. at school?
Travis: Whoa! You got it right…
Matt: Yeah, I met Travis in gym class and we sort of clicked. Gym Class Heroes started that very same year.
Travis: But tell him how we got the name!
Matt: The elder gods… Who else? The name just dropped on us from above. These things happen. We basically started playing locally for a few years then all of a sudden we were signed and had a line up change. It came from us self releasing our own album. The new members we got were all from punk bands that we knew and respected
So what brought you together in gym class?
Travis: The elder gods and, err, the elder gods. I think that was it. When you get the calling you get the calling.
Matt: Seriously though, both me and Travis were so heavily into bands and music we couldn’t help but be friends. It was kinda inevitable. You can’t fight that.
Travis: Or the elder gods.
What kind of music were you listening to growing up?
Matt: Well when I first met Travis I was all over Rage Against The Machine and Green Day – that kind of thing. It was Travis who put me onto all the great underground hip-hop; early Black Eyed Peas, The Roots.
I’ve seen you mention Radiohead as big influence. Do you like British music as a rule?
Matt: Of course, especially at the moment. I’m really into Muse.
Travis: Yeah, Muse are the truth. I love them. I hear they’re mind-blowing live. A real lightshow! I watched the DVD and was blown away.
Matt: We got to see Bloc Party play recently and they were awesome.
Travis: I agree; they are off the wall.
So do you rate British hip-hop much?
Travis: A couple of years ago I was put onto Plan B. That’s cool. I like Kano and shit. When I heard my first grime compilation I was like “holy shit!” It’s real dope. I can’t think of anyone else…
How about Dizzee Rascal? He’s on the verge of mega-stardom…
Travis: I think he’s kind of an acquired taste. I can respect what he does and see why people dig it, but I just can’t. Do you know what I mean? I can see he’s a big influence in the UK at the moment.
So do you enjoy playing live?
Travis: Sure – especially when we’ve had a few days off. I get a little itchy… Need. To. Get. On. Stage.
When you play you’re famous for the live band set up. Was this a conscious decision or a product of where you came from?
Travis: It was just what happened – we didn’t set out to become ‘hip-hop with instruments’
Matt: I suppose it was our natural voice. We’d been into punk then this was the next step. For me anyway.
Travis: Yeah, we were all in different bands prior to Gym Class Heroes. Garage bands, you know. So I think the more we were influenced by hip-hop the more we tried to interpret that. We didn’t know any DJ’s so that route wasn’t open to us. We didn’t know anyone that produced beats. That meant we had to come up with the feel and vibe of hip-hop with what we had available to us. The Beastie Boys did it, so why not us?
You sampled Supertramp in ‘Cupid’s Chokehold’. Do you like the band? I imagine you get asked that a lot…
Travis: Ha! I’m just gonna say fuck no man! Fuck that, who are they? I never heard of them… Nah, I’m just kidding. Don’t write that – they’ll pull the record…
Your music is very melodious. Is this something you feel is important to the records you make?
Travis: Sure, probably more so now than it once was. I think melody comes with direction and that’s something we have now. Also, personally, I’m a lot more comfortable with my voice than I was before.
Do you value eclecticism?
The name just dropped on us from above. These things happen.
Travis: Very much so and I think our fan base is testament to that. It’s hard to put a face on a Gym Class fan. We have every type in there. From hipster kids to fucking gangster thugs and house wives. Hot house wives of course. She’s hot, cleans and cooks. You know what I’m saying? In her underwear. Nice.
In your song ‘Taxi Driver’ you mention a load of bands and artists from all different genres. What was the motivation for this? Just plain name checking?
Travis: It was like ‘why the fuck not?’ It actually came about naturally. I was looking at a festival poster with all the people who were playing and it just appeared… I initially just mentioned Death Cab For Cutie then pushed it aside but when I spoke to Matt he was really into it. So I added some more and he yelled ‘keep going!’, so I did – then rang back every five minutes with some more. Bands now all seem to have names that sound like verses of song – I may as well use them. What’s funny is that years after we wrote it we’re playing alongside people. Fuck, that’s scary!
Matt: Yeah, I remember working on that song and thinking ‘I wonder if any of these bands will hear this’. I was so corny!
Is that the way songs always come together? The lyrics first then the music?
Travis: Yes and no. It depends on the song.
Matt: I can think of times where the music has been laid down. Finished. Then Travis puts words to it. But the other way happens a lot too. Sometimes we may have fragments – just a concept and we’ll jam it out from there.
What can people expect who are coming to see you play live?
Travis: Fucking sweat and sex.
Matt: And awkward smells…
Are you looking forward playing Reading and Leeds?
Travis: Sure!
Have you played a UK festival before?
Matt: No. I remember seeing an old Rage Against The Machine live show from Reading years ago and it was fierce. Honestly. The crowds out there look sick.
Make sure you pack your wellies. Just in case.
Travis: Shit. The weather just gets me sad. Whenever we’re in England the weather always seems to be grey. But that gives the shows a different vibe – which is great…
Matt: What is it like when it’s bottling weather? Will that only happen when it’s raining?
No such luck – that’s permanent. Rain or shine.
Travis: Shit man. That guy got knocked out last year. You British sure know how to tell someone you don’t like them. Anyone throws anything at me and I’ll wage war with every single motherfucker in the whole crowd. Rock me like a hurricane son. Rock me like a hurricane!
Matt: At least you can see it coming and move. I’m a sitting target. ‘Here it comes… Oh shit!’
If it’s wet you have the added worry of mud coming in…
Travis: Oh shit. You’re kidding? I’ll be covered. It’ll be cool though. I think we’ll bring our helmets just in case. But if we’re awesome we’ll be ok yeah?
With that to look forward to, what else have you got coming up and what’s floating your boat at the moment?
Travis: Well I’ve been listening to Gym Class Heroes a lot recently.
Any good? I heard they’re shit…
Travis: Ha! Well this is a remix version. Basically we’ve had the album mixed with all Hall and Oates songs – kinda like Dangermouse did with Jay-Z and The Beatles. It’s our Grey Album.
Will it get a released?
Travis: I really hope so. Darryl Hall is a big Gym Class Heroes fan though. We named our last tour after him out of respect. We’re building a cool relationship with him, so hopefully it’ll come good. Yeah it’s so exciting and really well executed.
Were you into Dangermouse’s Grey Album?
Travis: Absolutely. It was so well done. He put his heart into that record and it showed. I feel the same with our record. I hope it works as well. I think it does.
How about the MF Doom / Dangerdoom hook up for Dangerdoom?
Travis: I am such a big MF Doom fan. Always have been.
Are you looking forward to the Ghostface collaboration with MF Doom?
Travis: Fuck yeah! Who isn’t? In fact, I think I’ve been looking forward to that since before I knew it was happening. They are the top of the leftfield. But MF Doom in particular, he is amazing. His flows are so nostalgic and on top of the game. Lines like “What’s that on your shirt? Got you!” They tap into something deep. Only he could get away with that shit and make it good.
