Sparta is one of the best bands on a major label right now. Their latest album is Porcelain and these four guys, Jim Ward, Tony Hajjar, Paul Hinojos, and Matt Miller are kicking ass and taking names in their brand new tour which just kicked off. I got a chance to talk with Sparta bassist Matt Miller on one of their rare days off.
Check out the official site for Sparta
Daniel Robert Epstein: Hey Matt, where are you today?
Matt Miller: Im in Seattle.
DRE: Are you drinking lattes?
MM: [laughs] No I just woke up.
DRE: Are you seeing hipsters?
MM: I havent ventured out yet but I am sure I will see some when I do. Were on tour and we just got back from Vancouver last night.
DRE: I love Vancouver. Did you go get pot from the heroin addicts?
MM: No but the last record we did we were in Vancouver for two months and that was like three and a half years ago so now it seems like its gotten a lot worse. There seems to be a lot more junkies in the streets. We didnt think the area we played in could get much worse. We were just up there for the day and now we have a day off.
DRE: Is it tough traveling around that much?
MM: Its like anything because its got its highs and lows. Obviously the highs are getting to see lots of places but at the same time its taxing and stressful. Weve been touring since last March.
DRE: Since you are getting to the end of the tour are you guys starting to get on each others nerves?
MM: Naw, there have been no problems like that. But we are just tired of being on the road. We all want to go home and sleep in our own beds.
DRE: You guys are on a really big label, Geffen Records, whats that like? Do you get a nicer tour bus?
MM: Being on a major is like having a rich uncle you really dont know. They can afford to give you the funding for a record and then you can take your time with it. But at the same time they want to see results because they are throwing down that money. The only thing I see out of it is having money for recording and thats it. They dont throw down too much for the tour. I think major labels are dinosaurs and they are on their way out.
DRE: They dont know how to sell records anymore.
MM: They really dont and its completely screwed up right now.
DRE: The point I was getting to is, is it everything you thought it would be?
MM: Yes and no. The big perk is being able to make the record you want but after that its the politics and ugliness of the record industry. Its just disappointing to see how ugly it is.
DRE: Would you rather have not gotten onto such a big label?
MM: No because its an experience. Whatever happens in the future is just open. As long as we get to keep making records Im happy. When we got signed we got all the artistic freedom we could hope for.
DRE: How is your record doing?
MM: Its doing ok but there is nothing really on the radio. They tried that and it didnt work. As soon as that doesnt happen they dont know what to do.
DRE: Are people still downloading? Is that whats going on?
MM: I guess. When I was a kid we used to make our friends mix tapes and everyone who had the equipment did it and that was a form of downloading. They never had any problem with sales from that. But maybe because its computers there is much easier access to get more material. I think its a tool like anything else. Some people have abused it and others have used it for good. People get to hear stuff from a band they would never normally hear of then they might go get the CD or see their show.
DRE: My opinion isnt that downloading is the problem but the price of CDs drive people to it.
MM: It is high. I saw a show CBS and they were talking with a bunch of record executives and they were saying that when the CD format came out everyone went to go by CDs to replace their tapes and vinyls. There was this huge surge of people and corporations saw that and thought there was a lot of money in it. But it was just a one time big thing and since then weve had nothing like that. No one is going to upgrade their collection on the digital format because you can steal it.
DRE: Youre from El Paso Texas, Ive been there. Did you used to go to Juarez a lot?
MM: I started going there when I was 15.because with a fake ID you could go drink.
DRE: Was Juarez crazy?
MM: It was back then. Now I know its been kind of clamped down on. Since 9/11 its been super tight to go over there. There never used to be any cops but now they are everywhere even in Juarez. They are trying to see if people are going to get illegal prescription drugs.
DRE: What inspired the new album?
MM: I dont think it was one thing. Just being able to do another record is a big thing. To be able to go to Joshua Tree California and spend six weeks writing and then recording in LA was great. We only want to do the record we want. I think if we made the same record right now it would be totally different because the record is a snapshot of who we were.
DRE: Whats the bands songwriting process?
MM: The past two albums have been us all working together. For the last one Jim did the lyrics because we wanted it to have meaning for him. We wanted it to feel more natural.
DRE: Does Jim ever have to explain what certain lyrics mean to you guys or do you just not ask?
MM: If were confused by something, well ask him and hell give us a clear answer.
DRE: Were you guys disappointed that Lollapalooza got cancelled?
MM: Nope, because when we got offered it I was the only one that was in total opposition to it. Playing one show every four to five days is retarded. They wouldnt let any band play any outside shows. It was just so poorly organized so we dropped out just a few weeks before they cancelled it. We were going to do our own headlining tour so it was cool when it got cancelled. I think Perry [Farrell] and his other partner just tried to do too much too soon.
DRE: How was playing with The Pixies at Coachella?
MM: It was awesome. We didnt get to chill with any of them because it was just so crazy with the press or when the bands were done playing they would leave. In fact, after Radiohead I left. What amazes me is the amount of people who go to it and endure the heat just to see their favorite bands. Im used to the heat but standing out there in the blistering sun watching a band was just not cool. I cant believe people will endure that.
DRE: When you guys did Wiretap you were a band for a very short time, how was it different for the next one?
MM: We had toured all that time in between so we had all this new confidence and it felt really natural.
by Daniel Robert Epstein
SG Username: AndersWolleck
Check out the official site for Sparta
Daniel Robert Epstein: Hey Matt, where are you today?
Matt Miller: Im in Seattle.
DRE: Are you drinking lattes?
MM: [laughs] No I just woke up.
DRE: Are you seeing hipsters?
MM: I havent ventured out yet but I am sure I will see some when I do. Were on tour and we just got back from Vancouver last night.
DRE: I love Vancouver. Did you go get pot from the heroin addicts?
MM: No but the last record we did we were in Vancouver for two months and that was like three and a half years ago so now it seems like its gotten a lot worse. There seems to be a lot more junkies in the streets. We didnt think the area we played in could get much worse. We were just up there for the day and now we have a day off.
DRE: Is it tough traveling around that much?
MM: Its like anything because its got its highs and lows. Obviously the highs are getting to see lots of places but at the same time its taxing and stressful. Weve been touring since last March.
DRE: Since you are getting to the end of the tour are you guys starting to get on each others nerves?
MM: Naw, there have been no problems like that. But we are just tired of being on the road. We all want to go home and sleep in our own beds.
DRE: You guys are on a really big label, Geffen Records, whats that like? Do you get a nicer tour bus?
MM: Being on a major is like having a rich uncle you really dont know. They can afford to give you the funding for a record and then you can take your time with it. But at the same time they want to see results because they are throwing down that money. The only thing I see out of it is having money for recording and thats it. They dont throw down too much for the tour. I think major labels are dinosaurs and they are on their way out.
DRE: They dont know how to sell records anymore.
MM: They really dont and its completely screwed up right now.
DRE: The point I was getting to is, is it everything you thought it would be?
MM: Yes and no. The big perk is being able to make the record you want but after that its the politics and ugliness of the record industry. Its just disappointing to see how ugly it is.
DRE: Would you rather have not gotten onto such a big label?
MM: No because its an experience. Whatever happens in the future is just open. As long as we get to keep making records Im happy. When we got signed we got all the artistic freedom we could hope for.
DRE: How is your record doing?
MM: Its doing ok but there is nothing really on the radio. They tried that and it didnt work. As soon as that doesnt happen they dont know what to do.
DRE: Are people still downloading? Is that whats going on?
MM: I guess. When I was a kid we used to make our friends mix tapes and everyone who had the equipment did it and that was a form of downloading. They never had any problem with sales from that. But maybe because its computers there is much easier access to get more material. I think its a tool like anything else. Some people have abused it and others have used it for good. People get to hear stuff from a band they would never normally hear of then they might go get the CD or see their show.
DRE: My opinion isnt that downloading is the problem but the price of CDs drive people to it.
MM: It is high. I saw a show CBS and they were talking with a bunch of record executives and they were saying that when the CD format came out everyone went to go by CDs to replace their tapes and vinyls. There was this huge surge of people and corporations saw that and thought there was a lot of money in it. But it was just a one time big thing and since then weve had nothing like that. No one is going to upgrade their collection on the digital format because you can steal it.
DRE: Youre from El Paso Texas, Ive been there. Did you used to go to Juarez a lot?
MM: I started going there when I was 15.because with a fake ID you could go drink.
DRE: Was Juarez crazy?
MM: It was back then. Now I know its been kind of clamped down on. Since 9/11 its been super tight to go over there. There never used to be any cops but now they are everywhere even in Juarez. They are trying to see if people are going to get illegal prescription drugs.
DRE: What inspired the new album?
MM: I dont think it was one thing. Just being able to do another record is a big thing. To be able to go to Joshua Tree California and spend six weeks writing and then recording in LA was great. We only want to do the record we want. I think if we made the same record right now it would be totally different because the record is a snapshot of who we were.
DRE: Whats the bands songwriting process?
MM: The past two albums have been us all working together. For the last one Jim did the lyrics because we wanted it to have meaning for him. We wanted it to feel more natural.
DRE: Does Jim ever have to explain what certain lyrics mean to you guys or do you just not ask?
MM: If were confused by something, well ask him and hell give us a clear answer.
DRE: Were you guys disappointed that Lollapalooza got cancelled?
MM: Nope, because when we got offered it I was the only one that was in total opposition to it. Playing one show every four to five days is retarded. They wouldnt let any band play any outside shows. It was just so poorly organized so we dropped out just a few weeks before they cancelled it. We were going to do our own headlining tour so it was cool when it got cancelled. I think Perry [Farrell] and his other partner just tried to do too much too soon.
DRE: How was playing with The Pixies at Coachella?
MM: It was awesome. We didnt get to chill with any of them because it was just so crazy with the press or when the bands were done playing they would leave. In fact, after Radiohead I left. What amazes me is the amount of people who go to it and endure the heat just to see their favorite bands. Im used to the heat but standing out there in the blistering sun watching a band was just not cool. I cant believe people will endure that.
DRE: When you guys did Wiretap you were a band for a very short time, how was it different for the next one?
MM: We had toured all that time in between so we had all this new confidence and it felt really natural.
by Daniel Robert Epstein
SG Username: AndersWolleck
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[Edited on Apr 06, 2005 by Shenni]