Photo: Press
As Pete Wentz puts it, Fall Out Boy are the last rock act not to view pop as a dirty word.
A truly divisive band, they've survived huge arena tours, crippling anxiety, divorce, infighting, critical acclaim and savage reviews, as well as an inaccurate "emo" tag they didn't deserve. But relaxing in a suite of the Langham Hotel in London's Mayfair, bassist Pete Wentz and drummer Andy Hurley are in good humour.
There certainly is cause for celebration. We're here to discuss American Beauty American Psycho, the latest in a long line of Fall Out Boy albums that prove their ability to endlessly surprise.
A cacophonous celebration with whipsmart punchlines and hooks aplenty, it looks set to top the album charts this weekend. To mark the release, Gigwise chatted with the pair about films, their polarising new single and why they're delighted Cara Delevingne is a fan.
Morrissey once said he regretted rhyming 'mascara' with 'Fender guitar'. Is there a lyric you regret?
Pete Wentz: There's this album we put out called Eating Out With Your Girlfriend and there are too many regrettable lyrics on there to mention. There was one song called 'Short, Fast and Loud'. I think the lyric was "Good God I wish I was tall." It just seems like it was a little bit too literal and a little bit too bad. I don't want to throw him under the bus but I think Patrick may have written it... but then it could have maybe been me.
We also put out this record Infinity On High [in 2007] and the world had started moving way too fast. Flights everywhere, stuff everyday: I wrote about writing lyrics on the record! It blows my mind that anyone can relate to anything on that record because it just seems so in the strange place.
Do you have an all-time favourite Fall Out Boy lyric?
Pete: There's a lyric on a song on Folie à Deux: "Hell or Glory / I don't want anything in between / Then came a baby boy with long eyelashes / And Daddy said 'You've got to show the world the thunder'. I really felt genuine about that, about my kid who is now six years old - it's a meaningful lyric to me. It probably isn't meaningful to anyone else as it's a b-side.
Andy Hurley: The only lyric that has ever grabbed me from anything is "I Am Straight Edge". It's an Earth Crisis Song. Other than that I don't care about lyrics.
Can you remember a particularly bad Fall Out review?
Pete: I can't remember specific ones but there are ones where it feels like "Let's bash these guys". It's starts "Blah blah blah, this record came out... and did you see what this guy was fucking wearing? He even calls himself a man!" Just these insane reviews where it's not about the record. This review is about your opinion of us, or your perceived opinion of us.
The ones that I always felt were funny were where there would be a review and it would be about my personal life. The funny thing is I wrote about it! In Infinity on High, in our biggest song 'Thnks fr th Mmrs', in the bridge of the song there is the line: "They say I only think in the form of crunching numbers in hotel rooms / Collecting page six lovers / Get me out of my mind." I defused that [accusation]! Or made an attempt was to defuse that. That always blows my mind - but that's the nature of it. I do think of the Morrissey quote: "In order to believe your good reviews and read them you have to look at the bad ones and believe them too." I try to go by the Morrissey standard and not read any - and secretly read all of them.
Are you now used to dealing with critics and fans who complain that each record doesn't sound like the previous one?
Pete: I think as much as I want to answer this question in a certain way, I remember being mad. People got mad when Metallica cut their hair! It's hard being a fan because the people you're a fan of want you to fall in love with this thing. Then you do fall madly in love with this thing and you have to be at every show - and then they change the thing! And it's hard.
The nature of being an artist who is involved in pop culture is that you have to push the boundaries a little bit in order to make something great or to progress the art form. Guardians Of The Galaxy pushed the boundaries! Some people just push it more than others.
We put out this song 'Centuries' and then immediately after our label/management/the conglomorate that takes 20% of our money said "Let's put out 'Irresistible' next. It's a great one-two punch." It was like 'I don't know. It feels a little obvious. It feels like at this point although the GPS is on, we should take a right instead of a left."
So we put our 'American Beauty American Psycho'. And it was truly polarising. There were people who said "I love it this is amazing! I'm all in!" Then there were people who asked if they could vomit on us through email. And that's cool because that's what art is supposed to do. It's supposed to make you feel something. If it's not making you feel something you're doing the art wrong. Then you're playing too safe.
To me, the thing I wish I could explain to my younger self: you'll always have those records that already existed. As much - and we're talking about Morrissey [again] - I believe if Morrissey and Johnny Marr got back together, it maybe wouldn't be as magicial as you would remember it.
Because the right things, at the right moment, who you are and when you hear and feel it - a retread can be very dangerous to your own legacy. Because you can ruin things! You go back and make the punk record or the speed metal record after you've learned how to play your instrument? All of sudden it sounds very different.
Andy: I feel like the main point I take away from that is that moments don't last forever. So the point is to make new moments. You can't live in a moment you had. You've got to keep having new adventures. That's art. And that's life.
Andy you are a coffee connoisseur. Is there something you wish people wouldn't order?
Andy: There's nothing I feel that's over the top: I'll order crappy desert Starbucks when I'm at the airport and there's all there is. Because I won't drink Starbucks black: it's just not very good.
Pete: There goes our Starbucks sponsorship!
Andy: Starbucks are great! [laughs] But while I'm here at this hotel especially I go to this place TAP on Wardour street: they always have really great coffee and good baristas there. I really like their Nicaragua this trip. There's so much good coffee out there.
What advice would you give on getting a tattoo?
Pete: My advice would be to think really long and hard because you're not only going to have that tattoo when you're 30, you're going to have it when you're 60. It should be something meaningful in some way. It's going to be a permanent part of you. I definitely made decisions when I was 15 or 16 thinking "I'm not going to even be around when I'm 30 - so that's cool." But you will be. Just think it through.
Andy: I was going to say the opposite. For me I think you should get something meaningful, but it should be more meaningful in that moment. My best advice is find an artist you like and then let him do his art. That's what lasts the longest: I have tattoos that mean stuff about relationships I've been in that I couldn't care less about and are meaningless to me now. Having gone to a good artist, I feel like that's what makes it last. It still looks good.
Describe your worst ever gig.
Pete: Back in the early days there was a ton of worst shows - where there was literally no-one at the show or we showed up and they didn't have a PA.
The strangest moment in a long time was we were playing an arena in Manchester last year. We wear in-ears and so you can only really hear what we're playing. But all of sudden you can tell when something's not working - I start seeing strange looks on people's faces and then you feel the floor stop vibrating, which means the subs aren't doing anything. All of a sudden the kids aren't singing along and I'm like "Holy shit what the fuck is happening?" I take my in-ears out and all you can hear is the drums. The whole PA system has gone out.
When the whole PA systems goes out in an arena, Patrick's like 'I'll just play acoustic guitar.' I'm like "Dude: it's 12,000 people. Literally the first 50 people could hear." We're trying to yell at kids, they think we're trying to cancel the show while we're on stage - and there's no monitors to turn round and address the crowd. So for three minutes the show went really sideways. And then it came back online and we were able to finish playing. It was fine when we were playing to 12 people and something would go really wrong... but all of a sudden when you're playing these big shows it can kinda be tricky.
You took a three year hiatus. How was that first show playing together after it?
Pete: The first practice after the hiatus was pretty rough. It's like when Brendan Fraser in Ennico Man first shows up and he doesn't understand how cars work and stuff - that was the vibe of that rehearsal. But the first show felt a bit like getting back on a bicycle: it felt like our vibe was very similar and that felt like it had lasted through it and it was unbroken. Which was a cool little special moment.
Andy: It felt like a cover band for the first practices. And really the first show was the moment where it was like 'Oh...cool. We get it."
Pete: Which also speaks to the idea that Fall Out Boy is larger than the four of us. It's not until everyone is involved that it feels such a moment.
What's the best piece of advice you've ever been given?
Pete: My Dad once told me "Make sure that you take snapshots of your life". Not literal ones but moments to just take in things. I feel like there have been moments in our lifes when our lives were going so fast - we're on a plane, we're playing Obama's inaugratation, we're in Toyko. I feel like him telling me that has really helped me try and take in that there are these special moments. He also said "As a father, you can never have too many napkins." And that's just the truest piece of advice ever.
Andy: My Mom first said "YOLO!" This was in the Eighties, long before anyone else did.
When was the last time you were starstruck?
Andy: I just met Captain America, Chris Evans. It was cool. He was really nice. I shook his hand and that was it. Am I excited about Avengers: Age Of Ultron? Absolutely. I love the Marvel movies. Josh Whedon just understands comics and you can tell it's his movie. There's funny moments, there's serious moments that are really impactful and the action is great. Good job Josh!
Pete: It's been a while - the people that I think are stars are trashy Eighties wrestlers. But the last time I felt really truly starstruck - this is so crazy but I think you might agree with me - we played the Victoria's Secret show last year and Cara Delevingne came over and said "I like your music." I was like "Oh my god!" Before we could take a picture or any or that stuff, she was gone. It was like an actual angel appeared for a second. I've no proof that that even happened and I felt actually star struck. I turned bright red I believe.
She has great music taste - apparently she's a great drummer
Pete: I thought she had great music taste when she said that to us! [laughs]
In terms of films for big films for 2015, what excites you most?
Pete: After seeing the trailer for Star Wars, it felt like we had a long time to wait to see the movie. I feel even with the prequels there was always a little bit of 'I-don't-know-but-I'm-going-to-like-it-because-it's-Star-Wars.' But with this trailer it just felt like 'Wow - this looks amazing.' Even if this wasn't Star Wars this looks like a fucking awesome movie. And because it's Star Wars, it's even better.
Andy: I thought it was one of the most well-done teaser trailers ever. It just introduced all of these people that we don't know - none of the original cast - and it just was such a hook, without giving away anything.
Pete: It did what we attempted to do with new Fall Boy music. It's reminds you of the spirit of why you like it in the first place, but its not a retread. When that voice comes in, I felt that was like what gave me chills when I watched Star Wars for the first time... but it's a completely different.
What hip-hop do you love?
Pete: I like Wiz Khalifa's new album. In the US people think he's just like a pop figure but I think that goes way beyond that. Some of the stuff he's done with his collective Taylor Gang is similar to some of the things we've done with DCD2 but in another fashion which is really cool.
I like a lot of this French take on trap music that Brodinski and the Crew are doing - I think of lot of that is really cool. I like this guy Young Thug: he's one of those "genius on a whole another level". He's so prolific. It reminds me in some ways of when Lil Wayne was doing it at first.
You also tweeted about how much you liked J Cole...
Pete: The J Cole tweet really surprised me as I really expected to tweet that and our fanbase and the people who follow me on Twitter to go 'What?' But a lot of people had really touched in on the lyrics and I thought that was really cool. I probably shouldn't have surprised me but it did a little bit.
This song I love right now is a little tongue in cheek it's the Makonnen remix "Down 4 So Long" - that has Despot and Ezra from Vampire Weekend who does a verse on it. You should listen to it: the lyrics are bonkers. The thing I've experienced for the first time recently is I've played American Beauty/American Psycho and they laughed out loud at a couple of lyrics. I think that the Makonnen, Despot, Ezra song has a couple of those moments. There is al lyric where he says "Went to the Hamptons and I thought I was the man / 'Til Mary-Kate said my Ray Bans were off-brand / I kept my mouth shut and I shook Sarkozy's hand." Oh my God! It's just one of those I've been listening to.
Andy: I like Mr. Muthafuckin' eXquire. He's done a remix with Despot and El-P. But pretty much Run The Jewels is the only thing I like in hiphop any more. El-P is my favourite producer and has been for a while. Him and Killer Mike together is just great. That's been my favourite record of the past year for sure. I never got to see them. I missed them in LA with all the guests from the record - Zack De La Rocha was there.
What's the strangest gift you've got from a fan?
Pete: I've gotten bloody razors. Well, there was certainly red stuff on them. That was not the greatest but maybe the strangest. We get little dolls that look a lot like us sometimes that are real freaky looking. I had one that had buttons for eyes and it's real hilarious.
Andy: I don't get much weird stuff: I get Doctor Who stuff and Star Wars stuff which is all cool. I got a little Dalek thing that they must have knitted. It was pretty awesome and pretty cute. We got Lego Jedi versions of us. Pretty cool.
Is the cliché of Japanese fans giving you great gifts true?
Pete: In Japan I think it's a reflection of the culture - they truly want you to feel really welcome. I think maybe we said we liked Green tea kit kats which is a thing over there. I would be a multi millionaire in green tea Kit Kats if that was a thing.
You could make it rain with green tea Kit Kats
Pete: It would all be over in the club.
Describe your worst haircut.
Pete: I feel like there was a point where I made a bad haircut really famous. I do really feel like I'm owed a royalty or two for that... and possibly not be paid in Green Tea Kit Kats. One thing that's a little bit weird is that everyone has awkward phases - but it's really weird to go through your awkward phase on the cover of a magazine. You have a really great reminder. The internet does not love to forget.
The first time we were invited to an award show and we got the swag bag in the gift suite. We were like "Everything's free!" Not really realising that it's not free, you pay with the picture that you take. So we took these pictures with these Bratz dolls ten years ago - I see one of those pictures almost every day of my life. The gifting lodge that will not stop giving. It's like a horror movie.
How do you earn a follow from either of you on Twitter?
P: With my Twitter I've noticed that people firstly ask "Can I get it?" And then are really repetitive about it "because you probably haven't seen me ask." Which is not the case: because I have seen you. Then it's adulation, but I'm not into that. It's cool and it makes most human beings who feel anything, feel good. But it's not what I want to see in my Twitter feed.
Then people see me reply sometimes to people who've said really nasty things: and they think I'll say something really nasty and mean and you'll notice. It's like those old notepads that said 'SEX! Now I've got you're attention'.
The truth is funny is what I like. Each of us have a very bizarre version of what I think is funny. For example, I think my Dad maybe hates everybody except his own family - which is really weird. He only uses Twitter to give movie reviews but it'll be like "Fury: kinda snored through this. Two stars. Brad can do better." I don't know if he has any Twitter followers but I love it. That's what I feel like.
A: I'm not on Twitter enough... so I'm not going to follow you.
You're both big Curb Your Enthusiasm fans. What is your favourite episodes?
P: So many. My current favourite Curb moment is the New York season where he has the car where the right seat isn't working. Susie, Jeff's wife, is sitting in it and she has an orgasm. The face that he makes when it's happening is maybe the fucking funniest thing.I'm picturing right now. And it keeps getting worse.
The one I guess is my all time favourite would be split between the Palestinian chicken restaurant and the one where the guy is on his Bluetooth and he just starts talking really loud. He starts 'I can talk like this too!'
One I have to point out is there's this episode when Larry's in the mall and he's tried on the pants - and Ben Affleck runs by the camera for one second. You think he's going to back in the episode and you never see him again. So amazing.
A: My favourites are the pinnacle moment of whatever season it was where he is at the opening of the restaurant and the dude has Tourettes. That one was just crazy.
Is there a band you've never seen live who you really want to?
P: We just missed seeing Michael Jackson live which is just super unfortunate. There are bands where I wish I'd seen them in a different era. This is so sad and lame to say but I never got the chance to see Guns N' Roses. I wish I'd seen the intact band. I'd like to see Lana Del Ray live - I've never seen her live and I'm interested.
Andy: I could have seen Metallica on the Justice For All tour but my Mum wouldn't let me. That's always been something I regret.
Pete: Really feel like she made an error saying "YOLO" in the Eighties! Really feels like she lied!
American Beauty / American Psycho by Fall Out Boy is out now.
The tour dates in full are below.
Saturday 3rd October – Leeds, First Direct Arena
Sunday 4th October – Aberdeen, AECC GE Oil & Gas Arena
Tuesday 6th October – Birmingham, Barclaycard Arena
Wednesday 7th October – Cardiff, Motorpoint Arena
Friday 9th October – Manchester, Arena
Saturday 10th October – Bournemouth, International Centre
Sunday 11th October – London, The SSE Arena Wembley
Buy tickets click here.
