Modest Mouse

Wonka Vision: Who are you and what do you do in the band?

Eric Judy: I play bass.

Wonka Vision: Is it true that you got your name from the Tome and Jerry cartoon?

Eric: No (Laughing) it was something from a book that Isaac read.

Wonka Vision: Your album “This is a long drive for someone with nothing to think about”, what does the title of the record mean?

Eric: While we were recording our first album, we were so exhausted from recording and we kept driving back and forth between Seattle and Olympia for about a month straight. We had nothing to think about because all we were doing was recording.

Wonka Vision: Has the recent success of Modest Mouse changed you three guys in any way?

Eric: There’s rails and mountains of Coke. Every night we get paid my money is gone by the next day.

James: as an objective observer, they haven’t changed at all in the past two years.

Wonka Vision: Has Up Records been a big help in getting your album out there for the fans?

Eric: They really haven’t done anything that’s worth while. We pretty much did it all on our own.

James: He’s only saying that because I work for Up Records (laughing)

Wonka Vision: How indie rock are you guys?

Eric: I’m not indie rock. We’re on an independent label and we play rock, so I guess we are indie rock. Whether Issac likes it or not.

James: Considering that three of four albums in their van are Janet Jackson.

Wonka Vision: What do you thin of CMJ (College Music Journal)?

Eric: I think a lot of those magazines are fun to read but it seems to me like they’re changing their format to fit what’s going on. They’re totally predictable. I guess that’s what their there for. Yah know, to report on what people like.

James: If I could interject something about CMJ...They have the weekly and the monthly. And the weekly is great. They did a lot about Modest Mouse; they did the New Artist spotlight on them. But the editor of the monthly, was like these guys aren’t that great, they’re not gonna do all that on college radio. That dumb asshole had to eat my shit and pay me five bucks cause they were number one on the charts for eight weeks. That dumb ass muther fucker.

Wonka Vision: How did you feel the day you found out that your record was number one in the charts?

James: Actually we didn’t tell him till just today.

Eric: Nobody tells me anything. (A big hairy, tattooed guy roars by on his motorcycle)

James: There’s your girlfriend Eric!

Wonka Vision: Who is your favorite Willy Wonka character and why?

Eric: Charlie. He was nice. He was an honest,nice little guy.

Wonka Vision: What’s the best pick up line anyone’s used on you lately?

Eric: Nobody picks up on me.

James: Can I have your phone number...I lost mine. Hey Eric remember that girl you went up to and said, “Hey you wanna get a drunk with me?”

Eric: Hey that worked.