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On October 13, 2000 I sat down with all four members of the Excuse to do a short interview before their set at the Epicentre.

Joel: So you’re the Excuse… I guess we can just start out with names…
Dan: I’m Dan, and I play bass.
Allan: I’m Allan, and I play guitar.
Andy (trying to sound like Pat): I’m Pat, and I play the drums. (Back to his normal voice) And I’m Andy and play the guitar and sing.
Pat (walking up to us): I play the drums.
Everyone: That’s Pat.

Joel: Can you just give me a brief history of The Excuse, because you’re a fairly new band and some people might not know about you.
Andy: Well I guess we just started off playing in the garage- Everyone: Still are.
Allan: Occasionally we go other places, but we try to stick to the garage.
Dan: C’mon, say like two years ago Andy and Pat started in the garage…
Allan: Yeah, yeah it was back in the day, I was actually the original bassist. We had this guitarist named Dylan who was too punk for the rest of the band.
Jen (Dan’s Girlfriend): Dirty.
Dan: Yeah.
Allan: And he was dirty (laughing). So we got rid of him and got Dan.
Dan: We don’t like to talk about that much (laughing).
Allan: Yeah, we don’t like to talk about him. So I started playing guitar and then we got Dan to play bass
Dan?: And we’ve been rocking out ever since.
Allan: Yeah, we’ve been rocking like this
Andy: Trying to gain popularity. But I don’t know how well that’s working out.
Allan: Yeah.
Dan: We suck at interviews, this is our first one.
Joel: It’s ok.
Dan: Yeah, you’re all professional with your questions.
Joel (joking around): Oh well, what can I say. I just needed some band to interview. It’s not like I like you guys and wanted to interview you because you’re good or anything like that. (Laughing)
Andy: Yeah that’s alright.

Joel: No, but because you’re a local band, and I know I see Dan at lots of shows I go to, what’s your attitude towards local music in general?
Dan: We’re all about supporting the scene.
Andy: Support, man.
Allan: I go to a lot of local shows too…
Dan: A lot of people boycott Canes’ but if local bands are playing I’m there.
Allan: Yeah, as long as it’s keeping the scene alive.
Andy: We need a bigger venue though.
Allan, Dan: Yeah.
Andy: Like SOMA, we need SOMA back.
Allan: Yeah, we’re gonna have a fundraiser to open up SOMA(laughing). Yeah, we’re gonna play-
Andy: By ourselves.
Allan: Yeah, just us.
Andy: I’m sure we’re gonna make a lot of money off that.
Allan: Yeah, we’re gonna do a three-hour set.
Dan: Ten bucks a ticket, get a couple thousand people.
Allan: Yeah.
Andy: It’s gonna happen.
Dan: Look for it, near future.

Joel: Because I don’t have your CD, and I haven’t been able to listen to any of your songs, what do you sing about, and what’s your inspiration for your lyrics?
Andy: I guess I’m taking that one. We sing about chicks, who doesn’t? You know everyone sings about some chicks. And a lot of times lyrics we just try to make them up.
Dan: Teen pregnancy (laughing).
Andy: Just crap like that, we usually sing about girls and it’s not serious, and when it is serious it’s usually about something like… I don’t know-
Allan: Even when it is serious, it’s not really that serious.
Dan: Yeah, we’re young dude, we can’t write serious songs.
Allan: I know (laughing), we’re young. Only one of us can legally vote.
Andy: I think we have a song about violence and how it’s dumb. And stuff like that, and being young and sorta being a lost (semi-pause) ness.
Allan: A lostness? (Laughing) Quote him on that.
Dan: Quote on quote ‘a lostness.’
(More laughing)
Andy: Instead of being alone, I guess. Like one of our more serious songs.
Joel: You’re really just in the band to have fun and…
Andy: It’s all about chicks (laughing). I’m just joking.
Allan: I did it all for the nookie (more laughing).
Andy: Yeah, we’re just having a good time.
Dan: I like the fun aspect of it.

Joel: Alright, what about your musical influences.
Andy: Oh, Strung Out! That’s all I gotta say. Strung Out, they’re the best.
Everyone at Once:
Dan: Strung Out, No Use For A Name, all the Fat Wreck Chords bands…
Allan: Bigwig, the Ataris, AFI.
(Pat joins the interview)
Pat: A F I.
Andy: AFI, Unwritten Law.
Allan: The Get Up Kids.
Andy?: The Get Up Kids suck.
Allan: F--- You!
Dan: Lots of local bands, the Classified, Against The Wall…
Allan: No one else likes the Get Up Kids.
Dan: That’s not gonna make any sense on your tape recorder.
Andy?: And it’s gonna be all uhuhuhuh-Against-uhuhuhu-Wall-uhuhuhu…
Allan: They don’t like emo, but I do, so they make fun of me.
Dan: I like emo.
Allan: Dan likes a little emo too.
Pat: The best band to walk on the face of this earth is AFI.
Allan: Yeah.
Pat: Not to mention Rancid.
Someone standing by us: Yeah, not to mention.
Pat: They rule. I’m done.
Allan: Yeah, that’s Pat.
Andy: I’m going to say again Strung Out, because they’re that good.
(Pause)

Joel: So Allan’s playing in Just *4* Show now, right?
Allan: Oh yeah, it’s gonna rock.
(People come up and talk to Dan about his trunk not opening…)
Allan: Yeah, I’m going to be playing in Just *4* Show, it’s gonna be cool. We (the Excuse) actually recently got put on Sin City Records (Just *4* Show’s record label), by Cody like two days ago.
Andy: We’re probably going to record again because now we’re on that, put something out on that.
Allan: Probably in like November, something like that. Dan: We’ll be playing more shows.
Andy: Yeah, we like shows.
Dan?: We wanna go tour sometime.
(Pause)
Allan: Okay.
Andy: Get some women too.
Allan: To answer your question, yes.
Andy (laughing): What was the question?
Allan: I don’t remember what the question was, he just said-
Dan: Allan is playing in Just 4 Show.

Joel: Ok, you answered some of my other questions now-
(Laughing)
Allan: Ask them anyways, we’ll answer them again.
Dan: We’ll give you better answers.
Joel: So, do you have any other side projects?
Allan: Ah, Just 4 Show.
Dan: School.
(Laughing)
Allan: Yeah, school, but that’s not a big priority.
Andy: And I’m starting (short pause), I can’t think of anything funny to say, I’m sorry.
Allan: Basically I’m the only one that has a side project, Just 4 Show.
Dan: We’re all too busy with school and life and everything.

Joel: So, um… These questions suck.
(Laughing)
Joel: They really do, but um… What’s a day in the life a member of the Excuse like?
Andy: Dude I wake up, take showers and stuff you know to be clean.
Allan: Not together though.
Andy: Nah, no together. On the way we go to school, get mobbed by millions of women, (laughing) sorta.
Dan: I don’t but.. I got to college man, it sucks.
Allan (laughing): He has old people in his classes.
Dan: I have old people in my classes.
Andy: And then, I end the day on some sweet, sweet tunes. After school we just chill, play a little guitar, practice…
Allan: We scratch our nuts a lot.
(Laughing)
Dan: We do.
Allan: We even have a song where we say that we do.
Dan: We like to hit Taco Bell usually too.
Everyone in unison: Cheesy Gordita Crunches.
Andy: With chicken. It’s the food of the Excuse.
Allan: He eats them with Chicken, but the rest of us eat them with beef.
Dan: Yeah, mine’s without pepperjack sauce for me. If it's ever our birthday or something, Taco Bell dude.

Joel: So obviously you guys aren’t vegan or anything…
Andy: I love meat.
(Laughing)
Joel: Meataterian?
Andy?: Meataterian.
Dan: We respect that, but I can’t give it up man.
Andy: See the thing is I only eat white meat.
Allan: Maybe if they can make some vegetables taste like meat or something, then I’d go like vegan…
Andy: Yeah.
Allan: I got nothing against animals, they just taste good.
Dan: I don’t eat dog or anything, none of that.
Allan: You’ll never see me chewing on a squirrel.

Joel: So do you have any closing comments, anything you want to say.
Andy: I would just like to say, well Dan I think you can say it better than I can.
Dan: Knibb High Football Rules.
Allan (laughing): Yeah, I would just like to tell all you young people to shoot for your dreams, and drugs are not good.
Dan: Andy and Allan are single.
Allan: Yeah.
Dan : They’re available for the ladies.
Joel: Aren’t you guys doing that dream date thing tonight?
Allan: Yeah tonight, tonight only.
Andy: You can win a dream date.
Dan: We’ll probably do it every other concert we play too.
Allan: Yeah, we’ll probably do it every other concert. Yeah, the ladies have a chance to win a dream date with the Excuse.
Dan: All four members.
Allan: Especially Andy.
Dan: But Andy will be getting all the action.
Andy: Yeah, because I’m the only one single.
Allan: We put out too, so.
Andy: Yeah, I kiss on the first date.
(Laughing)
Dan: We’re real professional you know.
Joel: Oh yeah, totally.
Dan: We’re not just laid back kids or anything.
(Pause)
Dan: We’re playing with Spazboy now, I’m so psyched.
Joel: It’s all about Spazboy.
Allan: Dan’s seen Spazboy more times than I’ve been to a concert. Dan: Like 23, 22.
Allan: Oh, nevermind, but still.
Andy: Dude, I had a friend here tonight and I lost him.
Dan: Go to mp3.com and download our songs.
Everyone: Yeah.
Dan: mp3.com slash the excuse.
Andy: Keep an eye on that, there will be new stuff on there soon.
Allan: Go to Sin City Records too, check out the other bands on our label.
Dan: Very good bands.
Allan: They kick ass, there’s some very good noteworthy bands… You And What Army, the Contradicks.
Dan: And Joel is the man.
Allan: Check out my other band, Just 4 Show.
Pat comes back: I might take drum lessons from Travis from Blink. That might be cool.
Dan: Oh you should dude.
Pat: I’m done now, again.
Dan: We’re done.
Allan: Unless you have more questions.
Pat: The Get Up Kids suck.
Allan: F--- You.
Andy: Hey I got a question for you man. Who are your influences?
Joel: Oh, don’t even get me started.
Dan: Do you like Link 80?
Joel: You know only little a bit.
Dan: Only a little a bit?
Joel: Only on days ending in “y.”
Dan: That’s everyday!
(Laughing)
Andy: Dude, do you like Strung Out?
Joel: They’re ok, they’re not bad.
Andy?: Do you like the Get Up Kids?
Joel (being sarcastic): No, I bought this T-shirt because, I don’t know. They looked poor and…
Pat: Hey, why are we doing this interview, what’s it for?
Dan: San Diego Punk dot c j b dot net. I can’t talk cause I got my wisdom teeth pulled the other day.
Pat: Are you from San Diego Punk d b g b blah blah blah?
Allan: He is San Diego Punk.
Dan: He is dude, he is like the punk master.
Pat: I can tell by the hair.
Dan: It’s blue man.

Joel: Okay.
Allan: We don’t want to waste your batteries anymore.
Joel: I guess we’re done…
Dan (joking): Sorry, bye.