Rachel: What's new and exciting with Larger Than Life? Roland: Last time you guys heard about us, we were having some trouble with our management team and we had just broke down in Ohio. We were on a big tour that went to shit, and it didn't work out for us. But now

Rachel: Tell me about the new album? How is it different from everything you've done before?

Devin: It's more mature as far the music goes. We've gotten a lot better as musicians and are really finding our sound. We're beefing up from being pop-punk to just more rock....more universal sounding.

Roland: Basically, our songwriting has just progressed, and you know our influences are punk rock, and they're always going to be punk rock.

Devin: I like hip hop though.

Rachel: Do you have a favorite track off the new record?

Roland: Personally, my favorite track is the second one, it's so emotional to me... That's the song I wrote about my girlfriend... My ex-girlfriend... It's called "Heartbreak on 33rd Street."

Devin: She's a bitch, too.

Rachel: Can I print that?

Roland: (laughs) I guess... For putting me through crap. That's the most epic song that's on the record, though.

Devin: I like track 17...

Rachel: It goes to 17?

Roland: Well, even though it only goes to 12, there's hidden tracks where we just hold each other and hum and look into each other's eyes.

Rachel: There's not much history on your website. Can you fill everyone in?

Roland: Well, we've been a band for seven years. Devin started the group and found Anthony...

Devin: We went through about five different bass players, and we got Roland.

Roland: John, our singer, ended up leaving...we were in a slump for awhile. Then we got Rich from Cursor...that guy shreds, we were so blessed to get him and he changed our whole mentality and re-motivated us, and now we got Justin too.

Devin: We wanted to keep levels up with the "Asian Persuasion" in our group, we always gotta have two. We weren't gonna settle for some white dude.

Rachel: Explain to me, "Larger Than Life" ...because honestly, when I hear that name, I think "Backstreet Boys."

Roland: No, totally. Lot's of people say that. But actually, we had the name way before that song came out.

Devin: It was a movie back in the day with Janine Garafalo and Bill Murray... Me and Anthony were eating Top Ramen sitting at his house, and
I saw the name Larger Than Life, and I said we should just go with that because we are pretty cool and popular and fun and good-looking, it
kind of fits (laughs). But Anthony would put it best and say we're just bigger than the music (laughs).

Rachel: Tell me about your writing process.

Roland: We use every kind of process, for example, we might come up with a cool song title and write some riffs to it and brainstorm. Then
sometimes we just base a song around a guitar riff Devin has and we just start jammin'. It's really weird how it works out. It's very natural.

Rachel: What would you say distinguishes Larger Than Life from other bands?

Devin: I think mainly the fact that we've never really changed. We've never really changed up our image or anything, because music isn't an
image. To us, it's about sounding good and being real tight. There's no gimmicks with us, we're literally just about writing good music and rockin' 'em out hard.

Rachel: Roland, I heard about how you recently were involved in a robbery. I need to heard this story.

Roland: Oh, man. Well, Green Day had come to town so, I went last minute and we got home about ten-thirty on November 21st. I ended up going into my buddies' living room and his roommates were there with his neighbor sitting down. I went upstairs and came down literally a couple minutes later and there was nowhere to sit so I was the only one standing. As I was getting ready to leave, a guy came up behind
me...It was actually three guys with ski masks, that literally came in...Totally SWAT team style 'cuz they rushed the back door and they were holding revolvers...

Devin: They had nun-chucks, and water balloons too.

Roland: (laughs) No, if they had nun-chucks, it would have been cool. But basically, I was the only one standing up so I got grabbed first and literally, for the first two milliseconds, I thought it was my friend. I thought it was a joke. But after the gun was really getting shoved into my temple, I knew it wasn't a joke. I was ready to die right there. I got pistol whipped five times and rushed to the hospital. It was crazy, I was all over the news.

Rachel: What ended up happening after that?

Devin: Oh, then he got out of the hospital and beat 'em all up.

Roland: No, what happened was they just got away with my friends wallet and beat me up. They were the worst robbers ever. If you're going to
rob me and beat me up, seriously take my wallet...cuddle with me...or just atleast take my wallet! No, I'm just playin'. The whole thing was just really random.

Rachel: What are your lives like outside of Larger Than Life? Do you go to school or have any 9-5 jobs?

Roland: I'm a barber...I've been cutting hair for four years. I cut hair at a little place called Sal's and it's your duty to find out where that's at. Also I'm studying to be an audio engineer. Then Devin is a teacher.

Devin: I teach kids with developmental disorders and I'm going to art school right now.

Rachel: What do you appreciate most about being a part of this band?

Devin: Just playing music and being on stage, and knowing people are paying money to see four of the goofiest, dorkiest people known to man....I don't know, I guess just bringing what we are feeling and thinking about to other people.

Rachel: Who are some of your favorite local San Diego bands?

Roland: The Transit War...Brad from the Classified is in that band. Reeve Oliver...

Rachel: Last time we talked on the phone you mentioned Parker Theory...

Roland: Oh, yeah, Parker Theory is good.

Devin: I think one of my favorite local bands was Noise Ratchet...

Roland: Oh, yeah, Noise Ratchet, definitely is my favorite. They're good people.

Rachel: Have you heard their new name?

Roland: Yeah, "The Life."

Rachel: It's just funny, 'cuz there are so many bands now, even from San Diego, with "Life" in their name...there's Larger Than Life, This Holiday Life...

Roland: There's "The Trophy Life"....it's kinda weird cuz you have This Holiday Life and all that, but we're "Larger Than Life" (laughs)
and we're basically saying you guys aren't as cool as us. No, but seriously, I really love The Life.

Rachel: What's in your CD player right now?

Devin: Right now, I've been listening to this CD for the longest time...it's Anita Baker Rapture...call me lame, but yeah.

Roland: I was listening to Larger Than Life. I took it out for you.

Rachel: Do you listen to yourself a lot?

Roland: Yeah! I mean...um, no, who listens their own band? (laughs)

Rachel: Now, for the ridiculous, pointless questions. Red Bull or Rockstars?

Devin: Red Bull, Rockstars are too huge.

Rachel: Scene girls or Bro Ho's ?

Roland: (laughs) definitely not Bro Ho's, they're too tough, they can out-drink you. I don't care if she's scene as long as long as she knows her music. I mean, if you're trying to dress up and go to pop-punk and hardcore shows just trying to look cool...no. Talk to me about the history, talk to me about Buddy Holly and Richie Valens.

Rachel: Hardcore or emo-core?

Devin: I would say emo-core. I love just sitting in my room having some candles lit and putting on some Jets to Brazil...no, I'm being serious!
(laughs) Reminiscing about the old days when The Ataris used to be a fat guy playing power chords...

Rachel: Jenna Bush or Barbara Bush?

Devin: Barbara Bush, man...I bet she's a freak.

Roland: He's talking about senior (laughs). Which one is the blond, the thicker one?

Rachel: That's Jenna.

Roland: Yeah, she seems more like the partier. That's my chick.

Rachel: Jessica Simpson or Ashlee Simpson?

Devin: Nick Lachey. I would say Ashlee Simpson though.

Roland: Rich, our bass player, his good buddy Braxton is her guitar player and I guess they get booed like everyday on tour.

Rachel: Just because everyone has to have a favorite, Benji Madden or Joel Madden?

Roland: I hate 'em both.

Devin: Who the hell is that? Good Charlotte? Oh my God, which one is dumber? Both, because they're twins and come as a package...

Roland: It just bummed me out when they were on tour with MXPX and they were opening up for MXPX, then all of the sudden, Good Charlotte
is opening up for them! You know, out of respect, I understand the money situation and that's really how it should be, but I couldn't do that.

Rachel: Thanks so much for meeting up with me. Any final thoughts?

Roland: You're welcome, sweetheart. I love all you people.

Devin: Oh, if anyone reads this, at shows, I don't hate you. I'm just really shy and I have really bad social anxiety, and when people come up to talk to me, I just kind of scoot back and walk away.

Roland: You just get jealous when people come up and talk to me...

Devin: No, not at all! When I'm on stage, I'm fine, but afterwards if anyone comes up and talks to me, I'll look like an ass. I want to talk to people, but if I have nothing to say, it's so awkward ... I just want everyone to know that.

Roland: So, when you print this, make sure all our fans know to go up to Devin and talk to him, and seriously hug him! He'll sign whatever you want him to sign...

Devin: (pleading) No, please, seriously don't.

Larger Than Life interview conducted February 2005 by Rachael Wann.
http://www.largerthanlifemusic.net