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Punctuation-free and sounding way happier on their second studio effort, Panic At The Disco are back with Pretty. Odd. Although if you ask me, it seems the boys still have a soft spot for punctuation.
This Las Vegas, Nevada quartet first got their big break from Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy's label Decaydance. Their 2005 debut album, A Fever You Can't Sweat Out, helped the boys gain a massive following with their seamlessly blended mixture of pop punk, rock and disco. Not to mention, their uniquely lyrical and loooong song titles as well.
With Pretty. Odd., the boys did an about-turn in musical direction, choosing instead to go the way of the Beatles. That's just to say, the album's infused with '60s pop influences: extremely easy on the ear, simple and timeless.
Adding yet another feather to their cap, the boys have also been nominated for the Video Star award in the 2008 MTV Asia Awards for their video "Nine In The Afternoon." Panic At The Disco's been unveiled as one of the performers in this star-studded event. So don't forget to head on down to mtvasiaawards.com to try your hand at winning some passes to the MAAs!
MTV Asia lapped up the opportunity to catch a moment with Jonathan (Jon) Jacob Walker, bassist for Panic At The Disco (PATD), and spoke to him about hacky sacks, whims and growing up.
The 2008 MTV Asia Awards in August will be your first time landing in Asia eh? What're you looking forward to the most about it?
Yeah! We always like to see new faces and learn about a new culture. So we're really excited to be a part of something big like that, and we can't wait to be there!
What do you miss most about home when you're touring?
Hmmm. I think you just kind of miss regularity. Things you do, places that you go to eat everyday. The fact that people speak in a different language altogether. That's both the hardest, and the fun-est part about it. We always have a blast travelling around and playing music for a living.
Being on tour together so much, are there any peculiar habits about the others that you feel is okay to share with us?
[Laughs] Well, on the contrary, whatever habits that we first thought was weird, have just sort of become ordinary by now. So yeah, I honestly can't think of any anymore. We all generally get along really well, and so that's great.
Tell us one little known fact about PATD.
Hmmm. Well, we're all starting to get into playing hacky sack. And we're getting pretty good at it! So don't be surprised if you see some of that action in our next music videos. [Laughs]
And hacky sack is...?
Oh it's like this bean bag that you kick to one another, and the aim of the game is to just keep it up in the air, basically.
What, about your band's name, is suitable for the kind of music that you do?
You know actually, I don't think that it is suitable per se. Doesn't every band wish they could change their names sometimes? I know every week we try and come up with funny band names, just for kicks. [Laughs] But all in all, I guess PATD's not that bad huh?
No way it is! In fact, why on earth did you guys do away with the exclamation mark? Personally, I think a lot of people loved it. I know I do!
[Laughs] I think if we knew that it was so important to so many people, we might have kept it. It was just that when we were doing the artwork for the new album, no one ever knew what it meant or why it was there. So we kind of just decided not to have it anymore. We never expected the controversy though.
So it was simply a whim that it was there, and another whim that it was gone?
Yeah, you can say that.
Alright then. I have a question on a whim too. What do you like to do at 'nine in the afternoon'?
[Laughs] I usually like to listen to music.
Is fame all that it's cracked up to be?
[Laughs] I don't think we really consider ourselves famous, actually. But as to how successful we've gotten, there're definitely pros and cons. We have a lot of people listening to our music, and that's why we love to do it and all. But it's also hard to do what you love, and have people saying they don't like it etc. It's just frustrating and affecting, and sometimes people don't realize just how much. But I guess that's part and parcel of what we do. Other than that, we can still do pretty much all that we want to, or used to.
Really? No being mobbed while in the supermarket?
Yeah. None of that. Because we don't walk into the supermarkets wearing the same clothes that we wear in the videos. [Laughs]
Having said that, what is one thing you will never wear for a photo shoot or video?
Oh I don't know, man. Never say never, right? That's my motto. [Laughs]
Any pet peeves?
No, not really actually. I'm a pretty relaxed guy. But I have two pets though. [laughs]
Growing up is hard to do. So what have you learnt from the past two years, that you've put into your new album?
Oh I definitely agree. And I think more than anything, we learn to be positive. To experience hope and faith. There're just lots of crazy things happening in the world today, and our music just wants to brighten it up a little bit.
Finally, what does the piano know, that you don't?
[Laughs] It knows how to write songs!
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