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MH:What did you mainly do before you formed Billy Talent (Pezz).
AS:We all went to high schools, we had our small side jobs and played music, we tried to rehearsal three times a week, this we did in the basement of Ian´s house. We putted on our own shows in Streetsville all the time.
MH:Did you felt, even when you where really young that playing music was the way to go.
AS: Yes definitely, we felt it straightway. In high school there was only two bands, and there where no shows in Streetsville so we would rent little halls and bring all our equipment and put on this shows and tried to make enough money to cover the rental fees, we had all our friends coming and had really fun. We did this for years and years until we finally moved to Toronto and begun playing on clubs. For most of the shows we did everything by our self. This was fun all the time and felt right.
MH:How would you say that your lives has changed since your major brake-thru in 2003.
AS: For me personally, it was the craziest time of my life cause I was going thru so much. I can´t believe, In 2001 I´ve got diagnosed with MS and during 2002 the band started to get noticed by record companies and 2003 we signed a record deal and I also had a baby and quitted my job. Jumped straight in the van & trailer and drove all over North America for tree month , this just six weeks after my daughter was born, dealing with Ms and being away from me wife and daughter for the first time. This was the first time we professionally went out on tour, seeing the world and figuring out how everything works and learning, we´re constantly learning about the music business since it´s changing all the time. This was just when Napster and downloading got really popular and the record companies didn´t know what to do and it was just fucking chaos, but we just learned and adapted to the situation and just kept going. But if I look back I´m amazed that we all just stayed focused. I think we managed to do this, because all four of us had the same goals. We played together for like 10 years before we had a record deal, we all where started to getting older (27, 28) we had our steady jobs and then it was time to just go for it. And now I´m touring the world together with my best friends.
MH:That must be great.
AS:Yeah it´s the coolest thing in the world.
MH:Did you have the dreams of being a “rockstar” since you where a kid.
AS:I just wanted to play drums in a band, to play live music and everything that we have accomplished is just way beyond what I thought it would go to, like we played in front of hundred thousand people at once. I can always look back at that moment, that was a fucking great accomplishment. I always wanted to travel the world and play music and that´s what I´m doing right now. I think that´s the key to live, enjoying what you´re doing.
MH:You have played together for more than 16 years, how do you all get along with each other after so many years. I mean today you see a lot of band that like growing apart, instead of growing together. But BT seems to get tighter and tighter and like you´re having a special chemistry.
AS:Chemistry that´s exactly what it is, yeah we work really well together, and that´s really cool. I couldn´t imagine playing in a band with a different person, like a different bass player, guitarist or singer.
MH:Is there any artist would you say that you got influenced by during the past years.
AS:I have always like Rage Against the Machine, you know the chemistry that those four guys had together was insane. When their first record came out it was so new and amazing, and real & honest and every word that Zack de la Rocha sang was from his heart and he really ment it, you could see it in his eyes. I wish that they would write a new record, I´d really love to hear a new RATM record. Then the Red Hot Chili Peppers, they really are a band, four guys and if you take one of them away it´s not Chili Peppers any more. They have been thru so much, good and bad times.
MH:Do you hang out with some of the other great bands from Canada.
AS:We´re taking Cancer Bats and Alexisonfire across Canada with us, on our Canadian tour. They´re great people, we´ve toured with these bands before and every single person in these bands are amazing.
MH:What would you say is the worst and best about being out on tour.
AS:The worst is absolutely being away from my family, I fucking hate it. My daughter and my wife and all the things that happens at home and that you can´t be there for, cause you´re out here working. You have to be here but sometimes you´d just want to jump on a plane and go home. That´s the only things that bugs me about being on tour, but when we get to Canada my wife and daughter will be touring with us for a couple of weeks, this will be the first time for my daughter, she´s been on many shows but never on full week of touring, that will be fun. The best is to be among my best friends, and all good memories we got.
MH:Thank you so much for you time, hope your stay in Sweden will be pleasant and that you will have a nice tour from here on.
AS:Thank you, see you tonight at the show.
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