Let’s get some rest for a moment of all those recent Simple Plan news and let’s have a little bit of a YouTube minute… or few minutes if you will. Anika let us know about a very cute interview with Sebastien and Pierre, which will definitely put a smile on your face. The interview was taken in Calgary this February, where Simple Plan performed at the Olympic celebrations:

The second video, or more like an audio, is entitled “Simple Plan. Simple Food.” It includes a phone interview with Sebastien about his culinary experience:

Few days ago, David attended the Montreal music festival called Osheaga. Even though he was there primary as a fan, the MusiquePlus station found him and their reporter decided to interview him. You can check out the French interview, in which Patrick has a little cameo, by clicking on the picture below.

And if you are just as French illiterate as I am, you may appreciate Sab for translating for us what the interview is about:

- David says he is having a great day at Osheaga because he saw Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros (a band he wanted to see for a long time because a friend of him plays in the band).

- He explains that he came to see Cage The Elephant, but the band didn’t came because their bus driver couldn’t cross the border (apparently because of a drug affair or a criminal record). Then he jokes saying that Simple Plan hire good bus drivers, and for them a tourbus is like their own home, so people are allowed to take drugs but not in the bus.

- The interviewer notices the funny situation that the Cage The Elephant’s show is cancelled while Simple Plan had to cancel their show in China, and she asks (kidding) who had troubles at the border there. David answers that it wasn’t because of the border but because of “Mother Nature which decided to start crying, make flash of lighting and thunder” and it was too dangerous for them to play in these conditions. But he says that the band wanted to play for the fans: they did a real acoustic show with no microphone, just guitars and then a megaphone and they moved around between each songs in order to be close to the crowd. He explains that most of the people there went away when they heard that the show will be cancelled but some other stayed and he says that these fans are “super hardcore” fans.

- He also talks about the album, saying that they are going to start the drums, then the rest during August, after their last show in Levis. The album is going to be a good continuity for them, with a new producer (Brian Howes). The interviewer asks about the duo with Rivers Cuomo, from Weezer; David says that it is already done, it is a co-writing work with him for a good song which is going to be recorded.

- David is “very, very, very excited to see Arcade Fire” on stage. He bought the vinyl of their new CD because it released before the proper CD. Then he talks about vinyls, he likes to listen to music on them. He even has the last record of Simple Plan on vinyl that he bought in the USA where it was released in several colours as a collector item. “It’s cool to have your own band on a vinyl”.

- The last book he read: it’s rare when David reads, but the book was The Perfum, by Patrick Suskind, a long time ago. [Patrick comes and says David can’t read and explains him that a real book is a book with words and not only a book where there are images open out from it]

- The last movie: The Green Zone (that he liked) and the Millennium saga (that he loved), during the 15 hours flight to China. Moreover he thinks that the American adaptation of the Millennium saga is a big mistake and a bad idea because it will be hard another Lisbeth Salender as good as the original one.

- Best summer song: Caesar, by I Blame Coco, featuring the singer Robyn on the chorus.

- With who he would like to collaborate: with Robyn as female singer, or Weezer. Since it is happening he says that it is kind of a dream coming true for them.

Source: Cyberpresse.ca

This week, canadian news server Cyberpresse made a phone interview with Jeff Stinco from Simple Plan about the new album that the guys are currently recording and since Simple Plan are playing a show at canadian Festivent next week, the topic of festivals was also mentioned in the interview. Here is the English translation (thanks to Sab) of the French article:

Festivent: Simple Plan 2.0

On the phone, the guitarist Jeff Stinco is overwhelmed with enthusiasm. Simple Plan started recording their 4th album, expected for early 2011. And these days, the punk-rock band from Montreal uses the stage to renew with the exuberance from its early career. Moreover, the band will play a first extract (You Suck @ Love) at the show at Festivent from Levis, on August 6th. But real fans already know that, thanks to the social networks.

“They heard it on YouTube. People on the front rows know the lyrics and the punches – even more than I do,” laughs the guitarist. “It’s fascinating.” Jeff Stinco and his band mates are big users of Twitter and YouTube. They notice that the social networks revolutionised the way to interact with their public.

But there is a danger. “You must be careful not to be influenced too much. You have to remember that, basically, you make music for yourself, to express yourself and to evolve as a musician. Yet, we learnt that we aren’t forced to reinvent the band everytime.”

Target hit

The band found a recipe that is enjoyed by the public. They sold more than seven millions copies of their three albums. Especially the firsts two of them (No Pads, No Helmets… Just Balls, in 2002, and Still Not Getting Any…, in 2004) that hit the target.

Simple Plan revisit their catalogue, not to copy themselves, insists Stinco, but also to look for ideas that was not accomplished and that the band wants to pursue forward. “For now, I don’t have enough perspective. But during our first session, we selected 12 very up-beat songs, very rock, with big melodies. It’s more joyful than our 3rd album [self-titled], which was a little more introspective.”

Another session of a dozen songs is to come, with the producer Brian Howes (Boys Like Girls, Hedley) because Simple Plan has a “good problem”: too many songs, between 50 and 60. “It’s hard; it’s like picking up something instead of something else that’s exactly the same. It’s tough to make a choice. We have no contesting yet. Sometimes, we just have no answer. After these sessions, we’re gonna take time to settle down and then choose.”

In the meantime, Simple Plan plays shows between these recording sessions. Not because they need to, unlike some other bands which multiply their appearances in festivals to compensate the reduction of discs selling. “Our aim, from the beginning of our career, was to play in the more places as we could, all around the world. On the other hand, it’s gonna cause some problems: people can’t go to 20 gigs a week! There will be a selection.”

The background of the industry.

As a result, Simple Plan is set in the background of the industry. “It all becomes only negative things and you loose the reason why you make music.” Jeff Stinco does not know much about this subject. Despite the sells’ fall, “you have more ways to get connections with the fans [at the shows and with the social networks]. If you focus on these elements, everything goes better than never. Honestly, we play our cards right.”

All the more, the guys have a control on their music and on what we will find on this fourth album. This independence, and the huge presence of the spectators at the shows, make that “our energy on stage has never been better”.

An increased enthusiasm to the prospect to play outside, such as next Friday. “During the Summer, you want to be outside. Our band was born with this culture that we try to reproduce everywhere. There’s something magic with it. It’s like a concert in a venue, but multiplied by 10. Moreover, for us, one of our best shows was on the Plains of Abraham [on July 1st 2008, in front a sea of people]. It was magnificent, incredible.”

Jeff Stinco emphasizes that festivals remind him of the megagigs from his youth, such as Rock in Rio or these of Metallica. “I really loved it. We aren’t at this level, but we play in festivals. There’s something really special.”

Simple Plan come in Levis after they got the show into shape in the US, last weeks. The band will be in good shape: it is promising.

Source: MusicRemedy.com

MusicRemedy had the chance to sit down with Sebastien and Pierre on the Bamboozle Roadshow and interview them about some very interesting stuff about the band. Make sure to check it out:

I know you guys have been around for a while and a lot is going on for you recently but if you were to cover another band on this tour to start, who would it be and what song?
Pierre: I’d probably cover a Third Eye Blind song.
Sebastien: Yeah, Third Eye Blind song.
Pierre: Because they’re the coolest!
Sebastien: Yeah, they’ve got a lot of great songs over the years. It would be fun to do a whole set of just like our favorites. That would be great. The classics!
Pierre: I would do ‘Motorcycle Drive By’.
Sebastien: Yeah that one! ‘Graduate’ for sure, ‘Jumper’. Any thing off the Blue record.
Pierre: What song would you cover?
Sebastien: Oh I would just pick a set list.
Pierre: Look at you!

Then like you said before the roadshow comes to an end tonight, but it’s been a while since you’ve toured the US. How is it to be back? See these audiences again?
Pierre: It’s awesome. It’s cool to see kids that we haven’t seen in a long time. People that we actually, we remember from those shows. Like hey it’s been five years. It’s pretty amazing. I think it’s good for us and we’ve been around the world so much and doing more stuff internationally that it’s good to come back here and hit up the US again.
Sebastien: Yeah no we’ve always had fun touring here and it’s just a little ten day trip but I believe it’s an idea of what’s to come on this next record touring wise.

I know you have a new record coming out. Is it finished or still a work in progress?
Pierre: The songs are all ready to go. We just have to go in to the studio to record it.

That’s exciting! What can fans look forward to with this new record since it has been a while since the last record?
Sebastien: Actually, it’s a fun record you know. I think it’s a little bit of a mix of everything we’ve ever done before so it’s definitely a lot of energy, young and fun but also it’s an evolution at the same time and it’s going to be great. We’re playing a new song on this tour. A song called “You Suck At Love” and I think it’s really representative of what we’re doing with this next record.

How do you normally go about the writing process? Is it one person, is it more collective?
Pierre: Well Chuck and I do most of the initial writing and like the melody and lyrics and all of that. The rest of us get together and then that’s where it all comes together. Work on parts, make it real!

What was the first CD you bought as a kid?
Sebastien: CD? The first CD for me was Offspring’s “Smash”. That was the first one I bought. I think I got this like whole case of Metallica cd’s from my dad but Offspring was the first.
Pierre: I think it was a Lagwagon cd. Lag wagon’s “Duh” and it was an import. It was an import so it was like 24 dollars at the record store. It was weird.

The line up has never changed for this band-
Pierre: Yep! Same band from the beginning.
Sebastien: That is rare! Ten years!
Very. So being a band for ten years and being together for so long, how do you think you’ve matured being the same group of people with all of this success?
Pierre: I think we just learn more about ourselves every year. We learn how to just pick our battles and when something isn’t really that important to you to not fight about it. Also, just understand what we all want to do as a band instead of what we all personally want. You can’t be like ‘Oh I don’t want to do this show’ ‘I don’t want to do this’. We’re good at realizing what’s best for the band.

And then with this new record, is there going to be more touring like you said?
Pierre: Absolutely! A lot more in the US. We kind of feel like we maybe neglected the US with the last record because we were so busy going around the rest of the world. We really couldn’t find a good tour to do here so this time around we’re definitely going to put more emphasis on the US. Really kind of come back to our fans who have been waiting for a long time. We’re neighbors! It’s easy. We should come visit more often.
Sebastien: Canada’s just like another state.
Pierre: Yeah.

Over the years, you have done a lot of touring. What’s one of the crazier things you’ve seen?
Sebastien: Something that’s always very crazy is when we go to Mexico or South America. We try to do signings but people are very intense. Very crazy there and sometimes when we drive away from the venue, they’ll follow us. Running after the cars, banging on the windows. It’s surreal you know. It makes you feel like the Beatles almost. The running of the bulls. Have you ever seen that movie 28 Days Later? It’s like that movie except they aren’t zombies, they’re kids and they don’t want to eat our brains.

Then when you started this band, did you ever think you were going to get to this point you’re at today?
Pierre: I didn’t think so. I thought we would be pretty big in Canada, like putting on pretty good shows in our area. That would be cool, that would be awesome. I never though it would be that wide spread around the world.
Sebastien: No, it’s always like you can dream about it but you never say kids are going to love us but when it does happen it’s amazing.

On this tour, we had both old and new with you guys, Third Eye Blind and Good Charlotte but also newer bands like All Time Low and Boys Like Girls. Did you learn anything from the younger guys or other older bands on this tour?
Pierre: I think definitely the younger bands kind of take your hand and guide you. They’re really giving a good show out there, putting on all the youthful energy of like one of those first big tours and we’re like ’hey, we used to be like that. Maybe we should crank it up a bit’.
Sebastien: Yeah no definitely. I think it sort of reminds us of when we were starting out as a band as well. Just sort of giving it all you got and it sort of makes you feel like we might be getting older. We’ve been around for a while but we still got to go for it! ¨

Well I think that’s all I have for you guys. You’re fast talkers!
Sebastien: We’re quick.
Pierre: We rehearsed!
Sebastien: (laughs) We had your questions forwarded!

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Source: Property Of Zack

Property Of Zack had the chance to interview Sebastien and Pierre on the Bamboozle Roadshow. The interview is definitely very interesting – it deals with the questiion why Simple Plan’s self-titled album didn’t do very well in the US, the guys also talk about the new album, reveal the name of the producer and also state the plans for the upcoming months. Make sure to check it out:

For the record, could you state your name and role in Simple Plan?
Sebastien: For the record, I am Sebastien, I play guitar.
Pierre: I’m Pierre. I play the microphone.

You guys hopped on the Roadshow about a week ago. How has your time been so far?
Sebastien: It’s been good actually. It’s the bands that make it good. There’s a lot of people that we knew and toured with before and a lot of people that we didn’t know and that we got to know and meet.
Pierre: Yeah, that bands are great and the crews great. Everyone’s fun.
Sebastien: The fans are really great too. They’ve been coming up to us saying that they haven’t seen us in a while and it’s really nice of them.

Is it good to be doing a tour like this again, in a similar sense to Warped Tour?
Pierre: Yeah, it’s good. We haven’t toured in the US in a long time, so it’s a good little warm up for our upcoming record. We’re gonna be touring a lot more in the states so its good to have a little warm up.

Is it at all weird to be touring with the younger bands on this tour? Third Eye Blind and Good Charlotte have been around for a long time like you guys, but there are a lot of younger, newer bands.
Pierre: I think it’s fun. I think it reminds of what it was like for us the first time when things were going well. It’s inspiring to watch them. Everyone’s really cool, so I don’t think it’s weird. I like it. We’re sort of like the veterans.
Sebastien: Yeah, they come to us for advice.
Pierre: They don’t…

You guys have been playing a new song, “You Suck At Love”, on the tour. How has the crowd been reacting to it?
Pierre: (In reference to the USA vs Ghana match) Ohhh, did you see that?
Sebastien: He stepped on his nuts! Actually it’s been really good. When you play a new song kids tend to try to listen to it more than to get into it. But these past few shows they’ve been getting into it as well as singing some of the words. It’s a pretty in your face song and everybody really seems to like it. We’re having a good time playing it.

Is that the sound that the new records going to take?
Pierre: They’re all going to sound exactly like that [Laughs]. No, our records are pretty diverse. We always have all kinds of different sounds. I wouldn’t say that the whole record sounds like that, but the fact that we’re bringing it back to upbeat fun definitely is a part of it.

Was the band happy with the reception the self-titled album got?
Pierre: I think everywhere around the world did really good for us. In the states for some reason it didn’t work super well and we didn’t tour a lot in the states. So we kind of were around the world a lot more. So for sure it would have been nice to get some more of all our US fan base on tour, but I mean it did better for us in a lot of other places. So it’s kind of mixed feelings, you know? But definitely disappointing in the states, but we’re back.
Sebastien: Now the challenge is going to be, bam, we’re a new band now, bam, in your face.

Was it fun getting all around the world though?
Pierre: Absolutely. We’ve always toured a lot internationally and it’s been really good for us and we’ve enjoyed going to different places, new places. It’s been a big part of who we are.

The sound was a little different for the album, but would you say that isolated fans here in the states?
Pierre: I think in the states it’s such a…This is more of a music business question, but I think it really is so single influenced. If your single has been on the radio then it opens up the door. I think if people got the chance to listen to that record…I think it was a great record and I think it was a record that we needed to make. I think that the songs on it are amazing. It’s a little bit more mid-tempoish a little bit more introspective, but I think it’s an amazing record. But I think because the singles didn’t do amazing on radio people didn’t listen to it. But the places where they did do well, where mainly radios a little bit more attention spanned…I feel that the US market they’re playing 10 or 15 songs over and over and over again and if you’re not in that bunch you’re not making it.

Same songs on repeat on every station.
Sebastien + Pierre: Exactly.
Sebastien: But the places where it did play, you know, we got to tour and it did very well.

What exactly is the status on the new record?
Pierre: We’re hitting the studio next week. We’ve been writing for like 8 months and we’ve actually written more than we’ve ever written before. We have like almost 60 songs. So we’re picking out 12 and it’s going to be an amazing record. We’re all super stoked about it. We’re very psyched.

Would you say that this is the best you guys have put together at this point?
Pierre: I think it’s definitely the hardest we’ve ever pushed ourselves. I think it’s our best record, but I always kind of feel that way before we do a record.
Sebastien: Well you have to or else there’s no point in going into the studio if you don’t think it’s going to be your best record.
Pierre: People who have heard it definitely feel like it could be our strongest record.

When do you guys hope to finish up in the studio?
Pierre: We should be done by October and then probably have a single released probably before Christmas.
Sebastien: And then next record release.
Pierre: Next record release?
Sebastien: Next record release, next year. Next year release, next record [Laughs].

Who’s going to be producing?
Pierre: Should be…Are we official on that? Probably. Brian Howes. He produced a lot of the Boys Like Girls record and did a bunch of other stuff. He’s a Canadian guy from Vancuver. Super nice guy and we get along very well. It’s a match.

The band is playing a couple dates back in Canada and couple in Europe, are those just festival dates in Europe or are you doing to add anymore?
Sebastien: Technically we were supposed to be finished with the album by now. But we’ve pushed ourselves even more in the writing process and we ended up going like three months over into extra time. So we were just putting in shows throughout the summer, but now we kind of have to record, record, and head out for a couple of shows because we already booked them.
Pierre: It’s just going to be those shows and then once we’re done in October we’ll start really getting back into the groove.

So you guys will be touring here [In the US] a lot more?
Pierre: Yes.
Sebastien: Definitely.
Pierre: I fell that, like I said before, because the last record didn’t pick up great on radio, then we were going to other places where it was going well…And it was kind of like, we realized, “Okay, hey maybe we should’ve been here [In the US] a little bit more.” So we’re going to definitely tour a lot more in the states.

And that could definitely get a much more positive feedback after having such a long gap.
Pierre: Absolutely. I think it’s kind of cool. We’ve been away and it kind of feels like when we’re back here there’s something really fresh about coming back.

What was it like playing at the closing ceremony of the 2010 Winter Olympics? I’d say that has to be a dream come true, but I don’t think many people even would dream of dreaming that.
Pierre: [Laughs] It was pretty insane. It was definitely a huge event and to know that there were millions or billions of people, I don’t know how many, watching.
Sebastien: Billion. There were a billion they said.
Pierre: Yeah, so it was definitely a huge thing for us. It was a lot f stress and nervousness before we got on the stage, but it turned out really well.

How did that come together?
Pierre: Because it was in Canada they were looking for important, popular named bands and fortunately for us, we were on that list.
Sebastien: Yes, we were and we had a great time doing it.

So after the albums recorded you guys will be on tour from Novemberish to whenever?
Pierre: Forever.
Sebastien: For a couple years, yeah.
Pierre: We’re going to have a lot of touring. We’ve already established ourselves ins o many countries that we have to go back to all those places. So like, Australia, Italy, Asia. All over Europe, South America, Mexico, you know, US, Canada. So it’s going to be…
Sebastien: There’s a lot of places to go, so. We’ll be touring

So this time next year: New albums, new singles, and just more touring?
Pierre: Yeah, huge.
Sebastien: Hopefully you’ll be sick of us because you’ll be hearing about us too much. That is the plan.

Gotta get on the radio! Repeat, repeat, repeat.
Pierre: Exactly. Gotta get on that list of 10 songs that get played.

Thanks so much for your time, is there anything you’d like to add?
Sebastien: Yeah, just keep on checking SimplePlan.com for all the updates. We’ll be in the studio pretty soon so there will be videos and blogs and pictures and all that up there.
Pierre: We’re up on twitter if people want to follow us on there. Now that we’re getting into the album and all that stuff there’s going to be a lot of online content. We’ve got videos up almost every day and different things, so if people want to follow it we’re there.
Sebastien: Keep in touch.

CW Brandi had the chance to sit down with Sebastien, Pierre and Chuck from Simple Plan during the Bamboozle Roadshow and interview them. They discussed mostly the new song You Suck At Love, upcoming album and Simple Plan shows. Thanks to Lea, you can check out the video from this interview right here: