Closet Monster
London on Jesse
This boy, or young man if I may, is one of the most passionate mother fuckers towards everything in life I have ever known. Politically he has a heart of gold and the ambition of a dragon. I believe he is one of the last true "rebels" in the commercialized world of today. He is a brother to the animals and a father to the people... heh heh :) Jessyism is the only religion for me.Chris on Adam
Caring, very passionate about his beliefs. Has been there for me many times. For which I am grateful. I have learnt a lot from him. He has been a great friend to me, and this fucked up world only makes him stronger... Love you dude...
London: God damn... he is a boob.Jesse on London
London is a brother. He is an influence to us all. He is one of the most passionate people I know. A teacher and a friend forever. When he puts his mind to something he can definitely go all the way.Jesse on Adam
Adam is one of the ugliest dudes I have ever met in my life. His dull sense of humor does not make up for his lack of boyish charm. I keep on telling him that he is a failure but he keeps on saying stupid things like "I can do it".Chris on London
He has been my mentor. I have a great deal of love and respect for him. Through so many hard times he was one of the few, who stood by me. I have learned so much from his words and his actions, and he has made me a better person. Like the rest of the band, he has been a brother and a great friend... Love you dude...Adam on Chris
Chris is the quiet sensitive type who enjoys long walks on the beach while smoking his cigarettes. He is true to his thoughts and ideas which are expressed through good use of tongue...and no not that way.
Edmonton, Alberta - June, 2000
Virus: Tell me about making this album.
Chris: It is, in my opinion, the best one to date...
Chris: A lot of emotion was put into this album.
Jesse: Yeah I cried the whole time.
London: And the longest one to create. We took about five months start to finish writing and all.
Virus: Where was it recorded?
London: It was recorded at Insight Recorders.
Chris: Insight Recorders in Toronto, Ontario.
London: Insight Recorders
Jesse: Go insight!
Virus: The production on this is insane, who's behind that?
Chris: London.
London: Hey... don't forget executive production by Adam and Jess... as well as additional engineering by Simon Head.
Chris: London did most of our production and Simon Head was also there to help along the way.
Virus: What are your favorite things to write songs about?
London: Anything we feel passionately about, any song, mostly socio-political conscious topics. Cause we are all really into expanding our minds on a social level rather than a personal one.
Chris: That with some hard work from everyone, this world can change for the better. But we can't do it alone.
Jesse: Anything that helps to educate in one way or another is a favorite of mine. Lyrics are very important. It's very easy to write a cop-out song, meaning one with a really cool melody but shit lyrics.
Ajax, Ontario - December, 1999
Virus: What are your favorite Closet Monster songs?
Jesse: I like Corporate Media Death Squad.
Chris: I agree with Jesse, "Smash the Radio...!"
London: Favorite song: Flag Anthems and Shame. Acoustic song on a Fight for What is Right that Jess and I recorded on a four-track.
Jesse: Everytime I hear it I shit myself because it sounds nothing like us. Yeah, that's one of my favs too, just because of the way it was done.
Chris: I like the raw feeling about it. It's an intense song to hear.
London: What about Adam?
Adam: I like S.O.S. cause the song kicks me in the face and leaves me black and blue.
Virus: Did you all click when you started playing together, or did it take time?
London: Immediate clickage. I think at least.
Chris: I agree. I didn't take long for us to find our place among each other and start writing some really good songs.
Virus: What do you think it is that makes the four of you the right match?
Jesse: We all have so much in common, the passion for change is all we needed.
Chris: Couldn't have said it better myself.
Jesse: We just wanted to rock out and sing about things we cared about. That right there was enough to make us click.
Port Parry, Ontario - January, 2001
Virus: What do you hope to achieve with Closet Monster?
London: The common passion to create songs on a medium which we can all pour our hearts into and leave an entrance to have others relate to what we say in our songs as well as the openness to consider new and interesting opinions. I think I've already achieved my hopes with it...and only hope to keep it alive for years to come. A band that is united closely through a message and can create solid rock albums as well as deliver an inspirational live show.
Chris: To unite people and make a stand against the wrongs that we, or people don't know yet, have to face everyday.
Jesse: That just about sums it up for me. Damn you guys beating me to the punch!
London: Yeah baby.
Chris: Unity in a band, unity for the world...
Virus: Your worst sound guy experience was....
Jesse: One of the dudes at this place in Oshawa.
Chris: I never played sound guy. But I did play doctor once...
Jesse: He claims he is the best and then backs that claim up with some of the worst sound ever.
London: Any guy who tells us to turn our amps down on stage because you don't need to turn them past 2. An amps potential peeks around 6.
Chris: Definitely. The sound at the Dungeon. That guy has absolutely no clue what he is doing. I did sound at Lollapalooza...
Jesse: Not to say that the Dungeon is a bad place. I love it, just don't like one of the sound guys.
London: Exactly.
Oshawa, Ontario - February, 2001
Virus: Do you have any [favorite] zines?
Chris: I am in the process of starting a zine...
Jesse: We try to pick up as many zines as we can when we're on the road or at shows.
Chris: We have a few, but I haven't been noticing a lot out there recently...I can't really think of the names of them right now...
London: Punk Planet, Broken Pencil, On the Brink of the Timid River, Chewing Teeth, Kid With Camera, Excluded.
Virus: Who are your favorite local bands to play shows with?
Chris: Bombs Over Providence and a band from Waterdown I believe..? Named Bayside...
Jesse: Protest The Hero, Bombs over Providence, Dead Letter Department, Four Square.....
London: Favs, eh? Protest The Hero (formerly Happy Go Lucky), Bombs Over Providence, Dead Letter Department, Four Square, and T.O.E.
Jesse: ...toe.
London: But those are just the top five...I could give you a list from Canada of tons more.
Jesse: That would take forever...
Chris: I forgot T.O.E. and Dead Letter Department and Protest The Hero. My apologies.
Jesse: Just don't do it again. Okay?
Chris: Roger... Roger...
Adam: Or I'll give you a boot sandwich.
Chris: With some SOUL...Notice the spelling...
London: One Shot Left, Wishing Well, Tastes Like Burning, Belvedere, The Everymen, The Browns, Seven Teen, Removal, and tons more. And Don't Hit Your Sister.
Jesse: Chris, you are funny.
London: Funny looking.
Chris: Don't forget smelling...
Jesse: Yes, of course.
Vernon, British Columbia - July, 1999