Brian Fallon
WHAT ARE YOU UP TO?
Right now, I’m just getting ready to leave [for tour]. We still do things hands-on. I’m still packing up my own gear, loading it up in my car, driving it to the venue — it’s still very unglamorous at this point. To tell you the truth, I’m sure that I could call someone to get it, but I don’t know, I just do it myself.
WHY DO YOU LIVE WHERE YOU DO?
I moved away for a while — about six or seven years ago I lived in New York, and one time I lived in Los Angeles for about six weeks — and there’s something about New Jersey that I find grounding. It keeps me connected to where I’m from and I really like my friends and family here. I do get tempted sometimes. Sometimes I get the bug to live in London for a year and maybe I will. But New Jersey’s home.
WHAT HAVE BEEN YOUR CAREER HIGHS AND LOWS?
Any lows that I would have were when I feel like we made a decision in the band that our hearts weren’t in 100 percent. And the highs, getting to play with our heroes. When we played with Bruce [Springsteen], when Eddie Vedder sang with us, getting to meet Chuck Ragan. Actually, one of the big highlights of my career was that I was always a big Constantines fan, and they played with us at the Double Door in Chicago. I remember watching that band and thinking this was one of the best bands in the world.
WHAT’S THE MEANEST THING EVER SAID TO YOU BEFORE, DURING OR AFTER A GIG?
One time I was really sick — I had really lost my voice and could barely talk. I showed up to the gig with a couple thousand people, and everybody was like, “You should cancel this gig.” And I said no, we don’t cancel gigs. So I went out and played. And someone at the end of the night was like, “You sounded awful tonight. You should really
work on your voice.”
WHAT TRAITS DO YOU MOST LIKE AND MOST DISLIKE ABOUT YOURSELF?
I most like that I’m pretty punctual. I always wanted to be the rock’n’roll guy that was not a mess and could get it together. What I dislike is that I’m a little inconsistent. I tend to go with my moods. If I’m having a bad day, I might be really sour on something, and then the next day I’ll be okay. I wish I could be more constant, even-keeled. I’m working on it, getting better.
WHAT ADVICE SHOULD YOU HAVE TAKEN, BUT
DID NOT?
They had this expression a long time ago that I used to see on bumper stickers all the time that said, “Let go and let God.” I was always like, “Yeah, okay, sure, real easy for you to say on a bumper sticker.” Whether you’re religious or not, it’s the idea of letting things go and allowing whatever situation you’re in to be what it is. I would like to get better at that.
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF WHEN YOU THINK OF CANADA?
The first thing I think of are bands. We were really inspired by Matt Mays, Constantines, Neil Young, Tegan and Sara, City and Colour, the Arkells. They’ve always popped up, this influx of cool bands. I don’t see a lot of bashing between Canadian artists. They support each other.
WHAT WAS YOUR MOST MEMORABLE DAY JOB?
When I was doing roofing and construction, that was when I was writing The ’59 Sound. I used to bring my guitar to work, and on my lunch break I would write the songs that were on that record. It was pretty cool.
IF I WASN’T PLAYING MUSIC I WOULD BE…
I’d probably work on painting and restoring old cars. I’ve got a big thing for ’60s American muscle cars. I do some work on it. I’m not a skilled mechanic, but I know my way around a chassis.
WHAT DO YOU FEAR MOST?
Not being a decent person. At the end of my life I’d like everybody to say, “You know what, maybe he wasn’t my favourite, but he was a nice guy. He was fair to people.”
WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR STRANGEST CELEBRITY ENCOUNTER?
I was playing a show in New York — it was a tribute to Neil Young, but it was a benefit for a company called Sweet Relief — and I was playing a Neil Young song, and right next to me was Dexter [Michael C. Hall], from the show Dexter, and I was like, “What? Dexter watched me play?” I got super excited about that. But it was totally random, because why would you think Dexter likes your music?
WHAT SONG WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE PLAYED AT YOUR FUNERAL?
“Don’t Think Twice It’s All Right” [by Bob Dylan]. It sums up how I feel about all the bad stuff that happens in life. Don’t think twice, it’s all right. It’s the best letting-go song. Like I said, I struggle with letting things go, and that’s my goal.