Tour buses are not as spacious as they look from the outside. As I file, along with the members of the Austin, TX quartet known as the Riddlin' Kids, onto the bus, I begin to wonder if the bandmates didn't prefer their old van. "Well, when the van crapped out on us," explains drummer Dave Keel, "we convinced the label to give us this." Triumphant cackles ensue. We all pile into the "living room" of the bus, settling into the interview that the Kids were incredibly willing to give. It is at this point that I realize that this interview was not at all how I envisioned my night panning out to be, so I was void of any means of recording-pen, paper, tape recorder-nothing. Dustin Stroud, guitarist, quickly shoves some paper he's ripped out of a spiral notebook in front of me. This is just the kind of people the Kids are. While I could not write down the entire conversation word for word, I will try to provide what trinkets I can accurately.

Ok, so standard rock interview question time: Who would you cite as your influences?

Clint: [jokingly]Duran-Duran [laughter]
Dustin: Definitely The Descendants. They're a big one for me [agreeing nods all around]
Mark: Well, we always say we cite everything from Slayer to Sinead O'Connor.

Who would you love to tour with?

Dustin: Weezer.
Dave: Foo fighters. [Bus responds with something along the lines of "good one."]

While we're on the topic of influences, what contemporary artists do you find your heads nodding to?

Clint: We listen to everything. No. Really.

Okay, point taken. On to your. formative years. Were you the "cool" kids in high school, or the outcasts?

Clint: Well, actually-strange coincidence. Even though we all went to school at different times in different places, we were all captain of the football team, and dated the head cheerleader.
Dustin: Well, actually I dated the JV Head cheerleader.
Mark: I drilled the head of the drill team. [laughter]

No, but seriously-

Dustin: Don't ever think we aren't serious.

Right, so moving right along. How long did you pay your dues? How hard was it for you to break out of the local scene?

Clint: Well, we all paid our dues in other bands a long time before we came into Riddlin' Kids. We formed back in '98, but we were all in bands before that. Dave was actually in a pretty big ska band in Austin before us.
Dave: Well, when we first went on tour, we had Goldfinger with us. If you can get someone like them on tour with you, its like "well, if they're touring with Goldfinger, they must have the shit."

How did you all come together anyway?

Clint: Well, Dustin and I were actually roommates and in separate bands. Eventually we ended up quitting those bands and playing together. Not too long after that we found Dave.
Dave: Mark actually came along about 2 days before we got signed with Aware/Columbia. He had to play this shitty bass, he had played maybe four of our songs before we had to play in front of the Aware guys.
Clint: I think he shit his pants.. [Mark shakes head]

What do you miss about Austin?

Dustin: My girlfriend.
Mark, Dave, and Clint: Dustin's girlfriend.
Clint: Well, there really isn't much I miss. I mean, I miss my family and stuff.
Dave: When all there is to do back home is sit around, act retarded, and get fat, there isn't much to miss.
Clint: Right, I'm not burnt out at all right now. I'd much rather be acting retarded and getting fat on tour.

Is it tough to maintain a relationship on tour?

Clint: Well hell yea. I mean, when you're apart from each other for so long. You just go in completely different directions. My girlfriend and I were together for a year and a half, we just broke it off a few months ago. But its for the best. [Dustin nods]

Ok, so on to something outside of music. Our President Dubya comes from your state-what do you think of him?

Dustin: Love 'em. [Dave Groans]
Dave: Well I think that he's handled things well since September. but I don't know what he'd be doing if it weren't for that. I mean-in situations like that is when you need a real redneck.
Clint: Yea, you just need a redneck who wont take any shit. "You killed a couple thousand of us, I'm gonna kick your fucking ass."
Mark: Yea, he's alright.
Dustin: I like that he fries murderers.

Ok, well I'll let you all go, just one more question. What do you see yourself doing in 5 years?

Mark: Your mom, definitely. [roars of laughter]
Mark: Sorry, you left yourself open for that one man.
Clint: Well, we'll hopefully be on our 3rd or so National Tour, and still playing good music.
Dustin: Yea, still with the music.
Dave: Music. And your mom of course.

Well, of course.

-Marcus Owens
bandchat.org Correspondent
Atlanta, GA