|
Interview with Michael Sileno of Alli With An I
By: Tyler Champley
 With the release of I Learned It By Watching You just around the corner, what are you looking forward to with this new album?
We definitely hope to make some new fans and not disappoint the old fans. We are very proud and happy with the album. It exceeded our expectations big time. We hope that we will be able to become a full time band and tour a lot as soon as possible. It's great to be working with Law of Inertia. They are doing so much for us.
So how did you guys hook up with Brian Paulson for I Learned It By Watching You?
Luckily, we had more time and money to record this album. Since we had a budget that we have never had before, we got the opportunity to work with Brian. Mike from the Scaries actually suggested we worked with him since he lives in North Carolina. After considering other options, we knew he was perfect for us. He's an amazing person and engineer. He really did a great job and it was like he was part of the band. It was a great experience overall.
How did working with him influence/shape this album?
Well, it sounds 100 times better than our last record. We recorded the first record in like 13 hours. We got to spend about a month working on the recording this time. All the songs were worked out, but Brian made some suggestions and really worked hard on mixing the album. The time we spent on it also gave us time to really concentrate on the songs and make them fuller than they were before we went into the studio. Anytime we had a question or needed an opinion, he knew exactly what should be done. His main influence is the intro on the album. He was excited about that.
Are you a shower or car singer? Any favorite hits to sing?
I find myself singing more in the car. That's where I listen to most of my music. I like singing Whitney Houston's "Greatest Love of All" in the shower, though. My goal is to get enough courage to do it karaoke style sometime.
What are the last three CDs you purchased?
Strike Anywhere Exit English
Rise Against Revolutions Per Minute
Motion City Soundtrack I Am The Movie
What bands from your region should people know about?
The Scaries, Kudzu Wish, Idea of Beauty, The Manhattan Project, Guff, and Priority One.
When not playing shows and sleeping on the road, what do you find yourselves doing?
Well, unfortunately, we aren't a full time band, so we all have our daily routines. All of us are in school. Matt, Ry, and Tom are all at NC State. Matt will finish this December, Ry in May, and Tom in December 2004. I just started working on my masters degree in sociology at UNC-Greensboro. Matt is a manager at Delia's and I work two jobs. Tom and Ry cater sometimes. We hope to put all of this on hold because it's not always that fun.
What overseas country would you most like to tour and why?
I would say it's a tie between Japan and England. Japan because we have heard some great tour stories from bands that have been there and England because we have had a good response from there. We would love to go there and drink lots of Boddington's.
With Arnold Schwarzenegger now the California governor, it seems Americans want a different kind of politician. Between Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez, who would you vote for President and why?
Neither actually… I fucking hate them both. I used to be duped into thinking that Ben Affleck was cool when he was doing Kevin Smith movies, but then one day I realized how annoying he is to listen to and look at.
Do you have any favorite destinations on the Web? Which Web sites?
I find myself looking at http://www.breakingboundaries.net, http://www.absolutepunk.net, http://www.friendster.com, and http://www.lawofinertia.com more than I really should. I'm always on the damn computer, so I go to a lot of websites daily. I should really try to stop being on there so much.
If I Learned It By Watching You blows up and you find yourself suddenly in heavy rotation next to Justin Timberlake on MTV, how would this change your world?
We would probably start doing a lot more drugs, dodging AIDS, and partying harder. It would obviously change everything, but it would be great to tour all the time with our friends and not have to worry about the daily bullshit that we do now.
Thanks!
Thank you!
|
|
|
|
|
|
