So, to mark the occasion, here's my interview with them on the future. Well, more of a brief web exchange about the future? We emailed them some questions on their thoughts and feelings about what's in store and Joe was kind enough to shoot back some answers. But insightful nonetheless, and a pleasure to read. Coincidentally enough, Eloise was recorded by Owen from Straight Arrows who I also interviewed for the same issue. I know! Crazy!
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Can't Sleep: What do you guys think the future holds for the human race?
Joe: There is no future for the human race, the only survivors will be the uv race, no future will hold onto us.
CS: What do you think it holds for the future of music?
J: That's heavy, like what does the future hold for the future of music? What will be the future of music in the future??? Ask Kanye West man, we don't even use auto-tune or synths.
CS: Do you guys believe we're heading in the right direction, with regard to the environment, foreign & at home social policy etc.? Why/Why not?
J: My only social policy is there better be booze, I'm nervous as shit in conversation at home or with foreigners.
CS: Is the idea of the future a source of inspiration for you guys as musicians? Or do you prefer to look at historic/past events?
J: Maybe in the future 'the future' will be a source of inspiration for us. I'd like to do a space album. Like guitars that sound like lasers. And we'd sing about cosmic shit you know like Sun Ra and Eddie Gale did, real jive talk but instead of universal consciousness we'd be about like space boobs. Like these giant boobs where the nipples are black holes and you can't help but be sucked into em, but in the end they'll tear you to pieces.
CS: Should artists have more of a say in the future direction of humanity? Do you guys think artists/musicians already have enough input with regard to our future, or is it not enough? Why/Why not?
J: 100% completely no way should artists have any say in the future direction of humanity, artists are fuckin idiots. Can you imagine Nick Cave running the planet??? I dunno why people look to "artists" or "musicians" as some great source of wisdom, I barely know 3 guitar chords do you think i know what is best for 7 billion people? Grinspoon made another album, they definitely have no idea about what is best for humanity.
CS: Do you think humans still have a lot to learn about themselves in the future? Or do we already know too much? Can you think of any examples?
J: Unless that documentary I saw about Keanu Reeves' future was all made up I'm pretty sure we don't have to learn anything in the future, we just upload a disc into our brains and we just know man.
CS: Do you think that humans have a habit of idealising the future? Why/Why not?
J: I listen to punk rock, all i hear is shitty futures. No values, no ideals.
CS: What do you guys think should be our top priority when planning for the future? Preserving the arts and education? The environment? Democracy?
J: Fuck that, our number one priority should be making sure How I Met Your Mother never gets taken off the air. Like NEVER. There'll be about 40 years where it'll be pretty unfunny, but wait 'til they get dementia and can't contain their bowels and whatever.
CS: Are humans, as a group, any good at predicting the future? How do you think this relates to art?
J: My sister actually predicted the future once, like in a dream. It was fuckin crazy. She had this dream when she was in like the 6th grade, a dude in a black trench-coat came walking through this gate in our backyard and walked around our house and then my sister ran inside and told mum and made her go out and see what he was doing and the trench-coat dude stabbed my mum a buncha times and it was hectic, real fucked up. So she told mum the next day and it was like oh yeah nightmare. Then like 2 weeks later me and my sister were playing in our front yard and we saw this dude walk in through the back gate in a black trench-coat and we shit ourselves, ran inside the house and told mum, she freaked out and we locked all the doors and shit then watched from the window, he just walked out through our front gate and walked down the street. we lived on this property that backed onto a cane farm in north Queensland though so it was kinda weird. I'm not making this up. but she's the only person in my family who has predicted the future, I'd say as a group we're pretty poor at predicting the future. Oh wait my mum used to read tarot cards, she did mine when i was in 10th grade and basically knew everything about my life and it all involved girls which was awkward so she never read mine again. And we used to use a ouija board like at least once a month as a family. it was creepy as shit, i used to ask if i would ever play in the NBA and it would always say no.
CS: How much do you think humanity's past mistakes impact on our future? Can there ever be such a thing as a 'clean slate'?
J: The future is never gonna forgive kiss for kiss symphony. Some shit just doesn't wash out.
