MuchMusic (March 26th 2000)

No Doubt

[transcription from NDUniverse]

SOOK-YIN: It's a beautiful Sunday afternoon in Toronto and legions of No Doubt fans, coming to see the band. In the next hour, we're gonna be seeing them perform music from their most recent album, as well as asking them questions. So April 11th marks the day of their Return of Saturn . Without further ado, I'd like to introduce the band, No Doubt. (Gwen comes out) Here's Gwen Stefani in pink. (The rest of them come out) Tony and Tom and Adrian

TOM: What's up? (Crowd still cheering)

SOOK-YIN: Hello. How are you doing?

TONY: We're good we're good. We're just starting our tour so we're happy to be playing

SOOK-YIN: And you're gonna be playing lots of stuff from this album and the last album. Good to have you here. Stick around. We're gonna be back in just a minute

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SOOK-YIN: The band's here, the fans are here. We're celebrating the Return of No Doubt. Their new album the Return of Saturn in stores April 11th. They're gonna lead off the track Ex-Girlfriend

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SOOK-YIN: Woo! Woo! Woo! Woo! Woo! Yeah. We're gonna be back with No Doubt. Here's something from Tragic Kingdom

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(Cheering)

SOOK-YIN: Yeah. We're back at Muchmusic, where we happen to have No Doubt in the environment with us today. And on um . . .over there, farthest away from me would be Tony Kanal, in the Karate Kid t-shirt, Tom in the Van Halen visor, Adrian without any shirt on, and the pink lady Gwen. Ok, so congratulations. Stellar album. Return of Saturn. Very good. April 11th. In the stores. And as the title suggest, a lot of you have grown, changed and grown and changed your music. Now that you have hit the road, for a bit of a break, you were on a high anus (couldn't make out the word) for awhile makin' the album. How has the world changed?

GWEN: Interesting question. We're only had two shows so far so it's kind of um . . . it's little bit early to assess the whole thing but last night's show in . . . where were we? Detroit. Amazing. It was really good. And um, at first I didn't know what to do with my feet but I think I'm getting used to them again so.

SOOK-YIN: You don't do your feet?

GWEN: No, I said I didn't know what to do with them you know, it's like they were so foreign to me after being in the studio for so long.

SOOK-YIN: Yeah. You have to get your footwork happening

GWEN: yeah.

SOOK-YIN: But um, good training on high heels

GWEN: Yeah. I'm getting' good at that now.

SOOK-YIN: Have you noticed your audience changing at all? Any, any changes in terms of your audience when you're performing?

TOM: I noticed they audience is more enthusiastic now. They dance and they sweat quite a bit, sing all the words, you know. (cheering)

ADRIAN: You were talking about growing for a couple of years and getting older, I noticed that I grew this (touches his tum tum) while I was playing for awhile

SOOK-YIN: Ok, so it's Gwen's feet and your spare tire

ADRIAN: Yeah.

SOOK-YIN: So you'll have to negotiate on the next…

ADRIAN: Wait 'til about two more years, it's gonna be huge. (Everyone laughs)

SOOK-YIN: Last time we were talking a couple of months ago um . . . Adrian, we established that you just got married to . . . a woman. (Adrian puts on a shirt)

FAN: Keep it off!

SOOK-YIN: No, he's cold. (Everyone yells "C'mon!")

SOOK-YIN: He's chilly. You've gotta cover something up right?

GWEN: Take your pants off. (Everyone laughs)

SOOK-YIN: We established that you have gotten married to a woman who was originally . . . her job was to amass No Doubt groupies behind stage. And wondering if you guys are still partying hard.

GWEN: We had a little bit of a party last night didn't we? That's why I have so much make up on today. (laughs) A bit of a , puff this morning. What happens if you party a lot, you get a puff face. Pillow face

SOOK-YIN: I know so what do you do?

GWEN: Well for me it's easy cause I just get the make up box and go to work. And these guys, Adrian. I dunno, I think he kid of like . . .

FAN: He wanted to look bad (Everyone laughs)

GWEN: Ha ha! He wanted to look bad

SOOK-YIN: Yes. And he's sweating as we speak. They new album uh. . . you sort of fostered a retro, new wave fusion of these pop songs. What is it about the 80s music that you love so much

GWEN: Tony

TOM: Tony. (Tony says Tom can take it.) Uh . . . so yes, we grew up uh . . . and we loved that music you know in our teenage years and it was bands like, I dunno, Devo and the Cars and Blondie right? What else?

GWEN: Um . . . what was that again?

TOM: Flock of seagulls

GWEN: Yeah

TOM: For us, that was exciting music and great dynamic and a lot of that is in the keyboards and the old synthesizer and I think we were able to . . .kind of achieve that sound and in a very real way on this record

SOOK-YIN: Was there anything about the energy in the 80s that was particularly inspiring for you?

GWEN: I think the 80s were a backdrop of our you know, teenage years. So I think even at the time, if we weren't super into a lot of the music that was out there, looking back on it, it had a lot more of an effect on us that we probably realized. So you go back and listen to records that you maybe not . . . we didn't even, I didn't even buy some of those records, but, looking back on it now, I really appreciate them more cause it's like the first time they ever had those keyboard sounds you know? It was like, it was a big deal. It was like, it was new territory so.

SOOK-YIN: We're gonna open up the floor to some fans. John you have a question.

JOHN: Hi. Yes um . . . first of all I'd like to start of by saying I love you guys (Gwen goes awww) and you guys rock. Woo. (cheers from all the fans.) And I was just wondering, who are your mentors or major musical influences as an inspiring band?

GWEN: We all have different people and bands that we love. So . . . I was watching this interview this morning with um, Joni Mitchell, (HOPE THATZ SPELLED CLOSE ENOUGH) who is a Canadian I believe right? And um, she was probably been one of my biggest inspirations as a lyricist and especially on this record I went back through all her old, you know, poems and lyrics and she's definitely as master at it and so I love her very much. Who do you love? (giggles)

TOM: Yeah. Last night backstage we were listening to some Dr. Dre, the newest record and they were . . . some nice musical stylings on that. That's my mentor today

GWEN: (Laughs) That's my mentor today

SOOK-YIN: You got so many different influences on the album. So many sounds. But having been together for thirteen years, what about growing up in Anaheim? Like was there a community you had , indie bands that you grew up alongside?

ADRIAN: No much culture in Orange County.

SOOK-YIN: You have Disneyland

ADRIAN: Yeah but. . . yeah we had to go to L.A to meet up with other bands most often

SOOK-YIN :Right. Was Disneyland a big impact on you? Being so close?

GWEN: Of course it was. We used to transfer, you know, trying to get in for free and sneak in, you know? You couldn't like, do girl and girl dances. Like if you danced with another girl, you got kicked out and stuff like that. So it was fun. So you go there and try and get kicked out. But um . . . I think in Anaheim, because there wasn't a lot of culture, was the reason the music seemed so much fun and the reason why we spent a lot of time doing it. And we would just sit in the garage and we would just to music the whole day and whole night and watch Beverly Hills 90210 and make spaghetti and then go listen to what we did and that was like just as much fun as this is. Sitting here today so.

SOOK-YIN: Cory you have a question

JULIE: Julie

SOOK-YIN: Oh, sorry Julie. (Her friends scream from outside the building)

ADRIAN: What's up Julie

JULIE: Hi guys. As well I love you and you are such an inspiration to me. And my friend Alana's outside. She didn't get in and just wanted me to say that. But my question is, um it's directed to Gwen and I've read in several magazines and stuff that after coming of the tour, that you fell into some sort of a depression because your life's ambitions of wanted to be a mother and a wife weren't being fulfilled and I was wandering if that inspired many of the lyrics in the music for the new album.

GWEN: Well it's funny how um, you put that in a condensed sentence like that. 'Cause that's not really, I mean that's two years of my life trying to say in one sentence. That's not really exactly how it went but . . . definitely was a low point for me. Not may favourite two years. I dunno if that had to do with coming off the tour or just my time to have a little bit of a dip you know whatever but, I think the making of the record and being able to have, you know, keep journals and stuff like that, was really helpful and um, definitely this record's a document from the last couple of years of my life and you know, I think it was probably good that I was going through that because it helped me write the album and now that the record's done, I fell really proud of it and excited and I feel like it really represents that two years so.

SOOK-YIN: Do you feel like those emotions were purged somewhat by makin' the whole album?

GWEN: I, looking at it now, I fell that way. But during it, It didn't seem like it was. That was the case, it just was like God it's you know, I just wanted to get inside myself and um, express how I was feeling and I think I did that so.

SOOK-YIN: Do you still have the desire to get hitched?

GWEN: Well that's not, that's what everyone thinks. Like Gwen's broody and she wants to get married but really the record's not about that. It's more about the confusion of my life. It's more about confusion than any particular, like, subject like wanting to have a baby. Of course I wanna, I've always wanted to have a baby. Since I was a baby I've wanted to have a baby so I dunno, you know? But hopefully I'll be blessed someday. But um . . . it's more about being passionate about the band and the confusion between that passion and the passion of . . . I dunno, the previous one. Growing up.

SOOK-YIN: Are you still confused?

GWEN: Of course. (Laughs) Are you?

SOOK-YIN: Yes

GWEN: I think we all are. (crowd cheers)

SSOK-YIN: That's a big hollar for confusion. Yea. Yea confusion. (More cheering) um . . . you were also referring um . . . you had been reading Sylvia Plath's Bell Jar during the time of . . .

GWEN: Yeah, that didn't help (laughs)

SOOK-YIN: Yeah. That's a pretty heavy, literary reference. She's a really amazing poet and author but a tragic character. How were you inspired by Sylvia Plath's work?

GWEN: I just, after reading the book, um, which is basically an autobiography about Sylvia Plath, I think it just was the way that she could go inside and express how she was feeling and that was the inspiration. Like I wanted to be able to do that but she did it so beautifully and um, so yeah. That's probably what inspired me.

SOOK-YIN: What are some other surprising sources of inspirations for No Doubt? Karate Kid?

TONY: We were just inspired by uh, the fact that we've been together for 13 years now, I think we learned how to deal with each other respectfully. We've gone through so many different stages of being a band. Playing in a garage, and playing, you know, doing the band tour and um . . . getting to the point where you can travel around the world and playing for so many people and I think we've grown in doing things together and that really helped us get through this record in a much more fun, exciting way.

SOOK-YIN: Well, you've always endeavored to operate the group as a democracy. How successful is that? Have you been a . . . maintaining a sort of democratic approach to operating a band?

ADRIAN: It definitely has worked but it takes a long time to make decisions when everyone has to have their say. It takes a long time to make decisions on anything.

SOOK-YIN: What's the decision making process? To have you guys sit down and bash away at it until you . . .

ADRIAN: Well we have back stage food after the show. . . (Gwen laughs)

SOOK-YIN: Yeah. What kind of food?

TOM: Mexican food.

ADRIAN: Yeah. Burritos, tacos.

SOOK-YIN: Lots of beans

ADRIAN: Lots of farting on the bus

SOOK-YIN: Why is it important that you have . . . that you opted to have a democratic approach as opposed to having like . . . artistic fascist . . .ruler . . .

TOM: In some ways I think um, we're all really good friends. We know each other better than we know anybody else and um, it's a way of kind of being a filter you know? Sometimes, you know for example, I might have an idea that really sucks and everyone will be very clear and say Tom that's a very lame idea. And I trust them you know, these guys are my friends and it kind of goes both ways. So I think we're able to usually arrive at similar conclusions and usually musically we all see things at the same level.

SOOK-YIN: You have worked with more confusion

ADRIAN: Confusion! (He raises his arms and everybody cheers)

SOOK-YIN: You have worked with Glen Ballard who's like an oober producer. He's worked with Alanis Morisette and Aerosmith and how did he help to become a fifth member there?

TONY: You know we have been working on the record a year before Glen got involved with the process and um, like tome said, we all have strong opinions on certain things so it's important for us to bring n a referee of sorts you know, level out the playing field and somebody who has an objective view on what songs we should focus on and how we should proceed and he brought this, you know, knowledge of producing and songwriting and arranging. He was just a good person to balance ideas off of and he kind of helped us focus and finish the record up

SOOK-YIN: Were there a lot of changes or did he just kind of ask questions to have you focus on . . .

TONY: I think rather than changing stuff, he actually helped bring out the no doubtness (MY NEW WORD) in us you know what I mean? Like it was more about bringing out the best in us as opposed to try and change anything

SOOK-YIN: What's the most important thing for you at the end of the day? Is it the final recorded products, is it the tours or is it the process of working together?

GWEN: I think it's . . .I think everything sucks if we're not getting along and um, so, we always make sure the relationship is the most important thing I think. And you know, I think also that proves to be true, that we've been together now, 13 years and we've been able to have that commitment to each other and the chemistry, I mean the chemistry on this album was . . . it blew me away. I didn't even know we had that much chemistry. So, it was um, I think that was the most important thing. Even more important that then music

SOOK-YIN: What are some of the things that blew you away? Some of the surprises that you found um, came up

GWEN: Um, I think just individually, everybody . . . everybody was surprised how far they'd come as musicians. You know, for me, the lyrics and being able to get inside myself and um, I think I wrote my first song on my own on this record which took me thirteen years but I was pretty excited. I was pretty shocked that I could do it and um, that was my personal thing. (A fan claps for her) Thank you (laughs). But uh, I think everybody was just . . . I think everybody was surprised with the final product, that we could make this record and we wouldn't have this record if it wasn't for Tragic Kingdom because, you know, the time, it was going by and it was like whoop. We better get real jobs pretty soon. But now we have the luxury to just be a band and um, we're validated and it's like all you gotta do it make a good record and that's what we try to do and we said we weren't gonna put a time limit on it. We're gonna just get in there and just ignore everything around us , except the music and what we were feeling so

SOOK-YIN: What goes from song to song to song and they're all so good. It's really an amazing, well-crafted piece of work

GWEN: Yeah! (everyone screams)

SOOK-YIN: It is kind of about that thing about commitment in terms of um, getting together for 13 years is quite something. It happens so rarely in marriages let alone bands. And how does it work? Like how are you able to get that particular combination? Is it 'cause you're all similarly minded people? Or, what is it?

TOM: I think we are pretty similar and just, I mean, from the very beginning I think we had this great chemistry and um, when this got difficult, we just kind of learned how to deal with each other and to give each other the space that we need to and we get along so well and it's amazing after, I mean living together you know in busses and in studio for so many years. (A fan yells Tom is sexy and Gwen laughs and repeats what she said and everyone else laughs and screams.) Right. We have um, really good friendships. And you know, every night, we've been on this tour. We've been traveling together for the last month or so. We have so much fun and we have good sense of humor

GWEN: We make each other laugh. That's the key

TONY: Tom has this amazing way of passing gas on cue. Like if things are getting tense, he's able to pass gas and everything's fine. You know what I mean?

SOOK-YIN: After the rider, pass some gas

TOM: And they love it too. They smile, they laugh

SOOK-YIN: They love you when you pass gas. That's a sign of love

TOM: Do you guys love that too? (everyone screams)

SOOK-YIN: That's the key. That's the magic key right there

ADRIAN: The magic fart. (peeps laugh)v SOOK-YIN: Hello? (phone) It's the phone caller over there?

CALLER (CORY.) Hello?

SOOK-YIN: Hello

CORY: Hello

SOOK-YIN: What's your name?

CORY: It's Cory. (THERE HE IS)

SOOK-YIN: Hi Cory. And you have a question for the band

CORY: Yeah um, hi

BAND: Hello

CORY: You guys took like a big break after the last album. What have you guys been doing? (everyone laughs) GWEN: Oh my god

ADRIAN: How long have you been listening to this conversation?

CORY: Yeah I know but they told me to ask you anyways.

GWEN: Yeah. We've been working really hard on this record. We worked on it like five days a week. We didn't really take any time off to be honest. And um, we're just really committed to the music and maintain making something good and we didn't wanna put something out that was crap and we just kept working on it 'til we thought it was great

SOOK-YIN: Were you all completely obsessed during that process? Was it like you'd phone each other up after the sessions and be like but what about that part?

TOM: Not quite that obsessed. But we spent like . . . they were long days you know? Twelve hour days are pretty standard in the studio and it's good cause we were able to really focus in on so much stuff and you can tell.

SOOK-YIN: What do you think of the current pop climate these days? From a perspective of a band that has a real . . . has really fostered a relationship with each other. What about today in terms of music where it seems like so many bands are manufactured and don't have that legacy of years behind them. Does that matter to you or.

STEVE: Yeeeahh (No Doubt laughs)

SOOK-YIN: Who was that groaning over there?

TONY: That's Steven

ADRIAN: Trumpet player

SOOK-YIN: Hi Steven (Everyone screams)

TOM: Ok right. (Everyone laughs) Well um, yes manufactured groups. Well I will say that I generally dislike that. But I did hear Backstreet Boy songs this morning on Muchmusic and it's a good song whoever wrote it. I think it's a guy in Sweden that writes those songs. So you know, it just depends how honest you wanna be with yourself. They sure can sell records but it's really not something I'd buy.

ADRIAN: Ooooooo

TONY: You know there's a place for everything. There's a place for that manufactured music. Some people appreciate that and there's a place for like, the really hard stuff that's going on now. I don't think we fit in you know? With either of those groups but we're, you know, somewhere in between. I think it was the same situation when Tragic Kingdom came out. There wasn't really a place for us. I think people just appreciate, you know, band's that write their own music so.

SOOK-YIN: You've always felt like sort of an anomaly from what's going out? What's sort of the popular thing.

TONY: Yeah. You gotta kinda like, pave your own road

TOM: I think that's kind of what was surprising about our success is that I think we came out of left field a bit in some way.

GWEN: That was a shock. Because we were always making the music that was gonna be unpopular you know? And we were always the alternative to the alternative then suddenly we became this like, you know, the headline, bubble gum pop band and we were like what? We didn't understand how people could see us that way but um, the idea was basically to try to write music that was original which was practically impossible in the 90s and the year 2000. So I think um, this is the closest we've come to that. We've you know, this record is . . . just be prepared. It's nothing like the Tragic Kingdom. I mean it's definitely like a big evolution. A big jump from that and um, it's a growth and I think all the bands that we've loved, I think if you look at the Beatles for instance, you know, the first record to the last record, there's nothing the same except for the members and um, you can hear all of us on it but it's definitely a big jump. So we fell proud of that. We didn't wanna stay stagnant. We wanted to grow and we wanted to grow and show the experience of the 13 years.

SOOK-YIN: Right on. Yeah, so that's the difference. We talked about manufactured bands. The final thing is the work there, the album. But it sounds like it's all about process for you guys.

GWEN: Yeah. It's definitely a process. I mean that's why I think it took the couple of years that it did . We had to go through all these certain things you know. Like I had to go through things in my life to be inspired to by able to write the songs and I think . . .just, you look back and everything that happened and it all happened for a reason and there's no way we could have done it any faster and I don't think we would have wanted to. I don't think we would've been mentally prepared to come out and like, give the gift of our new record. Do you know what I mean? We would've just been . . . I wouldn't have been ready year ago, no way. I was still in a weird place so

SOOK-YIN: So you give yourself the time. That's cool. Ok, we're gonna be back with more performance from No Doubt. So we'll get out of the seats and back over there. (everyone cheers)

SOOK-YIN: Now for more live performance courtesy of No doubt. Not one but tracks, Spiderwebs as well as Simple Kind of Life from their new album ROS. Here's NO DOUBT #1 4EVER

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SOOK-YIN: Wow. That was No Doubt's Spiderwebs. Back with No Doubt in just a bit

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SOOK-YIN: Ok, we're back with No Doubt. Last few minutes of the hour. And we're gonna get it over to Craig who has a question for the band. (people scream and he's in awe)

CRAIG: Hi guys. Have you guys got any hidden talents that you know of, and if you do, can we see them?

SOOK-YIN: Hidden talents , that you could showcase

GWEN: Adrian does. The turkey (cheers)

ADRIAN: There's this one thing where I . . .it's called guys slapping other guys ass (Adrian goes up to Craig, pulls his pants down and Craig was hesitant in slapping it but he did anyway)

SOOK-YIN: I can't believe you wouldn't have jumped at that opportunity. That's quite the talent. Tony how about you

TONY: No, nothing can top that. That was the topper right there.

SOOK-YIN: We're gonna take a look at Ex-Girlfriend this particular video. Wondering was there any particular blueprint that you were looking at? Records you wanted to kind of like reference in this particular song?

GWEN: In this song? Oh wow. Interesting question. Yeah, we wanted to um, originally . . . we were going to try to write Raspberry Rain the Prince song. We were trying to write that and then um, then we were listening to the Tricky record and then the new . . . I dunno where those two fit in there but those were the inspirations.

SOOK-YIN: Wow. Raspberry Rain. Tricky. Excellent

GWEN: (laughs) It sounded nothing like it

TONY: Didn't sound anything like it

SOOK-YIN: And how come you don't have any clothes on except for your underwear in the video? Was this like a reference to Tommy Lee?

ADRIAN: Um, no I just like to expose myself. (Everyone laughs)

SOOK-YIN: Yeah. Has he been going that for awhile now?

GWEN: He's become quite the exhibitionist. He's really, is truly on I think. He enjoys that

SOOK-YIN: And what about the cross dressing thing in the boys room? Where you're kickin' ass (crowd cheers)

ADRIAN: Yea violence!! Woo woo violence

GWEN: Right.

SOOK-YIN: No, it's more woo cross dressing

GWEN: Yeah ok, that was actually the video director's idea and um, he was really, he really wanted me to wear the mustache and I was like oh come on. A mustache is so gross but you know, I really got into it but we actually ended up losing the mustache. It was this whole fiasco and um. . . but we really enjoyed it. Me and Tony had a lot of fun beating each other up. it was really fun.

SOOK-YIN: Did she kick ass guys? (I THINK I NEED NOT SAY THEY SCREAMED LIKE HELL)

GWEN: That was all magic in the movie making. That was Hollywood

SOOK-YIN: Well shall we go out and say bye to your fans before we head to the . . .

GWEN: Yeah. (They all head outside the building and sign autographs)

SOOK-YIN: Ok, great . . . So, No Doubt is gonna be going on tour, or continue their tour. Performing tomorrow. Monday in Toronto at the Government. And probably a large tour after that as well. So thanks a lot everybody for tuning into Muchmusic and hanging out with No Doubt for the last hour.