V I D E O V I S I O N : The Descendents Interview

The Descendents : Karl Alvarez ( bass guitar)
June 2, 1997

Descendents: Karl Alvarez @ Trocadero, SF

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VideoVision (VV) - Tell us about the difference in songwriting and structure between ALL and The Descendents.

Karl (K) - For me, Bill and Stephen, we don't even notice it because we have been doing both bands for so long. We don't even think about any kind of line between them. The bulk of what's on the new Descendents album would have been the new All album material. Literally. Any perceived difference by an audience would be up to them.

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VV: Do you tour with All and The Descendents?

K: Yeah, we do both, the chief difference between them being the singer. In All, it's Chad and in The Descendents we have Milo.

VV: Neither person feels left out by that switching?

K: No, we're all good friends and they're both really great singers so it's kind of cool.

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VV: You have this concept of ALL (capital A, capital LL). Could you explain that to us?

K: All is the utmost possible. All is the total extent. It's a way of looking at life, rather than looking at life as if you are a victim.

VV: Did you guys sit around and cook this concept up together?

K: It's sort-of an inspiration. It comes from drinking too much coffee and playing music too fast. You achieve this kind of transient state of ALL. Of going for ALL, of questing ALL. And the beauty of it is, no matter how much you get of what you're questing, there's always more to your quest, because it's ALL. It's the biggest possible thing because it's ALL.

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VV: You guys ever write this stuff down as a kind of philosophy book?

K: Not yet.

VV: All the songs are about ALL.

K: Yeah, we're a cult. Maybe.

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VV: We're showing the "I'm the One" video. Tell us about making it and what were the interesting things that happened while making it.

K: This video is all about sperm. Milo is wearing a sperm suit, skateboarding down the street. It was a lot of fun to make. Kind of a madhouse the whole time.

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VV: Where did you shoot it?

K: In L.A. A lot of it was shot in a studio while we were playing with every punker in L.A. in the audience going off. Other parts were shot in various locations in L.A., like part of it is in a clinic. Which isn't really a sperm bank, but for the purposes of this (the video) it was... I'm a donor. I think that's what the world of rock videos need, more videos about sperm.

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VV: What do you think about the video medium for your music? Still fun? Interesting?

K: I think it's cool but it has the byproduct of making you not be able to dissociate the band from the video ( a lot of the time), and I think a lot of bands experienced difficulty with their career due to this. They become indelibly stamped on the publics mind as Being this ONE video. It can be a problem. I guess it's like any other art where you have to take total control of it.

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VV: How do you like playing in San Francisco?

K: Last time was a lot of fun. Last time we had the Swinging Udders all out in force and we have a lot of friends here. People we met over the years of playing here and all over. Tonight will be really good because we're playing with Guttermouth and Less than Jake and both of those bands have large followings and most of those kids are preeety active. Energetic. It's what makes this the aptly named "Caffeine Nation Tour".

Interviewer: Catherine Lee

Camera: Rodwin Pabello

Photos & Transcription: Catherine Lee

© 1999, 2000 Evans Media Group, Inc.