How are you?



Iím pretty tired, but Iím okay.



For the record, please state your name, age, and what you do in the band.



My name is Jesse Lacey. Iím 25, and I play the guitar and sing in the band, Brand New.



I am sure youíre done a ton of interviews before. Are there any questions you are sick of being asked?



Yes, but the list is too long, so ask whatever you want.



What does ďDeja EntenduĒ mean, and how does it reflect Brand Newís new style?



Itís a term thatís kind of like Dťjŗ vu, but itís an audible version of it. Itís kind of like a feeling that youíve heard sung before or youíre feeling something bad. Itís not so much a reflection of our style, but itís a tongue in cheek. Itís poking fun at rock critics and reviewers just because itís kind of ridiculous how everyone goes about describing bands is by comparing them to other bands. And I also think itís a feeling that you get from good music. Like youíll listen to something and it sounds familiar to you, almost like home, that it almost feels strange because you feel like it youíve heard it before, even though itís something new.



Whatís the story behind the CD artwork?



No story really. Weíve just wanted to try something new. We got in touch with this guy, John, who works for Asterik Studios, and heís done some great artwork before. We talked to him, and he came up with a few concepts. It was a lot of trial and error. He would give us stuff, and we would say yes or no. Finally, he came up with this spaceman and different atmospheres, and we really liked it. And what he came up with is what you see in the CD basically. The artwork is really beautiful, especially the artwork on the cover. I thought the colors, especially on the cover, were great, and I wanted to set it down a bit, so me and my manager Tom decided to put it in an L card, which is the black color that you see on the first pressing. So it looks kind of plain, but when you open it, you see a lot of great color. I think it worked out really well.



What are your thoughts on the new album? Did it come out the way you wanted it to?



No, it didnít really come out the way I wanted it to. I think we had some other expectations for it, but by the time, we got out of the studio, we realized that it wasnít going to turn out exactly the way we wanted it to. But I think that happens with a lot of stuff. I donít know if weíre ever going to be satisfied with anything that we do, but I think it kind of keeps things fresh for us and keeps us motivated to write music and to better ourselves.



I think itís really good.



Thank you. That means a lot. I mean weíre really proud of it, and weíre happy with it, but we kind of always want to be better than what we are.



Have you guys thought about a third release after this one?



Yeah, itís funny because weíre always a step ahead of ourselves. Itís funny because halfway through our second one, we already talked about a third record and we wrote probably five or eight songs. Itís interesting to go back and see what happens.



Do you think there will be another change in your sound, between the second album and the third one?



Not a conscious change, but I am sure there will be because we wonít record at least for another year. I know that a lot of things in my life are going to change. I think thatís where a lot of the change from the second record came from. We just kind of grew up as people. Touring, being away from home, and being in this band, a lot of changes happening in our life, as long as this continues, I think our music will continue to change.



Specifically, what do you think influenced you to produce a radically different sound between ďYour Favorite WeaponĒ on the new record?



Like I said, I donít know. It wasnít conscious. We didnít come in and say, ďItís got to sound like this.Ē We just went into the studio and recorded the second record, and thatís what came out basically. It was kind of surprising to us to tell you the truth, but mostly, I think itís from learning - the stuff weíve read, the movies weíve seen, the people weíve met, the time weíve spent on the road, along those lines. I think thatís where a lot of our influences came from, as far as the record goes.



How do you think fans who grew used to and accustomed to ďYour Favorite WeaponĒ will react to ďDeja Entendu?Ē



We have a problem with band when bands stay stale and put two or three of the same record out. Hopefully, I give enough respect to our fans that they are going to grow musically like we are. I doubt thereís anyone that wants to hear us do the same thing year after year after year, so Iím hoping that theyíre going to enjoy it and glad that itís better. For those people who wanted ďYour Favorite Weapon Part II,Ē with them, I donít think they realize that their music tastes are going to change and bands are going to change.



How did you come with the crazy song titles?



They just kind of happened... I don't know.



Even within the album, the styles of songs change drastically. From almost dark metal style (ďGuernicaĒ) to acoustic (ďI Will Play My Game Beneath The Spin LightĒ), it sounds like you were trying to form a conglomeration of styles. How did you come up with that?



Also, we listen to everything from metal to Top 40s. We listen to Top 40s a lot. I think it has a lot to do with Vin and me writing the songs. I know heíll being something different to the table than what Iíll write. Like Iíll add different melodies to the lyrics or weíll change what the other came up with.



What influences your lyrics?



Lyrics? I read a lot - Hancock, Douglas Copeland. I like to read and write a lot. I donít know where they (the lyrics) come from really. I like Bruce Springsteen and a lot of other stuff. I have a lot of influences. As far as lyrics, I read anything I can get my hands onto.



Whatís your favorite song on the new record to perform? Why?



ďThe Boy Who Has Blocked His Own ShotĒ are probably my favorite to perform. The energy and feeling I get when I play it is really amazing.



If you had to choose one song that was the most personal, which one would it be?



Maybe a song from the first one. No. Iíd say ďThe Boy Who Has Blocked His Own Shot.Ē That song is like looking at myself in the mirror. When I listen to that song, I feel the same as when I wrote it.



Do you pay a lot of attention to the newer bands? Bands like Armor For Sleep, Thrice, Yellowcard, etc... are / have released material very recently. Do you think you will be listening to this material?



We listen to a very small fraction of the new bands out there. You mentioned Armor for Sleep. I think their record is great, and I am very glad they released it.



What tour plans do you have after your headlining tour and Warped Tour? I hear you guys are touring with Dashboard Confessional and MxPx.



Yeah, weíre going to be touring with Dashboard Confessional from August 28th to October. Then after that, weíre planning to do another headlining tour in the states, but we donít know who weíre going to bring out.



Your single from the last album (ďJude Law And A Semester AbroadĒ) was in Best Buy and other records stores. Why isnít the single off the new album?



There will be. It just hasnít been released yet. We took a lot of time to decide what itís going to be, and now that weíve chosen it, itíll probably be out in a couple of weeks, I would imagine.



Which song is it going to be?



The fifth song, ďThe Quiet Things that No One Ever Knows,Ē I think.



There are a couple different versions of ďJude LawĒ floating around. Why was it re-recorded?



Actually, it was just recorded for quality sake. The first record was a very low budget record. You know, when something goes to radio, it has to be a certain quality, so we just went back and recorded it in a better studio. We had a little more money and a little more time. We tried not to change it too much. It was basically strictly for the radio and singleís sake. Thatís just one of the things youíve got to do when you start doing things like that, unfortunately.



Any future plans as far as labels go? Think youíll be sticking with Triple Crown?



Yeah, weíre probably going to be signing to another label next year. Itís caused a lot of anxiety. I mean there are a lot of great people whether it be indie labels or the major labels. Itís going to be a pretty hard decision.



How did the rapid success of their band has affected your life?



Probably, in every way. The most immediate way is me being on tour so much and being away from home so often, which Iíve never done before. Being away from my family for such a long time and all of my friends and stuff, thatís the immediate thing. Itís also just giving me an outlet for me to be able to create and write music and be able to get it out to people. And Iíve met a lot of great people, while Iíve been doing it also. Iíve gained a lot of new friends also. Like just every way you could imagine it affecting my life, it probably has.



Obviously band life isn't really easy, even if it's something you want to do, where does your motivation come from?



A lot of it comes from knowing that a lot of other people would give a lot to be in the position that Iím in. Sometimes I feel very selfish that Iím doing this and complaining about it, you know? I guess we have a right. It really is hard being away so much and working seven days a week and doing the same thing everyday and always being sick and always being tired and never get enough sleep and not having a bed, but that stuff really doesnít matter when it comes down to it, when you realize, that youíre in a band and thatís what you do for a living. Itís not a job. Itís not anywhere near a job. Itís kind of like Iím doing what I would be doing anyway, but people are allowing me to do it independently and Iím getting paid for it. I would never ask for anything more than that. It doesnít really take any motivation. It just kind of takes common sense to think about.



If you weren't a musician, what else would you probably be doing?



I would always want to be in music, regardless, but I would probably end up teaching and be involved with the music industry at some level. Iíve always wanted to teach. I went to college for three years and took child psychology and elementary education. I like kids a lot. I like being around them. I think teaching them would be a good, good job. As far as music, I would love to produce someday or engineer or have a studio, and thatís something that Iím hoping to do in the future. Weíll see.



Whereíd you go to college?



I went to Nassau Community College in Long Island.



Do you think youíll be rocking out in another 20 years or so?



(Laughs.) I donít know. I donít know if Iíll be in this band or in a band, but I donít think this is ever not going to be a part of my life. Music is just part of my family and part of me and my friends. My parents are about fifty, and they bought tickets to Coldplay like last week. My dad has been listening to the Nada Surf record. They have such a passion for music, and thatís kind of how I know that itís still going to be a part of me. And hopefully, Iíll be hanging out with my kids and still listening to new music in 20 years from now. I never want to get caught up in what I think is good and new things being bad. I think thatís a really bad thing to get into. I think thatís when people really start showing that theyíre old. Part of being young is accepting things as they come and accepting change and new things, and thatís something that Iíve learned from my parents. And I hope I can be like that when Iím older.



If you were an ice cream, what ice cream would you be and why?



Chocolate because itís everyoneís favorite. I want to be enjoyed. I donít want anyone to hate me. Vanilla is mad at me.



A lot of people say Vanilla actually.



Thatís plain and boring.



Do you have anything youíd like to add?



No, just thank you to the kids for coming to shows and buying the records. Itís a real trip and been a great ride and surprising. I hope it continues like this. Thatís all really.