MODE: You’re now on Epic, Sony 550. Did you have any problems
switching from an independent release to a major label?
Brett Scallions: Well, actually, the CD that we did before
wasn’t really even on anything. It was something that we totally did on our own. We
had no ties to anyone or any labels before we signed to Sony. So, anything we did before
then was strictly “us”.
MODE: The current climate of modern rock is always looking
for the next big thing. I kind of think we’re re-entering the tone of the early
1980’s and the early days of MTV where there are a lot of bands being the ‘big
thing of the moment but they had no longevity. How do you see Fuel keeping a career in
such a climate?
BS: I don’t know. We’re just one of those bands
who just like to do what we enjoy doing and take everything day by day and hope that
people enjoy it. We really hope that people enjoy what we’re doing. But yeah,
we’re not one to try to force it on ‘em. If it’s not going the way we want
it to go, we’re going to be upset but like I said, we just take things day by day and
if they go for the better, that’s great.
MODE: So, it’s not going to be the end of the world
for you if it ends here.
BS: Right.
MODE: Who inspired you to become a musician?
BS: I grew up in music. When I was four years old my mom
and dad used to play Elvis records and I would get on the mantel and act like Elvis and
sing and dance and stuff. I’ve always had a passion for music.
MODE: I can relate to that. My four year-old digs out the
Kiss albums and does the same thing!
BS: I used to love Kiss. Actually the first record I ever
bought was Kiss Destroyer. I loved it.
MODE: So, it was your parents who inspired you to become a
musician?
BS: I would say that they really brought the musical
qualities out of me. They both sing very well and my entire family has been musical all of
our lives. Yeah, I would say that they had a big influence on me.
MODE: Who are your musical influences other than your
parents?
BS: When I was a kid, my parents gave me a stack of
records that consisted of Elton John, CCR, Mamas and the Papas and Three Dog Night.
MODE: Your parents had good taste.
BS: I loved listening to that stuff. As I got older and
started to explore music a little more, I grew into Led Zeppelin and old Van Halen.
MODE: Before Sammy Haggar?
BS: Oh, of course. I liked David Lee Roth. After that, I
grew into a big fan of The Cult. I loved The Cult.
MODE: Tell me what your top five favorite songs are of all
time?
BS: Probably Daniel from Elton John, The Song Remains the
Same by Led Zeppelin, Peace Dog from The Cult...this is a hard one...Angie from The Stones
and Anything from Sgt. Peppers.
MODE: Well, that’s actually an album, but I’ll
let you slide.
BS: Thanks.
MODE: If you could have been at any recording session in
history, which one would it have been and why?
BS: It would probably have to be Zeppelin 4. Any of the
Zeppelin albums — Just to see Led Zeppelin work.
MODE: They’ve been showing a biography of Led
Zeppelin on VH1 recently, have you seen it?
BS: I actually not too long ago got to meet Jimmy Page at
the Godzilla premiere party. That’s the first time that I had ever been starstruck.
MODE: Were you able to talk to him or were you too
nervous?
BS: Yeah, I came up to him and said, ‘Excuse me, Mr.
Page, my name is Brett Scallions from the band Fuel and we have a song on the Godzilla
soundtrack.’ We sat there and talked for a little while, maybe 5-7 minutes. My head
was up in the air and I was blurbing words out, not really paying attention to what I was
really saying but just looking at who I’m talking to. The last thing he said to me
was, “Good luck with your band.” And I said, “Yeah, you too.” I never
felt so stupid in my life.
MODE: Who else did you run into at the party?
BS: There were a lot of actors and actresses there, of
course. I hung out with Tom from Rage Against the Machine for like two days.
MODE: Really? Is he a nice guy?
BS: Yeah, he’s a super guy. He is such a nice guy and
he can strike up a conversation with anyone. He’s a very intriguing person. Other
than that, I just got to see people like Helen Hunt, Nick Nolte and Muhammed Ali. All the
stars were floating around that night.
MODE: How did it come about that you got to be on the
Godzilla soundtrack?
BS: Polly Anthony, who is the president of 550, Epic
Records, got together with our label rep, Ben Goldman and they were curious about whether
Fuel would be interested in being on it. It took us about five seconds to answer the
question. We had to stop and pinch ourselves!
MODE: What other artists are on the soundtrack?
BS: Some of the artists on it are The Wallflowers, Rage
Against the Machine, The Foo Fighters and Jimmy Page.
MODE: Didn’t the same guy who mixed The Wallflowers
also mix your album, Sunburn?
BS: You’re on top of things, girl! You do your
research.
MODE: So what song is on Godzilla?
BS: It’s called Walk the Sky..
MODE: Does the song actually appear in the movie?
BS: No, it doesn’t. I think there’s only two
songs from the soundtrack who actually make it into the movie.
That’s sad. That’s the Puff Daddy/Jimmy Page
song, Kashmere.
MODE: I heard that and I think it’s surprisingly
amazing!
BS: You like that? I have mixed emotions on it. Kashmere
is a classic Zeppelin song and when I first heard it, I kind of cringed. There are some
things that just shouldn’t happen.
MODE: What kind of success are you having in foreign
markets?
BS: I’ve heard that the record hasn’t been
released in Australia yet but there are a lot of requests for radio airplay for the
single. It’s the same situation in Japan. Hopefully at the beginning of next year if
not at the tail end of this year, we’re planning on starting our world tour which
will take us through Australia and Europe.
MODE: Will this “world tour” bring you back to
Harrisburg?
BS: That’s a good question. We have to hit the west
coast for a few months here and after that we’ll be back to our stomping grounds. We
like to try to get back into our hometown as much as we can just because of the fact that
the fans from Harrisburg are who got us where we are now.
MODE: You can’t turn on the radio without hearing you
guys.
BS: Really? It’s sort of disturbing for a band to get
where we are in the business and then they forget where they’re from.
MODE: But you haven’t always called Harrisburg home,
you’re originally from Tennessee, right?
BS: Well, that’s true.
MODE: Why Harrisburg? Underground Cartoon moved here from
the south also. What’s in Harrisburg that makes it attractive?
BS: Underground Cartoon? I love those guys.
MODE: Aren’t they great?
BS: They really deserve a shot, too. They have great
songs. Moving to Harrisburg just seemed right. Before we moved there, we were on the road
all over the east coast. You would go into a place and play a town and three weeks later
they totally forgot who you were. So, we needed to settle down somewhere. We just thought
to ourselves, “where was a good place to be and where did we enjoy playing.” We
had played in Harrisburg quite a few times before and had obtained a following already and
had made a lot of really good friends there. It just seemed right to move there. There are
so many major cities surrounding it within a driving distance—Philadelphia,
Baltimore, New York.
MODE: It’s amazing that there’s not more of a
music scene going on here. Because of the central location, we are the perfect stopping
point between big cities.
BS: Absolutely. One problem with it is that there are only
small venues or enormous venues. There’s no middle ground. There’s no 2,000 seat
venue. There’s no 1,500 seat venue. There’s no nice showcase rooms. That’s
something that someone in that area should really look into. Then they could get some good
bands that are successful right now but aren’t so successful that they’re
selling out 15,000 seats. Also, they’re not a baby band where they can only draw 150
people.
MODE: If you could change one thing about the Central PA
music scene.
BS: That’s a trick question.
MODE: You don’t have to name names.
BS: Besides what I just said above, I would make a rule
that whatever big artists play in that venue, I would always throw in a local artist to
get the local scene going a little bit more, too.
MODE: What is your favorite local band here in Central PA?
BS: I have a handful of favorite bands from there. I love
the Underground Cartoons and you can’t go wrong with the Martini Brothers.
There’s also a band from the Allentown area that I love as well called Poppycock
Babble. They’re a really cool band and if you ever get the chance to see them, they
got some really good shit.
MODE: What do they sound like?
BS: Their stuff is fairly guitar driven. I don’t know
who to categorize them. That’s a good thing in an age of bands sounding like other
bands-all the Pearl Jam and Alice in Chains wannabes. Poppycock really has something
going. They have catchy guitar riffs and catchy vocal melodies that can’t be denied.
MODE: Who deserves a shot here in Harrisburg?
BS: Those three bands that I just mentioned. Also a band
called The Jellybricks.
MODE: I love The Jellybricks.
BS: Me, too.
MODE: You mentioned all the Pearl Jam and Alice in Chains
copycat bands. How do you respond to your critics who say that Fuel is nothing but
“corporate indie rock”?
BS: I think we just have to keep being ourselves. If you
do that, nothing can categorize you.
MODE: My sister claims to have seen you guys years ago in
a local hotel but she couldn’t remember the name you used. Is there any truth to
that?
BS: Oh, yeah. We were at the Marriott. Reel to Reel was
the name back when I first joined. They had been touring around on that and they were
doing money gigs. They were playing a lot of cover stuff just to eat. That’s what
it’s about. It’s all about honing your craft-about getting on stage and learning
how to relate to your crowd.
MODE: When can we expect another release from Fuel?
BS: This one is still very fresh on the market.
MODE: Are you writing songs yet?
BS: We’re messing around a little bit whenever we
can. Our brains are always on a churning motion with that.
MODE: How well do the band members get along on the road?
BS: We’re just a bunch of brothers. Of course, you do
have your moments from time to time. At the end of the day, though, you buy that person a
beer. There’s no grudges. In this business, you can’t afford to have them.
MODE: You have a lot of fans here in Central PA. Anything
you would like to leave them with?
BS: I miss you and I’ll see you real soon,
for sure.
