INTERVIEW WITH DIG FROM TheCelebrityCafe.com ARCHIVES
DM) How have things been different for you since moving from Radioactive Records to RadioUniverse?
SH) Radioactive and Radiouniverse are the same staff. The difference is the company that they run through. Radioactive goes through MCA, while Radiouniverse is through Universal Records. We are very excited about our new association with Universal. It is a very artist friendly company.
DM) How has the change of the band's line-up affected the music?
SH) Jon Morris and I have played most of the guitar parts on all of the records, and being a guitar band, the core sound has not changed. Playing with the new line-up live is amazing. The band is better than it has ever been.
DM) Scott, since you are the principal songwriter, I need to ask what your songwriting process is.
SH) I start with an acoustic guitar, a riff or maybe a vocal melody. From there, I put together the rough structure. Then either demo it or bring the idea in to the band and work it out live.
DM) What made you want to cover the Fat Albert theme?
SH) The song was part of the Saturday Morning Cartoon's Greatest Hits record. It has been a favorite of both Jon and me. It was a show we both grew up on and loved.
DM) How did you get started in music?
SH) I moved back to San Diego when I was 14, and I didn't have any friends, so my mom bought me an acoustic guitar for something to do. Little did she know that four years later I would be dressing like a woman and playing in my first band.
DM) You seem to have an almost cult-ish following, with people trading your bootlegs like bands like The Grateful Dead and Phish. Does the fans' reaction ever surprise you?
SH) I write songs from a personal standpoint, so when someone can connect with my music, it is always a good feeling for me.
DM) Where was your favorite gig?
SH) We played a radio festival in Dallas. There were about 15,000 people standing on the outskirts of the seated area. Up in front, where the seated area was obviously reserved for the elite, was empty, so as a joke I went on the mic and said, "It's OK if you come up front, security said it was OK." And before I knew it, people were pouring into the front like water. ,Security couldn't stop them. They ripped out all the seats and they were throwing them everywhere. We had to duck to avoid serious injury. It was a good day!
DM) I read that you recently made the Guiness Book of World records for a 3-d film that you played the soundtrack to? Is this true? What's the story behind it?
SH) I heard the same story; I haven't checked yet.
DM) What kind of music did you listen to as a child?
SH) I had an older sister, and I listened to whatever she had on her turntable. It started with the Osmonds, the Jackson 5, and progressed to Uriah Heep and Deep Purple. Now she listens to Hanson. Full circle?
DM) What is the story behind the song "Believe"?
SH) "Believe" was written during the riots in Los Angeles. It was a very intense time in the city. It affected everyone. People were starting to separate and go into their own groups, a true segregation. I thought people were searching for something to believe in, to find their own God.