Label: Universal Records
Date: August 08,2005

TMF: Give us your dictionary definition for Graham Colton Band.
GCB: Honesty. I don’t think you will hear anything that hasn’t happened to me directly. The first album I made in my living room about high school. Second album I made is about college and dropping out of college. The songs that I am writing are now about being a young adult and dealing with a traveling circus. So, I think you will hear that. I don’t think you will hear anything past what a 17 year old went through or what a 20 year old went through and now what a 23/24 year old went through.

TMF: How did your days in college affect the band, how was that experience?
GCB: It was just where I was at the time – being out of place and finding the band in Dallas was definitely my own kind of college experience. It was like my own fraternity. I didn’t fit in at college and it all worked out.

TMF: For someone whose never heard of the band, how would you describe your sound?
GCB: Roots rock. Definitely Middle of America.
TMF: Mid-90s?
GCB: Absolutely mid-90s. I always felt like I fit in there more than anywhere else. TMF: I loved the Oasis you did during soundcheck too.
GCB: I love British Rock too obviously. That is what you will get from us – a mixture of middle of America with some UK influence.

TMF: I read that you were highly influenced by your father’s taste for 60s music, what were some of your favorite bands of that era?
GCB: The Beatles. The Beach Boys. Fleetwood Mac – that’s more 70s though.
TMF: Favorite Beatles song?
GCB: Oh god. That is like asking who is your favorite child. No favorite!

TMF: How has your musical taste evolved over time?
GCB: I like more of the grainy, country/folk music like Dylan. I like alternative country like Ryan Adams. Also, like Wilco and Sunbolt – stuff that takes more time to digest.

TMF: What is your favorite song off your record?
GCB: “All the World Tonight.” I think it is going to be the bridge between “Drive” and whatever comes next.

TMF: What song on your latest album do you feel that fans will identify with most?
GCB: On this album? I don’t know because so many people have different favorites. Each song is a piece of what I was going through so I would hope that they could identify with all of them. People like certain things because it happened to them too.

TMF: If you were to put one of your lyrics in a time capsule for a future generation to read, what lyric would that be?
GCB: Wow. I like the first line to “All the World Tonight,” which is, “All the innocense has gone away. Some day, you will be a man.” It is kind of about being a young guy taking a road less traveled. Guys my age can definitely deal with that.

TMF: On your official site, you mention how the Internet played a major role in getting your music out there to listeners and then I read an interview where you mentioned how most kids today usually resort to MTV or VH1 to provide them with music, do you feel the Internet is breaking down this barrier of the reliability today’s generation has on MTV to open them up to new artists?
GCB: I definitely think so. It is a Catch 22. You don’t want anybody to get your music illegally but bands like us have relied on it to get our music out there to the masses. It is kind of tough for me to be anti-internet.

TMF: You’ve described Drive as an album to introduce the fans to the band, so what can fans expect of the next chapter for Graham Colton Band?
GCB: Again, it is just an introduction. We wanted to keep it straight forward. We did not want to reinvent the wheel. I think it is exactly where we were at that place and time. An album continues to grow with you so it all just a reference.

TMF: Been on the road forever so what do you guys do to pass the time between the cities?
GCB: Lots of sleeping. With traveling as much as we do, each city we roll into we are familiar with it . So, we know our places to go like hotels, restaurants, coffee shops…

TMF: Do you find enough time to write on the road?
GCB: That’s all I do. All of the time.

TMF: You’ve toured with so many artists and the list just keeps growing, who else would you love to open for?
GCB: (laughs) I would love to open for Oasis but I don’t know if I would want to meet them. They might not like me. Coldplay would be nice.

TMF: What are the differences between touring with bands that have been around for many years and now touring with someone of your age who recently had their career explode within a couple of months?
GCB: Not much. The audiences are pretty much the same. They are very respectful. This has been our best tour yet by far. The crowds and both bands love each other. I mean it is really cool.

TMF: Are you guys getting a lot of attention from your music’s appearance on Everwood?
GCB: It is more of a thing where it is just a name dropping kind of thing. No one can even hear the damn song on the episode. (laughs) It is flattering but it doesn’t really mean anything.

TMF: Give our readers 3 reasons why they should come out to see you on tour.
GCB: Fun. You’ll have fun. I think concerts are supposed to be fun. Musicians need to look like they are having fun and we do. I know you’ll have a good time. It’s a- maybe our music is what you’re not accustomed to hearing on MTV. It is a little bit underground. You will get where we are coming from immediately.

TMF: Plans after this tour?
GCB: Recording a new album.
TMF: Any new themes to expect?
GCB: I have so many different songs. I have no clue. I have to iron them out yet.