RC: It seems like, since your addition, the violin has been a seriously integral part of your sound. If you decided to move on, do you think Yellowcard could still be Yellowcard?
SM: I think Yellowcard will always be Yelloward. We've overcome some very serious changes. I don't know if they would want to [go on]. I think that Yellowcard would not go on if we lost another member. I think that we are a very solid, core group right now. This is the most solid we've been in a really long time. I don't think one member defines Yellowcard. I think Yellowcard is defined as a circle of friends, as a family. I don't know if we could go on without everyone else.
RC: OK, no more break up talk. How is the tour going? You have a nice lineup, touring with Sum 41, and then pretty soon you'll be switching up to tour with Shiny Toy Guns (That seems like a pretty drastic changeup). Has this time out been fun, though?
SM: I think it will be fun. Actually, Shiny Toy Guns is the opening band for Blue October. They've had huge success on the radio, and with their videos. They have a really different sound. They have a violinist in their band, as well. It really just gives us the opportunity to play for different fans. Yellowcard has been headlining for a long time, so it's really nice to have an offer from a band to take us under their wing. We can show our music to some of their fans, and hopefully some of their fans will become devoted Yellowcard fans as well. It's just a really nice opportunity for us to play to a different audience.
Going back to Sum 41, we've been fans of their band and haven't really played shows with them before, so it's going to be really exciting to go out there with a band that we were kind of going neck-and-neck with in a while, and just have fun on the road, play some shows, have some beers, and hang out - which is kind of what touring's all about.
I'm just really excited about Yellowcard's release Paper Walls. It's a really exciting time for us right now.
RC: Are you seeing a lot of your old fans at the shows, or is the crowd getting younger?
SM: With Yellowcard, we usually see both. One of the things that's kept us going through the years is all the familiar faces that I remember from playing the smallest shows in the world, where there were only 20 people there. Those fans still come out and see us every time when we're in Phoenix, Arizona, or Boston, or Denver, Colorado. They are the people we go to dinner with, and hang out with, and have drinks with after the show. And that says something abut the whole Yellowcard experience.
A fan is a fan, and we're going to have hopefully millions of new fans, and maybe hang on to all the old ones. But it's really nice to always see those familiar faces and to meet the new faces as well. We definitely still get to see all of our friends who have taken care of us over the years.
RC: What's next for Yellowcard after you finish up this round of touring? You planning on 10 more years right now, or just taking it as it comes? What do you see in the future?
SM: I think Yellowcard right now is focused on today, and really happy about today. We're really excited about the release of Paper Walls, we're just going to tour and tour, see what the future holds for us. We're not really going to make any plans, and that way we won't have to plan for disappointment. We have some great tours lined up, and a lot of international travel. We're just going to work as hard as we can and see where that leads us at the end of the day.
RC: Any last words for your fans?
SM: Please tell them that we wouldn’t be anything without them, and so, 'thank you very much for always being there for us, and I hope you enjoy the new album Paper Walls.'
