Page 45 - Black Velvet Issue 88

BV88 pg44,45,46 BFS_BV87 pg45 03/04/2016 00:52 Page 2

BlackVelvetMagazine.Com - 45

MAKING DREAMS
MAKING DREAMS

COME TRUE
COME TRUE

owling For Soup are a band that have been working hard at their craft
B for over 20 years. During that time they’ve made their own dreams
come true as well as many, many fans’. Bowling For Soup put smiles on
faces, make worries go away – although you may be surprised to hear that
they do have their own worries. Black Velvet caught up with Erik Chandler
who told us how he avoids meeting his heroes, how they were relieved UK
fans still care, and how he worries about anything and everything.

n the well-known Bowling For Soup entire situation whereas I fell completely things that don’t even exist. But what are you
Isong, ‘1985’, Jaret sings ‘Her dreams apart. Watching the way that he’s dealt with going to do?!”
went out the door when she turned 24’. Black that gives me so much more respect for him.
Velvet asks Erik what his dreams were back That was a 60-year relationship right there n 2013, Bowling For Soup announced a
when he was 24. He laughs, “To have a and I can’t even imagine losing something IFarewell UK tour. This, to some degree,
steady paycheck!” Thinking back, he remi- like that.” was another worrying moment. Erik says at
nisces, “At 24, things were just starting to go that time, “We weren’t sure what the future
well for Bowling For Soup. It was a very ex- n ‘You And Me’, Jaret sings, ‘I try to run of Bowling For Soup would be. We weren’t
citing time. That was the exact year that it Ibut I can’t hide’. Looking back at the sure if there WAS a future for Bowling For
started to look like, “OK, something might band’s career, has Erik ever tried to run from Soup at that point and that’s why we did the
actually happen here. We’re going to be able anything? And does he think musicians use Farewell tour because we thought, we at
to do this and make a living doing it.” I was music to run away from things? Erik replies, least owe them one more.” Things were sim-
24 when I had my last ‘real job’ and was able “I think musicians use music as a way to run mering for the band but “then we got it all
to quit and start making a living making away and to run towards certain things at the figured out and now we’re back and going
music. I thought I was being funny saying same time. It’s a great escape. Many, many just as strong forever.”
‘steady paycheck’ but yeah, that actually was years ago we used to yell at our manage- This year’s ‘How About Another Round’
the year that that happened.” ment, “We don’t want to come home! We tour in February saw the band sell out many
Before the band, Erik didn’t feel like he want to be on the road constantly,” and there venues. Obviously rock fans have missed
fit in. “When I was growing up I always felt were many years where we were on the road the fun pop-rock band from Texas. “It’s a
like I was born in the wrong place at the constantly, 300+ days a year. We were never nice feeling,” Erik says. “We were extremely
wrong time. It was just a matter of getting old home - which, No. 1., made us way better at happy when the numbers started coming
enough that I would have the ability to leave what we do, No. 2., made us old and jaded back up when we announced the tour and it
that place and find people that were like me. really, really quickly, because you start get- was like “OK, cool. They still care, they still
And I did that. And here we are in this dress- ting road-grizzled after a while of doing that. care!””
ing room in Birmingham. I guess I do now. I I’ve definitely used the music excuse to run Of course we care. Bowling For Soup are
guess I feel like I fit in.” from several things, actually, in my life… and a band that you can never tire of. They make
He says he feel like he fits in – but he a couple of people!” people laugh with their entertaining shows
also tells us that he has social anxiety. He is But he’s not running from anyone right and their catchy, fun songs are faultless. Erik
not a fan of busy social situations. “I picked now. He’s in a happy relationship – and he’s tells us they’ve never tried to reinvent the
a hell of a career for someone who has also been lucky enough to bring family mem- wheel, “but we would like to change the
somewhat crippling social anxiety. I can’t bers overseas with him. Erik tells us, “In world by putting smiles on people’s faces,
handle crowds, I don’t like busy shopping 2003 I brought my sister over here with us to and that’s our contribution to society. People
malls, things like that. It really, really freaks Reading and Leeds Festival with us and that that actually get out and do more than that I
me out quite a bit.” He says moments like was the first time any member of my family have great appreciation for, but the best way
that make him quiet. And when it comes to got to experience what happens with this that we know how to do good for humanity
heroes, Erik says he’d rather not meet his. band outside of the United States. And so is to make people smile. I dare you to come
He explains, “I don’t try to meet people that that was really awesome. Then in 2014 my to a Bowling For Soup concert and leave
I tend to kind of idol/worship because I girlfriend came over to Download Festival without a smile on your face. I absolutely
would hate to be disappointed if they were with us and that was one of the coolest dare you to do it because I don’t think it’s
assholes and so I try to keep all of my idols things. We had been together for well over a possible to be honest.”
at arm’s length. And there are times when year but I think us playing at Download was
we’ve had the opportunity to meet some maybe only the third time that she’d ever n their downtime, Jaret and Erik have
folks that I absolutely worship but I refuse to seen us play and so for her third Bowling For Iboth been working on side projects. A
do it. I’d be so devastated if they didn’t think Soup show she saw us in front of 80,000 few years ago, Erik released an EP, ‘Writing
I was cool or something like that.” He says people. I think that was maybe more special The Wrongs’, while he currently has a
the memory of seeing a hero at a distance is for me than it was for her because it was like, PledgeMusic campaign for his full-length
enough for him. “I’m one of those that I’m “Look, I get to show off like this in front of solo album in operation. As far as the lyrics
comfortable knowing that, “Hey, I saw him at my new lady”. Those were both very cool go, he says, “It’s not that I feel like I can write
the airport”. I don’t need the autograph, I’ve times.” about different things than I could with Bowl-
got the memory.” But despite the cool times, Erik is, like ing For Soup but I tend to write about them
His heroes, however, are not all musi- us, a born worrier. He says he worries about a bit more personally than I do for Bowling
cians; he of course admires family members. “anything and everything. Too much! I worry For Soup. It’s a bit more… I almost said it’s a
He says over the last couple of years, one about my dog, I worry about my daughter. I bit more emotional… it’s not like it’s emo or
person he’s gained even more respect for is worry about my girlfriend, my parents, my anything like that, but I deal with some
his grandfather. “My grandmother passed friends. I have one of those heads that won’t darker, more grown-up material. It’s flexing
away last year and just watching the way shut off at night and so I lay in bed and over- a different muscle than Bowling For Soup.”
that he’s held himself together through that think everything and worry myself about Although in both scenarios, he hopes that
BOWLING FOR SOUP