M: As the year has just begun, do you guys have any New Year’s Resolutions as a band?

J: Playing SNL has always been something.. and any other Late Night we haven’t played, like Colbert, would be really cool. But SNL, yeah!

I feel like it’s just a goal in general. 

This year though… It’s not really anything outspoken but we’re writing a lot of new music and it just feels like… I mean, I guess I could spill the beans. It doesn’t really matter, fuck it: We’re making a new record. We’re already in the process and it’s going really smoothly and nicely. It’s been really fun, to be honest. That’s like the main thing, that’s the most important. 

R: I read somewhere that you’ve started to jam a lot more as a band. Did that help the writing process?

J: It helped everything. It’s like a form of communication. When somebody speaks a different language and you’re able to have that connection with them, that’s like a language that people can speak without ever having to talk with actual words and I think music is one of those forms of communications.  It’s like a weird magical kind of feeling – It’s so basic but so cool.

M: Releasing new stuff that’s kind of different, is that scary to you?

J: No, we don’t think of it that way, really. We’ve been doing that since the beginning, in our opinion. We’ve always kind of just done what we would like to do and experiment along the way, but still making it ‘pop’ because, as free as we ever were, we still have the idea of ‘pop’ and there’s probably a lot of me always wanting that. 

R: You think writing music helps you figuring out who you are?

J: Fully. It’s crucial for me, like health-wise, you know what I mean? I don’t know what it’s like not to do it. Ever since I feel like I’ve kind of just done it.

R: If you could support any artist, who would you choose?

J: Uhhh… (laughs) Nobody ever! (jokes) No, I genuinely think if we went on tour with SZA that would be a cool tour. I like what she does. Rihanna, too, that would be so sick. Weeknd would be dope. 

R: Are there any conspiracy theories you believe in?

J: Anybody can lie. We’re all capable of it. It doesn’t matter how powerful or weak you are in the chain of the system. You could be born a liar, some people are just so equipped with that capability and manipulation. I think we all can but some people use it more for evil. I could almost believe anything but also really think everything is just fucking complete bullshit. Because we all need a reason to believe in SOMETHING to give us hope or the idea that ‘I wanna wake up tomorrow and still keep going’ and I don’t know… I’m going too far.

R: No, it’s alright. I mean conspiracy theories go everywhere.

R: I think if you get too deep into it’ll make you paranoid.

J: Well, you’re right, it does. And with the way that media is now, we’re pretty much able to control it. Some people take it to an extreme and make it something that other people are going to believe… like how do you call the bullshit? It’s so hard to know now because the top of the top are bullshitting right to our faces. I mean I come from America. We’re like the Land of the Bullshit. And right now it’s on a new level where it’s just like ‘guys, come on!’. I don’t know, it’s made me question everything, even myself. Like ‘fuck, I guess I’m fucking full of shit no matter what, too.’ It just makes me think about everything. It does make you crazy. 

R: Okay, last question. Does pineapple belong on pizza?

J: (Hesitant) I like pineapple with crispy bacon on pizza. Yes, I do like that. There are other guys in this band that would strongly disagree with me. (To R.:) I can tell you do not like pineapple on pizza.

R: No sorry, and also I’m a vegetarian.

J: Ohh (laughs) I’m so sorry. I fucked that up hard.