What is the premise behind the band name?

What are you willing to do to stay true to yourself?

What influences the release of certain songs on MySpace?

It's really rather close to throwing a dart at the list of songs in the studio. I feel we could release any one of the songs we have as a "single". They are all pieces of a puzzle but individually quite capable of standing on their own. The tricky thing is that you cant tell what we sound like from one song, because each is and will always be quite different.

What do you think of site like YouTube? Would you use it to release your videos Or would you use the MySpace Videos section for that? Or is it too trendy/mainstream now?

YouTube is interesting, as far as social experiments go.
Would I release a video on YouTube?
Who's to say I'm not already using YouTube to spread propaganda?

Why do you think so many people identify with your music/songs?

I would hope it is because people are searching for something different in the same way I am when I write the music and in TPCS they are finding it.
Maybe it's simply being able to identify and in turn connect with another human on the premise that even though you think you are alone in what you have to go through to survive, you are not alone. We are a safehouse and a soapbox for the disillusioned.

How do you choose which bands open for The Pop Culture Suicides?

In every possible situation we handle the entire show from the minute the doors open until the doors close. We dont want the stereotype of what people think they can expect from the evening so we seek out those who are doing something unique. Because of what we (TPCS) do in relation to our production we do tend to lean towards acts that are either a 2 piece, 3 piece or minimal as far as body counts on stage.

What do you think differentiates TPCS from other dyi bands?

I have never analyzed what it is other bands do so I am certainly not the most qualified person to ask about the current state of music, outside of what I do.
We are not here to do anything other than present what we do to the public in a way only we can. We are not motivated by fame or fortune. We are motivated by music as therapy, a way to connect to not only to who we are but those who join us in that pursuit.

Are there any bands that you'd like to "open" for/tour with? which ones?

Yes, but because what we do is outside of the box that is the norm these days it is difficult to find proper pairings which is why we are building our own traveling circus. I would love to play with The Stooges, Black Sabbath..maybe even The Smashing Pumpkins......

Are there music festivals in sight for The Pop Culture Suicides? Which ones? Or which ones would you like to do?

We would like to pursue tour Europe and Japan but as far as Festivals go most are a bit predictable and I'm sure anyone that knows anything about us would see that we are somewhere between the Festivals as in we are not entirely "Ozzfest" and not entirely "Lollapalooza"

How diverse do you find your fanbase?

Very. The only definable category as applied to our fanbase is that they are human.

What influences you to release certain pictures of yourself/the band?

Contrary to popular standards and expectations we are not really big on that side of things. We prefer to let the music bring about visuals. When we do release pictures it is either to coincide with something that is related to those pictures or to simply provide another clue.

What types of movie soundtracks would you like your music to be featured on?

We would work well in just about any context outside of the predictable romantic comedy but that's not to say we couldn't completely storm anything we want. The music is very visual and lends itself to it's own soundtrack.... and it's own movie. Obviously the music would have the impact we would want in something a bit more indie or something a bit darker.

Since bootlegging has already started with TPCS, what do you think of bootlegs of shows?

I'd say 98% of the general populous bootlegs something on a daily basis. I prefer the actual experience in that it's similar to porn, yes you can watch it but it's much better to be in it.

Now that you've played a few live shows with TPCS, would you still like to have kept this a "studio" project?

No. TPCS is a live band. I am the studio recluse.

Two music stores known for carrying large inventories/back catalogs of music, etc. have closed down in Toronto (Sam the Record Man [Sam's] on Yonge Street and Sound City in The Beaches). They've closed down retail shop and opened solely on the Internet. Do you find this a growing trend? Have you witnessed stores that would carry more then mainstream music shut down?

I just come from another planet when it comes to that stuff. I like album artwork and the packaging as it is an extension of the music and to me it carries the themes further into something even more extensive. I personally intend to go in the opposite direction of a minimalist industry with the packaging so it is an experience in and of itself. Sure I will make things immediately available as well in the newly traditional outlets but I prefer to go big or not go at all.
It probably sounds strange when I say I dont listen to or buy a lot of music. I do seek out the bands I like and buy their cd's but I am very selective with that kind of thing. I support the bands I like by buying the cd's and telling other people about them.
These times reflect a turnover rate of about 30 days. Technology that is being taught in Colleges across the world right now will be obsolete well before a first year student graduates. The way you purchase music will not be the same next year as it is right now.

How do you feel about the progress of The Pop Culture Suicides to date?

There is so much more than what we have allowed the public to see. I have always stated a simple fact in that the music will progress from song to song like most bands do from album to album and that will carry over into the live shows...The band itself has never been better.

Anything else you want to say at this point?

All hope is not lost.

SPECIAL THANKS TO: Zim Zum for taking the time out to answer my questions.::top::