Scary Kids Scaring Kids- March 8, 2006

Hate Something Beautiful: What is your name and what do you do in Scary Kids?
Pouyan: My name is Pouyan, and I play keyboards.

HSB: So you guys almost broke up before every thing started falling into place?
Pouyan: We were at that turning point where we would either keep going with the band or go to school and get a job full time. Half of us were really into taking classes, and the other half were full fledged into the band. We didn’t really see it going anywhere, but our current manager found us online and told us we needed to pursue this. He convinced us, and he worked for free for us until we got signed, then we signed him, which is unheard of. He convinced us really, he is amazing.

HSB: So he was just a random person contacting you?
Pouyan: Yeah pretty much, we had no idea who he was. At first it seemed a little sketchy, you know some dude from California or something. But he came out to see us play and told us that we need to keep playing, so we did.

HSB: What were you planning on doing after the band broke up?
Pouyan: Me personally, I was really into film. I was taking classes at this school that supposedly has some of the best film classes. Actually, it worked out for the better because with the band, I can have input on the videos now. The “My Darkest Hour” video, the one that we put up on Myspace, me and our director, who was really new to it, we got to collaborate for a perfect blend of what we both wanted for a video. I was really excited with how it turned out.

HSB: Who came up with the idea for that video?
Pouyan: The original concept was all Isaac, but I just thought of a whole bunch of elements that should be added to the video. We’re both really stoked on Spike Jones’s style, you know what I mean. The real low budget look, different camera angles, and the energy all comes from the cast and crew.

HSB: Is that how you pass the time on your long cross country drives in the van?
Pouyan: Yeah right man. We spend it sleeping and trying to regain energy for the next show.

HSB: Would you credit the success of your band to AP.net?
Pouyan: Yeah, Absolute Punk.net for sure. Orginally they helped us out, and then there was that other one. What was it called? I think it started with an “S”. Oh wait it was MP3.com, which was a huge help. And after AP.net, Pure Volume helped a lot. Pure Volume has been a huge help, because AP.net just turned on us, for our full length I mean. But Pure Volume has been really stoked on us and still is.

HSB: Yeah your video premiered on Pure Volume, didn’t it?
Pouyan: Exactly. That was their very first video premier.

HSB: Is your EP, After Dark, still in print?
Pouyan: Oh yeah, for sure. You can buy it at Best Buy, Tower Records, all that stuff.

HSB: What is the story behind the album artwork for The City Sleeps In Flames?
Pouyan: We were really stoked on the concept of sticking to the concept of the first song, “The City Sleeps In Flames”. Which is basically what do you have left, if everything material is gone. We just wanted to have these two people looking out and realizing everything they had is gone. We thought that was really good imagery.

HSB: Is there a skull on the back of the record? Where the clouds are?
Pouyan: I don’t know, let’s check it out... I don’t know, it could be. It does kind of look like it.

HSB: The City Sleeps In Flames has been out for a while now, have you guys written any new material for the next record?
Pouyan: For sure dude. We’ve got the idea and basic concept for every song in mind, and then we are going to start writing according to each emotion. I think that since we have a goal from the beginning, that it will really help us focus on it. I’m really excited about the new album.

HSB: So do you have any new songs done?
Pouyan: Yeah, two songs are done musically, but not vocally or lyrically. We are preparing the rest soon, after our tours. We are going to go home for at least a month to write new songs and things like that.

HSB: Are there any plans set up to record a new album this year?
Pouyan: We are going to go back on tour until we get the recording dates finalized, because I know that we already have some dates confirmed for Warped Tour.

HSB: I’m not familiar with The Classic Crime, but Allister and Mest kids don’t really seem like the Scary Kids crowd. How has the tour been going for you guys?
Pouyan: We were totally expecting people to totally just tell us the fuck off, just throw shit at us. Honestly, I think its been a really amazing time. We’ve been more successful on this tour, monetarily, then our other tours. As far as crowd reaction, it’s not that great. Most people have never heard us. Half the time we aren’t even advertised on the flyer. As Nick, the drummer from Mest said “It’s not the same type of cereal, but it’s in the same aisle.” For sure there are going to be people that think we just totally suck.

HSB: What tours are you guys going out on after the Mest tour?
Pouyan: We are doing a headlining tour, then a tour with Funeral For A Friend, and some of Warped. We are actually doing a show with The Bled in California, which we are all super excited for. They are one of our favorite bands collaboratively. And it’s just one show, at some college. I think it’s University of Southern California? I don’t know if I just made that up.

HSB: Has the music scene in your hometown expanded at all since you guys have been on the road the past few years?
Pouyan: I don’t really know man. I know, for some reason after we left Arizona, there was a dip in the art scene. We can only play there like every other month since we are on the road. I was pretty impressed during the Mest tour, because we played at the Clubhouse, which is a venue in Arizona, where we always play had a bunch of kids come just for us. They paid like 15 bucks to get in, which I think is crazy just to see one band.

HSB: Where is your favorite place to eat while on tour?
Pouyan: Dicks, in Seattle. They have really awful, bad burgers. They have burgers specifically made so you can’t change it, and they’re total dicks, you know what I mean.

HSB: Where do you see the band in five years?
Pouyan: Hopefully touring with Michael Jackson. I think that would be awesome. Scary Kids and Michael Jackson would be a great combo.