setting: it's 4:26 p.m. on a dreary day in a small, run down club located in the middle of dallas texas. 26 minutes late Chip Paschall and John Hightower of 4minus1 roll thru the fogged up twin doors of the bar. John, the newly acquired guitarist, seperates from the singer to go fetch a few beers and browse the jukebox. Chip shakes a few hands and is pointed in my direction. Hunched over, he stolls over to the corner ny the bar where i'm sitting. he's dressed in all denim as usual I'm told with large, framed 70's esque blue gucci sunglasses hiding his somewhat mesmorizing light brown eyes. he's also sporting his usual 3 day facial growth and dirty wavy brown hair. he slowly sits down and proceeds to say hello without one word of being late or offering an excuse. if first impression say alot about a person then all i can say is he appeared largely overpowering and important, yet very cunning and apporachable, so i knew i was in for a good time or for hell. He asked if i wanted a drink and i declined, then he yelled for a waitress and ordered a simple glass of water. imagine that a rock star drinking water. In a deep minute southern accent, he leans over as if to tell me a secret and says john will be joining us shortly but that we could start whenever i was ready...so I gave him an overview of the question and he interrupted me and said whatever i wanted to ask was fine, he didn't have any objections. after i set the taping device on the table and wait for his ok to beging, he gently reaches in his pocket and grabes a pristine pack of camels and a baby blue lighter and places them on the counter by the recorder. "you know that lighter was given to me by rick springfield". "really" i proclamied. "Maybe" he shrugged. He then relaxed in his seat so i pressed record. therefore what is written beneath is my interview with Chip and John of 4minus1.
Melissa : first off i wanna thank you for coming down here early and doing this for me, well for us. i know your busy
Chip : sure thing no problem.
Melissa : well the first think i wanna touch base with is the album and how it's doing and being accepted by fans and first time listeners alike
Chip : well um i think it's doing pretty good, it's got good songs on it, we've gotten better since it's release, but it's a good representation of what kinda stuff we can do. There are heavy songs, musicial songs, pop songs, ballads, all sorts of different styles, so hopefully the people are enjoying it and getting the word out.
Melissa : yes i noticed the diversity of it, was there a reason for that or?
Chip : well like i've said before we didn't go into the studio to record and album for our friends and our moms, it just came out that way. we just went in to get some stuff down and get somthing out to sell and promote I've always said you have 2 parts of music. that's getting the music or cd in the kids hands, then you gotta get it in their HEADS. and to get to the second one you gotta get a product out and that's what we did
Melissa : so it seems by that statement that your more into people liking the band, not just seeing them as rock stars or icons?
Chip : well both would be nice, but i prefer they love the music and enjoy it. maybe pick up a guitar and feel alive and wanna do what we do. you know be anxious when we're playing next and anxious to hear some new stuff, not get into how much we drink or how much we weigh or how long our hair is, or how much we swear.
Melissa : so you mentioned the post album stuff. what is it like?....
Chip : well to us it's old now, but i think it's better in some ways, it's more happy and punky and rock-ish, but it kinda lacks the meaning and demeaner that the old stuff does sometimes. there's never gonna be another "is it over now" and there's never gonna be another "slow" but other than those 2 i have songs just like the rest, i always keep a backup song in my pocket incase there get's to be a high demand for those type of songs.
Melissa : is there a reason for the more upbeat style?
Chip : not really, all the songs were about something going on in my life at the time, about girls or friends or life and past things and stuff like that. but when i got over all that i could not write about it again, i was done with it I siad all i could, i mean how many songs can your write for 1 girl??? or about a bust up with your friend, so after the album i finally found myself upbeat and happy, now i'm on to just writing good songs and taking what comes to me from new experiences ya know?
(john hightower cleverly sneaks up and slides into the open space between Chip and the end of the seat. he ask for a smoke and Chip gently takes 2 cigarettes from the pack. while staring at the lighter on the talble, the first words out of johns mouth in an akward silky voice are "did you tell her the story about the lighter".
Melissa : so Chip, you being the writer, what all does that invlove? do you do it all or does the band do it or?
Chip : well it used to be just me writing all the words and music and etc etc...but now the band has jelled into 4minus1. Now i just write the songs and bring em to the band and they add their little spin on things, so the tunes are still basically mine, but i'm willing to share if the band makes them better. plus now we've got devin writing alot, and johns dabbling in it some, so who knows?
Melissa : what do you think about what he said john?
John : i agree, he's the head basically, but we have now begun to expand and help him out and have opinions on how stuff gets done.
Melissa : so with the band doing more is it a burden off your shoulders chip?
Chip : um to a certain point yes, but i know i still have to carry the load, and i know they expect me to somewhat, but that's fine i can do it either way.
Melissa : so everyone has roles?
Chip : in the writing?
Melissa : oh yesh the writing, i'm sorry
John : well i don't know about that, we don't all write, chip does 99% of the writing and devin does the other bit. Chip can do that, and blows us away with how often he can do it, so we just kinda wait for him to bring us the songs. sometimes they are all done and we just play simple parts, then others he has maybe has a demo verse and chorus then we all get our heads together and add a bridge, ya know?
Melissa : and that works out, no bitter feelings towards anyone?
Chip : well me and chris argue about who gets the music rights but it's trivial stuff, i don't want the money or the fame, i just want the recgonization for stuff that i do, and when i write a song then i think it should have my name on it, not 4minus1, and that's where me and chris disagree.
ON TO PART 2 ----->