HEAD 2 HEAD WITH MEST

On December 20, 2001 Music Head caught up with Tony Lovato, lead singer of Mest, at the Electric Factory.  Although the interview had been pushed back an hour and Tony wasn't exactly feeling the greatest, sitting in their RV we managed to pull it off.  The snot and tissues didn't deter Tony who along with the interview also entertained us with background music by playing the new EP from Lefty.  

Music Head (MH):  So, how's everything going?

Tony Lavota (TL):  Good.  I'm sick and the end of the tour is coming up.  So, we're stoked to go home for a week or so.

MH:  How are things going touring with Good Charlotte?

TL:  Well, considering they're like my best friends it's been fun as shit.  And every band that opens, there's been like a few different opening bands, every band that opens (has) been fucking cool.  Movielife opened up for a month and they're two of our best friends now.  Can you get me a tissue dude because I'm fucking gonna blow snot all over this girl and I don't wanna (to his manager Jason).  Midtown is cool as shit.  Lefty, Sugar Cult, all these different bands.  It's been fun.  It's been a two month tour and we've been up for six months total now so we're ready for a break even though we don't get it we're ready for one.  

MH:  Are you guys doing anything special for the Holidays?  Any plans for New Years?

TL:  I get to go home for New Years Eve.  And me and Paul from Good Charlotte and Chelsea and one of Paul's friends are going to Jamaica for a week in January.  So, we'll smoke a bunch of pot and play reggae songs.  I'm gonna smoke pot but, he's not going to and Chelsea will.    

MH:  How did you guys end up getting Young M.C. to work on your song "Cadillac"?

TL:  He was a friend of John Feldmann from Goldfinger, so that was the hook-up.  We started writing the song and Goldfinger was sort of hip-hop oriented, so we thought we'd get someone who knew what the hell they were doing.  So, we left the whole bridge part open for him and sort of just gave it to him.  He took it home (and) came back with a whole bunch of different ideas and we just all collaborated.   

MH:  What was it like making the video for "Cadillac"?

TL:  It was fun.  It was a trip.  One of my favorite directors did it, Marcos Seiga, and so to work with him was pretty cool.  At the end of the day to look around and see all these semi-trucks and all the extras and all the workers and catering and all the shit and everything that was there that day for me and my three friends was like a trip to think about.  The biggest process of my life was almost 300,000 dollars and that was sort of weird that someone would spend that much money on us.  So it was weird, but it was fun.      

MH:  Where did the idea come from for the song "The Innocent" and what was it like recording such a somber song in the wake of such a devastating event?

TL:  I think the idea is pretty much given.  I wanted to write the song right away because for our generation I don't think we've ever known what it was like to be Americans.  Or we have like our dads and grandpas who have gone to wars and understand how it's proud to be an American or what that means.  And our generation never experienced anything.  So, when that happened it was the first time ever our generation of younger people knew what it meant to be an American and to have our own territory invaded.  It was a scary thing for me and I thought about that.  So, I personally wanted to write about that and emotionally it affected me.  To see that happen so close it's scary.  We were traveling the day it happened and we pulled into a gas station and saw it on the news and it was so freaky.  We had no idea what was going on.  I had like thirteen messages on my phone.  But, that's how we wrote the song.  We happened to be coming through on tour and they happened to be producing Good Charlotte's songs for the soundtrack Not Another Teen Movie.  So we all just sort of collaborated in one day.  Just get in and came out.  It was cool too because when we toured with Goldfinger we played it and then the tour with Good Charlotte we played it too.

MH:  Will you and Good Charlotte be coming out at all during your set?

TL:  No.  They'll be on the side of the stage watching us.  There's one song that I wrote about Benji and Joel on the new album called "Without You" and that's sort of their little thing, but we just haven't had time to practice it.  So, they were gonna come out and do that song with us, but we go out during their set.

MH:  How do you think you have evolved as a band over the past year?

TL:  The best comment we've been getting lately is that every time I see you guys (you) are getting better.  I mean the fact that you play over 200 shows in the past year if you're not getting better something's wrong.  And I think live we're better.  We're singing better and just simple shit like that.  But, sort of getting sick of each other.

MH:  Could you tell me the story behind the banquet hall you guys waitered at and almost set on fire?

TL:  Oh god.  It wasn't a big deal.  There was just this big party and all of our friends.  Like our whole crew worked at the same restaurant.  And we had to run around this whole big ass party with these cakes and on top of them was a candle.  And I don't know what shit was in the candle but the stuff did not go out no matter how fast you ran.  And I was running and fucking around and trash dancing old ladies and shit and I turned the corner and the cake flew and hit the ground and the stuff spread.  And we couldn't put it out because I don't know what it was, but it just wouldn't go out.  I thought it was funny.  I guess they didn't.  I mean it didn't open flames or anything, but we've done worse things at that point in our life.

MH:  How do you think Destination Unknown compares with Wasting Time and which is your favorite?

TL:  I have no idea.  I don't ever know how to answer those questions because they're just songs that I write.  I've been told from other people that we've evolved as far as our songs are more mature and stuff like that so I guess maybe that.  But I have no idea.  To me it's just another 45 minutes of music.

MH:  Any reason why you decided to carry over "Drawing Board" onto Destination Unknown? 

TL:  It seemed to be everybody's favorite song on the record and we want it as a possible single for this record.  It might be the third single.

MH:  Could you explain the story behind "Greyhound Bus", the hidden track off Wasting Time?

TL:  It was about 2 years ago, we went up to Green Bay to play with Mustard Plug and then Goldfinger was playing at the Glass House and they invited us to do it.  But, at the time we had no money, so we couldn't afford plane tickets.  So we had to take the Greyhound bus.  We went up to Green Bay, played the show, came home the next day, jumped on the Greyhound bus, and it was a 36 hour trip and it was just hell the whole time.  They tried to kick us off.  They were like 'you can't have beer.  Don't try and sneak beer on.'  And of course we tried and snuck beer on, but then ran out.  We all just tried to sleep.  And there was this chick next to Jer and she had a kid with her and she was being all cool at first, but then she started being all dirty.  And I thought they were gonna go to the bathroom and sleep together.  It was just a trip from hell.  A true story.  But, we don't play it on this tour out of respect for the younger Good Charlotte fans.

MH:  How important do you feel the promotional effort from the record label is in getting records sold and a band's name out there?

TL:  It depends on how they do it.  Of course it's super important.  But, the most important part is what the band can do touring.  I mean we're selling as many records as we are and doing as good as we are because we're touring.  They've done their job as far as promoting, but it's almost every marketing idea that we've done with our band has come from us.  Like why don't we do this or why don't we do our own video or why don't we put this on our website.  I guess it's just them saying okay.  But, it can make or break a band.  I mean having the money behind it.  But, I try not to worry about that shit as much as possible. 

MH:  What are the future plans for Mest? 

TL:  We have another tour coming up with H2O in January/ February.  And things are taking off in Japan so we're going over there in March.  Just playing shows until we're done and writing another record. 

Afterwards Mest went on stage and rocked the factory opening for Good Charlotte.  After their set Matt, Nick, and Jeremiah could be seen hanging out in the back by the merchandise as long lines of fans bombarded them.  Later on, Tony and Nick managed to get on stage with the members of Good Charlotte for a powerful performance of "The Innocent".  Mest's new release Destination Unknown is in stores now and be sure to check out www.mestcrap.com to find out when they will be playing near you. -Kate Wojtowicz