1. I just read the story on your website of how Admiral Radley came to be. Is that for real? Does an Admiral Radley really exist?
Well, yes. Kinda. Definitely. Depends on how you look at it. “You don’t know. You weren’t there, man!”
2. The new album, I Heart California, might be the perfect album for summertime. With both Grandaddy and Earlimart hailing from California, was the direction for Admiral Radley’s sound totally obvious?
Well, we were never really consciously going for a, you know, “California” sound. I think it’s probably just inherent, as all the band members are California natives. We all grew up here. We never overthought any moment of this record. It all came naturally, so it was just doing what it wanted to do, the record, I mean…
3. You guys sound like you have having a blast on IHC, particularly in the playfulness of the lyrics and the instrumentation (like on “Sunburn Kids”). Do you feel its difficult to let loose like that without crossing into the realm of total silliness? Is there a necessary balance to be found or do you just say “fuck it?”
Ummmm…well. I think as we’ve all gotten older, we’ve probably become less precious with every little detail, especially with this project. It’s supposed to be fun. We’re a group of old pals gettin’ together, drinkin’ beer, and makin’ stuff. It’s just gonna be fun. No way around it.
There are definitely some heartfelt, serious moments on the record. It’s not all Weird Al Yankovic, but even the exposing/lonely/sad/serious moments are all a joy. We had a blast throughout this entire record.
4. What are your favorite albums to put in rotation during the summer months?
My summer mix is comin up Live Aid! Non-stop hits, you know. Very 1985. Queen, Duran Duran, Kris Kristofferson, Tears for Fears, Howard Jones, Thompson Twins, INXS, David Bowie, The Cars, Kenny Loggins, Adam Ant, Ultravox, Paul Young, and Wham!
5. You guys have a string of west coast tour dates starting in July. What makes you excited about taking this album live?
Probably the smoke machine we bought…expensive! And definitely the encore…all the explosions [are] pretty dangerous…but worth it!