The Presidents of The United States Of America is one band I can say has the attitude to do what they want, the way they want to do it. Anyone you talk to, including the band, will go on and on about how happy-go-lucky their music is. Without any rules, these Presidents are a lot more laid back than your traditional government officials. That doesn’t stop them from chiming in on this years election however. Read on to find out more about the music, the views, and what’s next for The Presidents…

Shout!: Coming out of the grunge era, was it hard to break out of the music scene in Seattle?

The Presidents: Not for this band! The Presidents are so different from everything that was happening then it wasn’t hard to tell the difference…and it seemed like people were ready for something a little more fun and a little less heavy.

S!: How do you feel the music scene has changed overall in the past 15 years?

The Presidents: Which one? The overall music scene or the Seattle scene? I’ll assume you mean the latter…the Seattle scene hasn’t changed too much, other than different bands coming along and such. It’s still a vibrant community with lots of new music and great clubs.

S!: Why do you think your style of music hasn’t had to evolve with the many different sub-genres of today?

The Presidents: Personally, I don’t care about evolution when it comes to rock and roll! My favorite bands don’t evolve…they are who they are, they do what they do, and if they keep playing kick ass rock and roll, then I stay with ‘em. When they stop making music that turns my crank, I move on. Keeping up with the Joneses is not what the Presidents are about. We’re about having a great time playing lots of different styles of tunes within our weird little framework…and connecting to our fans.

S!: Looking back, you went from selling cassettes out of bars to millions of albums worldwide. What are you thoughts on accomplishing that?

The Presidents: Ummmm… from what Jason & Chris have told me (I wasn’t in the band at that time) it happened really fast & it was a great time for the band. But those years were also really stressful and tiring for the outfit- now we’re just having a good time playing music for the people that love the band. Nothing more, nothing less. Expectations are in check and we’re on the move forward.

S!: When you went your separate ways in 1998, were there ever thoughts that you all would re-form or did you not think twice about it?

The Presidents: Again, I wasn’t there, except as a friend of the band. During the break-up period, all the members stayed in touch, and even made one PUSA album- 2000’s Freaked Out And Small. There was also business stuff to deal with and a short-lived collaboration with Sir Mix A Lot called Subset, so nobody lost contact. When the time was right to make some Presidents noise again, it happened.

S!: Your new album, These Are Good Times People, was just released on March 17th. Do you feel it portrays what kind of band PUSA is now and will always be?

The Presidents: We sure hope so! To us it fits in really well with the rest of the catalog, and so far the fan feedback has been great. We spent a lot of time and energy recording and mixing this record, and it was a very natural and comfortable process. Lots of extra effort went in to writing and pre-production, yet during the recording process we made lots of tweaks and changes improve the tunes even more. We’re proud of it, and we’re having a great time playing the tracks live.

S!: What one track would you recommend to a new fan and why?

The Presidents: New song or old song? For a new song, I’d choose “Ghosts Are Everywhere” ‘cause to me it really breathes, and it has a little bit of everything: whispy spooky verse and a super-rock chorus…plus a properly weird freak-out breakdown in the middle, ending with more kick ass chorus! For an old PUSA tune, I’d have to say “Body” from the first album. I love how groovy the verse part is. It really slinks around, yet the lyrical story is never lost in the funky-ness of the tune. It also has some loud/soft/loud which I really enjoy.

S!: You supported Kerry in the 2004 election. In the 2008 election, who are you supporting and why?

The Presidents: We try to keep our politics and our rock and roll separate, but that’s getting tougher and tougher this time around. Bottom line? You’re going to be hard pressed to find a Republican in this bunch.

S!: As Presidents yourselves, what act are you most supportive of? (Healthcare, war, etc…)

The Presidents: This country, like most, has a ton of problems. I’d love to see the health system re-vamped. The only way I personally can afford any coverage is that my wife is gainfully employed. I had a bout with skin cancer about 8 years ago, and though my doctor gave me a clean bill of health immediately following the surgery, I can’t get any life insurance whatsoever. I’ve got two young kids. Is that really okay in the richest country on earth?

S!: You all have had solo projects and families. Is there achance of another breakup in the near future, or will PUSA be around for the next 5 years?

The Presidents: We’ll probably be here for a while yet…it’s too much fun not to be!

S!: Any last words to our SHOUT! readers out there?

The Presidents: Nah…except to say that even if you hate the Presidents, you should try a live show sometime anyway. You may just find yourself carried away by the pure musical genius that we purvey.

• Official Site: http://www.presidentsrock.com