VJ:  40 Watt Hype has been together for about five years?

AW:  It wasn't exactly 40 Watt Hype, the concept of the band has been around for awhile.  Before that it was called Whack MCs and then we changed the name and we had some lineup changes and stuff like that and our first real CD that we came out with was in 2001. so that is what I consider the beginning - when we put our first disc out. It was a demo.

VJ: And you have two discs out?

AW: Well we have two full lengths and the demo, then we came out with a live CD/DVD in late 2005 and now we have a CD coming out in March.

VJ: Now, you've gone through a couple of different members.

AW: Yeah, more than a couple.

VJ: Didn't your brother used to play drums?

AW: My brother? Yeah a looong time ago.

VJ: Didn't your brother used to where a kilt?

AW: No that wasn't my brother that was another guy, But actually I play with one of my brothers in a band, still, called The Dalloways.  He plays Bass and I play drums.

VJ: Now, you're sponsored by Budweiser?

AW: Yeah. We are.

VJ: What does that entail?

AW: Well it's a program you've probably seen it.  It's a national program.

VJ: Budweiser True Music.

AW: Yeah, True Music Live.  They have different bands in every market, every region, But, just two weeks ago, I just found out Budweiser is canceling the whole program.

VJ: What? Oh man, that sucks. But it was cool, though, right?

AW: Yeah it was cool.  We didn't get any beer. Everyone would always ask us 'what's up man, you get any 32s, any Tall boys?'

VJ: You'd think.

AW: We got some cool stuff. T-shirts, sticks, picks, we got two guitars, Budweiser guitars and stuff like that.  We got big posters, banners, anything we needed promotions wise, they'd hook us up.

VJ: How did you get that gig?

AW: They just called around to different clubs and asked who's the band that would be the best for this program and then they told us to send our stuff in. And you need to gig a lot. To be part of the program you have to gig at least 30 times a year in bars.  We did almost triple that.  It was pretty cool. We're kinda bummed it's over but, whatever, something else will come.

VJ: Bigger, better things.

AW: Yeah, it's cool because now we can at least drink other beer on stage.

VJ: Beer you like better.

AW: Yeah.

(note to any Budweiser Representatives reading this, of course we're only joking.)

VJ: I think of you guys as Hip Hop, Jazz, funk latin style music.  Does that sound about right?

AW: Yeah. It's hard - I think you have to have like one or two words to describe yourself. no one wants to sit around with you and hear 'well have you heard of this guy - we sound kind of like him and a cross between...'  So it's just Hip Hop, but if you got the time it's Hip Hop meets Funk, meets Latin or R&B. But it's hard because people have different impressions of what's Funk. Someone will say Funk - Red Hot Chili Peppers and someone else will say Funk - that's Parliament.

VJ: Strangest thing that has ever happened on the road?

AW: Ah man...that we can put in print?

VJ: Yeah, cause I know you get some crazy stuff happening, like crazy drunk fans. Like at you're last show there was that drunk dude trying to dance on stage, and that was so annoying. I mean, just as an audience member I was thinking dude just get off the stage.

AW: Yeah, I learned a long time ago never give a mic to a drunk person, that's rule one.  Yeah you want people to have fun, but you gotta draw the line.But there has actually been some pretty crazy stuff we can't really put in print.

VJ: With girls?

AW: With girls and guys.

VJ: Whoa.

AW: Exactly.Like this one time the band got macked to by a transvestite, you know she was at this show passing out pictures of herself, not nude pictures, but she was scantily clad and the pictures had her website on it. So one of my friends he's not in the band anymore but he looked her up on the website and called me and said, 'Dude that's a guy' and i'm like nah, and she's been on Jerry Springer I guess that's her thing she goes to different places and different talk shows and the theme is look how hot this girl is - but it's a guy and everyone gets grossed out.

VJ: I wonder if she makes any money off of it.

Aw: Yeah, she does. That's her whole thing.

VJ: That's so funny.

AW: And then there was this one time we were in Reno we had to pull over and go to sleep because it was getting late and we were in this seedy part of town and I was walking up to this hotel and I could hear these people coming up behind me. It was this girl and there was this little guy with her I'm guessing it's her brother or something. Anyways, I hear her say 'look at that ass'.

VJ: What?

AW: Yeah. I was like oh man, I just kept on walking- I didn't know if she was talking to me cause it was like 3 in the morning and then she said it again, 'look at that sweet ass' and I was like ah dude, and I kept on walking and she kept getting closer and closer and then I turned around and she had chocolate frosting on her hand and she said, 'You ever have chocolate frosting licked off your ass before?' and then she starts licking her hand like this ( Aaron obligingly demonstrates and I'm almost peeing my pants.)

VJ: you gotta be kidding me.

AW: No. We had been driving a long time and then I got out and i'm just thinking, man, what is going on with this. I just wanted to sleep somewhere. and she walked by and i'm like 'uh no, that's alright.'

VJ: Geez.

AW: Yeah.

VJ: OK. What are some of the things that really piss you off, I mean as far as the music industry goes?

AW: Pay to play.  Pay to play, like that happens mostly in places like L.A. promoters that promote that whole scene will try to get you to do that, and i'm just thinking what are you? You're saying you're a promoter? You know any knucklehead can rent a place and say, You want to play at the Whiskey? Sell 50 tickets for 10 bucks a piece. 

I just think bands should respect themselves as musicians or artists and say look man, This is what I do - i'm not going to pay you to play - you need to be paying me.They live off the reputations of the clubs that have been around for twenty years - 'The doors played here, Guns n Roses played here. -  and i'm like, yeah, in 1975 dude. that's great, you know, whatever.

VJ: Not this year.

AW: Right. They just take advantage of bands.

VJ: So would you say that you represent the Cen Cal?

AW: For sure. Everywhere we go 99% of the time there will be someone from here. and we'll say we're from Fresno or the Central Cali.

VJ: Who do you listen to on a regular basis - who's in your deck right now?

AW: John Legend.

VJ: OK - I don't know who that is

AW: He is an R&B, Hip Hop artist. I don't listen to a lot of new music - that's kinda bad, I guess.  I like a lot of older Hip Hop, obviously there is a lot of good stuff out there that's new, but I tend to enjoy the older stuff. I usually listen to stuff like anyone from John Legend to Erykah Badu, Pearl Jam, Stevie Wonder, The Roots, War, Herbie Hancock.

VJ: What's that one Pearl Jam that's all orange?

AW: The disc?

VJ: Yeah.

AW: I think that's "Versus" - with a lamb on the cover?

VJ: Yeah. That's a great CD.

Aw: It's weird, like, I wouldn't say they influence my music, but Pearl Jam is one of my favorite bands.

VJ: Let's see. So, what do the different members bring to the table? 

AW: Well, I write my own lyrics, Brian writes his own lyrics were pretty much 50-50 as far as the lyrics go. Sean, the drummer, to me he is the best drummer in the whole valley, he's versatile, he's solid and just everyone is easy to work with and that is where i wanted to get with this band. Everyone is experienced,everyone's professional. And everyone brings a little of their own style to the band.

VJ: Favorite comedian?

Aw: I like this guy Rudy Raymore have you heard the Chronic - Dr Dre?

VJ: Yeah. 

AW: He's on that. He has a bunch of different aliases.  He's dirty, man, but he's so funny.  He raps and does comedy at the same time. He's bad. I have some of his old records, and if you heard them they'd make you blush, but he's so funny.

VJ: OK, do you ever want to do something completely different musically, or totally off the wall?

AW: Not for 40 Watt Hype, but that's why we are all in other bands,because otherwise you start bringing stuff into the band that's not appropriate,  you need to have your creative outlets.  Or else you end up with someone listening to, say, Bob Dylan, and then coming in and saying 'I got this idea for a song it's acoustic. OK, Aaron I want you to sing about protest.' And I'm like, dude, that's another band, man.  That's why we are all in other bands you got to get your creative rocks off.  Like if you heard The Dalloways, without seeing us you wouldn't even make the connection it sounds so different. One of the other guys writes all the songs so I just totally disconnect.  I don't have to be in the front, I don't have to write I can just have fun and play.  Plus, I write my own stuff and it sounds way different from either of the bands i'm in.

VJ: Have you ever thought about adding backup dancers, solid gold style?

AW: As a joke, maybe.  No I did always think it would be cool to open up the show with Belly Dancers, or Break Dancers.

VJ: Would you say you're favorite material is cotton?

Aw: Uh...

VJ: cause it breathes, you know, or linen is nice too.

AW:  Well, I am not too familiar with materials to be honest with you, but I do like these type of sweaters.
(Aaron is wearing a dark grey hooded sweatshirt)

VJ: That's probably like a mix.

AW: Is this a mix? Half and half?

VJ: That's probably 80% percent cotton and something else.

AW: Yeah, I love hooded sweatshirts, man, they make me feel good.

VJ: Cool.  Well, is there anything else we should know, anything you'd like to put out there?

AW: People can check out our website or check us out on MySpace.  We're coming out with a new album in March called "Strong Feet on The Concrete" produced by Art Hodge who's a grammy award winning producer.  He won a grammy for Santana's album  "Supernatural".  He also did work on the movie "Fight Club", he's worked with Marilyn Manson, a lot of different people.  We're also going to go on tour in March so people can get those dates off of our website.

(If you haven't been to a 40 Watt Show, check one out.  The music is awesome, and they put on a kickass show)