Sean Mackin of Yellowcard
A couple weeks ago I had a chance to hangout with Yellowcard. We got to play some Guitar Hero (the new one even before it came out!), watch some college football on their bus, and eat some pizza. While I was on the bus I got to chat with violinist Sean Mackin. We got to talk about playing in front of different types of audiences, the days of them working at Chili's, Halloween, and so much more.
Asif: What is the number one question you get asked in your interviews all the time? I imagine it has to be about you being a violin player in a band…
Sean: It's actually "How did the violin get in the band?" That's the number one question.
Asif: Well, don't worry about being asked that because I'm not going to ask it!
Sean: (laughs) It's great to play violin in Yellowcard and play violin for a living. It's like a dream come true. I never had that dream – I never thought I'd be doing this. I'm just living each day and having a good time with that. We have really good friends and amazing fans that give us energy to do it everyday. So, it's pretty awesome.
Asif: You guys are heading over to Japan for some shows here in a bit.
Sean: Yeah, those shows are coming up over Thanksgiving.
Asif: As a band, you guys have a strong punk influence and for you – being a violinist – you have a strong classical influence. You're gonna be sharing the stage over in Japan with some bands that have a different music style than you guys – such as Linkin Park. What's it like to play with bands that have a sound that is so drastically different than that of Yellowcard?
Sean: Sometimes it's
difficult being Yellowcard. We played a radio one time with Korn fans – it
was Korn and Yellowcard – and their fans were just beating the crap out of
our fans. It wasn't really respecting that musical gap. So sometimes there
is a demographic of fans that don't appreciate it or are narrowed-minded.
Japan will be amazing because the Japanese are disciplined and their
respect is at the utmost level. And we actually have a number four release
over there as well, with Paper Walls being released over there – so
that's really awesome too. But right now we're on tour with Blue October
and Shiny Toy Guns – who have a buzz right now and their kinda a
underground techno-rock type of thing. Blue October is a bit more of a
radio-rock type of thing. The bands are really respectful to one another.
So it really opens up a nice evening of music where you have a music lover
or listener that will appreciate other forms of music. So, in a setting
like this, it's amazing because people that have heard of us but would
never think about coming out and seeing us or are fans of Blue October,
they learn to love or listen to Yellowcard.
Asif: You brought up Paper Walls, which was released this past July. Congrats on that…
Sean: Thank you.
Asif: You have said in the past that Paper Walls was a mix of the best aspects of what you guys had from Ocean Avenue and Lights and Sounds. Because of that, was Paper Walls a much more easier album to record?
Sean: I think with each album we've had to overcome a good amount of adversity. So I wouldn't necessarily use easy, but I would say this was the most fun album we've had. And I think you can feel that energy. Even though it might sound "cut and paste the sounds of these two albums", there is still a good amount of focus that Yellowcard places on making it different and still making it exciting. I think we had a lot of fun and many good times, but there were still frustrating moments. Ryan would be like "I hate this lyric" or I was like "I can't get past this part. I have writer's block." Or "I love this part." and they are like "well, we don't really like it." I'm like "This is good! I want this!" (laughs) So that always applies to every album, but this one is definitely one where we had a lot of fun. We got over a lot of bumps that we didn't think we were going to get over and we came together as a team – and that energy is on there. I can feel that.
Asif: Cool man. When you're out on the road, what do you like to do for fun and to keep busy when you guys aren't on stage or sound checking?
Sean: I like to throw the football, but not everyone is as active as me sometimes. (laughs)
Asif: (laughs)
Sean: They probably look at me as being annoying! Lately, I've been on this kick where on days off I'm going out and finding go-cart tracks. Not just any go-cart tracks, but actual indoor tracks with slick tires, 40 mph go-carts where you have to wear helmets. Like racing go-carts. So we've ran across that twice. I've been getting into racing a little bit – and everyone likes driving fast – so I've been sucked in to that. Sometimes, it's as simple as watching the [NFL football team Jacksonville] Jaguars on Sundays. Or Ryan is a big Georgia fan and Pete's a big Florida fan, so we watch some college football. My lady's brother plays for Oklahoma, so I like watching them. I went Florida State so I like them. So, there are a few teams there, and it gets pretty heated on Saturday!
Asif: (laughs) You guys start throwing stuff around the bus!
Sean: (laughs) Yeah, it gets really bad! I try to stay out of the college mix just because I know everyone can get a little hurt!
Asif: Where did you work before music became your fulltime job, was it at Chili's with Ryan?
Sean: I worked at Chili's. I actually worked at Chili's before he did. I brought him in to the restaurant thing.
Asif: Are you guys on their Wall of Fame?
Sean: (laughs) No,
no, no.
Asif: Do you ever got back to Chili's and sit down, have a burger, and be
like "yup – I used to work at this joint!"
Sean: (laughs) I
still talk to one of my managers. He is truly proud of me – still to this
day one of my best friends. He lives down in South Florida and he has a
couple of kids. It's back in Florida, and there aren't many people there
that I still talk to. A few people make an effort to come out. It's been a
good six years since I worked at the one in Florida. Then I worked at one
in California and I still talk to some of those people. I'm just in a part
of my life and they are in a different part of their lives. We do re-live
the memories when we eat at a random Chili's. We start talking about when
we were 19 or 20 and how that was the best times of our lives. We'll
reminisce about making the servers cry or throwing plates at each other or
food at each other on a Friday night. You have tickets up the wahzoo and
we're like "AHH!" and we'd flip out and start going crazy. Just little
funny things like that. So, we re-live the moments, but we don't go back
to the exact restaurants.
Asif: With Halloween right around the corner, have you guys ever thought about playing a show in full costume?
Sean: We have and we don't do that anymore! (laughs) We did it in Detroit, I think it was in 2002, we were with Franz Ferdinand. I was wearing a French maid outfit.
Asif: (laughs)
Sean: (laughs) And Ryan..oh man. Ryan was like white trash. He just had these cutoff shorts that were boarder line inappropriate. They were in appropriate! Then he had like a halter top and a fake mustache. L.P. dressed up as a guy from Slipknot and he played with an Insane Clown Posse or a big clown mask on. (laughs)
Asif: (laughs)
Sean: (laughs) Detroit hasn't been the same! We had a really solid thing going on there before we messed it up. Something about me putting my foot up on the monitor and singing and rocking out and people were just like [Sean makes a face like he just saw a ghost]
Asif: (laughs) Oh man!
Sean: I had purple underwear on. (laughs) That and my ass is in the air. I looked good though!
Asif: (laughs) So no more dressing up for Yellowcard on Halloween…
Sean: Luckily this year on Halloween we have the day off. We're gonna be in Okalahoma and hangout with some friends, so that will be cool.
Asif: Got a costume yet?
Sean:
I don't know if I'm gonna costume it up this year. Kinda expensive…you
only wear it once. I actually thought about going out and buying a white
sheet and being a dumb ghost.
Asif: (laughs) Kinda like when you are five years old. You just toss it on and cutout some holes for your eyes...
Sean: (laughs) Yeah! But I haven't put too much thought into it really. I think we just enjoy the atmosphere of that holiday. Everyone's having a good time, everyone's got a drink. It's not a serious religious holiday. We'll go out and have a good time for sure!
Asif: Thanks a lot for you time man, I appreciate it. I think I'm gonna go get some pizza upstairs now.
Sean: Thank you! I appreciate it. I'm gonna come up there with ya!
INTERVIEW & PHOTOS BY: The Asif
