One of my favorite bands -- one of the best pop-punk bands ever -- is back together. Milo has hooked up with the other Descendents (currenly together as All, if you didn't already know that) and they've released Everything Sucks, the first new-material Descendents album in almost 10 years. The album is worthy of the Descendents' name -- it's the best stuff they've done since All's Allroy's Revenge. I did a little interview with Bill Stevenson, drummer and orignal member of Descendents, via e-mail...
![[band photo]](des-band.jpg)
L-R: Milo Aukerman (vocals), Stephen Egerton (guitar),
Karl Alvarez (bass), Bill Stevenson (drums)
Why did you start playing in a band?
To be cool.
You've been playing in Descendents for about 18 years now; is it still fun?
Yea, it's more fun now 'cause I have total disregard for what people think of it.
How did the whole Descendents "reunion" happen? Is is permanent, or kind of a one-time deal?
It's not a reunion -- just a natural mutation. Milo had songs, we had songs, we jammed and decided to start playing. Milo wanted back into the game and we were down with it. So now we have 2 bands -- All with Chad, Descendents with Milo.
Why did you choose to release Everything Sucks on Epitaph?
They were the label that seemed most into the idea. We moved both bands
over to Epitaph, after Interscope proved incapable based on what they did
with Pummel.
You mentioned in your last message that you were shooting a video. What's that about? Is Descendents going to try to break into MTV?
That's sort of a stretch. We always do these videos, they always suck, but
we do them anyways. I fucking hate videos.
Is All still around? Are you still under contract with Interscope for another album or two, or was it a "one album/take the money and build a studio" deal?
Kind of a one album - take the money and build a studio deal -- since you
put it so well.
You & Stephen do a lot of producing these days. What do you enjoy most: touring, producing, or fishing?
For me it's touring
What place has the best coffee? What do you think of flavored coffees?
I just like normal coffee. I'm on strike against yuppie coffee -- it's for
posers.
What are some bands you like today?
Lemons, Hagfish, Pollen, Judge Nothing, Zeke, Mustard Plug.
You've done enough touring to kill a person...
Don't I know it!
...where were some of the strangest places you've played?
We played in Finland -- it was rad. We played in Yugoslavia, too, when there was such a thing.
What does the future hold for Descendents; where would you like to be?
We're goint to tour like crazy next year, and after that do another All LP.
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