HOME SCHOOLED
An Interview with Chevelle’s Joe Loeffler
By Arden Guy

Writing for a magazine has its perks. I’m ushered passed the barrier behind the Hard Rock Hotel and into the backstage area where roadies hustle around getting things ready for the Winterfresh Sno Core 2005 show. Chevelle’s tour manager escorts me to the tour bus, where I sit on the leather couch and wait for Joe Loeffler, Chevelle’s bassist, to show up and have a chat. While waiting, I glance around at a pair of green Converse on the floor, the elaborate Stereo/Video system, a recently used electric guitar leaning against a small Crate practice amp, and an oversize bag of free promotional chewing gum. Eventually, Joe saunters in and takes a seat on the couch opposite of me. He’s relaxed after a big dinner and is surprising polite and unrockstar-like.

SMASH MAGAZINE: First, did the music in your house arise despite your parents’ wishes, or with their help?

JOE LOEFFLER: We were lucky that our parents were very supportive, I doubt that we would be where we are if it wasn’t for them. I do remember my mom getting upset about practice a lot. It was just loud all the time. We were all home schooled so, we got to practice for school. Pretty much I was like, I feel like playing bass for three hours today, and that’s what I would do.

SM: Do you have any idea what you’d be doing if the music thing didn’t come together?

JL: I’m sure we’d be carpenters.

SM: Is there any family history of musical talent?

JL: We had some uncles that played in a band, but they didn’t stick to it. Who knows, they could have been successful. It seemed they were on their way.

SM: I hear a lot of talk of tequila and cars. Are those passions that all of you share?

JL: The car thing I can honestly say we all feel the same about. We collect cars, read about cars, talk about cars constantly and dream about them. As far as the drinking goes, I don’t drink at all. Never have, but they (Pete & Sam) do and so that’s why they talk about it. But the cars, we’re all crazy about that.

SM: Hence the name.

JL: Yeah, I remember the day that we picked the name. We brought out a list of names, most of them one word names, and there was a show that day and we were pretty much like ‘Let’s use this name (Chevelle)’ and a lot of people saw that show. It was some city thing they put on. Some of the people at the show talked to other people and they said they really liked that band. So it stuck.

SM: I’ve understand that your brothers originally had another bassist and then you just walked in one day and kind of naturally did a better job. Did you ever begin to take on any formal training, or do you still just continue to play naturally?

JL: Honestly, I became friends with a guy at music store nearby and took some lessons, because I really wanted to try to learn more and it just didn’t help that much so I didn’t keep doing that. Some people just do things naturally, I guess.

SM: Who does the harmonies with Pete, you or Sam?

JL: I do, but I don’t feel that I’m that good (laughs), but I’m working on it. We just practice at rehearsal, and that’s it. I’ve never taken any voice lessons, but I’m hoping to keep improving.

SM: When did you realize that Chevelle was really going to turn into the realization of a dream (mtv; records contracts; big tours) or did it all occur before you had time to realize it was actually happening?

JL: Honestly, it was like ten minutes ago. Every single day and kids are like, ‘I need to get a picture’ and you’re like, ‘Oh, O.K. – we’ve made it’. We’re still trying to grasp everything, but we don’t get to see it the way everybody else does.

SM: With the big label and headlining shows and all, has the touring and recording become more buisness-like, and if so – are you comfortable with that?

JL: It’s very business-like. When you’re off for a little while, you kinda wanna get back to work, and we do look at it like it’s a business. So, we’re happy to have a schedule. To know that someone is setting up interviews for us, we know that business is going good. We’re happy to be doing interviews and sound checks, but it does wear on you over the months and months you’re on tour. Although, I definitely enjoy the business aspect of it.

SM: To what do you owe the, what seems to be a rare privilege in the business of being able to co-produce your own songs?

JL: The last record (Wonder What’s Next) should have said Co-Produced because they have our demos and they can see how little things changed from demo to produced. So, we knew we needed Elvis (Michael Baskette) to help us get sounds and do a little producing, but it was “Co” produced. Epic knows (we do a lot of the work) they’ve seen the demos. It just made sense to them. I don’t really know why it is that way, it just is.

SM: How did the new CD title (This Type of Thinking Could Do Us In) come about?

JL: Pete would be the person to ask that, but I’ve heard him respond to it before. What he would say is that just being negative weighs you down and we need to be positive (in our thinking).

SM: How much of the soundtrack (The Punisher) and video game (Madden NFL 2005) alliances do you see yourself doing? Or are those kind of decisions out of your hands?

JL: Yeah, the decisions come down, but we’d like to do more. Especially movie soundtracks, we love doing those. The video game thing, they just asked us and we said yes.

SM: I’ve read that the band Helmet had an early influence on Chevelle’s drive to create. With that in mind, what is it like to not only be touring with, but actually having Paige Hamilton and his new line up opening for you?

JL: They (Helmet) had a very big influence on us. As far as having them open up for us, it’s just ridiculous (laughs). I mean, when we heard the got back together we thought we’d love to open up for them, but the way reality was – they open for us. We asked them to and they wanted to, and we’ve become friends with them. It’s been awesome. The whole thing is pretty awesome for us.

SM: Speaking of Paige Hamilton, I read a post just today that were some technical difficulties in Vale, will everything be smoothed out tonight? Or was it just the venue?

JL: It was rough for everybody that first show. It may have been our fault because of possibly we were the headliner and we had a few technical problems, but we talked about it, and worked everything out. It was unfortunate that we didn’t get to do preproduction for this (Sno Core 2005) tour. That’s why there were difficulties, but it didn’t go that bad. It all worked out.

SM: Can you see yourself recording and performing into your fifties and sixties, or do see yourself eventually veering into other artistic or even business interests?

JL: I would like to take other routes. I see that as being more realistic for me. I mean, I wouldn’t mind playing some when I’m in my fifties, but not like this, eight or ten months out of the year.

SM: This tour ends in March, right? What are your plans for the rest of this year?

JL: We’re not sure yet. Hopefully, we’ll go to Japan. I would really like to get two months off after this tour so I can have surgery to get my pectoral fixed. It was a freak accident from lifting weights. So, there’s that, the Japan thing and another possible tour of the states. We’ll be busy. No doubt.

I leave the bus with a pocketful of gum packets that Joe insisted I take he and says he’ll see me at the show. The unrockstar-like quality soon goes away some hours later as Chevelle finally takes the stage to put on a high energy performance for an enthusiastic crowd.