The Colourist “Fair Weather Friends”
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PS: Name, age, where you’re from? Favorite taco spot and two words to describe the person on your left. Go.
MT: Maya Tuttle, I’m 25. I grew up in Saratoga, CA. I like Taco Loco in Laguna Beach. Adam is funny, um. Surprising. I’m constantly surprised by Adam.
AK: Uh, I don’t even like Tacos. My name is Adam, I’m 23. I like Fred’s Tacos. Oh and Kollin. I wanna say he’s metal. I’m gonna say goofy. Ok, ok. Soft spoken and sarcastic.
PS: K, so we got metal, goofy, soft spoken and sarcastic. That’s 8 words almost.
AK: And romantic.
KJ: Alright, so my name is Kollin Johannsen I am from Balboa Island, Newport Beach. My favorite taco spot is Great Mex, like right across the street from me. Just take the ferry in and get a taco and a beer.
JW: Describe me, describe me, describe me!
KJ: Well to describe Justin I would just say ‘chest’ and ‘hair’. [mucho laughter] and he’s pretty funny too.
JW: Ok, well, my name is Justin Wagner, I’m 21. I’m from Cypress, California. My favorite taco spot is Albertacos in Cypress – its pretty good. 2 words to describe Maya. GORGEOUS and. . .kind‐hearted. [Aww] And next show you’re gonna carry your own sh*t.
MT: What?? I totally carried my stuff. It was just once. I carried it down 2 flights of stairs the other night.
PS: Why The Colourists?
JW: Can I tell the story? I’m good at it. Ok. So we had a list of about 20 names.
MT: I also came up with The Colourist.
JW: Hold on! I’m gonna get there in a second, Gorgeous and Kindhearted! And then one day Maya was like, “oh I have this MySpace page called The Colourist.” And we were like, “oh, that sounds good.”
KJ: Cuz MySpace is the future and the future is now.
PS: Why the English spelling?
MT: Cuz it’s more interesting, more beautiful.
KJ: Yes, more of a conversation piece.
PS: How did the band get together and how long have you been playing?
AK: Me and Maya were in a band together called Paper Thin Walls and Kollin was in another band that I was recording and I thought he was really good so I stole him.
JW: And he thought he was hot.
AK: And Justin’s girlfriend used to be the keyboardist.
JW: Oh God! Why are we making up stories?? Her head is gonna get like this [makes large space with arms] big! She was never in a band!
AK: No, but Justin is our keyboarder now.
JW: Keyboarderist.
AK: Uh, keyboarderist.
JW: Electronical music.
AK: That’s how we met.
PS: So how long have you guys been together?
AK: Kollin didn’t join until like, November, October. 2008.
PS: Where have you guys played?
JW: Oh you know, did a couple Hoagies shows. [laughter]
AK: Um, Detroit Bar. Because we’re new, we have to be picky about where we play. But us, Detroit Bar, Cinespace, Yost Theater.
JW: Le Cave, Evocal.
MT: Yeah, we’re new so we haven’t played together a ton.
PS: Where would you hope to play?
JW: Hoague Barmichaels [ha ha]
MT: 02 Arena. . . again.
JW: Oh Adam, you gotta tell the story.
AK: Ok so, in our former band, Maya and I opened for Foreigner.
MT: No, for Led Zepellin!
KJ: Well Foreigner was there but, yeah.
PS: Okaaay?
KJ: They’re not kidding. True Story.
PS: What??
MT: We opened for Led Zepellin’s reunion tour. We entered this thing and we got chosen. We made a video of our band and they chose us.
AK: Yeah, they flew us out there for 2 days and paid for everything.
PS: Wow.
AK: Yeah met a lotta cool people.
PS: That’s awesome. At first I thought you were joking. That’s incredible.
AK: So after that we left that band and started this one.
PS: Who is the visual artist here? I noticed, Kollin, you had made a poster.
AK: Yeah, Kollin goes to school for graphic design.
PS: Just about to get into that. So what is it you all do outside the band?
MT: I was an English major and now I work for a documentary series called Road Trip Nation on public television.
AK: I manage a little mom and pop music shop. Records and memorabilia and stuff.
KJ: I’m not saying anything specific. I go to a school. I’m getting my bachelors in graphic design. I also make these temporary tattoos.
PS: Ha really?
KJ: No.
JW: I go to school. Full time boyfriend.
KJ: He’s a full time boyfriend.
JW: I’m going to [Cal State] Fullerton. I’ve been there for like 47 years.
PS: What are some of your musical influences?
MT: I like Muse. . . Arcade Fire is pretty amazing. Adam you go.
AK: Um, Daniel Johnson, Danny Elfman.
PS: Does the band’s musical influences differ from what you actually listen to?
JW: We all listen to different stuff, but that’s what creates what we have. It all helps itself out.
AK: Except Kollin, he likes Creed, Nickelback [laughter].
KJ: Ha. Um. Television, Phoenix. Their new record is really good. Um Van Halen, haha so funny.
AK: Yeah, Kollin can play every Van Halen song.
JW: I go in and out of phases. Right now I’m really into hip‐hop. But my all time favorite would probably be Bob Dylan. I switch. I just get bored. Lil Wayne is doin it for me right now.
PS: Ah, he’s playing in Anaheim coming up.
JW: Oh, he hit on Maya.
MT: No, that was Lil John!
AK: C’mon Maya tell the story.
MT: No. Don’t listen to anything they say about me!
KJ: She’s gonna make it sound really subtle. It’s not subtle.
MT: My friend and I went up to him to shake his [Lil John] hand and he was like, “you got a booty for a white girl”. I was like okay.
JW: He was like OKAAY! [ha ha]
AK: She kindly leaves out how she dated him for like a little bit.
MT: No!
AK: Just kidding.
PS: Now its time for food questions. Grilled or fried?
MT: Grilled.
AK: I’m gonna go ahead and say grilled too.
KJ: F**KIN FRIED!
JW: Grilled.
PS: Kobe Bryant or Kobe Beef?
JW: Wtf. Did you come up with that question?
MT: I’m gonna have to say Kobe Beef.
AK: Me too.
KJ: Kobe Bryant.
JW: Kobe Bryant totally! He’s the best on the court.
PS: K, just to wrap‐up here. Can I get in free next time you play?
[3 yes's]
PS: I’m waiting on the fourth judge, Simon Cowell to answer. Am I going to
Hollywood?
JW: Yes, you are going.
PS: Any last words?
JW: Yeah, we’re the best rock band out there. [ha ha]
MT: He’s making fun of this other band that brags ridiculously.
JW: We’re not going to name names.
AK: They’re called Venus and Furs. [Laughter]
MT: They called themselves the saviours of rock n’ roll.
JW: Don’t put this in the interview.
Make sure to pick up their debut EP July 31st on iTunes.