In 1992, with the weight of a perceived world on our shoulders, we disappeared into a parking garage to write the songs that would change the course of our lives forever. 'Siamese Dream' represents all of our dreams coming true, while the dreams of a happy band fell apart.
I honestly feel it could all end tomorrow. Not just the band thing - I mean life.
I really loved touring with my band, but it felt like we would spend a lot of time playing in empty rooms - empty clubs. We had some good successes, but it's so physically hard to load up a van and drive all day.
I considered moving to New York or Los Angeles, but they're two of the hardest places to move to when you're just starting out in a band.
Like any family, like any group - the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, EPMD, Public Enemy - they've had bumps in the road. I just think that because A Tribe Called Quest is so precious to fans, they were concerned about unveiling some of those things.
We weren't making money in the Yardbirds.
The only reason you even start a band is so you can hang out with your friends all the time, but somewhere along the line, it just ends up becoming a job. You were doing it because you were like, 'I never want to have to get a job,' then all of a sudden it becomes the biggest job you could ever imagine.
Of course, we didn't survive to play all the way through the '90s, so I can say that - as I said, everybody in the band was aware of this, and we trying to figure out ways to make it different.
I think we were damned lucky that our music never went down the drain because we went down the drain, and I think, in truth, there are moments where you could have said we got pretty close, you know.
There's a whole apparatus for indie bands now, but back in the eighties it was just getting built. The early people really took it on the chin.
A lot of bands have an unfortunate past; we've dodged a lot of bullets when it comes to that.
This is a very screwed-up business. Record labels don't sign a lot of bands these days. We just want to find a home and stay there and make records and do our thing and not have to look over our shoulder.
Every time I'm home, it's like a vacation, but I've been playing in bands since I was 11. I guess our goals were always small goals. It started off my goal was just to be in a band. Then it was to have a drummer that would show up.
Heart had originally relocated to Vancouver because Mike evaded the draft to protest the Vietnam war. We had to deal with a lot at that time - it was a tough period for the band.
I distinctly remember a conversation with my band in the van where I was having a complete meltdown. It was 1984, I think, and I was huddled in the back corner of our van and saying, "I can't do this. I can't do this. I can't do this." I didn't want to play any more shows. I just wanted to stop.
It's a tough business, yes it is. But I've been fortunate. The only real hard times I had was when I was with Montague's Kentucky Serenades. We really had it tough then.
Playing for someone else's crowd is always difficult for any band.
Our first album didn't work because we tried to be something we're not.
When we moved to Seattle, everybody kind of disappeared into different corners of the city and it was a very difficult time for the band.
We don't necessarily want to do a biopic. Mostly because it's like, 'Big deal. Band gets together and gets big. Then the excesses come and they fall apart.'
In many cases bands have a lot to overcome, business being what it is.
A lot of bands whine about the road and how tough it is.
By 1993, the Stone Roses had become this huge, beautiful cruise ship just floating about in the middle of nowhere with no captain.
