VOX: You guys have all been in the music industry for some time…how did you guys come together?
Stacy Jones: Just, well, we've been friends forever, but we've never had the chance to all play together in a band. We've all had other things going on and weren't all available at the same time. Finally it was like, "Why don't we put a band together?" I had no idea whether I could sing or play guitar, so it was really just for us, and we just rolled with it.

VOX: Where did the name come from?
SJ: It was…we had a really stupid name, but when we were in the studio with Bob [Rock] making the record, and he was embarrassed to tell people the name of band he was working with…

VOX: What was the name before? It can't be that bad…
SJ: BMX Girl.
VOX: Oh.
SJ: It was my America On Line address. At the time I had no idea if this was going to go anywhere or be a real band or not. Like I said, I didn't even know if I could sing and play. We were doing stuff and needed a name, and it was easy. I asked some of the people I knew in the industry and they said it was "catchy" and "sassy". So we went with it for a while.

Then we were in Maui recording and James Hetfield from Metallica calls [producer] Bob [Rock] and asks him what he's working on, and Bob is like, "Oh, working on a record." And James asked him the name of the band and Bob didn't want to tell him, but James asked him again and Bob finally told him. James says, "Oh. They need to change the name." When James Hetfield says you need to change your name you fucking change it.

VOX: Since you've been exposed to the industry and know how it works, did it influence any of your decision or how you went about making the record?
SJ: No, not really. Early on, in the negotiating process and in searching for a label, it helped because we had all been down that road before. We could maybe control it a little bit more than a young band. We didn't do any showcases at the Viper Room or Brownies in New York. We would just have people come up to Boston, where we have a rehearsal space and then maybe have dinner with them or stuff like that. It was a much more civilized way of dealing with the whole courting process.

When you're doing showcases at the Viper Room or other places, it becomes more about who is there and less about the band. All the industry people show and it's all about flexing and seeing who left early and who stayed and who was with who and what they wore. It's about the scene…it's not about the band anymore. We had an advantage in that regard.

VOX: Any good Maui/recording stories? Chicks everywhere?
SJ: You know, there are beautiful girls all over the place in Maui, but they just don't give a shit about you unless you're a surfer. Most places, being in a band works with at least some of the girls. Not in Maui. I was in a bar and I'm talking to this really pretty girl and she asks me if I'm a surfer…
VOX: You could pass for a surfer.
SJ: Yeah, I suppose I could, and some of the guys actually tried to do a little while we were there. So I told her no, I'm not a surfer, I'm in a band and we're recording and that I can't even really swim. Which is the truth. And she straight out tells me, "Excuse me, I have to go to the bathroom." So she leaves and I never saw her again. That's how it is in Maui.

VOX: It seems like every band spends a considerable amount of time ripping on their label. Do you think it's valid or necessary? What has your experience been like?
SJ: Our experience has been great. We met with lots of other labels and listened to their raps, but when we met with Island they assured us they were totally different people, and they were totally right. They've been really supportive and we're in contact with all the people there and have a relationship with them. They didn't feel like they had to show some sort of mystique or something. Island has been all cool, and we enjoy hanging out with the people there.

Those people who rip on their labels or whatever, it's a result of frustration. I mean, everyone wants to win in the deal. Getting angry and talking shit hurts more than anything. It won't make things better.

VOX: Where do you see music heading right now?
SJ: I'm not sure. More song-oriented, I hope. I'm tired of the rumble I hear every time I turn on the radio - all these songs with no melody to them. I'm a pop guy; I like big guitars, stuff like Cheap Trick and bands like that.

Back in the 80's there was like this top echelon of hair bands - Motley Crue, Poison and Ratt and a few others. Then there was a second tier of White Lion, Slaughter and those bands. After that you had the rest - Bullet Boys, Great White and all the rest. Well, now you have Deftones…I really like what Limp Bizkit does and I think Rage Against The Machine is the best at it all. Those are the upper echelon bands now, and then you have all these other bands that kind of sound the same.

But it's all personal, my personal taste.

VOX: "Flavor of the Weak" is the first single - what is the song about?
SJ: It's kind of like the universal bone head song. Everyone has been in that situation where there is the boyfriend that gets high all the time and doesn't really respect his girlfriend and shit like that. Everyone has had an experience like that. Maybe the circumstances are different, but we've all been there. It's not about me really or anyone specific that I know, but it's more the universal type thing.

VOX: What is the American Hi-Fi songwriting process like?
SJ: So far, it's me mostly - I usually don't show the guys the song until it's totally done. Most of the time I come in with the complete song structure. All of the songs have been written away from the band as a whole and we haven't really come together to write songs yet. I usually tell the guys what I want to hear and so far it's been perfect.
VOX: The other guys are probably ready to beat the crap out of you now.
SJ: [Laughs] Yeah, they are. Obviously the guys bring something special to the songs. What they bring to it makes it work. But so far, it's been awesome, really great. I bring in a complete idea of what I want, and everyone has their input. They know what I want to hear.

VOX: What are your upcoming plans?
SJ: Well, the video is done. Maybe some one some day will actually see it somewhere. Maybe it'll make it on to some midnight cable video show…
VOX: We've seen it. They sent us a copy.
SJ: That's one! Hopefully people will see it. We're out touring with SR-71 through the end of January, then I have no idea what we're going to do. Keep touring, I would imagine, but nothing has been solidified. We may do a show in Jamaica for Spring Break…
VOX: Yeah that's a rough assignment. I'm sure you're fighting that.
SJ: They'll have a hard time talking us into that one.