Interview from InflictionPress.com - no longer available
Dustin Hook of My American Heart

We recently got a chance to sit down with Dustin Hook from My American Heart during their recent tour. Here are the transcripts.

Christina Roberts: Hi, I'm Christina

Dustin Hook: Hey, I'm Dustin.

Christina: Let's go ahead and jump into the interview.

Dustin: Ok. Go right ahead.

Christina: Introduce yourself and your band.

Dustin: I'm Dustin Hook, and I play bass for the band My American Heart.

Christina: How did you get started playing your instrument, and how long have you been playing?

Dustin: Hmm, I started playing when I was in 5th grade. Actually, honestly I was a really big Marilyn Manson fan, and I loved their bass player. So, I got a bass that looked just like his. I did that for about a year, then I started getting really serious, and I started playing in the jazz band at my school.

Christina: Wow, that's a big difference, Marilyn Manson to jazz.

Dustin: Well, no..yeah, at first I think I was more into it because of the image that I saw and I liked that and then I like really loved the instrument and wanted to be good at it, so I learned that and I started playing in bands and one thing led to the next.

Christina: So, reading up on you guys, I actually found out that you guys were pretty young. How old are you guys?

Dustin: Yeah, we're all 18. Jeremy, our guitar player just turned 19. But, yeah we are all 18. I'm graduating high school in a week actually. I'm excited.

Christina: Oh wow...congrats. That leads into my next question. How does touring and everything else with the band affect your schooling?

Dustin: Everyone is in a different position. I totally had to comprise with my parents. I've only been touring now for a year. I started touring full time like right after I finished my junior year, so June of 2005 and the deal was if I was gonna tour all of this year and never be home, I would have to do my work on the road. I did a correspondence course through my school, and I've been doing like packets all year long.

Christina: Well, I guess it paid off, since you are graduating.

Dustin: Yeah, I'm stoked

Christina: Who writes the lyrics and what is the song writing process like?

Dustin: Hmm, mostly we all contribute a great bit but Larry and Jesse seem to write the lyrics a lot, especially Jesse. He's our lead guitar player and singer. The lyrics are a lot about his different experiences. A lot of the record is about that we're young and just trying to do what we do.

Christina: What was the recording process like for your album, "The Meaning in the Make-Up"?

Dustin: Well, I wasn't there. But, we will just pretend I was since I know what happened.

Christina: Ha-ha, ok.

Dustin: It was in New York City with producer Sal Villianueva, who did Taking Back Sunday and Thursday's records. It's just a stressful time, you know like the hours you record is just ridiculous. You spend basically the whole day in the studio. It's just stressful. You hammer out an album in like two weeks, something that people will listen to for like at least a year and a half before the next record is put together.

Christina: Ok, how would you say the self-titled album and the "Meaning in the Make-Up" differ?

Dustin: Hmm, the next album is a lot more structured I would say. When they put together the first album, it was pretty much just put together as a demo and there wasn't too much production, there wasn't a lot of organization and in the second one there are bigger choruses and more defined songs. That's pretty much the difference.

Christina: What's it been like on tour? Anything really crazy that sticks out in your mind?

Dustin: Everyday ha-ha.

Christina: Everyday.

Dustin: Everyday. Actually last night our tour manager got three thousand dollars worth of stuff stolen from him, which is why we are late for the show today.

Christina: Ah...

Dustin: We had to go and file a police report today. So yeah, that's kinda shitty.

Christina: Yeah, that does suck.

Dustin: Yeah, every night is just wild. Hmm, I like to gamble so whenever I get into good cities like this I like to gamble.

Christina: Ha-ha yeah...go down to Hard Rock.

Dustin: Yeah, I just spent my day there earlier today.

Christina: Yeah.

Dustin: It's nice to do something different other than driving, sitting at a venue, driving to another venue. Yeah so anytime I get to do something a little different it's cool.

Christina: Yeah, sight seeing.

Dustin: Yeah, it's nice seeing the different things different cities have to offer.

Christina: Where can people find out more about My American Heart?

Dustin: Where? Hmm, they should call us. I'm gonna give out all our number right now. [grins.]

Christina: Ha-ha

Dustin: No. Hmm, always the shows and the internet, the internet of course. That's like where it all started, purevolume, myspace, and www.myamericanheartrock.com. You go to those websites and that will lead you to other stuff because we do a lot more than just play shows.

Christina: What are the plans for the next few months?

Dustin: We finish this tour in about two and a half weeks then we got out with Gatsby's American Dream and Waking Ashland, then we hit up Warped Tour all summer. We're stoked for that. We're always on tour.

Christina: Are you doing Florida's Warped Tours?

Dustin: No. Yours is in June right?

Christina: Yeah, June 24th and 25th.

Dustin: Yeah we don't start till July 6th.

Christina: Oh, ok.

Dustin: Yeah.

Christina: Well, thank you for your time and doing the interview with us.

Dustin: Yeah, no problem.

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