In the middle of UCSD's finals week, The Stratford 4 stopped by our studio to do a live performance and an interview on the radio. The performance was awesome, they sounded great, and they were super nice and cool to talk to. They had a small live audience watching the studio show, and sticking around for the interview to throw out a few questions. We talked about issues such as the band's background, other cool bands on the scene, blowing off exams to rock in a van, and Carson Daly. Enjoy!

Interviewed by Lee Meredith on KSDT, March 20, 2002

How long have you been together and when did you meet and form as a band?
Sheetal: I think we've officially been together for about three years. And legend has it that we met on Valentine's Day, 1998, I guess that was three years ago. Jake and Andrea and myself, Sheetal, were in a band before, and we were looking for a singer, and we were introduced to Chris through another band.

Where are you all from originally?
Chris: Originally we're all from different places and stuff, we all live pretty much around San Francisco now. At one point we all lived in San Francisco, and I guess we all still live in San Francisco. I don't know if I qualify as a New Yorker cause I moved out when I was seven, but I still consider myself a New Yorker. [NY accent] I'm still a New Yorka at heart. In which case, Sheetal is a New Yorker as well.
Sheetal: For Real.
Chris: For reals though, cause she lived in Buffalo for a long time. I really don't know where Jake and Andrea are from...
Jake: I grew up in the slum of Reno, Nevada.
Andrea: I grew up in the San Francisco Bay area.
Chris: Jake used to be a thug...
Jake: A good tip for people who are like going to Vegas: if you see an old lady slot jockey, you can just go by, grab a handful of quarters, and go running to like the nearest machine. They'll never catch you, security knows none the wiser. I like basically kept myself afloat through all of seventh grade.
Sheetal: Jake! That's horrible! The Stratford 4 do not endorse stealing from old ladies.

What are your influences musically, as a band? What bands do you listen to?
Chris: We probably... the Creation level, anything that Alan McGee decided to put out from about '91 on. And MBV - you know, My Bloody Valentine, Ride, Jesus and Mary Chain definitely.
Sheetal: Those are kind of collectively what we all listen to, but then each of us obviously has our own little particular taste that no one else in the band really digs. That's what makes the musical tension that is The Stratford 4.
Chris: We've been on tour for about three weeks now, and we're just going back home tomorrow, and I've learned on this thing that we actually listen to almost completely different kinds of music. I mean, we all brought all these different discs, and it just seems like, I used to think we all listened to the same music, but now I know that we really don't. I think we all like each other's music...
Jake: Well, we all like each other, for the most part.
Chris: ehh, for the most part.
Jake: After the nineteenth hour in the van.

Are there any bands that you guys are into right now?
Sheetal: Kingsbury Manx. We just played with the Kingsbury Manx and Clinic last night in LA, it was really fun. They're incredible live... If you get the chance, do go see the Kingsbury Manx, they're awesome. Oh yeah, Masarin, who we're playing with tonight at the Casbah...
Chris: When I went to school, I went out every night, whether it was finals or not. If you're listening and you're worried about finals, I say just go out, have a bunch of drinks, go to a show.
Jake: Right now, blow off finals and go start a band.
Chris: Oh totally. That's what I did.
Jake: It gets you far. It gets you into an Econoline van.
Chris: You can live in a van and be unemployed, and just rock. You know, that's what's the most important thing at this point, I think. And you can graduate or not, and still just get to rock. So, it doesn't matter how you do on your finals, cause you can still live in a van regardless.
Whole band: hahaha
Chris: That's my advice to the young people!

How did you guys get your name, I was reading the story on your website, could you tell us about that?
Sheetal: The legend is that we're named after a band of French anarchists. Luc Stratford and his merry followers, three of them, so there were four.
Jake: So if you're studying history, don't call in. Cause it's a "legend".
Chris: Don't spend all of your finals time trying to find out who Luc Stratford was.
Sheetal: You can just go to our website, which is stratford4.com and read the story.

How do you guys write your songs, is there one song writer or do you collaborate?
Sheetal: Well, Chris writes all the lyrics to the songs, cause he's the singer. As for music, and like germination of songs, we all sort of bring our own bits in. Sometimes one of us will bring something in and we'll just kinda jam on it, or just work it out together.

Where do you want to be headed in terms of popularity, like mainstream or indie?
Sheetal: I think we just want as many people to hear our stuff as possible, and if they dig it, cool, and if they don't, then at least they had the chance. I mean, when you put yourself into a box, and say 'well, I just want to stay indie,' you're kind of shutting yourself off from the possibility. And then if you're like, 'I want to be on Rolling Stone,' you're kind of being unrealistic, and you'll probably be disappointed. I don't think you should have a goal like that in mind, either way. You should just kind of play your music, and what happens happens.
Chris: But we would like to make like about a million bucks.
Jake: I'd just like to quit my day job really.

What do you guys do besides the band?
Sheetal: We work. I work for a non-profit in San Francisco. And that takes up too much of my time.
Chris: I was recently fired by Lonely Planet Publications for being inefficient. You think Lonely Planet's all cool and friendly and stuff, but...
Sheetal: They have good books. (sorry.)
Jake: We're gonna get sued by Lonely Planet.
Chris: Let 'em sue us.
Sheetal: Then maybe they'll hire Chris back.
Chris: No. I don't want to go back.... Yeah I think our greatest aspiration is just to be basically unemployed, but in the band, and having enough money to get by. So, what we would do in our day jobs...
Sheetal: Drive.
Chris: Yeah, we would drive from city to city, there's an aspiration.
Jake: But it wouldn't be like a 'friends forever' type of thing.
Chris: No. Hopefully not.

How is it being a mixed gender band, when most bands out there are all male?
Sheetal: I think it's great that we're half and half, because every other band I've been in has been all guys, and then me. This one just feels really balanced, like there's a good level of estrogen to testosterone, i guess. But, it's nice. Sometimes we play these shows and Andrea and I are the only women on stage at any point during the night. I think more girls should play music, so do it.
Jake: Blow off finals and get a guitar.
Chris: It's kinda strange though, cause since we've been on tour Sheetal and I have had to share a bed the whole time.
Whole band: hahaha
Jake: It's a platonic thing.... You'll have to excuse us. We've been up since about six this morning, we didn't get out of the gig till about one or two. So, we're a little giddy.
Sheetal: Stupid.
Chris: We're gonna be really good tonight at the Casbah. We're gonna be in fine form. The only show that we're gonna be better than that at is at Capitol Garage when we drive up to Sacramento tomorrow after playing in San Diego tonight. If you got a friend in Sacramento, maybe they're going to Sac State, they're a Hornet or something like that... you can call them and say like 'hey go see this band, cause they're gonna be just really crazy. Cause they haven't slept today, they ain't gonna sleep tomorrow, and then they got one last show.'

Sheetal: ...We have our debut cd called "The Revolt Against Tired Noises," on Jetset [records], and it's in stores now.

(looking out the studio window to the campus)
Chris: Can they see in here?
Everyone: Oh yeah!
Chris: It's like TRL man! Very TRL!
Jake: See, when you're a band on the road, you end up watching a lot of TRL. TRL is just like the highest form of entertainment when you're in a hotel room, after being in a van for like eight hours. Carson Daly is your friend, and all of the kids that are there, like they just freak out, they're giving their shouts out....
Chris: Wait you have to do your thing the right way...
Jake: I can't man...
Chris: Alright, you have to go: [high pitched voice] We're the Stratford 4
Whole band: AAAHAHAHAAAHAAHHHHHH!!!

website: www.stratford4.com