Alius Spero

SSM: What made you guys decide to form the band?

Dave: He [Zack] met me in jr. high

Zack: I played guitar and I was in a home ec. Class and I saw a folder with a picture of a bass on it and I thought I knew the kid, so I found him one day in the hallway and I was like “Hey you play the bass?” And he was like “yeah,” And I was like “you should play sometime.”

Dave: and he was a cool kid, and I was a total dork so I was like “Oh, my gosh”

Zack: He had these big bottle glasses.
Dave: It was so cool.

Zack: He had braces and. . .
Dave: And then we found this guy [Brian] like a year and a half ago and. . .

Zack: Which is a crazy story.

Dave: Yeah, we’ve been through like five drummers over the past three or four years

Zack: He played a town show for us like when he could barely even play the drums we like taught him. He didn’t even have a drum set. We taught him how to play two songs just so he could make it through the set. And so we did that and then he like disappeared for a year and we had this kid named Jake be our drummer. And then a year later Brian called us back and was like, “Hey, you should hear me play the drums now, I’m pretty good” and we were like yeah right, whatever but then he showed up and like blew us away.

Dave: It was amazing.

Zack: And then it turned out the Jake and Brian were brothers.

Dave: You know about that story?

Zack: You don’t know that story?

Brian: theres a story for ya

Dave: Okay, well we had Jake drum for us and then we had him come back and he was so much better than he was before, ya know what I mean, and so we had to tell Jake the bad news and he was furious

Zack: And then I was working with him in Falmouth, restoring Highfield, and ah Jake called me up and was like “Hey, I found out I have a brother” and I was like “That’s cool” Then he called me back like an hour later and he was like “He’s eighteen and he lives in Falmouth.” And I’m like, that’s cool ya know. Then he’s like “and his name’s Brian Latimer.” And I’m like, “I’m working with Brian Latimer.”

Dave: They’re brothers and they just met by accident, through us.

Zack: They were both adopted at birth and never knew each other.

Dave: And that’s how we formed our band.

SSM: How did you guys come up with the name Alius Spero?

Dave: That’s him [Zach] again. I’m not partaking in this, genius.

Zack: I was in Latin I when I came up with the name I was just our Latin class was like you don’t even have to pay attention in it to like, get an A so I was just like zoning ya know and I was sitting there just looking through the back of the book just looking at words and I saw those two words and I thought they sounded cool together, so. . .

Dave: But the best part is. . .

Zack: No don’t even tell

Zack: Should we?

Dave: The best part is, Alius Spero They’re both nouns like Another Hope, but he looked in the dictionary and ya know he saw Spero but it really, it’s a verb it’s I Hope

Zack: Yeah, it means another I hope. Instead of Another hope. So I translated it wrong because I was in Latin I.

Dave:  But no one knows.

Zack: It’s just weird.

Dave: But we just tell everyone it means another hope to keep it simple and make him not look stupid.

Zack: So that’s how we came up with the name.

SSM: How long have you guys been together as a group?
Zack: Like three or four years.

Dave: When I was in seventh grade….no.. halfway through seventh grade; so four and half years, me and him [Zach]. And he [Brian] came in a year ago.

Zack: Brian’s the man so it doesn’t matter. He’s been here forever in our hearts.

Brian: That’s just weird.

SSM: In ten years, where do you want Alius Spero to be?

Dave: Everywhere. All over. We’re like shooting for the stars. I mean some bands are like just playing in high school for fun they know they’re not going to. . .But we like, we have a passion for it

SSM: You want to get signed?

Brian: Yeah, we basically don’t want to work for the rest of our lives.

Zack: We want to be a band, MTV if that puts it simply.

All: Yeah

Dave: And some bands just want to be on an indie and that would be cool too. I mean just to make a living out of it is good enough for us but if we became famous, well that’s cool too.

Brain: Yeah, that’d be cool.

Zack: That’d be weird.

SSM: If you could work with anyone in the music business, who would you want to work with?

Dave: Do you mean like musician or producer?

SSM: Anything, anybody at all.

Brian: I don’t know anybody.

Dave: Blink 182

Zack : Why?

Dave: Because, they’re awesome. That’s what made me start.

Zack: They’re not even together anymore.

Dave: I know.

SSM: That’s not the point.

Zack: Okay so pick one.

Dave: That’s a hard one.

Zack: Tom?

Dave: Yeah, either Mark or Tom. What do you think Brian?

Brian: I don’t know. . .the drummer for Angels and Airwaves or Travis             

Dave: How about you?

Zack: I don’t know anyone.

Brian: Jimmy Hendrix?

Zack: No, cause I don’t even like playing the guitar.

Dave: you could be one of those singers like Josh Groban or whatever

SSM: If you could perform on any tv show, what would you want to be on?

Brian: MTV Cribs.

Dave: You don’t even perform on that show.

Zack: I suppose you could.

Dave: That’s a hard one.

Zack: The OC.

Zack: Nah, just joking.

Dave: Do you mean actually perform on or just get our song on?

SSM: Either one.

Brian: I’d probably say VH1

Dave: TRL is getting too stupid

SSM: Out of all the songs you’ve done to date, which one’s your favorite?

Brain: Favorite musically or. . .

Dave:  you don’t even know the lyrics, so music is just it for you.

Zack: I’d have to say our newest one. . . .Everything. Just because it’s so much fun.

Dave: How about you?

Brian: I’d say either DC song or,

Zack:  yeah DC’s very good musically.

Brian: Yeah, that’s it.

Dave: So just that one.

Zack: What about you?

Dave: I kind of like…. I want to go for It’s Been Too Long just because it’s so like. . .it’s like the perfect song I think. No, out of all my songs, that one’s the most like. . . there’s more meaningful, there’s more better drums I mean it’s well rounded. It’s probably not my favorite lyrically – Everything is.

SSM: If you could tour with anyone who would you want to tour with?

Zack: Like right now?

Brian: Angels and Airwaves

Zack: Yeah, that’s what I was going to say. It’d be fun to tour with Angels and Airwaves.

Dave: Maybe Switchfoot, but probably Angels and Airwaves

Brian: I think Angels and Airwaves would be more fun.

Dave: Yeah, that’s the final answer.

SSM: If you could hear your song being played on any one of the major radio stations, which one would you want it to be on?

all: WBRU

Dave: That one’s not even major. That one’s like college

Brian: WBRU plays good music.

SSM: What goes through your mind when you’re performing?

Brian: I hope I don’t screw up.

Zack: Yeah, that is so you.

Zack: Um, what button do I push next?

Dave: Yeah you saw him, he’s got so many buttons to push,

Zack:  and the big pedal and the other pedal and the other pedal. And my whole keyboard so I worry about buttons all the time.

Dave: I just like to look at everyone and I’ll be like yeah I know them. Ya know, I want to make sure I see everyone, everyone’s face that’s there. That’s probably not going to last very long, if we get out big. But right now I just want to try to look in everyone’s eyes at least once just to make sure

Zack: Yeah cause you look up and realize that everyone’s there for you, that’s cool.

SSM: Is there a specific show that you have done that sticks out in your mind as more fun or memorable?

All: This last one; the Sons of Italy Show [7/8/06].

Dave: It wasn’t that fun to set up but when we actually played it it was unbelievable.

Brian: Yeah it really was.

Zack: The biggest crowd came at the time when we played

Dave: We were the headliners, so just knowing that they were there for us.

But setting up was horrible. Cause some of the bands were whinny like “I wanna play more.” And stuff like that. But once we were up there, it was just perfect you just couldn’t ask for more.

SSM: If you could have any super power, which super power would you want?

Brian: That is a hard one.

Dave: He’d probably want like razors for fingers or something.

Zack: So I could shave my legs?

Dave: Brian would probably want the being able to see through walls and stuff.

Dave: You’ve already got the super strength. What more do you want?

Zack: I’d pick flying.

Dave: Yeah, flying is pretty cool.

Zack: Like Superman.

Zack: That would just be too cool.

Dave: Yeah, something like superman, because Spiderman, he doesn’t really have too much going for him

Zack: Being immortal would probably get old.

Brian: Probably just to be fearless.

Dave: Okay.

Dave: I’ll go with flying.

Zack: That’s lame, you picked what I picked.

Dave: Fine. I want to see through wooden doors.

Zach and Brian:  Only wooden ones?

Dave: Like xray cat in that Tom Green movie?

Zack: What are you talking about?

SSM: If you could magically be given any talent, what talent would you want to get?

Dave: I want to see through wooden doors.

Brian: I’d like to be organized.

Dave: It’s not really that hard.

Brian: I mean it’s kind of fun not being. . .but it would be nice.

Dave: Like day to day when I see different people, like I always want that talent on that day. Ya know like that’d be so cool. Like you doing back flips off the bridges and I’m like that’d be pretty cool. Then the next day I’m like ehhh, whatever.

Zack: I think I’d like to be able to play golf. Cause I suck at golf so bad. That’s gotta be like the number one thing that I’m worst at is golf.

Brian: Mini golf’s awesome.

Zack: I suck at mini golf too though.

Dave: I want a talent that everyone would be like that’s really cool.

Zack: Okay I got one.

Dave: What?

Zack: I’d like to be talented in a band.

Brian: Wow that was original.

Zack: That would be good wouldn’t it. If you could be talented like a drummer., all of a sudden.

Brian: I’d probably just want to be really really spastic at pogo sticking.

Dave: Oh, yeah that’d be ridiculous.

Zack: Like the guy in Boston, on the ladder? That’s a talent.

Zack: So pogo sticking Dave that’s yours or is that Brian?

Dave: No that’s mine.

Zack: What’s Brian’s?

Brian: I don’t know. Ballet?

Zack: Quick, move on so he can’t change his answer.

SSM: What is one thing you couldn’t live without?

Dave: Mountain Dew, for him.

Brian: Yeah, I couldn’t live without it I’d probably have withdrawl symptoms.

Brian: How about you Zach?

Zack: A razor.

Dave: That’s a good answer.

Zack: Imagine if I didn’t ever shave. That’d be bad.

Brian: You’d look like big foot.

Dave: I couldn’t live without my brain.

Zack: I thought you were going to say Bible.

Dave: Yeah, that would be pretty bad.

Dave: I’d say this band. . .

Zack: That’s true.

Dave: But I’d be smart enough to. . .

Zack: You’d just go single. Solo.

Brian: The Dave Place Band.Dave Place and the losers that’s what you’d call it.

Dave: I don’t even know what the question was anymore

Zack: What’s one thing you couldn’t live without?

Dave: I’d say, cell phone. I’m so organized. Like I called both of you up three times today. just  To make sure. Cause I’m like a wicked organized anal person  So if I don’t have my cell phone. . . especially Like when I’m talking to people I’m like you need to be here at this time. It’s perfect.. But when I can’t reach them it sucks.

SSM: If you could meet anyone, alive or dead, who would you choose and why?

Zack: Mozart.

Dave: Really?

Zack: Yeah, just cause he’s nuts. I mean how many other people can write like with both hands. He could write music with his left hand and his right hand at the same time. Two different  pieces. Imagine like what is going on in that guys mind.

Dave: Which one does he look at?

Dave: How about you Brian?

Brian: Probably Ghandi. Cause I’ll tell you it would just be so cool.

Dave: I can see you with Ghandi.

Brian: We’d both just be sitting there like.

Dave: Yeah you wouldn’t even talk. You’d just look at each other.and be like “ You hungry?” “ Nah, I’m not either.”

Brian: I don’t eat. I’m starving myself on purpose Actually no I’d be like dude you’ve gotta eat something.

Zack: You’d talk him into having a cheeseburger wouldn’t you?

Brian: I probably would.

Dave: I wanna meet JC.

Zack: Who’s that?

Dave: Chasez. No just kidding, Jesus Christ. Not only is he like he’s the man,

He’s like the most famous person on earth, literally.