Superlatives
A Vulture series in which artists judge the best and worst of their own careers.
Save this article to read it later.
Find this story in your accountsSaved for Latersection.
The product, though, ended up being heavier.
But the song didnt fully come together until the band brought onanotherbreakout experimental-pop duo: 100 gecs.
It was such news to us, Foreman says of learning about his bands reach.
3OH!3 connected with 100 gecs through the producer benny blanco.
It was awesome to be able to connect the dots, Motte says.
Its all about rocking a party.
[Laughs] It was more about energy.
Thats one of my favorites.
It was just bodied.
Lonely Machines is the combination of those two worlds.
So Ill say COLORADOSUNRISE.
I dont think wed be sitting here if we didnt have the support, early on, of Colorado.
Its almost like an origin story.
It wasnt even a closed room, my other roommates could just see me there.
It just feels real to me.
- I feel like people can relate to feeling that way.
I agree, man.
To be on that stage on the other side of it was bizarre.
That opened my eyes.
And then 2008 Warped Tour was like our first tour, period.
Thats a fucking tour to go on as your first, cause its hot, its brutal.
- Wed show up to cities that wed never played and thered be a few hundred people there.
A few thousand, thats being generous.
[Laughs] No, there were.
And Katy [Perry] was on that tour; we got to be great friends with her.
Kind of organically, the guys who played with her on stage started playing with us.
Our stage was just a party, every day.
It was a collective, fun thing, where we just happened to be the guys curating the party.
That year was eye-opening, and the parties were crazy.
They provided a bridge for us on Warped Tour, stylistically.
By the end of the tour, we had the weirdest mishmash.
Like, everyone on tour was there.
Dirtiest synth line in a 3OH!3 song
N.M.: Uh, PUNKBITCH.
I was working in a [music editing] program called Reason.
Actually, for Lonely Machines, I dug back into it.
I was very inspired by heavy music.
The lead synth line in CHOKECHAIN goes crazy.
At the end of Lonely Machines, I had fun doing that too.
Worst criticism youve received
- S.F.
We got a zero.
N.M.: I think it might have beenKerrang!We got fucking trashed.
note:Kerrang!rates music out of five points].
Which is a badge of honor.
It was a perfect mix of the stuff that we listened to.
I think Radiohead were headlining, so it was amazing to even be part of it.
We were playing this dance tent, and we got that review.
I think the previous year, Panic!
at the Discogot bottledoff the stage.
And we were like, We agree!
[Laughs]
- N.M.: Youve got a point, were not going to fight you on that.
Were not Radiohead.
Best moment from 3OH!3 Day 2020
- S.F.
Our fans are amazing in the sense that theyll travel.
I think the magic [of being a 3OH!3 fan] is there isnt a jot down.
He opened, along with Breathe Carolina, and theyre actually hometown.
It just feels very homey.
N.M.: That collective feel, its very tangible in Colorado.
In Colorado, theres this humble quality that were part of something.
Its not really our thing to give to anyone.
And thats what we want 3OH!3 to be.
Were just two people in that crowd, and thats what it felt like.
It was just an honest song.
That was a much different process, but equally as rewarding.
Working with other people for other artists adds to our creative plot.
Theres frustrations that come with either side of them, and they counterbalance each other a little bit.
- Then with our band, its a lot more conducive to writing and releasing music.
Uhhh [thinking about the question], for other people?
Yeah, how it was created was amazing.
We were in the studio with Ariana Grande; Matt Squire at the time was executive-producing her album.
And I forget, you were running late that day or something, man.
N.M.: Yeah, I had the good fortune.
note:Motte co-produced the song.
- Its like you guys worked with her and allowed her to do what she wanted to do.
That was like a true, in-the-moment creation.
And obviously, she could sing the alphabet or the dictionary and get a standing ovation with her voice.
Seeing our creation take on a life of its own has been pretty amazing.
Weirdest place youve heard your music
N.M.: We were onTRL.
Remember the first time?
We were on a day off, like 2008 Warped Tour.
In a hotel, there were like 12 of us, just exhausted, trying sleep.
The music video for song HOLLERTILYOUPASSOUT was onTRL, and that was pretty crazy.
We grew up watching Carson Daly.
N.M.: Thats pretty sad and pathetic.
We should do a whole tour where we just do our own karaoke at bars.
[Laughs]
S.F.
N.M.: I think when we really burn out, and like
S.F.
N.M.: Yeah, were close.
But when our flame is really burned out, I think wed do that.
Best word to describe your new music
S.F.
The thing thats tied hand to hand with that is those live shows.
Obviously those things are very much out of focus now, when we cant have live music.
[But] its nice to venture to have a purpose of bringing people together.
