PZO: What is one of the worst Christmas presents you have ever gotten?
Markuu: My grandfather gave me toilet paper, and I was like "Okay”. And that’s all I got, so it was like geez thanks.
PZO: <Laughs>
Markuu: Your expecting something cool, and it’s like, “Oh yeah, geez thanks grandpa.” And that’s all he gave me., oh well, fuck it he’s dead.

PZO: What is the best lesson you have ever learned?
Markuu: The best lesson? Don’t do drugs. Uh-oh someone’s blowing up <cell phone rings> Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Of course I did, and look what happened, we got signed.
PZO: And then you guys became famous.
Markuu: I don’t know about famous. But if we didn’t, who knows what I would be doing.

PZO: What is the worst thing you have ever done, and gotten away with?
Markuu: I don’t know, I’m actually a really decent person, so I don’t really do anything bad. I’m such a nice guy.
PZO: You have to of done something bad.
Markuu: Umm what have I done. I don’t know, what have you done?
PZO: Well, this isn’t about me this is about you. <laughs>
Markuu: Umm, I can’t remember, well I’ve cheated a little on the tax; no, we won’t go there.

PZO: Is there anything you detest about being on the road?
Markuu: Well, being on the road is a whole love hate situation anyways, you love it then you hate it and you don’t really get any free time at all. You’re surrounded by people constantly. It’s a love-hate kind of thing. The grass is always greener on the other side kind of thing. When you are on the road you want to be at home, and when you are at home a couple of days you can’t wait to go on the road again. It just kind of works that way.

PZO: What is the most embarrassing CD in your collection?
Markuu: What is an embarrassing CD? I don’t know, I like all my CD’s. I’m picky at music, so I pick what I like a lot. I don’t have anything really embarrassing.

PZO: What is one of your pet peeves?
Markuu: These are different questions then, "what does your band name mean?" That’s a pet peeve right there.
PZO: See we like to ask questions that aren’t normally asked.
Markuu: See that’s cool, most people are like, “So how long have you guys been playing?” That’s a pet peeve right there, “What does the band name mean?” and “So how are you guys associated with Incubus?” The redundant questions that all the interviewers keep asking us is a big pet peeve for all of us. Like the stupid questions, go on the website it’s all there you know, you don’t have to ask these questions. See your questions are kind of more like, "ohhh".
PZO: Have to think a little. Not the same answers.
Markuu: Yeah, I like that, someone actually thinks for once.

PZO: When you're in the studio, how much control do you get over the finished product? How open are you to other people's input?
Markuu: Well, on this album we had a lot of control, we went in pre-production pretty much all the songs were written, there wasn’t really too much changes. Most of the changes that we did with our producer was like, "Okay, try this different wording for Doug." The music was pretty much there, we had a lot of control. It’s always good to bounce off ideas off different people. When you do this for so long, having that third party give you some enlightenment is always really good. That’s what producers are kind of for, they’ll show you some stuff that you just kind of get in this same rut, I guess, this same way of playing, this same style. The producer or someone will be, “Well, hey try this” and like "oh yeah, that does sound good".

PZO: What is something you have always wanted to do, but have not done yet?
Markuu: Well, I haven’t been skydiving yet and that’s something. Skydiving is good. I would like to go to Tibet too, travel the world; different countries. We’ve been to Europe already and I’ve been to Japan which is really cool. I mostly like sports activities, rally racing, driving something like that enjoyable. I think I want to go skydiving pretty soon.
PZO: Yeah, I want to do that and Bungie-jumping.
Markuu: Bungie-jumping is a little freakier because skydiving you are so high up that’s it like, “Oh fuck it, I’ll just jump off.”
PZO: What if your parachute doesn’t open?
Markuu: Oh well, then you are shit out of luck and hopefully the second one will work.
PZO: <Laughs>
Markuu: But bungie-jumping you can actually see the ground and people going, “Ahhhhh” Kind of freakier.

PZO: What is the worst advice you have ever been given?
Markuu: Stay in school, go to college. For me at least, I am not a school person, and I couldn’t deal with school.
PZO: When did you drop out?
Markuu: I didn’t drop out actually, I went to a really good high school.
PZO: No, I mean college.
Markuu: Umm I went to college; I just took like music engineering, keyboard, underwater fire safety.
PZO: Underwater fire safety? <Laughs>
Markuu: Yeah, just like basket weaving 101, stupid classes. <Laughs> I’m just joking. No, I just took like engineering stuff like that. I don’t really have a degree or AA in college. I don’t think any of us...none of us do actually.
PZO: Really?
Markuu: Yeah, we’re just a bunch of dumb shits.
PZO: <Laughs>

PZO: What extreme sport would you love to try?
Markuu: Extreme. What is considered extreme, like synchronized swimming? Is that kind of extreme?
PZO: I don’t think that’s extreme.
Markuu: That’s not extreme, okay.
PZO: I don’t even think that’s a sport, is it a sport?
Markuu: I guess, they have it in the Olympics. <Everyone laughs> I don’t consider it. Bowling, extreme sport.
PZO: Race car driving.
Markuu: Yeah, race car driving
PZO: Dirt bike racing, I think that’s extreme.
Markuu: Yeah, you could break a limb or two in that.

PZO: What is one of your favorite lines in one of your songs?
Markuu: In our songs?
PZO: Uh-huh.
Markuu: I don’t know, what is a favorite line? Actually, I don’t really pay attention to the lyrics of what Doug sings.
PZO: <Laughs> That’s good.
Markuu: I'm more of a music person, I don’t really care about singers. Their all big egos and stuff, big swollen heads. I think Doug writes pretty cool stuff all around. I can’t really pick one.

PZO: If you bought a personalized license plate, what would be on it?
Markuu: Da shit. <Everyone laughs>
PZO: Pretty confident about yourself.
Markuu: Yeah, bling bling. I get high. <Everyone laughs> No. I don’t know what would be a good one. Personalized license plates are so corny I think. Oh look at me with my name on the car. What’s really creepy is when dads buy their daughters cars and sport like Cindy or whatever; I would be so embarrassed to drive that car. I don’t think I would have a personalized license.

PZO: What is the stupidest thing you have bought, that seemed like a good idea at the time?
Markuu: I’ve bought a lot of stupid stuff. <Laughs> Well, I bought my car. Well, I leased my car, which was kind of silly. Then we just got signed, so I am paying for this lease that I never get to drive the car.
PZO: What kind of car?
Markuu: Well, it was just a Ford Explorer, but I gave it to my sister so at least she gets to drive it around. I don’t get to drive a car anymore, we get the big bus. That was kind of a waste of money.

PZO: What event on your life had the greatest impact on you?
Markuu: Definitely getting signed. We were dreaming of getting signed and playing all our lives. Another thing is the Hemerstein after 9-11 we played like 4 days after with I guess, Incubus and we did like a benefit show and it was our first time in New York. It was an emotional time, so it went really well.

PZO: What song reminds you of your favorite person and why?
Markuu: I would say “To Be With You” it was kind of an emotional song I wrote on guitar actually, it was one of my songs. It is kind of an ex-girlfriend song, so it kind of brings up memories when I hear it. That’s track 11.
PZO: Track 11.
Markuu: Yeah, the sappy sad song on the album.

PZO: What is your favorite pick-up line?
Markuu: Hey, baby. I don’t know any, I don’t pick up. I’m the worst pick up guy there is, I don’t have any lines. I just go by my looks, I’m like, “What’s up, you want some of this?”
PZO: <Laughs>

PZO: What has been the best experience about touring?
Markuu: Neil. Neil, our new tour manager. He’s our new tour manager and he’s great. He’s great in bed and everything. He really knows how to work the tool.
Neil: Push the buttons.
Markuu: Yeah.

PZO: What is one thing you would not do no matter how much money you were offered?
Markuu: How much money though? I like a lot of money, money is good. Kill myself.
PZO: That is a good answer.
Markuu: I would pretty much do anything, maybe.

PZO: If you could see any band perform any song live what would it be?
Markuu: I like Faith No More’s version of, “Easy Like Sunday Morning”. Have you heard of that song?
PZO: Yeah.
Markuu: I like how he performs it, beautiful song. Like a love song.

PZO: What is one of the proudest moments in your life?
Markuu: Proudest moments. Tonight is going to be really proud if I can pull off this show because my back is really hurting really bad. I don’t know, giving birth.
PZO: Yeah that was tough on you I’m sure.
Markuu: Yeah, that was tough. Quitting my day job.
PZO: What did you do?
Markuu: I used to do like art direction for B movies and random construction work. So when I told them fuck off, it’s when I quit. I was like, "Woohoo!". That was the proudest moment in my life.

PZO: Is there a question that comes up in interviews that you are tired of being asked?
Markuu: Yeah, a lot of them. Just like what does the band name mean, and the association with Incubus, and do the O’s have any kind of meaning. Just the redundant questions that people ask the same time over and over and over again.
PZO: Any of our questions?
Markuu: No, actually you have really good questions. I’m suprised. This is like the best interview we’ve had with like good questions.