What have you been up to for the past few years?

We’ve been mainly touring around and finishing working on this record, which has been delayed a few times due to a changing of record labels.

When were the songs for Freak Magnet written?

Most of the songs were written around three or four years ago, with a few very recent ones included as well.

It’s the end of the millennium. Who would be your choice for artist of the century?

[Laughs] I don’t know.

Feel free to name two or three, if you must.

Well, Frank Sinatra would have to be the singer. The composer would be Pierre Henry. The instrumentalist would be a tie between John Coltrane and Jimi Hendrix.

Have they been influences of yours?

I haven’t been influenced by Sinatra, but it’s true that he’s the definitive singer of the century. I mean, he beats the hell out of Shania Twain.

True. Well, what do you think about modern pop music?

I think that there’s room in the world for all kinds of music. I like music that’s sincere and comes from some sort of longing or desire on the part of the musician rather than music that has been designed for mass consumption. Sometimes sincere music ends up being consumed by the masses, and I don’t see anything wrong with that, but I’m not into the commercial music as a rule.

If it was up to you, would you want “Blister in the Sun” to be the song by which Violent Femmes are remembered?

I don’t think it’s possible to sum up any serious or quality performer by one song, but it usually ends up being done that way. I definitely don’t think it’s our best song.

Even though it’s a ridiculous question, do you have a favorite song from your repertoire?

Well, there are plenty of good ones. Songs like “Kiss Off,” and “Add It Up,” both from the first album, are both better than “Blister In The Sun.” Probably the best song we have is “Never Tell,” which was on Hallowed Ground.

So were you surprised when “Blister In The Sun” became so successful?

No, it’s very catchy and has a lot going for it. It’s certainly not the only thing we’ve ever done, though. Over the years, it’s become more important than it was in the beginning.

In your biography, it said that you play an instrument called the didgeredoo. What exactly is that?

It’s an Australian instrument. It’s a log that’s been hollowed out by termites that you play using a technique called circular breathing.

Hmm. How did you find that?

Well, we were touring through Australia a lot and I kept seeing people playing these things, so I decided to pick one up.

How many instruments do you play?

Any amount, because they’re all related. Once you learn how to play a few, you can play them all.

Are you involved with the Violent Femmes website (www.vfemmes.com)?

Well, I write most of the content for it. Gordon doesn’t do anything for it; he has an active phobia of the internet. He’s afraid that people are going to pry into his personal life and find out what he’s doing. He consequently refuses to have anything to do with it. He’s not able to see that even if his privacy does get invaded, it’s not the internet’s fault. It’s like saying, “Sometimes cars collide, so I’m never going to get into one.”

Well, I'm sure he'll appreciate the extensive coverage of the Violent Femmes on our website!