The Neighbourhood and MS MR, who are both releasing their debut albums this year, took some time out from touring to be your Agony Uncles and Aunt this Valentine’s Day, as well as set some rumours straight. By Angela Allan.
What are some misconceptions people make about you?
Bryan Sammis of The Neighbourhood: If you saw me and you saw him [points to fellow band mate Jesse Rutherford], this is a misrepresentation of the band, because we are the only two that look like this [almost completely covered in tattoos]. People see us and think we’re some hardcore band or a rapper. But if you listen to the music, you’d never think we’d have tattoos.
What are some things people don’t know about you?
Lizzy Plapinger of MS MR: Max has an incredible palette for food. He has caviar, and stuff, but isn’t pretentious about it, he will come eat at Micky D’s with me.
Max Hershenow of MS MR: Lizzy definitely has this grungy, gritty edge that doesn’t always come through because we are making pop music, but she’s so badass, and I envy that. She’s so on!
What’s the weirdest rumour you’ve heard about yourself?
Lizzy: We are always asked if we’re in a relationship or we’re brother and sister. If we were two boys doing this or even two girls, no one would care, it wouldn’t even be a point of discussion. But we are neither dating nor siblings.
Max: The other thing is too, the homosexual male and the heterosexual female is a classic relationship right throughout the ages, and no one ever guesses that right off the bat.
Jesse Rutherford of the Neighbourhood: [Our rumour is] more of an exaggeration, but it’s true in a way. One of my favourite restaurants back home uses two fonts I don’t like and they use Papyrus and Comic Sans font on their menus, it’s become kind of a joke with us now, that I wouldn’t eat at that restaurant because of the font. I think it was more like, if we had two options of two restaurants where their menu was in Papyrus and the other was in Helvetica, we’d go to the one that’s in Helvetica, but only if they have great food and hire a good graphic designer!
Bryan: I really like Wingdings.
Kristy Wandmaker asks, “Can your soul mate be a platonic friend?”
Lizzy: Yes.
Max: Yes… Yes [turns to Lizzy] so, yes? I think it’s sometimes easier for your soul mate to be a platonic friend.
Bryan: I don’t think someone being your soul mate and being your wife is mutually exclusive. I don’t think you can just have one.
Jesse: Yeah, I agree. I think all my friends are my soul mates.
Bryan: My brother and I were never at home at the same time, apart from when I was a freshman and he was a senior. Besides that, he is a friend and someone I can talk to. He is definitely my soul mate.
Omar Soliman asks, “With Valentine’s Day coming up what’s the best way for singletons to avoid the charade apart from hiding in a bunker?”
Bryan: For me, in the past, I’ve attended anti-Valentine’s Day parties, which essentially is in the US, like, ‘hey single people, come meet other single people.’
Jesse: I think Valentine’s Day is way better when you’re single, the idea of it kind of bugs me. This is coming from someone who has been relationships many times while Valentine’s Day is happening. I’m not saying because I’m single right now I’m gonna go out and do something crazy because I’m single, but if you are single, it’s a way easier way to flirt.
Bryan: I’m not sure if I support it because it’s a forced way of showing someone you care, rather than doing it on your own. I’m not necessarily a fan of it, but I’ve been in situations where I feel that way, but the girl I’m seeing feels differently about it. I do end up giving into it because it means something to someone else.
Lizzy: I’m so anti-Valentine’s Day, I feel one of the things you could do is go to a bar and have a drink by yourself, and be all like, up yours! One of my boyfriends asked me if I should do something for Valentine’s Day, I was like, “I’m literally offended that you think I’m that kind of girl!”
Max: I think, growing up, one of my friends was Kelly and she had a horse farm and her birthday was on Valentine’s Day and she always had a big birthday party that was Valentine’s Day themed, but not couples-oriented…
Lizzy: So go to Kelly’s birthday?
Max: Yes, make friends with Kelly.
Lizzy: Oh, a traffic-light party! I always wanted to attend those in college. I’m into that idea.
Max: I like the explicit of it being out there, so you know who’s available and who’s not.
Lizzy: Yeah, but then I’m classic case of I want what I can’t have, so then when I see a guy who’s wearing red…
Ryan asks, “How do I find my ideal girl?”
Bryan: Tell him to add a ‘B’ to the front of his name, that’s how.
Jesse: Yeah, I like that answer.
Bryan: Oh, and join a band. I have friends of mine over the years, and Jesse was already the quiet guy at school that no one really noticed and then he goes to this party and he will play guitar and sing in a band, and afterwards, I can’t get two minutes with him – guys and girls want to talk to him – he is like, the hit of the party. But I’m the drummer, so maybe change your name to Bryan but be a singer and a guitarist in a band.
Lizzy: But I’m always all about the drummer!
Max: Lizzy loves drummers. She was a also a drummer before too.
Lizzy: His ideal girl should be a drummer!
Max: Drummers are good in bed…
Lizzy: It’s the strength and the stamina… And the rhythm. He should pick a girl who is a drummer for the strength, stamina and rhythm!
Max: Drummers mottos should be “for strength, stamina and rhythm, date a drummer”.
Dave asks, “What’s the appropriate length of time to allow before farting in front of a girl you’re dating?”
Lizzy: No, never. Never! I think it’s disgusting. I’m so crude in so many other areas of my life, but when it comes to farting or poop talk, no, no, no! None of it.
Max: But when it comes to burping, including burping into the microphone, she makes a big deal about it. For me, farting is kind of gross, but if it happens, it happens.
Jesse: The first girl I was ever in love with and we were like, 15. I was sitting on her lap and I was like, “Do you love me?” She was like, “What do you mean?” I was like, “Do you love me?” And she was like, “Uh…Yeah,” and then I farted on her. She was like, “Oh my God!” We weren’t even together that long.
Bryan: I don’t even fart around my friends that much. I don’t like farting in front of people in general. For me, it would be a while. I don’t know. I don’t like to fart around my friends…
Jesse: No, you don’t, you weirdo.
Bryan: …But I guess if you do, it shouldn’t be a dealbreaker.
Jesse: You’ll get past a certain barrier with a person. Like with my last girlfriend, I never ever I would do cutesy, lovey-dovey talk with anyone, even with her, I never thought it would get to that level, even as much as I really liked her from the very beginning, I never thought it would be like that. Then I realised it got there and then after you get to that level, you can move onto the farting stage.
What are the best and worst things to do with Valentine’s Day?
Bryan: Trying to make a dinner reservation on that day. And for gifts, something that is thoughtful and not by the book.
Jesse: You can do a dinner and a movie, but it’s what you do after the dinner and the movie, it’s like, what happens when you take her back to your house, that’s when it pays to be different.
Bryan: Or, take her to where you met her. With my old girlfriend, we use to go a specific lifeguard tower on her favourite beach and I would order her favourite sushi and then I had a friend set up candles and sushi and have them set that up for me, then I would take her down to the beach.
Jesse: That’s awesome! I need to do that sometime in my life.
So, should you write a song for a girl you’re dating for Valentine’s Day?
Jesse: No!
Bryan: No, that’s so corny.
What are some good anti-Valentine’s Day songs?
Lizzy: You Ought To Know by Alanis Morisette.
Max: Yeah, the Jagged Little Pill album, you don’t need a playlist, it’s all right there.
Angela Allan
Angela Allan is founder and editor of Soot Magazine. She is an award-winning journalist, conversion copywriter and digital marketer . Angela loves her three dogs, blues music, and she believes Stevie Nicks from Fleetwood Mac is her spirit sister. Follow her on Instagram here.
Follow Me:
