Phantom Planet are a pop band who have won over a lot of fans here in Southern California with their extremely infectious music. They've been in the serious rock press as well as called the "cute band of the month" by Teen Magazine. Highwire Daze had a chance to talk with the members of Phantom Planet a few months ago prior to an opening gig for Dishwalla. Read on and find out what you're missing!

Highwire Daze: Introduce yourself, what you do in Phantom Planet, and tell the world about the strangest CD you own.

Sam Farrar: My name is Sam Farrar, I play bass and sing. The strangest CD -- I have every 311 CD and that's pretty odd.

Alex Greenwald: My name is Alex Greenwald -- I sing and play guitar. And weirdest CD? Neil Norman's Greatest Science Fiction Hits Volume 2.

Jacques Brautbar: My name is Jacques Brautbar and I play guitar and sing. And my weirdest CD would be this Ethiopian CD my mom brought me back from Israel. That's pretty weird.

Darren Robinson: My name is Darren Robinson and I play guitar in the band. And my weirdest CD would be Dr. Octagon -- he's like a rapper slash weird guy.

Jason Schwartzman: Hi, Jason Schwartzman, I'm the drummer and I have a tape. The weirdest tape I have is called "Shut Up You Dirty Old Man." One guy is gay and one guy is straight -- they are in their 70's and they just yell at each other and it's great!

HD: Describe the music of Phantom Planet to someone who has never heard it before.

Alex: Imagine Edgar Allen Poe's stories coming to life meeting with The Who, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, David Bowie, Simon And Garfunkel, Kraftwerk and the MPC from Tron -- and getting together and having a pool party on top of the highest building -- hosted by Stanley Kubrick.

Jason: Or you could say just rock!

HD: What makes Phantom Planet different from other bands?

Darren: Our music.

HD: That's way to easy! Try again.

Alex: Well, we have three guitar players at the same time, which is kind of rare. And three vocals. We've got good melodies, reminiscent of 60's pop.

Darren: And we have a good live show!

Alex: We're a movement! We just need followers!

Jason: Just come find us!

HD: What are some of the subjects you tend to write about in the songs?

Alex: For the last record, it was about relationships in high school, and just how messed up that weird thing is surrounding everybody ethereally. Like you've just gotta fit in and if you don't, then you're an outcast. These days with the new songs, we're writing about certain experiences that have more feeling and emotion to them.

Sam: And alienation, isolation, emancipation, assimilation, emaciations...

Jason: Sleep, TV, happpiness...

Jacques: ...and girls!

HD: So if you guys weren't in Phantom Planet right now, what would you be doing with all of your free time?

Jason: I guess I'd be at home right now watching TV. I'd be cooking chicken.

HD: Would you be successful though?

Jason: At cooking chicken? I'm a very successful chicken cooker. I'm so good I could make anything taste like chicken -- even Apple Jacks!

Darren: I don't know where I'd be. I'd probably still be in school and pick some kind of subject -- stick with it, go all the way with it -- get some kind of degree. I'd still play guitar but I'd have to take something else more seriously than music. But I'd still try to pursue music somehow.

Jacques: I'd probably be in a band -- just some other band that I'd happen to be in, because I love music and that's all I know how to do well. Oh, but that's not true though!!!

Alex: I'd either be in a band -- I think we can all agree on that. Or I'd be doing weird, crazy electronic music and acoustic guitar sh*t.

Sam: I'd probably go to art school because I like drawing and writing.

HD: So with merger mania going on between your label Geffen and a ton of other labels, where does than leave you guys?

Alex: We're on Interscope now.

HD: When can we expect the new Phantom Planet album?

Alex: Early 2000.

Darren: We're in the process of writing the next record. We're kind of in a pre-production state. We're slowly going into that "get into the studio and record" mode. And it's a slow process. Hopefully, we'll finish it and get on tour.

If you don't have it yet, go out and acquire a copy of PHANTOM PLANET IS MISSING -- it's cool alternative pop that will stay in your head for ages. And don't forget to check out RUSHMORE on video, starring Phantom Planet drummer Jason Schwartzman!!!

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