Wonka Vision's Interview with David Soloway

Interview taken from "Wonka Vision." Issue #7 October 1999.

(W)Lets start by introducing yourself and your biggest accomplishment in life?

(D)My name is David Soloway, I play guitar in Saves The Day and my biggest accomplishment in life is... I don't know. I don't really think I've accomplished that much yet, but if I had to say something, it would probably be music.

We spoke a few months ago about the direction of Saves The Day. There has been a very good response to your first record. Where do you see the band in the next few years?

Yeah, the response really has been great. Well, we've all left school to do this band full-time, ya know, touring, etc... So we're basically gonna give it all we've got, and we feel confident that we can get pretty far. People joke with us that we just want to be rock stars, but there is a bit of truth to that. We're kids, know? We'd all love to see our faces in Spin or some shit like that, but we want to come by it honestly, through our music, which we all really believe in.

You guys left college, not high school, correct?

Correct, we are aged 18 to 20.

But you guys are so smart and young. Do you think you are setting a good message for other kids by taking off of school?

Well, we all have this opportunity (the band) that we probably won't ever have again. We all plan to go back to school. But to answer your question, if someone's got something hey really want to do, then I don't think it's so bad to take a break from school. It's not for everybody.

So how do you feel about being the skinniest band in the world?

I don't know. It's great, I guess.

Does it help with the women situation?

Not so well it seems. I mean some of us have girlfriends, but I've been single for more than a year, and not by choice.

I don't wanna hurt any feelings but the rumor is that you guys went though drastic changes.

A few of you had spikey hair and traded it in for sweaters? We got older! (feelings not hurt) As far as I know, there hasn't been any spikey hair for about four years now.

I think a lot of kids into you guys are all about the personal lyrics. Its almost like you can feel Chris's voice and pain when he sings. What do you think about this? what element do you think he adds to the band?

Chris's voice and lyrics are, without a doubt the most important part of this band. His openness and poignancy are the main reason that I'm so into the possibility of us getting bigger... I wish everyone could hear what he has to say in these songs, it's really amazing shit.

If there were two bands you could tour with, one being female band, one a male band, who would it be?

Well, realistically speaking, I'd have to say the Donnas and Jets to Brazil... They're in our ballpark (sort of...) But fantastically speaking, like fucking amazing would be Madonna and Radiohead. I fucking love Radiohead.

I understand that there is a very strong sense of friendship between you guys, it seems apparent on stage and the way you interact with one another. Is this because you don't have any other friends?

Sure, we have other friends. But we see each other a lot, for band stuff etc... We all get along real well. Plus, most of us were friends way before the band ever happened.

Why do you feel you have a better shot at making it big than any other band out there?

The lyrics play a big part in that. I feel like we've got a lot of heart as a band. And, sure I'll brag; I think our songs are much better than a lot of other stuff that'ts out there. We've really got something to say, and I think we say it well.

On the front cover of this issue everyone looks sad, even Bryan pointed that out. Also there is a very present melancholy feeling on "Can't Slow Down", why do you think this is and do you feel the same?

I don't know... That's a good question. To be honest, with the picture, I think it might simply be the whole pouty, sad, model, hot, sexy thing that we did cause we want to look cool, even though it's stupid shit.

As far as Can't Slow Down is concerned...a lot of the songs in there are pretty sad, because they're about growing up and relationship and stuff like that, which can be really sad sometimes.

I see you guys put out an acoustic album. Can you tell us about it?

Well, as you know, there's one acoustic song on Can't Slow Down, and we wanted to expand on that. The acoustic stuff isn't like our main thing, but it's definitely part of the band and we all really like it.

In a world where punk rockers and the like are spiteful of the rich and don't particularly dress too well, what is your vantage point growing up in Princeton, New Jersey?

I don't know, I don't really think about it too often. You know what, in the end though, I don't really think it matters. We hear a lot of stuff like "Oh those kids in Saves The Day are a bunch of rich brats" but it's just jealousy, know? Sure our parents help us out sometimes, whose don't?

What is the most important thing to you as a kid playing music, growing up in the 90's, doing your own thing, in a world that lies in front of us? Both on a personal level and a political level?

I've always had this dream that at some point in my life I would be able to say something that everybody would hear, know? Well, I'm sort of doing that through the band. I really believe in what we're doing and what we say through our music, and if that changes things just a little itty bit, makes the world just a touch more 'saves the day' then I'll be happy.

What is the worst thing and the sweetest thing that a girl has ever done to you?

The worst thing would have to be back in seventh grade. I was dating an eighth grader and I though I was all hot shit, know. But then I went to a school dance with her and she was drunk and was acting all mean to little naive me so I dumped her. So for like a month after that she'd get drunk with her friends and leave really obscene messages on my answering machine and curse at my parents and shit. It was pretty crazy. I was only thirteen! The best thing would have to have been this girl Rachel who I dated for like a year when I was a senior in high school. She's an artist, so for my eighteenth birthday she made a painting of the two of us hugging. It was really incredible.

Alright last question...not really a question but imagine you are given your voice...you are now...what would you like to say to the 5000 people who pick up this magazine? 5000 people?! I'd say come see Saves The Day and I'll give you all a kiss!