RV - How do you feel Appeal to Reason is different from your previous records, if at all?

TIM - Appeal To Reason is just a continuation of the same story we’ve been telling since our first record, we’re just becoming better and more effective storytellers I think.

RV - Musically, what is inspiring you right now, and what were you listening to when you made Appeal to Reason?

TIM - I was listening to a lot of Shades Apart and Cavelera Conspiracy while we were doing that record. I don’t know if that had anything to do with the songs, but it’s what I was rocking when I wasn’t listening to NPR. Right now I’m really inspired by the bands we are on tour with; Alkaline Trio, Thrice, and the Gaslight Anthem. I think Shepard Fairey’s artwork, and Banksy’s graffiti is pretty inspiring too.

RV - Is it difficult to maintain your vegan lifestyle on the road – especially on a festival tour like the Warped Tour? How do you keep up with your specific beliefs and needs in that kind of environment?

TIM - Actually, the Warped Tour is probably the easiest place to be vegetarian or vegan, since everyday you wake up and get in line at catering, and vegan and veggie options are just sitting there waiting for you. It doesn’t get any easier than that. The road gets a bit tougher, but it’s only become easier every year as meat-free diets become more popular and restaurants are trying to keep up with that change.

RV - When you are on the road and playing more conservative areas, do you ever have protesters or resistance from the community around your performances? How do you deal if that happens? Any interesting stories?

TIM - That’s never happened to us actually. There are sometimes a few voices of dissent in the audience, but we are a band that encourages dissent in all its forms.

RV - I did a series with Warped Tour bands and asked all of them this question so I want to ask you as well: What is the craziest thing that happened to you, or that you saw on the Warped Tour (either this year or previous years)?

TIM - I ended up in a kiddie pool in the middle of the night with Joan Jett and Fat Mike [of NOFX and Me First and the Gimme Gimmes] once. Nothing crazy happened, but it was one of those surreal moments.

RV - What are your tricks to avoid road-boredom?

TIM - I read a lot, take pictures, write, and ride my bike.

RV - Obama? McCain or Other? Why?

TIM - I’ve already cast an absentee ballot for Obama. He represents a fresh way of thinking, and we could use that. I don’t want a president who is going to ban gay marriage or jeopardize a woman’s right to choose, in addition to the many flawed parts of the McCain campaign.

RV - If other, do you think America will ever be able to rally to elect a qualified third party candidate?

TIM - I think the possibility certainly exists. I think eventually people will lift back the veil on the Republican Party and expose it for what it is, which is actually, despite its pro-American rhetoric, a threat to the American way of life. When that happens, a third party will become more popular.

RV - How, in your opinion, can Americans get involved to help activate real change in our world today?

TIM - If you trace back any sort of change, you’ll usually find a single or a handful of inspired people behind it. I think that’s important to remember.

RV - In political music, and political situations in general, there are a lot of people who speak about a point of view and spend all of their time “preaching to the choir” – like-minded people get together and participate in your concerts and events. How do you, as a politically charged band, feel you can cross that line and get your message to people who may not have the same views and further spread the message? How can your fans help?

TIM - We do lots of things to reach a broader audience. We made the switch to a larger label so as to have a bigger bullhorn to reach more people, and it’s worked. We play big radio fests to get out to people who wouldn’t normally come to our shows, and it’s worked. We get our songs placed in everything from video games to movies to reach a broader audience, and it’s worked to attract more attention to what we are doing. We are always trying to push the boundaries of where we belong or don’t belong.

That said, I think that there’s nothing wrong with going to a show of a band that you already agree with everything they have to say, and everyone in the audience is on the same page. It becomes a rally. It becomes the time in your week or month or year where you can sing and dance under the same roof as people who are cut from the same cloth as you. It can be a cathartic and re-invigorating experience. When Obama talks to 10,000 Obama supporters, I don’t think of it as “preaching to the choir”. I hear it as a rally cry.

Our fans have already been a great help simply by spreading the word, and we certainly appreciate that.

RV - At Warped Tour, you introduced the song “State of the Union” saying it was written about a bullshit war that is still raging today. Unfortunately, much of your music remains relevant along the same lines. If, by some miracle, your music was to no longer be relevant and things in the world were to work out, what would you write about?

TIM - I hope for that miracle everyday. But even though something like the Holocaust or the Nazi Regime is over, we still need teachers to teach it, so we don’t ever repeat the mistakes of the past. Someone will need to teach the future about the mistakes of the past to ensure they don’t happen again, so there will always be a place for that lesson, or for this band.

RV - Your current tour has some great acts - talk a little bit about the bands opening for you on this tour and how you connected with them.

TIM - I’ve been seeing Alkaline Trio since they first started in Chicago and they were playing veterans halls. I’ve played shows with them since I was in my teens in various bands, and this isn’t the first time we’ve toured with them. They’re an ideal band to tour with, and we’re lucky to be out with them. Thrice have been friends of ours too for a long time, since both of our first records. It’s great to finally share the road with them. Gaslight dudes are sweet, and they are pretty damn good live, so it’s been a treat to tour with them.

RV - Please insert anything else you’d like to share here:

TIM - Check out MeatsNotGreen.com and learn why meat is the number one cause of global warming. We have Peta2 on the road with us now fielding questions and talking to people. We’ve teamed with the Iraq Veterans Against The War as well which has been really educational and eye-opening for all of us. Thanks to everyone who has been making the tour such a success, and everyone who picked up the record, we’re glad you are diggin’ it. We can’t wait to bring the songs to the stage in a town near you.