The Maxies kick off their tour with Paul Collins’ Beat this week. (Paul Silver/Contributed Image)
The masked men of The Maxies, the pop-punk band that claims to be from Greenland that mysteriously relocated to the Inland Empire, are releasing a new split 7-inch record with Paul Collins’ The Beat. The two bands are also touring together this month.
They stop at The Void in San Diego on Wednesday, Oct. 2 and The Dial in Murrieta on Thursday, Oct. 3. On Friday, Oct. 4, The Maxies will play the Constellation Room in Santa Ana with Teenage Bottlerocket, The Queers and The Copyrights while The Beat will be at The Wheelhouse in Hemet with The Walking Toxins.
Here’s what Maxies’ leader Maximum Maxie had to say about the new split, touring and zoos via an e-mail interview.
Q: How did the split 7″ with Paul Collins and The Beat come about?
A: The Maxies being the amazing band that we are wooed Paul Collins (The Beat-The Nerves) while playing a show with them at a local concert venue VLHS. After the show Paul and I spoke and the conception of a tour and split 7” began. I mean how lucky can ones band be? The Beat now has a release with the greatest band ever from Greenland and The Maxies get to grace some vinyl with a power pop legend. It works for us both!
Q: You both have songs with the word “Baby” in the title on the release. Coincidence or is it required for all power-pop splits?
A: Funny you asked that. Paul Collins is the Godfather of power pop and you would expect that kind of title from him, but from The Maxies? Really? The title of The Maxies tune “Baby I Love You” came when we were recording right here in Riverside at Mind Control Studios. I was talking on the phone with Paul Silver the owner of Radius Record (label that is releasing the split) He had asked me the song title because he needed it for print. I told him The Maxies wanted the song to be titled “I’ll Kill Your Handsome Boyfriend” but Silver thought it would be cool to name it “Baby I Love You” to play off The Beat’s side “Baby I’m In Love With You” now it’s all power pop punk history.
Q: How much has Paul Collins been an influence on you?
A: Paul Collins is an amazing American song writer. For years I have tried to emulate his style in hopes of creating a song as good as his “Rock N Roll Girl”. A good song writer can change the world, the way you feel and take you somewhere else at times. Paul’s songs do that for me. I know his influence has made The Maxies a better band. Watch out King of Power Pop our frozen five is catching up.
The Maxies have a new 7-inch split with Paul Collins’ Beat. (Paul Silver/Contributed Image)
Q: The Maxies have been logging some time in the studio in the last few months. Are there more releases on the way?
A: Well as you know we have the split 7” vinyl being released October 2nd with The Beat. The next release will be late November on Its Alive Records out of Orange Ca. It will also be a split with Kingons (from Japan) but this one will be pressed on 10” vinyl and CD. The new Maxies full length album will follow at the beginning of next year coinciding with our tour of Japan in February 2014. All these releases will come with download cards for the record player impaired.
Q: What can those seeing the Maxies for the first time expect on the tour?
A: Wait who hasn’t seen us before? Those poor souls that haven’t are in for some fun. We will be slinging the pop punk, dancing along with you and raising our glasses to us, for being so amazing for your ears. Get ready to sing along and don’t let me catch you texting. The tongue lashing you will receive won’t be the fun kind. The Maxies are bringing sexy to punk. So please try to control yourselves. Clothing is better when its red and white or not worn at all. Above all you will have fun, its mandatory. The extra bonus is you will get to hear and see the legendary Paul Collins Beat!
Q: How many seals do you think will be clubbed this run of dates? Also, what zoos/animal parks have you been banned from, if any?
A: The sad part is probably few to none on this west coast and south west tour. There are so many laws here in the states against seal clubbing. It’s sad; these vicious little flappers are so abundant in the U.S.A. Over population can cause harm to the species as well as the environment around them. Gasses expelled from the seal and oils from the seals skin are a leading cause of global warming it’s just plain scientific fact people. We know this in Greenland and this is why we club them. Well, and the fact that they are very tasty. The Maxies are saving the world one clubbing at a time. Global Warming is real kids don’t listen to the haters. As for zoos no respectable Greenlandic person would ever step a foot in one. Those places are cruel, hateful and humiliating to animals. Plus the temptation of clubbing is far too great for The Maxies.