Wayne Coyne Interview




I did this interview with Wayne on August 31st, 2006. He called me from tour in Columbus, OH. I received the call 45 minutes ahead of what I had been told and had to roll out of bed and do the interview in my boxers. The whole thing was fast and...surreal.



What was it like getting your start in Oklahoma?

I forget exactly when we started, I think it was something like 1983. I think anyone who grows up loving music and all that sort of stuff, I think everyone dreams of being in a band, I think we were lucky that MTV started in Oklahoma City as part of a kind of a test market I think. But I remember MTV started in 1980 or 81 so it really gave us sort of an insight to all these bands from all around the world that never would have heard about. Bands like Psychedelic Furs and Echo and the Bunnymen, The Clash, all these bands that I was reading about in magazines and stuff like that. So we knew that there was this whole world out there, so we atarting looking in magazines like Maximum Rock N Roll and Subside and all these things that people were talking about, you know different scenes and different bands around America, and I dont know, we just sort of felt collectively that if there was ever time that we could form a band, uhhh, that would have been the time, in the early 80's when we were all 20 years old os something like that and it sort of seemed like, I knew a lot of guys who had been in bands before that but they were all in cover bands and stuff and we knew that we couldnt really play covers because we didnt want to and we werent very skilled in that way, we wanted to play our own music. We would run into more and more people that are playing some form of punk-rock or some form of amateur garage rock and we thought Well, now seems to be the time.

I know you still live in OKC, how do you feel the music scene around here has changed since then?

Well, Ive never really cared that much about scenes per say. I dont think that most artists need very much encouragement to do their art. I mean if theyre truly obsessed with their idea, like artists should be, umm, you will almost do your ideas despite any group effort around it, you know. I think scenes draw certain attention to certain new forms of rock bands, but most of the good music that Ive heard over the years has been done in secret, so Ive never really thought that there needed to be a scene, or a big group of people, or some outlet for attention. But, I dont know, Oklahoma City is always going to have struggles n that way. I mean rarely do I ever go to the clubs like The Conservatory, The Green Door, now that it closed, or The Opolis down in Norman and they are very full. Most of the time Ill go see a band and there will be, if youre lucky, there will be 25 or 30 people there. So I dont know. There is a hand full of bands that are good, theres always a hand full doing good stuff. But like I said, I dont think that true artist are relying on their local scenes, most art is done in the isolation of your own mind even if there isnt a bunch of people telling you to do it.

Yeah, influence is always out there...

Well, I think that most great art that you see is done despite a scene, everyone is looking one way and this art is being done by itself. I think thats always going to be OKCs biggest dilemma, theres not a lot of people there. We play cities that are as small as OKC that are much better organized music scenes all the time, the town were in now, Columbus, OH is probably one of them. But I dont think that should deter or encourage a band. You should just do what you like and not worry about it that much. Especially in the way, you know, that the internet works these days. You dont really need the people down the block to even know bout your band thereâs plenty of people in the world who are already curious about new music and stuff.

Speaking about local scenes, are there any bands around here that you like or expect big things from in the future?


Well I dont know if we expect big things, but there is a couple of bands that I like, I mean I like my nephews band Star Death and White Dwarves, theyre going to be playing with us at the Oklahoma City show. Were always interested in what the Starlight Mints are doing, theyre friends of ours, weve known them their whole life. Ummm, Im trying to think of some of the other bands, I mean Ive seen some of the others but Im not sure if theyre all still together. Im always getting cds dropped in my mailbox and Im always going out and seeing bands that are around. I know theres more, but I just forgt their names. Theres a band that keeps dropping their cd in my mailbox that I need to go see, and when Im in town I will but I forget their name.

What's the official status with the movie your making, Christmas On Mars?

I think it the same as its been for a long time, which is that its kind of a work in progress, and I believe that Im going to try and release some version of it in the beginning of the South By South West Music and Film Conference next March. So, there are some, not necessarily deadlines, but some reasons to stat to get it together, and we always knew that we would put out this current record, At War With The Mystics, before we released Christmas On Mars. I dont think we had any idea that it would be four years in between records, but I try to tell people that were doing as much as we possible can. Some of it, you just go into the unknown always when youre making art and songs and especially movies and stuff like that. So, it doesnt surprise me that its taken us five years, in the end you just sort of do what you do. It takes whatever it takes to get it done. Were really lucky that we have a lot of people out there that are curious about what were doing and gives us a lot of support, and of course gives us a bunch of the money and believes in us and all that. But I think that its going to be better. I know that if we had finished Christmas On Mars in the first year of filming it, it would have turned out to be a completely different movie than its going to be. So, I cant wait, I think it will really be sort of the next thing that well start to do. I think it will start to be released and stuff as were touring next summer still on this record. It will start to be out there and many people will be able to see it.

I saw the trailer for it on your website and it seemed to have some new music. Are you guys going to be releasing a sound track with it?

I think we will. I think what well probably do is, some form of the sound track will probably come out and then the DVD will probably come out later once weve really dealt with the finished version of Christmas On Mars. I think it will probably be a little bit, not, not liquid, but it will kind of shift around. I think thats the nature of all art, you sort of put it out there and see what the responses are and if its working right and so I think that as we start to put it out there will probably be two or three different versions that we make to make it more communicative and just more immediate. We have yet to record all the music for it. I think in January we have a session that were trying to organize where well use a big orchestra and a choir and all these things. Weve done a lot of it on computers but theres some elements where we have to do this giant movie score and get a big epic sound and that will be exciting anyway, we've never really done that before. I mean weve worked with elements of symphonies and stuff like that, but we've never had just a big group of people solely for our purposes.

I have to say the sets look amazing, I know you built those yourself.

As I went I discovered a lot about how you make movies. So, I think in the beginning my lack of experience actually helped me. If I'd have known how hard it was I probably wouldn't have been so ambitious, but its like a lot of things, your dreams guide you more than reality does. So I thought, Well fuck, I want to make this movie, I was just so driven insane by it that I felt I better make it or Iâll just go insane. I think its like all art, once your in it the making of the art actually does make you more insane than not making it, but that's always the case, art is like that. But I really did learn a lot about making movie sets, and lighting, and acting, and writing out scripts and dialogue. I really learned a lot and I canât wait to start another movie.

Well I look forward to another one.

Yeah well I'm lucky as my life goes I'll be able to make records and movies and shows and do all these sorts of things that I love to do and not have to do just one or the other, it's a great way to live.

Your songs always have this really deep and thoughtful subject matter and you give off an extremely energetic and inquisitive vibe when you sing. What kinds of things do you draw inspiration from and where do you get these questions that you ask in your music?

Well I don't know if you can pinpoint any one thing, I think I'm lucky that there is something in my quest, I appreciate that compliment of being energetic and inquisitive, but despite what I think I am I do realize that's the way I come across. I'm lucky, I don't know where this energy comes from. I swear when I'm around people sometimes they think I'm a crack addict or something, ready to rock. But I think that's my greatest asset, that I have a curiosity about the possibilities of what could happen and I have a lot of energy to, you know, to experience them and live though all these ideas. So, I don't know, I swear Graham if I knew I would tell you, but I'm just lucky that I seem to have this drive that has worked out for me. Its easy to draw inspiration, you just have to turn on the TV, or pick up a book, or go watch a band, anything that you're curious about. You see out there in the world what the endless possibilities can be and it just triggers new ideas in your mind. I think that's one thing I just know from being in a band like I said earlier, since I was 21 years old, you really do kind of have to be obsessed with coming up with songs and paintings and movies. If you're not obsessed you'll get burnt out quickly. If you just want to get attention or become famous or make money or something you'll get burnt out on it. I don't know if its good or bad, but I'm always thinking of something I fucking want to do, some new song or some new sound or thing. I mean I'm lucky that we've become a little bit famous and we are going to make monet and stuff like that but the thing that drives me the most and that drives me crazy is that feeling that I've got to do this thing, I don't know where it comes from. Its either a curse or a blessing, I'm not sure.

I've been hearing rumors that you've been building a UFO for the show at the Zoo.

Its our long awaited UFO light show. Its not really a space ship, even though I told the neighborhood kids when we had it out in the front yard, me and Micheal were building the panels to go on the top, and the kids would stop by and say "What is that," and I'd tell them "It's a UFO," and they would say "What's a UFO," they didn't even know what a UFO is. I told them 'It's a space ship," and they would ask if it flies, and I would say "Well it does kinda," cause it goes up on chains and we come out of it and all that sort of stuff. I think the kids were utterly confused when I told them it was a light show for our band, so it's a little bit of both.

Well it sounds like a good time, I'm looking forward to it.

Yeah, I think its going to be sort of the mark of a new era for us. We've always been kind of do it yourself, build your own light show, build your own amplifier sort of band and this is taking it to a new level, this thing is probably going to end up costing us half a million dollars by the time we're done. I think its just another part of our evolution, just becoming our own freaked out little group, doing thing our way. You know, as we become more experienced and we draw bigger audiences its cool to have such freedom to pursue these freaky ideas. Rolling Stone asked me eight months ago what kind of show I would like to have and I just blurted off the top of my head "I think we should come down off of a UFO that does a laser light show sort of thing." And then eight months later we're about to do it. That's what I love about rock n' roll, you're always flying by the ends of your fingertips to do these ideas.

You've garnered quite a reputation as a story teller. Is there any stories that you'd like to share with the readers?

I try to tell stories that are based in the truth, even though they can become more colorful depending on the imagination of the teller, but, I don't know, we've been out here playing shows with Sonic Youth and The Magic Numbers and having all the late summer, early fall thunderstorms that plague all the traveling shows that are happening around this time. But we've been lucky that almost every gig we've played, it has rained, but as soon as Sonic Youth goes to play it sort of starts to clear up and by the time we play its totally cleared up and almost everyday it has started to rain just as we end our encore. So whatever the reason the weathers been cooperating with the Flaming Lips' set across the country.

I guess the powers that be want to hear The Flaming Lips play.

Yeah, playing shows, meeting people, and traveling around, its cool.