Drums- John Thayer
Bass- Brett Niederman
Guitar- Aaron Leeder
Guitar/Vocal- Susan Hsu
Vocal- Emily Hsu

When writing a song, do you write the lyrics first or the music?

Suz: More often the music is first, even if it's just a riff because it sets the tone. For "Saskwatch v. Mouse," it started out as a multi-section song Aaron wrote in high school, and the lyrics came after seeing Kill Bill. We fused the girl samurai idea with a sort of epic battle for social good. Also, "Dead by Association" was this beautiful, melancholy organ tune and we decided to do really sullen, die-yuppie-scum type lyrics over it just to make sure you're paying attention.

What do you hope to accomplish as a band?

Aaron: Complete international conquest…songs of incredible catchiness that, despite language barriers, can be hummed on every continent. Mad pussy.

Suz: We're just all about getting high on music and creating…

What do you wish you had done differently when first starting out?

Em: No regrets! In human years, the band's still pretty young. I don't think we're even old and wise enough yet to have realized we've committed anything that's irreversible. We're still in the process of molding our sound though and getting the messages we want into our songs … but I see that as the necessary evolution of any artist.

How does DC's music scene stack up against other towns?

Em: It's not hoppin…But I guess DC is the political mecca of the United States so people are more academic. And they're consumed by policy and activism, not pop or underground culture. But I still don't get why more people haven't turned to music for activism and vice versa because they can work so well together.

Aaron: DC's music scene does not stack up against other towns.

What do all of your band mates have in common?

Em: I think we all have a shared sense of malaise about growing up and becoming little chess pieces for the handful of people who run the country and will continue to run the country because our institutions are built to support that structure.

Suz: Not much really. FBI's got a record on John, Aaron's a hippie minus the time he pretended to stab his 6th grade teacher with the pointy end of a compass, Brett's soon to be found on ESPN for reasons other than pro-bowling (poker), Emily is literally Emily the Strange.

Is music a relevant vehicle for promoting social change?

Aaron: I couldn't think of a more relevant vehicle.

John: Hell yes…it gives you a platform which I believe arrives with an obligation to point out injustice.

Em: I think music is a totally relevant means for social change, but it can backfire too, depending on how you do it. But the good thing is with music or art, there's the luxury of conveying messages without being preachy and without shoving it down people's throats, just take it or leave it. It reminds me of the group of vanguard muralists during the Mexican Revolution who painted pictures of indigenous peasants and other images of social injustice to spread awareness and stir up rebellion. It's about using your influence on culture as an artist to be a leader in society. Plus, young people listen to music, they don't always listen to politicians or advocacy groups.

---Surely if you'll admit that Artists, including musicians, do have the ability to influence people to promote social change, they must inherently also have the ability to influence people in a negative way. Question: Is music dangerous and should it be censored?

Aaron: i think music is about as dangerous as movies, television and books. All are available to the masses and all can carry important issues, or carry nothing at all. Parents should be warned if they are attempting to protect their lilluns from something they don't want to hear....but nothing should be kept from being released because of it's content. if someone is willing to produce an idea, there are going to be people willing to hear it

John: Music should never be censored. The right to express yourself in a positive way will hopefully be recognized and appreciated just as the promotion of hazardous values will hopefully be recognized for its ignorance and thus be ignored but perhaps I give people too much credit, thank god we have such a wise man in the White House capable of making such decisions for us!

Susan: music should never be censored except by individual or private choice. Anything powerful or provocative can become dangerous, whether the ideas behind it are right or wrong. I think the masses will eat up rhetoric wherever they can get it, doesn’t matter if it’s from a politician or musician or even a commercial ad. But if an idea is suppressed in music, it’ll come out some other way, and you’ll have to deal with it in another form. The only long-term answer for making sure the "dangerous" ideas don’t prevail is by investing in an education system that doesn't alienate an entire class or group of citizens.

How much of your sound do you owe to The Beatles?

Suz: A lot. Hail Beatles. But our songs and lyrical content vary so much from song to song it's hard to just point to the Beatles.

Brett: Every band can attribute some of their sound to The Beatles, even if they don't know it. I would say our approach to studio recordings is heavily influenced by "fab four." We try to do more in the studio than just record good versions of our songs onto cd. We do things to our songs that we could never do live, something very characteristic of The Beatles. The Beatles also had "pop sensibility", that is, their music could reach a wide audience, children, music professors…it didn't matter. While commercially their songs rocked the world in a mainstream way, their musicianship was critically excellent (check out the bass line in "She's so Heavy"). The idea that pop music doesn't have to suck is something Exit Clov is really into.

Do you dance to remember or do you dance to forget?

John: I dance to remember that I forgot to remember

What's your favorite song that's not a love song?

Suz: Gorillaz' 5/4 is a great non-love song, although I don't know what the hell Damon Albarn's singing about. Some of my favorite love songs are Rufus Wainwright's The Tower of Learning, and Disco 2000 by Pulp.

Brett: Right now, "Got to get you into my life" by The Beatles. I like songs that appear to be about love or heartbreak but have a completely different meaning to the writer (especially this one cuz it's all about Paul needing pot).

What question do you really wish I had asked you?

John: Do you believe in aliens?

Aaron: Do you enjoy wearing orange out in the sun?

Now answer that question.

John: Aliens are real. We were created by them hundreds of thousands of years ago, and they still observe our planet today. Government agencies have known about them since the beginning of such institutions and the public has been manipulated into believing that out of the entire universe, we are the only sophisticated life forms. Well, we're not.

Aaron: YES!