Interview with Jed Simon from Strapping Young Lad conducted July 23, 2005.
Written by Alina Michelle.

PHOTOMISTRESS:  In ONE word, describe each band member, including yourself.

JED SIMON:  Devin - Buzz.  Willie - Spaghetti.  Byron - Stallone.  Gene - Glorpro (okay, I am not sure that's exactly what he said, but it's close... Alina).  Myself - non-doable.

PM: Does the band generally have any say in the concepts or ideas for your music videos?

JS:  Oh yah, we had EVERYTHING to do with the giant robotic hand in our last video (said sarcastically).  Generally, not. 

PM: Who comes up with the ideas?

JS:  Well the latest one was the producer Joe Lynch.  He's a fan of the theme he did for it and it worked out quite well.

PM:  Who did the videography for the live DVD?  Did they know your music beforehand since it seems that they have the perfect angles for the music?

JS:  They just had enough cameras to where they could edit from every angle.  They didn't particularly know the music, but we've been working with them for a while ... they did our Relentless video.  We knew them, the price was right, they're good people.  They made a real effort to get as much footage as they could so they had a lot to work with.

PM:  Do you get a lot of good feedback from that DVD?

JS:  I haven't heard any bad feedback yet except for some sound bites, but other than that it's been great.

PM:  Which of the dates so far on this tour have been your favourite and why?

JS: Sayreville, NJ was awesome, for no other reason than that it seemed to be the crowd appreciation and everybody was really cool.  Today (Mountain View, CA) sounded really good as well.  I'm thinking Vancouver will probably be the best since we're from there.

PM:  Are the kids really getting into your set and accepting of your strangeness on stage?

JS: I don't think they really have a choice.  I'm hoping we are gaining fans.  We certainly are not losing any.

PM:  How do you feel about Gene helping out Opeth on drums while John from Devil Driver helps you guys out on bass while Byron is out with Fear Factory?

JS:  It's an interesting brew we have going on.  I think it's great, it's weird, but it's great because everyone's pitching in to help a brother out, so it's cool.  But it's weird when I look up to see my drummer playing with Opeth and I look over and I see someone else playing bass in my band, so it's weird like that but cool.  Everyone's just helping out.  I'm very, very appreciative of these people for helping us, the bands for letting their members help us.  Byron left about four or five days ago.  So he was with us right up until recently. 

PM:  In a hundred years when you're dead, would you rather be hatefully remembered or totally forgotten and why?

JS:  Neither, I don't plan on having either of those things.  I want to make a dent, and I certainly don't want to be hated, so I will try and make a positive dent.  So I disagree with your question!  (laughs)  I want to be known for something, but something good.

PM:  Do you like your poutine regular or with extra gravy?

JS:  I fucking hate poutine.  I swear it's a French thing.  The thing is, I see poutine as a French and eastern Canadian thing.  I haven't seen poutine until I get to eastern Ontario which is like 2,000 miles from where I live.  It's not Canadian, it's French.  You know, it's not really all that bad, it's just French fries which I sort of like, with gravy which I love and cheese, which I REALLY love, but it's cheese curd.  So if they use proper cheese, I might like it a little more.

PM:  Do you like pan fries?

JS:  I'm not a big French fry person at all.  I love having some fries with my hamburger or whatever it is that they are accompanying, but once I am finished with whatever it is, I don't eat my fries.  I don't eat them by themselves, I eat them with my meal.

PM:  Is there anything else (food) named weird up there that I don't know about?

JS:  There are probably LOTS of things that are named weird up there that I wouldn't think are weird, I have no idea. (laughs) 

PM:  What do you think is the most scenic part of Canada?

JS:  Vancouver, without a question.  Well, British Columbia, to make it a little bit more broad.  The rest of Canada is just whatever.  Saskatchewan is where you can just see forever.  British Columbia is just beautiful, a really wonderful place.  And now that I live in Philadelphia, I constantly question why you want to live like that.  I appreciate Vancouver the more that I'm not there.  But Philly is my home now and it's for the right woman, so it works.

PM:  What is your favourite Strapping song to play live?  And the hardest?

JS:  You know, my answer used to be instantaneously Home Nucleonics from the City EP, but now I would probably have to say Love.  There are no hard ones.

PM: How long did it take to write and record Alien?

JS: About nine months total.  Gene and Dev did a lot of the legwork on the writing, rehearsing and whatnot because I was away in Philly and Byron was out with Fear Factory, so we jammed for a couple months in the beginning and then I flew out for a bit to drop my riffs, but for the most part Gene and Dev did the bulk of the work as far as writing and recording, so I have to give them props for that for picking up when the brothers were out doing things.

PM:  You don't mind riding around in a tour bus all day?

JS:  Sometimes.  It gets more tiring near the end of the tour, but it works. 

Official Website:  www.strappingyounglad.com
Official Myspace Page:  www.myspace.com/strappingyounglad
For more live photos of Strapping Young Lad, please click here.