Yago: Was it fun for you to play at these small venues? What was it like dealing with the fans?

Wilson: It's cool to have them right next to you while you're playing. It reminds me of playing in a club. But you only have to play half as long.

Yago: What happened this time? Where did the keyboards go? No Moog, no Farfisa, no organs?

Bell: We've always been primarily a guitar/bass band. There's keyboards on the next record, though.

Yago: Are you guys happy with this record?

All: Yeah. Very happy.

Yago: Why were you in such a rush to go back in the studio and record new stuff, then? You recently had a 10-hour demo session in D.C.?

Welsh: Yeah, the next record's gonna be 10 hours long. [All laugh]

Wilson: To make up for all the people who are complaining.

Welsh: We're just really excited about all our new songs.

Bell: The songs are great. These songs that are on the new record we've been living with for over a year now, so ...

Cuomo: The new songs are better.

Yago: What are you so happy about with the new songs?

Cuomo: They rock harder. They're more fun to play on the guitar. [RealVideo]

Yago: What does the new stuff sound like? Just harder guitar?

Wilson: It seems to fit together better. Everybody's doing cool sh--.

Yago: When do you think this [new] stuff is going to make it to record stores?

Bell: Christmas. Who knows?

Welsh: Maybe five years?

Wilson: Probably at least another five [years].

Bell: But it's sure to be on eBay before that.

Yago: Or Napster?

Wilson: We're actually releasing the album on eBay, 'cause we think we can get a better royalty rate.

Yago: Is there any way that any of the material you've worked on between Pinkerton and this album ... is that going to come out in 10 years on something like the Franklin Mint Best of Weezer collection ...

Wilson: I can't believe he said "Franklin Mint."

Cuomo: No, I think we come up with songs so fast that we just forget about the old songs. They're gonna rot in obscurity.

Yago: What was your vibe going into writing this record? I mean, after taking so much time off.

Wilson: It's pretty businesslike.

Bell: We did it so fast 'cause we knew what we were doing.

Yago: Was there was all this material busting out of the seams?

Wilson: Lots of songs, yeah.

Yago: Are you guys all writing collaboratively?

Wilson: Well, we come up with our own parts. Which is cool.

Cuomo: I think there's more collaboration now than there ever has been. A lot of wheedling.

Yago: What do you mean?

Welsh: I think the songs just develop. We all seem to be listening to each other and playing off each other more individually.

Bell: So something Mikey does, I'll play a counter [melody] to that.

Wilson: Sort of unconscious togetherness.

Yago: I read that you guys had to wrangle with the label about getting "H*** Pipe" to be the first single.

Bell: I think they wanted "Photograph."

Cuomo: They wanted "Don't Let Go."

Yago: Do you guys feel vindicated now that it's such a big hit?

Bell: Well, we're always right.

Wilson: The artist generally is right.

Cuomo: We just had to prove that once again. [RealVideo]