Yago: The week that album came out, half the acts on the Billboard charts were rock acts. Do you think that's a sign that there's a crack in pop's strength?

Wilson: I hope so.

Bell: I think it's a good sign. Maybe it's like a wave.

Wilson: Yeah, we're like the head of a V-formation of rock ducks flying south.

Welsh: Wouldn't we be flying in a W?

Wilson: Yeah. I guess so.

Welsh: So that would be 2 V's?

Yago: Are you guys surprised that there are so many young kids who are buying this record and who are at your shows who must've been in grade school when the first record came out?

Wilson: Kinda.

Bell: It hasn't really crossed my mind.

Yago: What do you think accounts for that phenomenon?

Bell: Word of mouth. Brothers and sisters.

Welsh: Moms and dads.

Bell: Didn't you always listen to your older brothers' and sisters' albums?

Yago: Yeah, I did. He listened to crap.

Welsh: Like what?

Yago: Like Neneh Cherry, Martika, stuff like that.

Wilson: Martika?

Cuomo: That's so busted. [Laughs.]

Yago: I read a review that said if you take the first album and subtract the second album, then you get this album. How do you guys respond to that?

Wilson: That's advanced math right there. I dropped out before calculus, so I really can't comment.

Welsh: I'm not very good at math. But it sounds like he spent a lot of time thinking about that, though.

Yago: I think the point they were trying to make is that a lot of the emotional stuff, personal stuff ...

Wilson: Subtract the emotion from the first record.

Yago: And replace it with something that is more hook-heavy and has less personal emotion? Do you think that's gonna make it hard for the kids who buy this album to identify with you as a band?

Wilson: I think most people just want to put on a CD and rock out.

Yago: But you've said Pinkerton is hard for you to listen to.

Cuomo: It's always been hard to listen to.

Yago: So are there going to be no more songs about isolation and alienation, unrequited love?

Cuomo: I don't know.

Yago: Once and for all, what's with the emo thing? Why does everybody tag you guys as an emo band ...

Wilson: I don't know, man. You tell me. I thought Fugazi was emo.

Bell: Well, first there was Grover. And he had a sidekick, and then all of a sudden this emo character has his own movie.

Wilson: I don't know how we got tied into it, but, man. I haven't seen any checks.

Bell: I haven't heard any of those bands.

Yago: Would you consider yourself emo?

Welsh: I thought those were just rock bands.

Bell: I think we're more Elmo.

Welsh: Elmo? Elmo rock. I think we're just a rock band. [RealVideo]

Yago: What would you say is different about touring this time?

Bell: I say we're all different. We listen to each other more. And the band's just a stronger rock and roll band, man.

Wilson: I agree with that.

Cuomo: I don't remember what it was like. I think I drank too much before. It's all just a blur.

Bell: [We're] all straight-edge now.