Every Time I Die Call Panic! At The Disco "Lowest Common Denominator"

Every Time I Die are a tough band.

In the two-and-a-half years since the release of their sophomore album, Hot Damn!, they've toured non-stop (including stints on Ozzfest and Sounds Of The Underground), suffered through depression and heavy alcoholism, and managed to record a kick-ass follow-up before jumping right back in the van.

It's understandable then that when the band's van flipped over on a Wyoming freeway, that was the last straw for the Buffalo quintet.

"I want to go home," sputters vocalist Keith Buckley with a nervous chuckle.

The band's van was replaced by a sturdy tour bus, but even that didn't change the singer's attitude.

"Comfort alone is one thing, but the fact that we were scared to death to even sit in a van after that... I don't wanna have to be travelling back and forth across the country in a van," says Buckley. "Right after that, I hated being on tour, I just wanna go home."

It's unlikely that Buckley will be sleeping in his own bed for long, however. The band's latest album, 2005's Gutter Phenomenon, was a hit with both modern hardcore fans and critics alike, and will probably keep them on the road well into 2007.

Though ETID will be part of this year's Warped Tour, Buckley is weary of the hardcore scene. But he's more than ready to subvert the masses currently brainwashed by the emo bandwagon.

"I think just seeing what's making it to the radio and what's making it on TV and shit is really upsetting," he sighs. "It's like you want to abandon it because you know you don't have a place if you're not willing to sell yourself short of anything, or do you just want to do it even harder and better?

"I just think a lot of it's all mixed up and it's really difficult to find the sincere ones because it's such a fucking meat market right now as far as heavy music goes. Everybody like fucking Panic! At The Disco, who just puts a song on the internet and thinks they're the next Killers, it's such a fucking joke. All these bands are just not even doing anything worthy of recognition.

"The problem is, those bands like that, they appeal to the lowest common denominator, but the lowest common denominator is the majority right now. I've never found it appealing to play to those people."

The band, however, have had much experience playing to the teen-angst crowd, including a European tour with My Chemical Romance last year, but Buckley is quick to defend the mascara-wearing quintet.

"People try to chastise [My Chemical Romance] because people have no fucking idea what they're talking about," he states flatly. "My Chemical Romance have been a band longer than we have.

"We toured with them four years ago. They're not a radio band. They consciously made the decision that they didn't want to be a radio band. All their credentials, all their popularity is because of their touring, and it's because of their being exposed, and that's what sells. Having a video on TV couldn't hurt, but that's an artistic form. They're not played next to fucking Ja Rule songs or Fall Out Boy."

Though Buckley stands by touring as a key method of band exposure, he has some advice for young bands who want to be the next big thing.

"Don't do it," he scoffs.

"Be a studio band. Write shit in your fucking house and put it on the internet. You'll be bigger than anybody."