This interview took place Saturday, April 29th, 2000 on New Jersey's 88.9 FM, WMCX. It was supposed to start at 1:30 PM but they actually arrived more like 2:45.
Shane: I'm Shane, and he's Tom, and that's Matt, and we're from Uranium 235. We're very happy to be here.
Tommy: Thanks for having us Jezz.
Jezz: Yeah no problem.
Shane: Sorry we're late. Blame it on Jersey traffic.
Jezz: It's Jersey. Just blame it on Jersey.
Shane: Yeah
Jezz: That's the usual concept.
Shane: Good.
Tom: You deserve it.
Jezz: Alright, and what was this mix you've got for me?
Shane: Matt, tell her what it's about.
Matt: It's a dance remix of a track on "Cultural Minority," our CD. We remixed "Creator."
Shane: It's gonna be released on vinyl to basically, y'know, dance DJ's and clubs and ... now you're gonna hear it.
Jezz: Sounds interesting.
Shane: We just finished it last night.
Jezz: Cool beans.
Tom: It's full of lots of happy vibes.
Jezz: Alright, we're having this coming up, and if you wanna win a copy of Uranium 235's debut CD, "Cultural Minority," give a call and we'll be back with Uranium 235 in a few.
[dance remix of "Creator"]
Jezz: And we're back here at the X, 88.9 New Jersey. Tom and Shane from Uranium 235 on the air right now. And so guys, tell me a little bit about the band.
Shane: Well, Uranium was formed about four and a half years ago, and since then we've done extensive touring, released a record out in Germany. It caught on really well, and it went through the rest of Europe and Japan. Then we've got something going on here, that brings us up do date with the record in America, right now.
Jezz: So where have you guys toured?
Matt: Pretty much all over the U.S.A., and Canada, Germany ... we've done the US three times over. And we're looking to go out again. And we have some plans, no confirmation but plans soon ...
Shane: On Monday we'll have confirmation of a good serious U.S. tour.
Jezz: Well as soon as you get it, let me know and I'll let our listeners in on it.
Tom: We have to do our group prayer thing tonite, so ...
Jezz: [laughs] Your what?
Shane: That's where we all sit down and, y'know, pray together.
Jezz: Oh well you do know, there's a Gospel person on before me from nine to noon in the morning, so you guys can just listen in and chill with her and pray.
Tom: Oh I have been listening.
Shane: Only if he has rosary beads. Gotta pray to every one of those beads. Please put us on tour with this band.
Matt: Shane knows how to speak a Gospel.
Shane: Please put us on tour with this band. And that band. And this band.
Tom: We did Ezekiel last night, right?
Shane: What was that?
Jezz: Do I even want to know?
Tom: No, I was just saying about our group prayer, we read Ezekiel last night. It was pretty successful.
Shane: So, um, sorry we're late, by the way, everybody.
Jezz: Yeah, they got caught in traffic, so you can blame New Jersey drivers.
Shane: It was also Manhattan traffic too. They're having ... St. Thomas, is that what it is?
Jezz: I have no idea.
Shane: St. somebody. St. somebody Italian. Something like that.
[laughter]
Jezz: Smile and nod ... Smile and nod ...
Shane: Hey, I'm Italian, y'know ...
Jezz: Whatever you say.
Shane: Yeah.
Tom: We're just ranting. We're punchy from the traffic.
Jezz: So here's a question: How did you guys come up with the name Uranium 235?
Shane: Oh boy. Y'know, anybody who asks us, we give them a different meaning. I guess we'll give you the stock one. Well, Uranium 238 is actually on the element chart, they use it to make the bomb. Because this band is so damn unstable, you take 235 and it's a very unstable element. And that's what they make the bomb with. So, because our stage show and what we do and the way we go about doing things is very unconventional and very unstable, I think it makes a good tie-in to what the name is. Other than that, it just sounded like a cool name.
Jezz: Well, people've been asking what exactly it means, so gotta go with it.
Shane: Well, that's by definition what it is.
Matt: They take three neutrons away from 238.
Shane: Yeah they take three neutrons from 238 ...
Jezz: Oh so then that makes it this unstable element.
Matt: Unstable element 235.
Shane: And in the bomb sense, they put the 235 in one chamber, and the free neutrons in another ...
Jezz: Oh, don't wanna talk about bombs on the air, we're gonna get raided and somebody's gonna come in and arrest us.
Matt: This is just facts.
Tom: No, it's eighth grade science right here.
Jezz: It doesn't matter really, I mean in this day and age if you say ANYTHING related to bombs ...
Matt: I mean, I can go on the internet and get any schematic of a bomb ...
Tom: Just because my last name is McVeigh doesn't really mean anything ...
Jezz: *coughs* Bullshit.
Shane: No, not us.
["Here It Comes"]
Jezz: We're back here on the X, 88.9. This is Jezz ...
Shane: [whispers] The X ... The X ...
Jezz: And I'm here with Uranium 235's Tom, Matt, and Shane ... oooh they're special ...
[chorus of "hello's"]
Tom: Quite special.
Jezz: And you know what, we will sell Shane out for prom dates. He's looking.
Shane: Yeah, I'm available for prom dates.
Jezz: Aww, isn't that so cute, y'know you take somebody like Shane to a prom ...
Shane: Yeah, I'll do two or three proms ... easy.
Jezz: I'm sure he'll clean up real nice.
Shane: Yup, I'll look real, real positive. It's for the fans.
Jezz: In a dress or a tux?
Shane: Um ... I'll wear a prom dress.
[laughter]
Shane: I always wanted to be the prom queen. Yeah, I go to proms every year.
Jezz: Why?
Tom: It's more a chaperone thing.
Shane: Yeah, y'know ...
Tom: Parents trust him.
Jezz: Well, how old are you guys?
Shane: Around mid-twenties, I'd say. Average.
Tom: I'm twenty-five.
Shane: Twenty-six.
Matt: Twenty-four.
Jezz: Aww, the young one.
Matt: Yeah, that's me.
Jezz: Right now, in a college, we're surrounded by people younger than you. Well, not all, considering ...
Shane: Depends on how you look at it.
Jezz: Of course. Ok, so tell me, how's the record going? How's it selling?
Shane: So far it's selling real well, y'know we've got some really decent radio support. We're just hoping that we do get on this tour coming up, called the Tattoo the World tour ...
Jezz: What exactly is that?
Shane: Well it's basically the new Lollapalooza.
Jezz: Why? Why are they doing another one?
Shane: No, this is a cool one. It's all about tattoos and piercing and it's a lot of cool bands playing. We're very excited, we're hoping to get some people who would also, if you can, write in. There's a website for it called Tattoo the World, write in and tell them what band you want to see on there. Whether it's us or somebody else. Because it does help a little bit.
Tom: A lotta bit.
Shane: Yeah, and that's our plans right now. And, we're probably going to do maybe another remix or two. Maybe even release a remix record, I'm not sure yet.
Jezz: Yeah, we just played the "Creator" remix before. That was pretty good.
Shane: Thank you.
Tom: Thanks.
Jezz: You're welcome.
[Jezz and Shane start to talk at the same time]
Shane: That was -
Jezz: Now -
[Both stop]
Jezz: Go ahead.
Shane: No. No. Wah.
Jezz: Getting a word in edgewise is always funny.
[Everyone makes start to talk and stop noises]
Jezz: Yeah, I take it, Shane, you're the one who talks too much.
Shane: Yeah, I do.
Matt: He's good at it.
Shane: I'm a singer, y'know, all singers talk too much.
Jezz: You don't have to tell me ...
Shane: Or else I'd be a keyboard player.
Jezz: Let's see, Kraig from Witchmoon, if I remember, wouldn't let me get a word in edgewise last time I had them in here.
Shane: Well, Kraig's a very special boy.
Jezz: Special ed.
Shane: He's a special boy.
Tom: He's on way too much Ritalin.
Shane: We love those guys. We love Witchmoon.
Jezz: Oh, you were telling me before about some of your female fans?
Shane: Yeah, we have a few.
Jezz: A few?
Shane: One or two. Yeah. Actually, our audience is probably predominantly, ninety percent, girls.
Jezz: How is that?
Shane: Well, because, we are not a loud guitar band, which brings predominantly lots of 15-17 year old boys. Our music is definately a little bit more keyboard, dance, and it does have heavy guitars in it from time to time, and I think that attracts girls more than boys.
Jezz: As long as you don't attract the Brittany Spears prostitots.
Shane: Oh, I wouldn't mind them either. Bring 'em on.
Jezz: Prostitots?
Shane: Yeah, bring 'em all on. Bring Brittany Spears on. I'll take her to the prom. She's got the dress already.
Tom: I predict a huge career for Brittany Spears. I think thirty years from now, we're gonna hear from her. She's gonna be like the new Cher.
Shane: I think so.
Tom: She's definitely the new Cher.
Shane: Definitely. In the dress though, right?
Tom: What?
Shane: She's gonna come back out with that school dress on, right?
Tom: She's gonna come out with the dress that Cher had on, on the naval ship.
Shane: Oh ...
Tom: Y'know, that's gonna be Brittany Spears.
Shane: Naval Spears.
Tom: Naval Spears.
Jezz: Boys, with or without implants though?
Tom: Hopefully without. I mean, I hope she does herself a favor and gets those things taken out.
Jezz: Yeah.
Shane: By the way, I just want to say, all the people who haven't seen us here in Jersey, Tom, if you're confused, is the bass player of the band.
Tom: Yeah, I'm the rookie.
Shane: He's the rookie.
Matt: And Tom will be graduating soon.
Jezz: What are you graduating from?
Tom: I'm graduating from the Mannis College of Music, in New York City. It's the conservatory part of the New School.
Shane: Yeah, there's someone in this band that can actually play.
Tom: I can actually read music. Well, we just haveta jump start that for you ...
Jezz: Really, how?
Tom: You know, those little thingies they have in the hospital, "clear." You just played a bad string ...
Jezz: What ...?
Shane: So, if you were confused, that's who Tom is.
Jezz: And Matt?
Matt: Yeah?
Jezz: And which one are you?
Matt: I play guitar. I do some programming ... we get down and we ...
Shane: [in the background, singing] Shane plays guitar ...
Jezz: Ok also we are ...
Shane: [singing] Matt plays guitar ...
Jezz: Shush. We are still doing a give-away for a "Cultural Minority" CD, you call, answer a question, get a CD ...
Shane: And if you get this one, it has a different cover than all of them out there.
Jezz: Yeah, it does actually.
Shane: This is a promotional copy with .. it's very space-agey.
Tom: Like Uranium 235 exploding.
Matt: In space.
Jezz: Ok, we're gonna take a break. Here's MDFMK ...
[play songs]
Jezz: We're back here at the X. 88.9.
Matt: Hello.
Jezz: And Ruth has won a CD already. She's all happy, she's doing a mental ... well, not a mental, she's doing an actual happy dance.
Shane: All right.
Jezz: Woohoo!
Tom: Go Ruth.
Jezz: And, 2 more CD's for whoever wants them, so call ..
Shane: If you're up at this time.
Jezz: Yeah, usually, no one's up.
Shane: Hey, Matt's got something he wants to talk about.
Jezz: What would you like to talk about?
Matt: Well, basically, um, if anybody wants to get a prom date, they can get on Uranium235.com, and they can sign the guestbook and request a prom date.
Shane: Or anything from us.
Jezz: Oh, anything?
Shane: Yeah, we're like, general handymen. Say you need something done at your house, or something needs fixing ...
Matt: Shane can fix, y'know, anything. He's MacGuyver.
Jezz: So does the offer go for all of you or just Shane?
Shane: It goes for all of us.
Tom: Yeah, we all ...
Shane: [sings] Can be your faithful handyman ...
Jezz: Alright. We'll just smile and nod ...
Shane: Mmm hmmm ...
Jezz: Yeah, and Matt's sittin' there smiling, he's like "Hehehe."
Matt: Hehehe
Jezz: If you have any questions, also call, we're gonna be here for another 10 minutes. Or you can email them at their website, www.uranium235.com.
Shane: After accidentally cutting off about 10 or 12 people on 71, running over a person's dog in Manhattan ...
Jezz: What??
Tom: The finger gesture was actually, we were pointing up at the sky for you to look at something, we weren't ...
Shane: Right.
Jezz: *coughs* Bullshit.
Shane: It was all really quite accidental. You know how it is when you're late to get somewhere.
Jezz: So you claim.
Shane: So we wanna apologize, and y'know ...
Jezz: We're going to get off topic now. So, where have you guys played before?
[my computer screwed up for like 10 secs here]
Matt: Yeah, we've played like everywhere, over and over again.
Shane: We just went out with the Genitorturers recently. We did a bunch of dates with them.
Matt: In the past we were with Type O, we were with Life of Agony, God Lives Underwater, Motorhead in Germany ... We did tours with so many bands.
Shane: And that doesn't come lightly. Doing a tour with Motorhead in Germany is almost like asking for it.
Jezz: I can imagine so.
Shane: No, you can't. You can't imagine 5,000 screaming bikers going like "Vot-or-head! Vo-tor-head!" And I remember the fourth song and I was like, gee y'know, the soundman doesn't know like where the hell we're coming from, and it was like "Alright, this next- Goodnight."
[laughter]
Shane: Thank you very much. Goodnight. See ya later.
Jezz: OK, feel a little pity on that part ...
Shane: But we managed to do our thing and people respected it, y'know, after we kinda reworked some stuff and the soundman guy knew where everything was coming from. Cuz we're definitely, y'know, we're a band that doesn't play to digital audio tape. We like to do everything live, right there. Everything you hear on our record, it sounds like that live.
Jezz: Unlike Type O.
Shane: I don't know what the other bands do. Not that we put other bands down for doing that, we just like to be able to make this as organic as possible, in a digital domain. And the only way to do that is to physically play everything yourself, at least in my eyes. Including, like, some people put guitars on digital tape and play to those guitars, and that's why it sounds really thick and it does, it sounds amazing. But for us, we try to do everything as we do it, live, there.
Matt: It's an art, kind of, to make it happen.
Shane: Yeah, and we may mess up a lot. Which is actually how "Spin Me Round" came about. That was a messup onstage, cuz we were messing up like, the whole entire set. And Matt started breaking into this chord work, and I was like "Wow, that kinda sounds like 'Spin Me Round'" And I was like "Damn, I'm gonna cut into this." And then I cut into "Tainted Love" and Matt started playing along with it, and before you know it, we had a song.
Tom: Had somebody else's song.
Jezz: I'm gonna play "Spin Me Round," your version of it, cuz I'm very interested in seeing how this is.
Shane: It's very, y'know, we did this like a long time ago. Actually this song from the record was actually recorded on ADAT's like when we were first starting out.
Jezz: Back in the day.
Shane: Yeah, I mean, y'know, we were very influenced by like, the pop type culture of the 80's.
Jezz: New wave.
Shane: Yeah, new wave, Depeche Mode, Skinny Puppy culture. This is very raw, it's not up-to-date sounding, but that's the way we wanted to keep it.
Matt: It stays pretty faithful to the original version.
Jezz: Well, as soon as Shane shuts up, we can play it.
Shane: Yeah, I know, well get the tape.
Jezz: I love you Shane.
Shane: Get the tape, you can bound me while you're at it.
Tom: I've got something to put in his mouth.
Jezz: Alright, we'll take care of that then. "You Spin Me Round."
["You Spin Me Round"]
Shane: You know what? We got something else we gotta talk about here. Really quick.
Jezz: What?
Shane: Ok, in the event that we don't get this tour ... Actually, we are gonna do it, because the tour wouldn't start until June 1st. But we are gonna play that show with Witchmoon on May 28.
Jezz: I'm slamming my head into a wall please.
Shane: I hope that made sense.
Jezz: Like, I'll go to see you guys but I won't go to see them.
Tom: Do you have a helmet on or no?
Jezz: No, it's more fun this way though.
Tom: Really? Did you take the short bus to school?
Jezz: Mmm Hmm ... and it was fun.
Tom: Good for you.
Shane: So Matt, that's the 28th, right?
Matt: May 28th.
Tom: You can go to the website if you need to.
Jezz: Maybe we could have you guys come on the air again and we could do a ticket give-away.
Shane: Yeah that'd be good. Well we're playing with Witchmoon, so ... And a bunch of other bands.
Jezz: Alright.
Shane: I think it's a matinee type show so it's all ages.
[my computer sux]
Tom: ... cartoons before we play.
Jezz: Cartoons?
Shane: Cartoons of Scooby-Do.
Jezz: [sings scooby theme song]
Shane: You can't mess with Scooby, cuz he's the pup. Do you know how it goes? [the song] Do you like the fast version or the slow version?
Jezz: I like the fast.
Shane: Oh, I like the [sings slow] "Scooby Dooby Do, Where are you?"
Tom: Donovan version.
Shane: "We got some work to do now." Wait no, this is the Goth version. [really deep] "Scooby Dooby Do, where are you? We've got some work to do now."
Tom: Ok, we get the point.
Jezz: Ok, you guys can babble for a minute, I've got to take a call.
Tom: Ok. Babble
Tom: Babble. Babble.
Shane: Well now you put us on the spot to babble. Um, don't forget the website is Uranium235.com. And we'd like to thank our street team, we have a street team out there called Sterile Nation. So if you want to join our street team.
Jezz: That's what the caller's asking about.
Shane: Yeah. Sterile Nation.
Jezz: Just keep on listening. SterileNation.com.
Matt: It's not SterileNation.com, but it is on the Uranium 235 web site.
Shane: Listen, we're going to be at probably three of the Nine Inch Nails shows giving out a couple of thousand cassettes at each show.
Matt: Yeah, 5,000.
Shane: So look for us in the parking lots of Philly, of, well you ain't Philly here, but maybe Jersey.
Matt: Jersey, and Nassau probably, right?
Shane: Yep.
Tom: And the Garden possibly too.
Jezz: [whining in the background] Trent ... Trent ... Trent ....
Shane: Yes Trent?
Jezz: I wasn't able to get tickets so I can just bitch and moan about it.
Matt: Actually there's people selling them on our website.
Shane: I don't know if you know this, but you know, Trent is actually our drummer's cousin.
Jezz: What?
Shane: Can't you tell the difference? They look EXACTLY alike. Trent and Rob are IDENTICAL, actually.
Tom: Really, I'd heard but I never knew that.
Shane: I had heard that Rob's illegitimate father is actually Trent's real father. That's what I heard.
Jezz: Smile and nod.
Shane: No, y'know, they used to do these trips to the Amazon rain forest when they were kids, and I think that's where Rob actually first met Trent, back in the Amazon rain forest.
Jezz: Back in the day, all right ...
Shane: Yeah, well they do, they used to go on these trips together, and I think Rob used to get beat up by Trent, but now I think he's afraid of him.
Tom: Isn't that where Rob got his nickname though?
Shane: Yeah.
Tom: [something weird] which means "Python Killer."
Shane: Yeah. That's where he got it.
Jezz: Oh-kay ...
Shane: You know, because Rob's really from Florida, and that's where Trent is from. Y'know?
Jezz: Oh, I see.
Shane: And they used to ... Actually, back in the Everglades, they used to wrestle ... Rob, I know it sounds silly, but you can talk to a couple of people about it. Rob really used to wrestle alligators. Seriously.
Jezz: It sounds a bit unbelievable.
Shane: I know it does, but believe it or not, he really used to wrestle alligators, Rob.
Matt: Now he has me come over to kill his mice, cuz he doesn't wanna.
Shane: Next time you see him, he'll tell you all about it.
Jezz: OK.
Shane: He really does, I know that sounds crazy, but it's true, I mean, Rob really wrestles alligators. He used to at least, y'know. That's before, um, y'know, he hurt his wrist.
Jezz: Ok, so May 20th is your show right?
Shane: 28th. Two eight.
Jezz: But you know, there are proms then.
Shane: Well, we'll have to go right from the show to the prom.
Jezz: My God, your date will kill you.
Shane: I'll bring the date there.
Jezz: Here's the question, is it only females, or are males allowed too?
Shane: Oh, I can go with males too, sure, why not? I'll take a male to a prom.
Jezz: You guys, it's about time to go.
Shane: Thanks for having us.
Tom: Thank you Jezz.
Matt: Thank you.
Jezz: Here's Switchblade Symphony, and then you get to listen to Roo.
Shane: Right on.
Jezz: And keep in mind, Uranium 235, you can get ahold of them for prom dates. www.uranium235.com
Shane: Hey, thank you very much Jezz.
Jezz: No prob.
Shane: And don't forget, you're listening to WMCX, 88.9 FM.