Fall Out Boy to play The Fillmore in celebration album's delayed release
by Christina Fuoco-Karasinski | Contributing writer
Thursday December 11, 2008, 9:27 PM


DETROIT, Michigan — It's a rare moment when fans read about bands voluntarily pushing their album's release date back. But in the case of Chicago alternative rockers Fall Out Boy, they believed it was almost an insult to send its fifth record to stores on Election Day 2008.

"I'm definitely happy we made the choice we did," drummer Andy Hurley said in an interview with The Flint Journal. "It was such a monumentally important election. I just think I wouldn't have cared about our album if it came out that day. That's how exciting the election was. I would have been like, 'Man. Why is our record out? This sucks.'"

Instead, fans can fete Fall Out Boy's new CD "Folie a Deux" on Tuesday. The collection is not only a celebration of Fall Out Boy's music, but of bassist/lyricist Pete Wentz's record label, Decaydance, as well. The album features guest appearances by Cobra Starship's Gabe Saporta, Gym Class Heroes' Travis McCoy, Panic at the Disco's Brendon Urie and The Academy Is...'s William Beckett, among others.

"The bands I like touring with the most are the bands on Pete's label," said Hurley, who is also joined in the band by singer Patrick Stump and guitarist Joe Trohman. "They're really our best friends. It really is a family. I love all of those dudes. We've done so much with them that it made total sense."

Notably, there are some heavy hitters who also lend their vocals to the CD -- Elvis Costello, Lil Wayne, Kayne West, Blondie's Debbie Harry and Pharrell (N.E.R.D., The Neptunes), a favorite of Hurley's.

"Debbie Harry and Elvis Costello, we didn't actually work in the same studio with them. We sent it out. That was so exciting because we love them and we grew up listening to them," Hurley said.

"But working in the studio with Pharrell was amazing. He's just a musical genius. It's cool to work with someone from a different genre. It mixes it up a little for you. It's awesome. He's one of the nicest dudes. He made hit songs since he was super young."

Hurley explained it was a learning experience for Fall Out Boy -- who found success with 2005's multiplatinum CD "From Under the Cork Tree" -- to work with Pharrell, who won a Grammy with partner Chad Hugo for producing Justin Timberlake's "Justified" album in 2004.

"I think I just learned, here's a dude who's made every good song in the last 10 years," Hurley said. "He's still super down to earth. He still loves making music. He's not worried about making a certain thing for a certain person or certain demographic. You can tell he's really inspired by music and by writing songs that he loves. We already believe in what we're doing but just to see a guy like Pharrell, who's done so much, and he still loves it so much and it's still being done for the right reasons, that's really inspirational."

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Fall Out Boy discuss new album, Pete Wentz's new baby
'I think having a child intrinsically changes things' says Andy Hurley


As Fall Out Boy gear up to release their new album, 'Folie A Deux' on December 16, the band find themselves weathering several changes.

In addition to facing an uncertain economy and an altered music industry since they put out 2007's 'Infinity On High', bassist/songwriter Pete Wentz and his wife Ashlee Simpson just had their first child.

When asked how the birth of the new baby will affect the band, drummer Andy Hurley told NME.COM: "I think having a child intrinsically changes things. It's something we'll be getting used to for the next couple of months--how to balance it for Pete. We'd do anything for Pete, Ashlee and Baby Bronx. So we'll see."

"I know Pete is a consummate workaholic so he'll still try to do everything while being an awesome dad and probably bringing Bronx out whenever he can," he added. "I don't think he can do that now because he's still too little but I don't think he wants it to change too drastically. It's a balancing act when it's your first baby. There'll be some time for us to get used to it, but either way it's awesome."

Hurley also explained that Fall Out Boy are figuring out how to navigate changes in the music industry, which has seen declining record sales and the loss of programmes that showcase music videos.

"The music industry is a completely different place," he said. "When I shoot a video I don't understand where it goes anymore. Before it was MTV but now there are no shows that play videos anymore. Also, the economic crisis is in full swing and people are buying things they need to survive rather than records and concert tickets. It's a scary wild-west type of place right now."

Meanwhile, Fall Out Boy are gearing up to play a handful of US club dates next month to preview the new album, which features several notable collaborations with musicians including Blondie singer Debbie Harry, Pharrell Williams and Elvis Costello, among others.

"Pharrell was really cool," Hurley said. "He laid down beats and Patrick (Stump) would come up with vocals and melodies. It happened so fast."

As for teaming up with Costello, Hurley said, "Elvis is Patrick's favourite person on earth as a musician, singer and songwriter. We put the idea out there, and it turned out we knew someone who knew someone and we sent (Costello) the song. He had bronchitis or some lung ailment and we didn't know if it would happen. I remember Patrick texting me that Elvis might be on the album and that was cool enough. But then it actually happened."

--By our Los Angeles staff.

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WW Chicago: Talking with Fall Out Boy's Andy Hurley
by Caleb Goellner, Guest Contributor

In an era when comic book conventions have broadened into something more akin to "entertainment" conventions, stocked with reality television personalities and retired Playmates, it can be easy to overlook the reason so many people take the time and spend the money to attend: the love of comics. As such, when an entertainment personality attends a convention just as a fan, their motivations are suspect.

Many older fans might think of Fall Out Boy's Andy Hurley as something of a teen idol, playing drums on the songs their teenage daughters won't stop singing. However, despite intimidating album sales, the 28-year-old former anthropology and history student demonstrates a genuine love for the comic medium.

CBR News caught up with Hurley during his visit to WizardWorld Chicago last weekend for a one-on-one interview about his reading material of choice and how MTV mainstays can still get star-struck meeting their favorite comics creators.

( Q&A )

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- interview originally sourced by icecreamhdaches


Andy was also given a shout-out by Warren Ellis, over on his LJ.

And here I am in the local pub, with a bitch of an allergy attack, watching light rain freckle the ground. Five hours’ sleep on the plane, but my vision’s already starting to fuck with me a bit. Waiting for the allergy meds to kick in, and then I’ll head home and sleep for a few hours before taking my family out to dinner.

Did I mention Andy Hurley from Fall Out Boy came by the Chicago show to hang out? What a nice guy. And, as a non-drinker, hugely amused by my progressively getting more smashed during my Friday night gig. Which was extraordinarily well attended, by the way. In lieu of a new talk — once again, no time to write one — I read from CROOKED LITTLE VEIN for the first time, and, thank God, everyone laughed in the right places. After that. it was supposed to be about an hour and forty five minutes of Q & A, taking us up to the midnight point. We overran by an hour. It’s as close to stand-up comedy as anything, and I had to laugh when Ariana said afterwards, ”you’ve got some new material, then?” Anyway, it seemed to go down pretty well. Amusing to see how often I was misquoted in the next day’s reviews.

Vision’s packing up. To bed with me.

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- thanks to fellow artist jamiemckelvie for the link.

AP Magazine's latest issue features an article on Youth Of Today and their influence in the hardcore scene. It includes the following soundbite from Andy:

WITNESS STAND: "Revelation Records was the first hardcore label I ever got into, and Youth Of Today were the first hardcore band I was into. I was into metal, then pink rock and then the faster hardcore bands – the 88' youth crew shit – through Youth of Today. Everything Porcell has done is awesome. You can hear Youth Of Today in bands like Betrayed, Blacklisted, Champion and Trial. Earth Crisis are the reason I'm vegan; Youth Of Today are the reason I'm straight edge." - Andy Hurley, FALL OUT BOY

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