MD: The album took us so long because we did not have a record deal.  Skunk has no money and became more of a website and imprint of credibility, so we were self-funding the record at first off of playing our live shows on the west coast. We released an acoustic record in 2000, which has actually became a fan favorite, "Acoustic Roots". Fans who know us have seen us evolve through live shows, the acoustic album, etc. If you look at out first [self-titled] record in 1996 and the "Barrel Ride" (1998), they are very different records.

One thing about Slightly Stoopid is that Kyle and I will never make the same album twice. We will incorporate all our influences that make Slightly Stoopid who it is, but every album will have a different feel.

The Stone Pony: "Everything You Need" boasts an impressive array of producers, including Miguel (Sublime, LB Dub, Unwritten Law), Chris D and Dub legend Scientist (Ben Harper, No Doubt). How did you get to work with these talented producers, and how did they affect the Slightly Stoopid sound? Did any of them get a sound out the band that you didn't expect when you went into the studio?

MD: Miguel - We have been working with Miguel since we were 18 years old.  He recorded our self-titled and Barrel Ride records. Miguel knows our sound and we know his vibe and what we are going to get with him. I think he has evolved as a producer and we have evolved as musicians. Miguel will always be involved with Slightly Stoopid.

Scientist - He heard one of our songs and was flipping out over it. We grew up listening to the Scientist, so we were excited to work with him. It was weird, at first he didn't want to work on reggae with us, he wanted to work on our more hip-hop and rock-influenced material. When it was all said and done, we banged out probably the best-sounding reggae song we have ever done.

Chris D - We were on tour with G Love and he said 'let's go record some tracks, I have a Pro-Tools rig and a studio.' So we went and did four songs that sounded banging.  We did "Mellow Mood", "Devils Door", "Officer" and "Wiseman" during these sessions, then we flew back out to Philly and did another session ... we recorded "Sweet Honey" and "World Goes Round" as well as some sh*t that didn't make the album. It was great working with Chris.  We didn't really hear anything he did before, other than G Love, which we liked a lot.  It happened so fast we did not know what to expect, but we stoked on the outcome.

The Stone Pony: Where and when was the new album recorded? How long did the recording sessions last? When you're recording are you just hanging out and having a good time while putting tracks on tape, or do you tend to be more business-like and working to achieve the sound you're looking for? Do you like to be involved with the production and mixing process, or are you comfortable to letting others handle those duties after you're done playing?

MD: The album was recorded all over the place; we recorded the album over the last three years. Started doing demos in Miguel's living room in Long Beach with Miguel in 1999. Then we went to a studio in Chatsworth to do the Scientist sessions.  Flew out to Philly and recorded in Chris D's living room and a studio out there. Some of the songs were even started on our 16-track at Kyle's Pad. We finished the album this fall at God Help Me Studios (our friends from Jesus Wore Dickies Studio). Basically, the album was started in Summer 1999 and finished in Fall 2002. We worked at studios such as Total Access, Lawnmower and a studio in Philly. We also did some work at Chris D, Miguel's and Kyle's house. We were funding the album ourselves for a while, so we had to make it work. When we record, we are having a good time, smoking chronic, drinking, etc.  We are homies with all the people we work with. Recording to us is all creating a good vibe. Kyle and I are both heavily involved in the mixing process. We are very hands on with all the production that is done on the album. No matter who is producing or mixing your record, they do not know what sound you are looking for. Music to us is all about pleasure, having a good time doing what we love to do.  Unfortunately, it is a business, too; but that is why you have managers, lawyers and agents.

The Stone Pony: The band is unique in that both primary members share vocal duties as well  as play guitar and bass. How do you usually determine who will play which parts, and are there songs that sound different depending on who's playing what? How much equipment do you normally travel with and what are your favorite instruments for recording or playing live?

MD: I write songs and Kyle writes songs, then we get together and collaborate on each other's songs to make them Slightly Stoopid songs. We each write our own parts, and whatever we write we play that instrument for the most part. Kyle and I play the same style music with Slightly Stoopid, but we each add our own flavor. Kyle adds a lot of the hip-hop flavor, I add a lot of the blues and rock. Our songs blend together well. We both play on each other's songs so there is a nice aesthetic. Equipment-wise, we play the same bass equipment, two SWR 6x10 cabinets to create that bass sound that you will feel throughout your whole body. Gallon-Kruger head. I play a Fender Stratocaster and my custom-made naked guitar. Kyle likes to play a Gibson SG.  We both play out of Marshall stacks and use different effects pedals.

The Stone Pony: The Slightly Stoopid story begins when you were in high school, and were discovered by Bradley Nowell, vocalist for Sublime, in 1995. Can you expand on that story a little bit, and tell us how Nowell first heard about you, and what he was like to meet and work with?

MD: We met Bradley when we were 16. Brad would come down to San Diego and jam with us a lot. He invited us to play a show with Sublime up in Long Beach at The Foothill and after that show said 'let's record a record.' We recorded our self-titled album while he was still around; he gave us $1,000 to record it with Miguel at the Fake Night Club.  Brad even plays bass on the not-so-secret track. We respected Bradley a lot as a musician; when I was young he was a big influence, he taught me how to play my first reggae skank. It is a tragedy that he is still not around, mostly for us as a friend and for the music world.

The Stone Pony: How do you feel being signed to Skunk Records shaped the course of your music and your attitude towards the business? You've proudly spoken about being courted by major labels and rejected their offers to eventually sign with Surfdog. What are you looking to avoid by staying away from a major label contract, and do you think that too many bands are so focused on getting that contract that other parts of their music suffer? Is Surfdog going to be able to provide the distribution you need to get the album out there?

MD: Skunk was a real DIY label; they paid for us to record, and our first pressings of the albums, but as soon as we sold those we had to pay for all our additional pressings. So it gave us a good sense that the music industry was not going to be a free ride. We did not have distribution with Skunk, so we had to walk into record stores and sell them ourselves and tour a lot. Skunk was a name, though, and a stamp of credibility that helped us. They have a built-in fan base and once that fan base heard our CDs or saw us live, they became Slightly Stoopid fans. Major labels all wanted to tell us what producers to use, and how to write our songs. People wonder why everything on the radio sounds the same today. We don't need a record executive telling us how to make our music. What we do is what we do. We like to have creative control and control our own destiny. Plus, we own a bigger percent of our album. We've done it like this forever, why change now. Our advice to bands just starting out is not to pay attention so much to the industry, build a grassroots following. If you sign a deal, a label pushes you before you have real fans, even if you have minor success, they will forget who you are tomorrow. Building a grassroots audience is the way bands become successful in the long term. Nobody can buy you a real fan. To us our fans are everything. Surfdog will help us get the record out, they have strong distribution and are working the record hard. We have never had distribution before, so it will be a step up. I don't really worry about much more than making music and playing good shows. We have confidence the label will do their job!

The Stone Pony: Last Sublime question. The "Sublime Acoustic: Bradley Nowell & Friends" CD was recorded, in part at least, in your living room. What do remember about that session, and how did it originally come together? What do you think about the opinion some people have that the recording should have not been released commercially since it was mostly unfinished material that was still in progress?

MD: The Sublime acoustic record was never meant to be released. Brad and I were just in my living room jamming and turned on my four track and let the tape roll. We never thought it would be released, MCA was so desperate to release something with Sublime's name on it, they took the tracks that were mainly Brad and released it.

The Stone Pony: It is no secret that your music is a favorite among the stoner set, and weed is a common theme in your music. What's your attitude towards the legalization of pot, and what do you think about recent anti-drug ads that seek to tie drug use, including marijuana, to financial support of terrorism?

MD: Weed should be legal. It is stupid that it is not. These commercials you see nowadays are really deceiving; they will show a kid smoking a joint then blowing his brains out. For anyone who has ever smoked weed, you know that weed does not affect you in that way. The gov't tries to classify weed in the same class as heroin or ice. I am actually better behaved when I am stoned. That thing about weed supporting terrorism, I'm not going to comment on.  It is just too unrealistic and anyone with a brain would realize that it is propaganda.

The Stone Pony: What is the state of the Southern California music scene? Are there other bands playing around that area you feel fans should watch out for? Is the music you're making these days a reflection of new influences, or do you feel you're creating something entirely innovative that fans haven't heard before?

MD: The Southern California music scene is getting strong again. Many identify us with the So. Cal. music scene, which is an honor. Hopefully, our scene of music will be as good as the mid-90's punk scene. We enjoy bringing the So. Cal. flavor to other parts of the world. There are some cool bands coming up: Pepper, who is on tour with us, Authority Zero (they are from Arizona, actually), to name a few. Our music these days is a reflection of all our influences old and new. I think we added a hip-hop element that brings a cool flavor to what we were doing before. I don't think our album sounds like anything anyone has ever put out. Early on, people would compare us to Sublime, but if you listen to the acoustic record and this record, everyone will hear that we developed a sound of our own. It is just a natural progression.  When we were young, we sounded a lot like our influences.  As we matured as musicians, we developed our own sound. A lot of bands are like that.

The Stone Pony: What are your plans to support "Everything You Need"? Where do you expect touring to take you this year, and are there any plans to make a video for Mtv? Do you hope that this CD will help bring your sound to a wider mainstream audience?

MD: We plan to tour year-round to support the record. That is the best way to sell albums and see the fans in person. We are going to tour the nation a few times, hopefully Japan, Australia, Europe, Guam (we have a #1 hit in Guam off the acoustic record), anywhere they will let us play. We are filming a video on Monday.  We don't know what the plans are for it. We are doing a low-budget video; it isn't going to be a cheezy playing in a pool with skaters skating around. That is not our vibe, we want it to be natural with the homies chilling in SD with some fine girls. We aren't hiring any actors or actresses, just the homies. We hope everyone buys the CD. If it ends up on radio, Mtv, fine. The more people who hear our music the better.