Scott: Ian, the big news is you scored Jason Mewes (“Jay” from Jay and Silent Bob) to direct your video. How did this happen?

Ian: I think he lost a bet or something…? Haha! Adam Kreeft from U.O.B.A. (our booking agent who also books Jay for speaking engagements) and Katie Clark from Underground Operations were thinking of who our next director could be for our song “Let’s Start A Riot.” Katie and Adam had known about Jay’s recent come back to films and how he’d like to get into directing.They dropped him a line and after sending him a lifetime supply of RedBull, he said “Yes, I’d love to write a treatment!” VideoFact jumped on board and next thing you know we’re in prison suits running around the Harbor of Toronto.

This video is his directorial debut. What did he do to make you feel cool since this was his virgin voyage behind the camera?

The words “virgin” and “Jay Mewes” sound hilarious beside each other by the way. Honestly, Jay is just a cool cat to begin with. He never lost his cool on set. He was always telling jokes and making people laugh to the point of almost pissing themselves. But the thing that he did that probably made us feel the coolest was when we showed up to a bar and they had a sectioned roped off for him and bottles of Grey Goose waiting. He said “Here you go dudes, I’ll just have the RedBulls.” Vodka and The Artist Life were pretty cool that night.

Jason Mewes is such a 90’s icon and he has lived life on the edge (drug rehab)… can you tell us one crazy story he told you from back in the day and then match it with a TAL story?

Jay’s stories will surpass any of The Artist Life’s stories, but I’ll give it a shot… Jay told us this one story when he was in the middle of his heroin addiction he went to shoot up in a bathroom in L.A. and he dropped his little mini water holder. By the time he opened the stall door to grab it it was too late and people had started coming in one by one. So he went to plan “b” because he had no water to cook his heroin he took his syringe and sucked up the toilet water and started to cook away. I think it was a week later he was in the Hospital with Endocarditis!

The Artist Life, on the other hand, we were almost killed by a bunch of train hoppers one night on tour last spring. I opened my slightly drunken mouth to the wrong drugged-out dude and seconds later he’s was inches from my face ready to go. But sure enough one of the members of the opening bands was a correctional officer so he had the guy down before I could take my guitar off.  Drugged out dudes sketchy train hopping friends didn’t like that and a full out riot started. It was skate punks vs. the train hoppers and their dogs. Place got pretty ugly but we got out without a scratch. It was pretty gnarly.

If each guy in TAL could be a 90’s icon, which one would it be? And who is your favorite 90’s girl?

Dean would probably be a mix of David Schwimmer and Tom Cruise (more 80’s I guess) because both those guys are brilliant but also are incredible at playing “The Mess” character.

Chuck is your typical cool dude like Clooney, or Pitt. Looks good in a suit.

And Jake is like the tattooed and cool version of Bill Gates. I think one day we’ll all be paying taxes to him. The Jake tax.

90’s girl… I keep wanting to say Alicia Silverstone.