Hey! It's The Marvelous 3 Baby
By Therese McKeon

I had the opportunity to sit down with a flu ridden Butch Walker, lead singer and guitarist for The Marvelous 3. Simply known as M3 for short, the Atlanta band has attained radio success with the hit "Freak Of The Week."

As I walked on to the tour bus in the parking lot of The Chance in Poughkeepsie, NY, it was obvious to me that the rock star lifestyle was not one I envied. I found this band that had finally "made it" wrapped in blankets to keep warm even though the bus' engine was running.

I was interrupting "As Good As It Gets" and whatever naps they hoped to fit in before soundcheck. They were generous hosts. Kind and welcoming even though they were visibly worn out from the grueling schedule they've been keeping.

ARW: So here we are talking to The Marvelous 3…

Butch: The Marvelous Two <Jayce (bass) leaves - opting to keep warm inside the venue>

ARW: We have... Butch and Slug

Slug: The Marvelous One

ARW: Actually, Slug at least before you leave, tell me how you got your name.

Slug: Actually back when Butch and I first started playing in a band Butch actually gave me my nickname sort of. It just kind of… I guess because I hit the drums real hard. I slugged the drums. Played hard.

Butch: It's hard to remember how people acquired nicknames when you were kids. We were so young then it was like… it doesn't really make much sense usually but at that time it probably made perfect sense.

ARW: You've known each other since you were kids then?

Butch: Yeah! 15? 16? Something like that.

Slug: 16 years old we started playing together.

Butch: 15 we knew each other

ARW: And you're not sick of each other yet?

Slug: Nah…

Butch: It's all brotherhood.

Slug: It's all good.

<Slug leaves to make a phone call.>

ARW: So it's you and me. I'm going to pick your brain.

Butch: Right on!

ARW: So, who was the woman that did this to you? <laughter>

Butch: <laughing> It's not so autobiographical I don't think. I get inspired lyrically by a lot of my friends and their situations and things like that. But, you know, I can't say that a lot of it… that there isn't a few of those songs that don't make sense from previous failed relationships. You know what I mean? Sometimes that happens. But I try not to make it too… even though it always sounds like it's coming from first person I don't always make it sing that way, you know what I mean?

ARW: So tell me about Atlanta. You've been in with the music press down there…

Butch: It's a good town. They're generally supportive of us even though we are from the hometown. That normally doesn't happen. We have a lot of friends there. The bands are very close. It's a good little scene. It's also on the uprise. I think it's really going to blossom in the next couple of years their really going to take off. There seems to be a lot of diversity coming out of the town. We have heavy music, rap, techno, everything coming out of there. Which is good but it's yet to really put itself on the map with an identity. There is no one sound. It's not like the sound of Seattle or the sound of, you know, New York or whatever. It's definitely got to cultivate into something. But it's a good sound. If you like the change of weather it's a good place to live because we get that every five minutes - hot one day, cold the next.

ARW: What other bands are you were friends with down there?

Butch: Well, we are going out with Collective Soul. We have yet to really befriend each other but we are obviously admirers of each other because they've asked us to play on tour with them in Canada and the States in the next couple of months. And they're local boys.

ARW: Ah, ha.

BUTCH: Let's see… The other ones are bands you might never have heard of because they're local bands trying to do something. The Pleasantdales (http://www.pleasantdales.com/pleasant/index.htm), Tender Idols (http://members.aol.com/TIDOLS/index.htm), friends of ours. Bands that seem to be making some noise in the town. And that's about it. We're not home much! I go home to do laundry.

ARW: OK This album - Hey! Album. Can tell you me about the signing, and Elektra, and how you guys first got spins of "Freak of the Week"?

Butch: How the signing came about?

ARW: Yeah.

Butch: To make it as short as possible I guess… because it's a pretty long story. We put out an indie version of this record about six months ago. Was it six months? <thinking> Maybe September, October. It was our second release on an independent label. It was because we were playing so much out on the road that really the only support we had was from our fans at shows and not from radio. So we wanted to have something out 'cause our fans wanted new albums to buy. So they wanted a new record with new tunes because we were playing some of them live. And we usually just did stuff just for the fans only because nobody else was doing anything for us. So they would pay the money to come see us play. So whenever they wanted they got. So we put out that record of Hey! Album. And next thing you know it started heating up. Labels started getting wind of what was going on. The program director of 99X in Atlanta which is very responsible for a lot of this…

ARW: Leslie Fram?

Butch: Yes, Leslie Fram. I went into her office one day and played her a bunch of this stuff because she wanted to hear it. And said, "Well, I really think there's a lot of singles on this record. And I think we should start putting Freak Of The Week on the radio." And I was like, "Well, okay." I'm not going to say no to that!

ARW: Right.

Butch: And sure enough instantly the song became a big hit at radio. Everybody else started following their lead. And radio stations all over were playing it without even a record deal signed yet. And every label was calling and it was a big story, a big deal. Go figure… ten years, it's quiet. You try and try and try and you're struggling and ready to quit any minute. And then, sure enough, out of nowhere it goes that fast. That's how it happened. We ended up going with Elektra, which is the best label out there for the job I think. They totally took the ball and ran with it. And we have a No. 7 single on Billboard right now. I can die happy. Selling a few records now.

ARW: Cool. So, what was it like to do Conan?

Butch: Conan was fun. It was scary. It was our freshmen debut on television - national television. So, it's kind of iffy. <cough> It was sketchy but fun. Once we finished it was like "yeah!" You watch it back and realize what we will never do again. And what you'll never say or…

ARW: Like wear stripes? <laughter>

Butch: Stripes?? Oh, okay! <sarcastic laugh> I like the stripes personally. I kind of liked it.

ARW: So you're doing Letterman this week…<attempting to change the topic>

Butch: But that's a no-no on television they say.

ARW: Yup. <sarcastic>

Butch: But I liked it. I was like, "Good, maybe I should do that then!"

ARW: It was either that or the Rick Springfield look?

Butch: Yeah, yeah. Well, I had too much make up on. I will say that. They're make-up artist was on crack! She put me in too much makeup. I was like, "That's not cool." She's like, "Oh, it won't look that bad on lights." And I saw the taping back and I was like, "AH!" Like a clown…

ARW: So, are you feeling like the "Freak of the Week" yet?

Butch: I did! Yeah. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. Right now I feel like the sick guy of the week. They've just been running us ragged. It's good but…

ARW: How long have you been sick?

Butch: Yesterday. It's 'cause I haven't slept in a couple of weeks. We've haven't really gotten any sleep. We've been had to run around and plant the seed, you know?

ARW: So… you were at The 9:30 Club in D.C. on Friday…

Butch: Great show.

ARW: I heard you guys blew the roof off the place.

Butch: It was great!

ARW: And you caught your pic… <laughter>

Butch: Many times! <laughter> Caught it every time.

ARW: Your fans are very loyal.

Butch: Yes!

ARW: I've definitely become one.

Butch: Oh! Thank you. Thank you so much.

ARW: I saw you at Big Day Out.

Butch: Oh, right on.

ARW: With the whole light blue matching outfits. You used to do the matching outfits a lot more…

Butch: Some times. Yeah, it's hard on the road though to coordinate that due to laundry schedule. "Oh, I already wore that this week. It stinks!" That's been kind of tough. But we still try to keep it looking good. As much as possible.

ARW: Is it easy to keep the energy up with those types of songs you play? They're very high-energy songs.

Butch: It's hard to keep up with it sometimes… if you're tired and sick. But we do have fun when we get up on stage. And just kind of unleash a lot of it. <pause> I have a feeling tonight is going to be tough. I'm feeling a little wobbly in the knees.

ARW: So the album…let's talk about some of the songs. I think it's a great album. Do you have any favorites?

<Butch spills his water on my leg>
Butch: Oh shit. Let me just spill water all over your leg! I'm just not with it today sweetie. I'm sorry. <Butch getting paper towels and wiping down my leg and shoes> It'll dry. I'm very happy with Every Monday right now. I really like that song. It's seems to be getting a great reaction live. And I really like playing Over Your Head. And I like playing… <thinking>

ARW: What about #27?

Butch: Number 27 is fun! That's fun to play live. Lemonade is a blast.

ARW: Lemonade I like. Who is that singing with you on the album?

Butch: That's me.

ARW: That's you. Both vocals?

Butch: Lemonade. Yeah, very female sounding <proceeds to sing it>

ARW: It has a little bit of Phantom of the Opera. Did you ever notice that?

Butch: Yeah, maybe so.

ARW: <Do. Do, do, do, do-do.>

Butch: Yeah, that's all the climatic stuff. Right on.

ARW: The clip at the start of #27 on the album. Where did that come from?

Butch: It's a guy named Jack Doorman. I think he's some guy with a screw loose. He sent a tape to publishing companies of his stuff. He was just some guy from Brooklyn who was trying to get a record deal. Singing all these bad songs a capella - no instrument behind him, just singing, and he would talk. I lifted a couple samples from his tape. It's pretty popular tape floating around in the industry.

ARW: You seem to have a lot of references to the Brady Bunch and The Afterschool Special. Were you a TV addict growing up?

Butch: That would tell you right then and here that if you didn't watch TV growing up in the 80's then you wouldn't know. But yeah. That's definitely my downfall. I was just a TV junkie growing up. And then I realized all it did was help me put a couple of lines in songs here and there. Other than that it was probably a big waste of time.

ARW: You mean it didn't shape you as a human being?

Butch: Yeah, but I think there's a lot of people that can relate to these topics. At least all my friends growing up could. They all did the same thing. And I think there were towns all over the world that did that. All over the U.S. anyway.

ARW: What your favorite TV shows now?

Butch: I don't watch TV. I haven't watched TV in years. I watch MTV every now and again to kind of do my homework. VH-1, M2. I like Comedy Central a lot. I like E! I don't like smut television or daytime shit. I'm just not into it. I'm very… I don't know… I guess I'm just a big workaholic so I don't really think about it too much. I don't think about what I'm missing. Everybody's watching Dawson's Creek and Felicity and I have no idea what those shows are. My publisher called me and said, "Dawson's Creek and Clueless and 90210 want to use Freak Of The Week clips in their episodes." And I was like, "O.K…. I mean, that's fine with me. They're kids shows, right?" <pause> Katie Holmes, right?

ARW: Right.

Butch: She's cute. <pause> For an underage girl.

ARW: So what's the story with the tattoos?

Butch: Mine?

ARW: Yeah, where did the dice come from?

Butch: We are all victims of tattoos but… that's a yearly therapeutic process that I go through when I have of lot on my mind. I find that one time of year and go sit down and get inked by myself. I don't make it part of an outing or anything with friends. I go… usually… I wake up one day and have a lot on my mind and I'm going go suss it out.

ARW: Is there a favorite tattoo artist that you trust?

Butch: I like to go to different people. Yeah, it's fun to check out different artists and get difference techniques done - different color, style.

ARW: So you started out as "The Floyds". This was sort of a side project - The Marvelous 3?

Butch: It was kind of going to be that and then it just blossomed into a full meal deal.

ARW: You spell "cool" with a "K"?

Butch: I know. It's cheesy I don't know why. I guess I was bored. It's good to piss people off. Rub them the wrong way. So, you know, it does. It rubs all the uptight critics the wrong way. "Oh, what the hell was he thinking?!" So, it's kind of fun. You know? Maybe it's just a grim reminder of growing up listening to Motley Crue and all these other bands and spelling everything wrong, you know? What the hell!

ARW: Any last words for those kids out there who are going to be buying the album?

Butch: Listen to the record. Enjoy it for what it is. Don't take it too seriously. Except, you know, if there's a song that becomes a part of you that was what it was written for - to be part of somebody. And each song is written about a little bit of each person I think in the whole world and what they've gone through. Come out to the shows because that's where the party is and the fun begins. And everyone should just live a little. Quit being so fucking aggravated.

ARW: Have some fun!:)

The Show:

A fully eyelinered Butch appears on stage in a fitted red leather jacket, collar propped upward in Elvis fashion. Jayce on bass was in black and silver glitter from his shirt right down to his eyeshadow. Slug began attacking those set of skins with no mercy which were accentuated by carefully taping over two of the letter on the bass drum to spell out "Slugland".

If Butch had the flu then I'm afraid for the audience what he's feeling 100%! They did more than blew the roof off of The Chance. This show had... electricity. Pure downright sizzle. Butch later claimed on stage that "there must be something in the water here in Poughkeepsie." On February 21st, I think that something was called The Marvelous 3. Whatever the reason, when M3 hit the stage there was pure spontaneous combustion going on. The average teenager ticket holder seemed to be caught in the chemical reaction because they flailed around in a seemingly gaseous state bouncing off one another and flying around on top of the crowd. God bless America.

**Alt Rock World - Original Link**