excerpted from their website:

Their self-released 2001 debut sold over 13,000 copies. They shared stages with bands who had wads blown on them way larger, with less fortunate results. After taking the majority of 2003 to record the follow up CD, the band is set to hit 2004 on the ground and running. The new CD, Jawbreaker, is a knockout. While People Magazine said Sugareen had "more hooks than a tackle box", Jawbreaker is filled with enough uppercuts, right crosses and donkey punches to more than get the job done. 19 Wheels is four guys who have not forgotten the knack of songwriting in this day when more emphasis is placed on hot chicks in videos than songs in videos.

Chris Johnston graciously took some time to chat with Mantis about how he sees his little piece of the music pie.

1) You guys are from Michigan. How do you feel this has influenced your
perception of the music business?

I think being from the Midwest gives its bands a little bit more reality
than those from the ivory coasts. Around here you join a band to make music,
play in bars, meet girls and drink beer. On the coasts you form bands to get
a deal to get you the lifestyle you feel is your birthright...it just wasn't the reason we sat down for the tattoos in the first place.

Fortunately around here there is a greater chance to gain a following as a "local band". Our fans are a great source of inspiration and perspective, and I don't know how we'd make the music we do without them.

2) How do you approach songwriting / arranging? How about writing lyrics?

We try really hard when we write songs. I realize admitting that might
make someone draw the conclusion that "we try too hard." But that's
bullshit. I know there's a fine line, and I don't think we cross it. You try
to put as many hooks as you can into a song. Too many and you're equally
doomed. It's like watching the Miss America pageant. You see all these
traditionally beautiful women parade their sets across yours, and every 18th
one has something, shall we say, different about her. She automatically
changes your perspective on everyone else, and her too.

Every part of a song serves a purpose. Hooks can go anywhere, but you have
to know when to use them and when to hold back to make those you've chosen
stand out. You use lyrics the same way. I constantly write what to me are
the cleverest lyrics in the world. Then I read a song full of them and
realize that I've ruined it by not giving the listener's brain a chance to
coast for a while. We end up...picking where to lay it on and where to back off.

3) You just finished a new album! How was it different this time?

This is our second album with the same producer, Donny Brown. The last
record we made while Donny was recording/releasing his own record. (Donny is
the drummer/songwriter for The Verve Pipe). Dealing with leftovers of
Donny's time, energy and creativity was tough with the last record. The end
results justified the wait in our eyes. Fortunately for us, and not as
fortunate for Donny, Donny had a lot more time to prioritize toward this new
record this time around. We took almost a year off from playing to work
on the songs and recording. I think having a strong CD under our collective
belts gave us a bit of a safety net, knowing we were capable of something we
felt pretty good about. It also set a standard that we wanted to easily
surpass. There were definitely moments along the way we wondered if we were
on the right track. But those were outweighed by moments when you're sitting
around listening to playback and smiling at each other, knowing we were on
to something.

4) What do you think about a manned space mission to Mars?

Is that entirely necessary? Maybe someday, maybe. I think Bush just wants to list some priorities so he can get credit for it when it happens. He's still pissed Gore invented the internet. Bush should give a speech saying he wants to send men to Mars, build more luxurious SUV's, and develop a time machine. Then someday he'll be able to say he started it all. Or at least 2 out of 3.

5) What are some songs you wished you had written?

I wish I'd written: "Unchained Melody" by the Righteous Brothers, "I
Can't Get it Out of My Head" by ELO and "Let's Get it On" by Marvin Gaye.
Everything works about them for me. By the time each chorus comes around
you want to hear it that much more. That seems so impossible to me.

6) What was your inspiration for 'Really Stupid Girl'?

I consider myself a decent looking guy with a good head on his shoulders. I can make people laugh most of the time and I don't take myself too seriously.

However I must do a lot of things wrong because in 99% of all my
failed relationships, I was the one who was let go. "Really Stupid Girl" is
something I've wanted to say to all of those that didn't stick around to see
the gripping conclusion. It really pisses me off when someone tells me I'm
not good enough to do something. I want to make those decisions: and I'm not
afraid to. Every word of this song happened to me at some point in my life.
And every time we play this song I'm reminded that I'm far from alone. It's
pretty universal.

7) What's next for 19 Wheels?

The next thing for us to do is to get out and play some shows and let
people hear these songs and the record. We're an independent band, any break
we get is going to come from something we create. And for us a break would
mean someone taking some of the pressure off of us to keep this ship afloat.
We can always write more songs, but making records costs a fair amount of
dough, although thankfully those numbers come down with the technology
available for home recording. But it still ain't cheap. And gas prices
aren't helping. But that's not going to keep us off the road.

The new album from 19 Wheels, Jawbreaker, is available on their website.

Photos courtesy Matt Dolinar.