Melvin conducted a bland interview with the reticent (and probably exhausted) Laura over Thanksgiving. The band had just arrived in Chapel Hill to recoup after their lengthy tour.

Yeah, there's a lot of good bands here. I've been out of town for so long I'm not real up on the newest bands. I've heard of them, like people will say they are good, but I have not gone to see them yet.

So do you feel like you are even part of the scene anymore?

No. No, because I am gone so long. I don't feel like I'm a part of it. I feel like a totally separate entity. I feel like a grandma when I show up at one of the shows.

How long have you been touring behind Foolish?

We have been out for the last, whatever, like since May. And we have been home for periods of time, but never for very long. In July, I guess we were home for like a month, but [last month's leg of the tour] was our last one for a while. We are going to stay home for six or eight months or so.

Are you going to be doing any recording then?

Probably not until the end of that time.

So you are just kind of hanging loose or whatever...

Yeah, we're gonna put out another singles compilation either this coming spring or in the summer. And then we are going to record another record.

I read a lot of fairly negative reviews for Foolish‹a lot of critics said it didn't match up to your other stuff. Were you surprised by the reaction from the music press?

Yeah. It's a sort of selfish reaction, I think. It's like, they don't want us to grow or change. And I think when you play together for five years, things are going to start changing. I think there's a big difference between No Pocky and On The Mouth.

Do you guys have any feel for how Superchunk's music might change from here? Has it changed since you recorded Foolish?

We've only written like five songs or something. Since we've been touring so much we haven't had time to work together a lot. But, yeah, I guess they are different. Everything just keeps getting more and more complicated. It keeps things from getting boring.

Of course, now Merge seems to be doing really well for you guys. Is it to the point now where it is sustaining itself?

Yeah, I think so. It could, um...(sigh)...I'm still not always confident about it. As far as Merge goes, I'm never sure that the income will be consistent. I haven't figured out a good way to budget things yet.

You kind of handle the business end of things at the label right? So do you feel more confident now that you have been at it for a while?

Yeah I do. I feel more confident, but at the same time, I'm out of town so much that I feel like I would like to hire someone specifically to do that, but I'm scared to try and hire another person, because I'm afraid we can't afford it.

I noticed that Mac was featured in Option Magazine in an article about the whole lo-fi thing. Are you involved with doing stuff on 4-track at all?

No. I don't have one and I never take the time to do that kind of thing. I would like to and I am planning on doing it, but...(sigh)...

You're too busy running Merge and being a member of Superchunk.

Yeah, exactly. And when I do have spare time, I can't justify doodling around on a guitar. And plus, I'm sick of that stuff. I don't want to do that in my free time. I'd rather clean the toilet, you know? (laughs) And doing stuff that I feel like needs doing. But I am going to spend more time doing that, now that we are going to be home for awhile, I'll do better.

((GRAPHIC PULL QUOTE HERE)) Šwhen I do have spare time, I can't justify doodling around on a guitar. And plus, I'm sick of that stuff. I don't want to do that in my free time. I'd rather clean the toilet, you know?

What do you think about the way the whole alternative thing has blown up to the point that...

It's not alternative anymore.

Yeah. It is just a marketing term now.

Uh-huh. It is just ridiculous how that word has become a marketing term, but it was bound to happen. That's what happens with all the different genres or sub-groups of music that stick around to become successful, they are going to become mainstream. If they are healthy and energized enough to last as long as this whole thing has, eventually the majors are going to catch on to it. Not just the majors, but, just, the whole culture will become aware of it, and it'll spread. I don't think it is disgusting or anything, I think it is just natural.

What are your feelings about the way major labels snatch up bands? When you are on an indie label and you sell, say 20,000 records, that's really successful. But when you are signed to a major if you don't sell 100,000 records, it is a huge disappointment for the company. I just don't know if a lot bands are ready for that.

Yeah, I think that is true. They catch a lot of bands at a very vulnerable point when they don't know anything about the business. People are getting signed after doing one seven inch. I mean, they've never toured and they don't know what it is yet; what the whole experience is of being in a band. So I think a lot of bands are obligating themselves to something they don't fully understand. It is tragic, and I am sure a lot of them end up breaking up as a result of it. And, you know, you can't make the labels out to be the criminals or the bad guys, because they are just doing their job, and if the band is stupid enough to do it, it is their fault.

Is that kind of how you felt when you guys were approached by majors? Did you feel like it would just be overwhelming?

Um, I don't know if it would be overwhelming to us, because at this point, we know what is involved, but I don't think that I could handle someone trying to tell me what I should do. That's one of the things that is so great about our set-up. Our label isn't going to be calling us going, "You guys really need to tour for nine months for this record. We are setting it up, and like it or not you are going to do it." I don't know how much that really goes on, obviously. But I've got the feeling that people get pressured into touring when they don't necessarily want to.