Before the fourth annual Musink Festival in Costa Mesa was under way, I got to catch up with Teppei and Riley from Thrice for an interview.

OCR: So this is your guys first time performing at the Musink Festival, did you guys get a chance to check it out yesterday?
Riley and Teppei: No. Haha
Riley: Were hoping maybe later this afternoon we'll have a chance to check it out or tomrrow because our friends Hot Water Music are playing, so maybe we'll check it out then.

OCR: Are you guys planning in getting any tattoos today?
Teppei: No I'm not
Riley: No, I don't function well after I get tattoed, all I wanna do is eat and sleep, so having to play a show is not something I wanna do after I get a tattoo.

OCR: Are you guys going to enter any of the tattoo contests today?
Riley: If I wanna lose, ya haha.

OCR: What were your guys most meaningful tattoos, and what was your most 'What the fuck was I thinking?' tattoos?
Teppei: This is like, basically my wedding ring. (He said as he showed me a small red heart tatted on his ring finger.) Playing my guitar and whatever I take my ring off like everynight, I didn't want to lose it, so I got it tattooed on me.

OCR: Do you still have your ring?
Teppei: Ya I still have it... Somewhere.
Riley: My most meaningful tattoo, its probably the one on the inside of my arm. The "Radiohead" tattoo with, (the lyrics) "I'm not here, this isn't happening." I got it when I was having a difficult time being on the road and touring. I actually read something not too long ago, that the lyrics for that were inspired by Michael Stipe from "R.E.M" who said to Thom Yorke of "Radiohead" and it was about the pressures of touring.

OCR: Oh wow.
Riley: So now it means even more than it did back then.
My 'What the fuck?' tattoo is uhh... I got a tattoo when I was 19 with my girlfriend.

OCR: Are you still with her?
Riley: No, she is no longer my girlfriend and hasn't  been for like, a decade or more.
Since then I've been trying to cover it up and coving it up poorly, and its just turned into a giant mass of ink and waste of money spent. So, its a lesson to myself and to others not make bad decisions with ink. 

OCR: Ya, I heard that its a curse. If you you get your girlfriend or boyfriends name tattooed, your bound to break up.
Riley: Well I'm so stupid that I did it again.

OCR: Haha, you did? Are you still with her though?
Riley: Yes, and its probably gonna be something made official soon...

OCR: Oh, planning on proposing?

Riley takes a glance at Teppei.

Riley: Probably soon, ya.
Teppei: Oh ya??
Riley: Ya haha.

OCR: Any tattoos you'd like to get removed?
Teppei: No, I don't have that many really. I have this one piece on my arm. (He points to his sleeve on his left arm.)
And I have my wifes name, (he said as he pointed to his collarbone)
but I'm married, so that's very different from a girlfriend.

OCR: Right, right. So what can we expect from your new album as far as your musical style? 
Riley: I think it'll be like the, uh, least drastic shift between records. Like "Vhessiu" was drastically different from "Artist in the Ambulence," "Alchemy Index"obviously, was all over the place and because "Alchemy Index" was all over the place people didn't really know what we were gonna do. And I think "Beggers" was a pretty good indicator of like where our heads were creatively and collaborativley- if that's even a word.

OCR: Haha.
Riley: So the next record will be a more logical move on from "Beggers."
Its hard to describe.

OCR: So, when are expecting its release? Any certain month?
Riley: Hopefully late summer, early fall.
Teppei: It depends on like, when we book studio time and how long it takes to finish.

OCR: Have you guys came up with a title yet?
Riley: No, but I'm sure Dustin is thinking about it.

OCR: Where is Dustin by the way?
Riley: I think he's is at a memorial service.

OCR: Oh, ouch.
Riley: I dont know who for though.
Teppei: Ya, I don't know who for either.

OCR: So you guys are from Irvine, do you plan on staying a couple days, maybe chill with the fam?
Riley: Well,Teppei lives in Washington, he just moved out there, so he's staying for a couple days. I live in Orange, Ed lives in Orange, Dustin still lives in Irvine. So, this is like twenty minutes for home.

OCR: Any more dates for you guys?
Teppei: Were doing "Bamboozle" festival in New Jersey, that's in like late April. Um, and nothing really, were gonna finish writing and recording the record. And obviously once that comes out were gonna do a couple tours and definately play here again.

OCR: Well thank you guys so much for your time, and good luck with the proposal!
Riley: Ahh thank you!

Keep an eye out for that new record Thrice fans, and be weary of girlfriend tattoos, they'll last longer than the brief good-times by which they came.