Alright, so, I’m Olivia Foster, and I’m here with The Moss. Do you guys wanna introduce yourselves?
Tyke James: Yes.
Okay.
Tyler Harris: Hey, I’m Tyler, I play guitar.
TJ: I’m Tyke, I sing.
Caiden Jackson: I’m Caiden, I play bass.
Willie Fowler: My name’s Willie, I play the drums.
Cool, cool. You’re actually a new face.
TH: Hey.
I interviewed these guys last year, so it’s nice to meet you.
TH: Nice to meet you.
How did you come to join The Moss?
TH: I have another band that opened for The Moss last year in January, and then they needed a quick fill-in guitar player and hit me up.
CJ: And then you stayed.
TH: And I … haven’t left.
You haven’t left.
Tyke: No, we trapped him.
TH: They can’t get rid of me.
Cool, no, that’s awesome.
TH: Yeah.
So, I’m guessing—
Tyke: Mousetrap.
Mousetrap. Well, I mean, a little trapping goes pretty far, I feel like, y’know? Y’know.
TH: Right.
You guys are what—
TH: Entrapment.
Tyke: It was a small entrapment, and now…
… now it’s like full-time entrapment.
TH: They blackmail me.
OH.
TH: They took a bunch of bad photos of me, and they use ‘em as blackmail.
Mmm.
Rest of Band: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
TH: They say if I play bad, they’re gonna release them.
Rest of Band: Yeah, yeah.
CJ: Yeah, and we used to feed him dog food only.
Only dog food?
TH: Yeah.
Wet, or dry?
CJ: Huh?
TH: Dry.
Wet, or dry?
CJ: Dry.
TH: It was dry, unless I was like, really good.
CJ: If he wanted a dessert—if he did really good—we’d give him wet.
TH: Yeah.
Okay. Is your jaw okay? That sounds like it might be a traumatic thing for your jaw, to eat dry dog food.
TH: Yeahhh, it’s okay.
CJ: And he has big teeth now.
Okay.
TH: Yeah, I have big teeth now.
TJ: Don’t ask him about it. He’s not allowed to complain.
He’s not allowed to complain? Okay. I’ll stop so you don’t release the photos.
TH: [frighteningly realistic dog bark]
Okay, so I can see why you’re here. You fit right in.
TH: Yeah.
Gotcha. Okay. So you guys are halfway through tour now, so that’s a fair amount of entrapment time. How’s tour been?
TJ: It’s been great.
TH: It’s been awesome.
CJ: Yeah, this tour’s been really fun. We’ve been in some beautiful places, and it’s always good to come back to Texas for these shows. For me, because I have family here, and it’s always a good vibe, and a lot of friends come, and it’s always a good time.
TJ: And we were in Texas maybe six times last year?
CJ: We’ve been in Texas a lot, yeah.
WF: Been here a lot.
CJ: Covered a lot of Texas.
Yeah. That’s actually really cool, because when I interviewed you guys last year, it was your first time playing a show in Texas.
CJ: Yeah, yeah.
TJ: Wow.
I know—how things change. And you’re from Houston, right? So—
WF: Nahhh, that was the other guy.
CJ: Yeah, that was Addison.
Oh, was that Addison? Okay.
CJ: He was born in Houston.
Gotcha. I misremembered, my bad.
CJ: No worries.
So then, I guess you’re the only one with claim to ‘yee-haw.’
CJ: Yeah, I got the ‘howdy,’ y’know?
Got the ‘howdy’ and everything?
CJ: The old ‘yee-haw.’
That makes sense. And what about you? Where’re you from?
TH: I was born in Las Vegas.
Okay, gotcha, so gambling is in your blood, everything like that.
TH: You have no idea. You have no idea.
TJ: OH MY GOD, he has asked to go gambling, like, six nights of the week.
Really?
TH: Yeahhh.
TJ: It is crazy you said that.
Okay, okay, well—
TH: I love [unintelligible]. I love to gamble.
Okay, good for you! Well, it’s good for you if you’re good at it. Are you good at it?
TH: I’m okay.
You’re okay?
TH: I’m pretty good.
Okay.
TH: I think I’m net-positive for my life.
You’re net-positive? That’s good.
TJ: Net-positive of life.
TH: Yeah.
That’s good, I think that’s good.
TJ: I’m not. I only gambled once, and I’m negative.
You’re negative?
TJ: I dipped into my girlfriend at the time’s pockets—
Oooooh.
TJ: —because my da—[stops to laugh]
TH: That loan’s—
TJ: No no, I went one time, and we both had a hundred pounds. We were in England. We’re all going in with a hundred pounds, and all of a sudden, I’m like, “What? I just ran out of my last, uhhh, chip.” And she was like, “Well, you can keep playing, I’ll just give you the chips.” And she just kept giving me chips.
Dang.
TJ: It was hilarious.
That’s really unfortunate. Was she doing well before you decided to steal from her coffers?
TJ: Yeah, her and my sister were actually slaying, straight having beginner’s luck mode.
CJ: That’s crazy.
TJ: Except my sister, my blood, who was doing real’ good—like, she was up at least double her money. She was up to like 220 pounds.
TH: Dang.
TJ: And we’re like, “Woah, dude, that’s time to walk away,” and she was like, “No.” And went all the way back down to, like, eighty—
Daaaang.
TJ: —and, uh, anyways. I forgot what I was talking about originally.
Gambling. Are you guys good at gambling? Are you good gamblers?
WF: Oh yeah.
CJ: Oh yeah, I’ve been to a resort called Choctaw in Oklahoma. It’s like thirty minutes from where I’m from in Texas. And yeah, I never made any money.
Never made any money. Not a penny?
CJ: Not a—no.
Not a nickel? Not a dime?
CJ: No, I lose it. All.
That’s really unfortunate.
TH: We should go.
CJ: And y’know, it’s an intimidating place to be.
TJ: “We should gooo.”
CJ: It always smells weird.
Yeah, they do smell weird. It’s like cigarettes and adrenaline.
CJ: Yeah, I hate the smell.
WF: I hate the smell.
CJ: Tyler loves it.
TH: I do.
TJ: And it’s too futuristic to me.
It’s really overstimulating.
TJ: It’s too like WALL-E. Y’know. WALL-E?
Yeah, no, I completely feel you. It is very WALL-E.
TH: Dude, all the crazy lights and sounds are nice.
WF: No, no….
TJ: And it makes you sleepy.
Yeah?
TH: What?
TJ: All the lights and sounds, they make you sleepy.
I get it. I get super exhausted. My parents did a vow renewal in Vegas, and we went to Caesar’s Palace—
CJ: Oh, Caesar’s Palace.
—and I was so done.
TJ: Yeah, it’s tiring. It’s draining.
It’s so draining. Okay, we got so off-topic, but I love it. I wanted to ask, since I last saw you guys, have you been working on anything new?
TJ: Ummm, yes. Yes and … yes, because we are always trying to make things. So we’re always making things and, whether or not they’re coming out … ehh? We’re trying our best.
That’s fair.
TJ: But we have recorded stuff. Finished songs.
That’s exciting. Are we gonna hear any of those tonight? I’m hoping?
CJ: Yeah, you’ll hear at least one of the new songs.
TJ: At least one.
At least one.
TH: Maybe two.
Maybe two?
TJ: Maybe three, though.
I can’t even count that high, so that’s really exciting for me.
TH: Maybe we could do three.
TJ: Maybe ten.
Maybe ten? Yeah, I definitely can’t count that high.
TJ: The whole set. All new set.
That’ll be really cool. You guys released a single five or so months ago, right? Am I crazy? How was that?
WF: Great.
CJ: It’s been great, as soon as people like it and everything.
I was gonna say, I was watching the music video when the train was stuck and not going anywhere. It was me sitting next to Olivia Rodrigo fans, just watching the music video. How was the filming of the music video? Because I know the story behind the “Blink” music video is a little … y’know, with the turnaround and everything, and the lederhosen, it was a little intense.
TJ: Yep, that one was a little more light.
WF: This one was just, we wanted to get out in nature and have fun in nature.
It was good vibes.
CJ: Yeah, it was a good time.
I liked it. It was a good “being stuck on the train” song. It was a very nice moment.
WF: Good.
CJ: Nice.
Yeah. Me and the Olivia Rodrigo fans. Actually, I know you guys are big Olivia Rodrigo fans, and I wanted to ask: in the past year, have you guys collected any new musical artists and inspirations that you guys—
TJ: No.
CJ: Tyke only listens to her.
Okay. That’s valid. You could ditch the concert and go see her.
TJ: I thought about it. I didn’t know she was playing tonight, and now I’m going crazy.
Yeah…. Maybe you’ll catch up to her in another city.
TJ: No one … told me that….
No, I legitimately was considering going, but I had such a good time interviewing you guys last year that I was like, “Nahhh….”
TJ: [pointing] Get out of here!
No! I was like, I was like—
TJ: Nooo, you’re blowing smoke!
No, I’m not blowing smoke, because I was like, “Do I have Olivia Rodrigo ticket money?”
WF: Oh yeahhh.
And then I was like, do I wanna save up—
CJ: Wait, how much are tickets, I wonder?
I don’t know, but—
TJ: Probably priced four-hundred dollars.
WF: Oh, really?
I have no idea. I’ve heard that they’re actually not that bad.
TJ: Really?
But I was like, do I wanna work and save up for Olivia Rodrigo tickets?
CJ: Wait, where is she playing? Is she at American Airlines?
I have no clue. I was just like, do I wanna save up and then spend money on Olivia Rodrigo tickets, or do I wanna go talk to The Moss for free?
CJ: Yeah bro.
TJ: Broooo.
And then get paid, like, fifteen bucks.
TJ: Yeah.
Soooo … you guys were not only the more economic decision—
WF: Fifteen buuucks?
—but I think the more fun decision.
TJ: I’m glad.
WF: You could still make it.
Could still make it, that’s right. This is true.
TJ: Let me tell you, we are having a super personal experience, y’know?
Yeah?
TJ: And we’re hangin’ out and everything, and that’s super special.
Exactly. That’s just it. And, I was supposed to work this night anyways. I’d been planning on being here for a while, so then by the time I was like, “Okay, am I gonna get cheap tickets? No.” So now I’m here. I’ve brought a bunch of friends who are super duper excited to see you guys. One of them—
TJ: From where?
One of them I brought with me last year to see you guys.
CJ: Okay, cool.
And he’s been asking when we can go see you again. He told me months ago, “The Moss are coming. The Moss are coming. We’ve gotta go see The Moss.”
WF: Nice.
CJ: Siiiick.
TH: Niiiice.
He also really wants to skateboard with you guys, and I was like, “I think they’re busy. But I’ll tell them.” But yeah, so—it seems like you’ve already got a line out the door as well. Like, wrapping around the corner.
TJ: Woah.
Which is pretty cool.
TJ: Super cool.
Yeah, so, I guess people are really excited to see you. I’m really excited to see you. The vibes last year were great. I’m very hopeful for this year’s vibes.
TJ: I’m hopeful.
So, don’t let me down, or I will buy dog food.
TH: I promise it’s better.
Okay.
TH: I promise it’s better.
CJ: It’s gotten better.
TH: Is that fine?
CJ: We’ve definitely improved and gotten way tighter.
TH: Is that okay to say?
CJ: It’s okay to say, we sound way better.
WF: We sound way better than we did a year ago.
Okay, perfect. Because, I’ve never seen Mission Impossible, but I feel like I could do that and get the bad photos. And then release them.
TJ: Woah.
CJ: Tyler’s gonna be on his A-game tonight.
Okay. I was gonna say, no Mission Impossible over here, but I have seen a lot of Phineas and Ferb, and I feel like Perry the Platypus could do that.
WF: That is so true.
So I’ll channel my inner Perry the Platypus.
TH: Oh….
TJ: [leaning into the mic] You need to threaten him more.
I need to threaten him more? Okay. If I could make the Perry the Platypus sound, I would, and I feel like that would be really threatening.
CJ: Probably.
TJ: The Perry the Platypus one?
Yeah, can any of you guys do that?
TJ: [attempts the Perry the Platypus sound]
The Perry the Platypus sound?
TJ: Um. [makes the Perry the Platypus sound]
CJ: Oh my god.
That’s–that’s—
CJ: That’s actually—
TJ: Wait, wait, hold on, hold on. [clears throat, takes sip of water] Wait.
WF: How are you doing that?
Oh, that’s smart.
TJ: [makes a better Perry the Platypus sound]
OH! That’s actually really good!
CJ: Yeah, it’s actually really good.
Wait, I’m impressed. See, if you can do that, no dog food for you, definitively.
TH: Yeahhh, I can’t do that.
Okay, well, you’re still on the chopping block, but fingers crossed.
TJ: [continues to make Perry the Platypus sound]
TH: I don’t have to eat dog food anymooore. I graduated.
You graduated? I don’t know.
TH: I haven’t been getting hazed anymore.
CJ: He passed his hazing period.
Were there other [forms] of hazing? How does The Moss choose to haze?
CJ: How does The Moss haze? We get pretty intense—
TJ: What is a ‘haze’? What’s a ‘haze’?
You know how frats have the paddles, and they’re like, “C’mere, bestie.”
CJ: Yeah, so how do we—
TJ: Oh. You don’t wanna know about this.
TH: What was my initiation? I had to jump off a bridge.
CJ: Well, we dressed up in these crazy robes, and we went into this dark chapel room and read off these sacred papers.
CJ: And he was goggled—we put, like, a blinding goggle on him, and read—
WF: Like, clear science goggles, but with duct tape on them.
Ohhh, I like that, that’s cool.
TJ: And then the goggles had inside a screen, so that it showed static TV.
Oh, that’s really cool. That’s actually really dope.
CJ: And we were in North Carolina when we did it.
TJ: Yeah, North Carolina.
TH: I don’t remember. I didn’t even know I went there.
Yyyyeaaahhh.
TJ: Yeah, I mean…. But you remember waking up with peanut butter on your….
TH: Feet.
TJ: Feet. Right?
TH: Yeah.
TJ: Right on.
TH: Right.
This is—you guys are so fun. You’re legitimately my favorite interview I’ve ever done—
CJ: That’s great.
—and that’s not blowing smoke, I don’t know. Last year was so fun. This is so fun.
TJ: This is fun.
You guys have such good energy.
TJ: Thank you, Olivia. You too.
Thank you! I appreciate it.
CJ: Really, this is a great interview.
TJ: You’re a great interviewer too.
Thank you! I double appreciate that. Ohhh, we’re dapping up?
CJ: We’re dapping up.
TJ: You had the flow, and you didn’t even have a paper for all your good questions.
Thank you, thank you. I practiced in the bathroom earlier.
TH: Great!
Like, not in front of the mirror, but on the toilet. I was like, “Okay, say this.” And then I was like, “That doesn’t sound good. Say this.”
TJ: Nice.
So, I actually predicted the dog food thing.
TJ: Wow.
CJ: Really.
TH: You knew that was coming?
TJ: She saw it from a mile away.
CJ: Are we predictable?
Yeah, no, that’s also how I knew you were a gambler, because I’m like psychic or whatever?
TH: Sick, me too.
TJ: Oh yeah, he is too.
Really? But I’m only psychic if I’m on a toilet, so is it the same for you?
TH: No, no.
WF: He’s the witch of the group.
TH: Not just anytime.
Not just anytime?
TJ: It’s when he’s head banging.
Oh, gotcha.
TH: Yeah, I kinda have to be, like, in the zone.
That makes sense, that makes sense.
CJ: If he starts headbanging, we kinda go, “Okay…. He’s seeing the future.”
Okay, gotcha. So this was someone powerful and good to indoctrinate into your group. I get it. But you can’t let him feel too powerful, or y’know….
TJ: Yeah no, there’s a class system and everything, y’know.
Yeah, no, and I appreciate that. I love me a good class system.
TH: I know my place.
I’m glad you know your place. I think it’s really healthy to know your place.
TH: They used to shock collar.
Yeah, I—is that why you have the bandanna on? You’re hiding?
TH: Yeah, I am hiding.
You’re like, you wanna know how I got these scars?
TJ: We’re not allowed to share this torture info.
Okay. It’ll be all “redacted.” I’ll just put your guys’ name and it’ll be like, “So we [REDACTED] and then we [REDACTED] and then he woke up with [REDACTED] on his [REDACTED].”
WF: Right, perfect.
Yeah, I think that’s the best way to go about this.
TJ: That was a crazy fourteen minutes.
That was a crazy fourteen minutes.
CJ: Wow, that was quick.
I was gonna say, I know you guys probably have stuff you wanna do before the show, so Imma let you guys go now. But thank you so much for giving me this super fun interview.
The Moss: Thank you.
TJ: This was a great interview.
Giving me an inside look at dog food and shock collars and psychics and gambling.
CJ: Totally.
And … yeah.
TH: This was an interview about me.
Because I didn’t know you! I had so many questions!
TJ: It was a “Get to know Tyler, the new member of The Moss.”
TH: I’m putting that in my bio.
Do it.
“Dog food, shock collars, and gambling, babyyyy.”
Please do it. Actually. That’s just it, this was great.
TH: Can we go gambling?
CJ: Pass the plate.
Pass the plate.
TH: Can we go gambling?
CJ: We can go to Choctaw.
When I indoctrinate people in the future, I will always think about this.
TJ: You can text me if you wanna know anything more.
Thank you. I’ll take you up on that. Because I need to know the color of the robes, where you bought the shock collar, what was the voltage, everything like that. Do you let him get wet before you use the shock collar, just for extra impact?
CJ: Extra impact?
Yeah. Just so he really remembers—
TH: Damn.
TJ: We put him in the bathtub. I’ll hit you with an email.
Please do.
TJ: Yeah, don’t worry about it.
Well, thank you, The Moss.
The Moss: Thank you.
[synchronized clap]
The Moss: Voosha!
