In 2001, two friends – Joe Trohman and Pete Wentz – decided to start a band in Wilmette, Ill. and discovered their lead vocalist, Patrick Stump, inside a Borders. They performed without a name until the end of their second show, when an audience member suggested “Fallout Boy” in reference to a Simpsons character.
Seven years later, Fall Out Boy is one of the biggest rock acts and selling out concerts around the world. Last year, they attempted to set a world record by playing a show on all seven continents in less than nine months.
“We set out to do it, but because of the weather we couldn’t,” drummer Andy Hurley said. “That was kind of a bum out. Hopefully we’ll have a chance to do it again.”
Hurley, who played drums for a couple of bands and attended college full-time, didn’t join the band until their second album, Take This to Your Grave. The tattooed drummer had known Wentz since he was 16.
On Tuesday, Fall Out Boy’s fifth studio album, Folie à Deux, comes out. A couple of hours before the band’s set during Y-100’s Jingle Ball at the BankAtlantic Center, Hurley got comfortable in a small press room and spoke with The Miami Hurricane about the new album.
THE MIAMI HURRICANE: The CD comes out on Tuesday after a delay. How excited are you guys to get it out to the fans, even though it was leaked?
Andy: It leaked last week sometime, but I think you expect that nowadays when it goes to the plant to be pressed. We’re really excited. We had it ready to come out on Election Day, but I think we definitely made the right choice especially in hindsight because it was such an important election. It’s been over a month since then so it’s really cool to finally have it come out and being able to play newer songs.
TMH: It’s up on Myspace and the sound, like the song “Headfirst Slide into Cooperstown on a Bad Bet,” is kind of different. Everyone talks about “Fall Out Men.” Are you guys maturing musically?
Andy: I think every record you do, whether you try to or not, just because another year or two has gone by. We’re drawing influences from different places and I think we’re more comfortable doing certain things that maybe last record people wouldn’t have been ready for or we weren’t ready for.
TMH: Kanye West did a remix to “This Ain’t a Scene” and there was the song with Timbaland. There’s a more urban feel to the music. Was it purposely done or did it just come that way?
Andy: I think there’s a lot of just straight rock songs and I think there’s some definite soul-type songs. Patrick is the one who’s really into R&B and soul and with his voice and everything it just kind of comes naturally.
TMH: How do you find time to come out with an album every year?
Andy: I don’t know. Patrick just writes every day and by the end of the year he’ll have 50 songs and it kind of feels right. It depends. That’s what happened this time. We just had so many songs. Why sit around and do nothing when we could make another album?
TMH: I was at the Halloween concert last year. The way it was set up, you were kind of higher and detached from everyone. Does it ever get lonely as a drummer?
Andy: Yeah. That’s the reason I don’t like arena shows because usually my drum riser is so high and I’m afraid of heights. So that’s scary and I’m not by the guys.
TMH: You guys are very good with your fans. Pete has his Q&A and blog on the site, last album had the song “Thriller.” Is there anything in the future?
Andy: Hopefully. We have some plans. We’re definitely always thinking about how to involve our fans in the process. The CD booklet has a thing where, next to our pictures, there’s a page where you can draw something and send it to the website and it’ll be posted.
TMH: This CD doesn’t have really, really long song titles…
Andy: It’s good to change it up. I never really know until the CD comes out. I’m not a part of that process. It’s mainly Pete.