Prior to their sold-out show in the Duke Ellington Ballroom, an interview was conducted with the Violent Femmes guitarist Gordon Gano, bassist Brian Ritchie, and drummer Victor DeLorenzo.

I understand you’re not actually on tour?

DeLorenzo—We just wanted to play somewhere. We have a new album soon, and things just fell into place.

Gano—We’re doing two shows, here and Northwestern. Our agent got a call asking if we’d be interested.

Ritchie—We’ve always enjoyed playing here, we played here twice before.

Do you like playing for college audiences more?

Ritchie—It doesn’t matter, people are the same everywhere.

DeLorenzo—All kinds of people, college students, bums, we get the same crowd everywhere.

When will the new album be out?

Ritchie—It’ll probably be out in the fall. We’re not sure what it will sound like.

Will you produce it?

Gano—We’ll probably be working with someone.

Ritchie—The producer term is nebulous. We feel we’ve coproduced all our records, even the one we did with Jerry Harrison. There’s a lot of musical information that goes on an album, and unless you’re the most ignorant musician in the world you’ll share in any decision. I think a lot of albums shouldn’t even have a producer credit.

Gano—We didn’t want anyone listed as producer on the last record, but you have to list someone or something.

Ritchie—Billboard likes to list the producer.

Gano—It should list who’s in the band and the engineer.

Ritchie—There was an album that Victor and I did with Eugene Chadbornne, and some guy delivered a pizza to the studio, so he got listed.

Do you feel that not being in a category musically helps you or hurts you?

Ritchie—We are in a category, pop music.

Gano—In the broader context. There’s certain things we fit into. Someways that’s good, others its not.

DeLorenzo—We’re on the border between pop and eccentric music.

Did you go after a certain sound when you started?

Ritchie—Our sound developed through the limitations of the instruments we decided to play.

What about people you like?

Ritchie, Gano and DeLorenzo—Porter Wagoneer, Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Stones, Bob Dylan, Neil Young…

DeLorenzo—Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

What about Pee Wee Herman?

Ritchie—Pee Wee is just a gay propagandist. It worries me that my kid likes the show.

He’s the Liberace of cartoons.

Do you want to talk about your solo work?

Ritchie—Well, I’ve got some solo albums out (on the SST label).

DeLorenzo—I’ve got one in the can.

Gano—I played in a group called Mercy Seat, one album out and one in the can.

Ritchie—We like to play with different people.

Gano—I’ve been playing guitar with Erin O’Hara in New York. She’s really good. She’s got a more pop-oriented sound. There’s been some major label interest.

There seems to be a trend towards women artists.

Gano—Well, one label said they loved it, but they already had three or four women signed.

Ritchie—Hey, if I was her, I’d get that in writing and I’d sue them. That’s discrimination.

Gano—I’ll suggest that. Any final questions?

Does your label have any say in your music?

Ritchie—No, not really. We’ll only listen if its a good idea.

Gano—Everything we’ve had come out has been because we wanted to have it come out that way.