"The Sloppy MeatEaters' A-Peal"

A new video for their song “Lonely Day” will also be on this new release.

I got a chance to talk to singer/songwriter/guitarist Josh Chambers about the band and how they’ve gotten to where they are at this point.

MF: SME has been together for 2 1/2 years and had almost immediate success. Typically, there is a lot of hard work involved with this; tell me some of the things you guys did to achieve that success.

Josh: We live and breathe this band. I guess you can take it as a lot of hard work, but when it's something you love so much then all the work doesn't seem to hard.

MF: Your second CD, Forbidden Meat, is a little more commercial sounding than the first release. Was this planned, or did it just evolve that way?

Josh: That's just the way it came out. We had a year to grow as a band, plus we actually had a label to help us get the most out of the recording process. We didn't have to cut things short because we were outta money like our first release.

MF: You spoke of recording your last album on a label, Orange Peal Records? How did they find you, or how did you find them?

Josh: I really can't remember, but we were booking our first west coast tour, and they hooked us up a show in the Bay Area. From then on, we just became good friends and started working more and more together and finally signed a deal.

MF: Who are you most compared to? Who are your songwriting influences?

Josh: All the reviews I've read don't really pick a certain band (or bands) to compare us to. The theme in most of the reviews of this record is taking pop punk to different levels. Every band I’ve ever liked since I can remember have influenced me. Bands from Guns N’ Roses to Buddy Holly to Nofx to Nirvana.

MF: What was it like to play on the Farmclub TV show? Did it help your record sales?

Josh: That was more than just a boost of record sales. It proved to us that three guys from nowhereville Georgia could actually make something happen just by playing music. We had been a band for less than a year when we did Farmclub. It was surreal to be standing next to Destiny's Child while getting interviewed by Access Hollywood.

MF: How has touring treated you guys? Do you think it's an effective way to get exposure and sell merch?

Josh: Touring is our favorite thing because it's the one thing we don't have to rely on other people for. We just go out and do it. We've done seven tours across the country in two years, and every time it gets bigger and bigger. I think the only way a band like us could ever make it is to tour, tour, tour, and tour.

MF: You guys played on the Vans Warped tour. What are some memorable moments from that?

Josh: That was an awesome experience for all of us. Getting to play and make friends with some of our favorite bands like Ataris, Nofx, Good Charlotte, Alien Ant Farm, etc. The best moment from the Warped tour was our last date in Atlanta (our hometown) and we played in front of about 4,000 kids.

MF: You speak of Atlanta as being home. Did you guys grow up in or near Atlanta?

Josh: We grew up in a small nothing town called Rome, and it's about 70 miles north of Atlanta, and since Atlanta is the only real city near us, we just refer to Atlanta as home. It gets old explaining to people that we are not from Italy. Rome is a town in Georgia!!

MF: What is the band's ultimate goal?

Josh: We're supposed to have goals? I better start rethinking things.

MF: How did you come up with the name Sloppy MeatEaters?

Josh: It was a funny name that made me laugh. When we came up with the name, we never thought we would ever even play a show. Plus, I like the idea of taking a name so stupid and obscure and making it household.

MF: How does it feel to tour and then return to your hometown for a show?

Josh: It's always nice to go out for a few months and come back to a great reception in your hometown. I prefer touring then playing locally because the kids in Georgia have seen us so many times they are probably sick of us (haha).

MF: Where would you guys like to be in 5 years?

Josh: I would like to be in bed with Christina Ricci.

MF: What kind of music do you listen to for pleasure?

Josh: I listen to everything from Buddy Holly to Guns N Roses from Nirvana to Nofx. Lately I've been listening to the hundreds of CDs we get from bands on tour -- a lot of cool shit.

MF: Funny stories from the road always interest readers. Do you have any?

Josh: Let's see, our drummer filmed a porno in Pittsburgh; we got our tires slashed in Idaho; we wrecked into a parked police car and totaled our trailer and equipment in Milwaukee; and we got strip searched going into Canada. That's about all I can think of off the top of my head.