Interview: 30 Seconds to Mars

About a week ago I had the chance to sit down with Matt Wachter and Tomo Milicevic of the band 30 Seconds to Mars and discuss their music, their videos, and how they stay connected to their ever-growing fan base. The band had been running late with back-to-back interviews so Jared and Shannon Leto were unable to sit down with us, though Jared was able to join us for a few minutes midway through. The interview took place on the band's tour bus on March 31.

When I was prepping for this interview I came across the Mars TV podcast. How did you come up with the idea?

Matt: Actually, that was something that Jared came up with, something to be one more facet to the world of 30 Seconds to Mars and actually (he calls out) Andre … oh Andre, (then explains to me) Andre is our video editor. He’s the guy who films and edits with Jared. They put all the footage together.

It’s really great, I’ve never seen anything quite like it before.

(Andre comes up from the back of the bus): Oh you’re asking about the video podcast?

Yes

Andre: Yeah, it’s just another way for us to spread that … connectivity …

To the fans? I noticed you have a huge internet following.

Tomo: Yes! And you get to see what happens in our boring mundane life until we take the stage for an hour. Other then that it’s pretty dull.

Matt: I wouldn’t say dull in the true sense of the word. There is a lot going on.

Repetitive maybe?

Matt: No, not even repetitive, there is something new every day. We’re getting ready to shoot the video for “The Kill.” So tomorrow we play Chicago, then we’re going to go back to Toronto and we’ll shoot the video for two days. It’s going to be a busy week.

And with your schedule the shows happen one right after the other.

Matt: No rest for the weary! We will sleep when we’re dead.

How often do you plan to update the podcast?

Andre: As often as possible, I mean we’re definitely not lacking in material.

Tomo: What Andre is planning is it will be Mars TV and every week will be a new episode. So ideally, if he can keep on his game, which is easier said than done.

Matt: We usually make sure he keeps on his game.

Yeah, you do. I’ve seen him running around here while I’ve been waiting. You keep him busy.

Tomo: He’s a hard-working man.

Matt: Everyone in the family is hard-working. There is always something to be done.

In the first podcast, Jared mentioned you had finished the concept for the next video, that was for “The Kill?”

Matt: Yes.

Do you, as a band, always set the vision for the videos?

Matt: Yeah, we’re basically involved with every aspect.

Tomo: Yeah, there is nothing that happens that we didn’t create or come up with on our own.

“Attack” was just an incredible video; you did a beautiful job with it using the scratch negative technique.

Article Author: Connie Phillips

Wife, mother, aspiring novelist, and music editor at BC Magazine, Connie Phillips spends most of her time in a fantasy land of her own creating. In reality, she writes about music, television, and the process of writing, when she's not cheering on her kids at equestrian events. …

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