Billboard article - October 1, 1994

Print interview with Rivers Cuomo
Publication	Billboard
Published	October 1, 1994
Interviewer	Carrie Borzillo
Interviewee	Rivers Cuomo
Title	DGC act surprises
Format	Print
External link	Archived via Internet Archive (page one) Archived via Internet Archive (page two)
References	See where this article is referenced on Weezerpedia

DGC act surprises Author: Carrie Borzillo (Billboard) Published: October 1, 1994 Few involved with Weezer expected the quartet's self-titled DGC debut to find a home on The Billboard 200 and garner top 40 airplay. "There wasn't a big bidding war," says Robert Smith, head of marketing at Geffen. "They didn't come from an indie scene. They had nothing out before this album. We started from scratch." The album, produced by former Cars front man Ric Ocasek, was released May 10 (Billboard, May 28). It hit No. 82 on The Billboard 200 the week of Sept. 24, making the act a Heatseekers Impact Artist - an achievement that surprised many in the industry, including the band. This week, the album is No. 70. It topped the Heatseekers chart of new and developing artists Sept. 10 before graduating two weeks later. According to SoundScan, "Weezer" has sold 71,000 units to date. "It definitely exceeded our expectations," says Bob Bell, new-release buyer for the 350-store, Torrance, Calif-based Wherehouse Entertainment chain. "Once [modern rock] KROQ [Los Angeles put it on, we saw an increase in sales, Geffen has really been aggressive in terms of advertising and discounting this, as well. They really made sure it it was upfront, even before air play." Weezer singer/guitarist Rivers Cuomo was equally surprised to see the album take off. "We're probably the most pessimistic group of people ever assembled," he says. "There's always different voices in my head. One is saying, 'This is so great, this has to be huge.' But that's not the louder of the voices in my head, especially when we looked at what's popular. It was hard to imagine Weezer fitting in there." Weezer's first single, "Undone - The Sweater Song," a pop ditty about emotional unraveling, proved to fit in just fine at modern rock. It peaked at No. 6 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart and is crossing over to album rock and top 40 radio. This week, the single is No. 12 with a bullet on the Modern Rock Tracks chart and No. 39 on the Album Rock Tracks chart. "Let's face face it, it's easy to sing along to, and it sticks in your head," says Matt Pinfield, PD of modern rock WHTG-FM Monmouth, N.J. "It's one of those things that took off overnight. It got top five phones here immediately." According to Broadcast Data Systems, "Undone The Sweater Song" received 608 detections on 33 modern rock stations, 398 detections on 50 album rock stations, and 445 detections on 48 top 40 stations for the week ending Sept. 18. The next single, "Buddy Holly," which features references to the fumed bespectacled singer and to TV star Mary Tyler Moore, will be serviced to modern rock radio Oct. 4. RAISED ON HAIR BANDS Cuomo, who wasn't aware that top 40 radio was playing "Undone - The Sweater Song," is ecstatic about being played on the format. "That makes me more proud than anything," he says. "I'm a real top 40 fan, and if I can write a song that plays next to Michael Jackson, that's cool." Weezer's simple, pop/punk musical sensibilities are filtered through the group members' heavy metal upbringing. The photo of Quiet Riot on the CD sleeve and the mention of Kiss in the song "In The Garage" are not just passing references to the days of big hair and spandex. Cuomo admits to growing up on hair bands. "That's all we listened to '80s metal," says the 23-year-old Connecticut native. "But that's past tense. [Bassist] Matt [Sharp] and [guitarist] Brian [Bell] and I were all full-on heavy metal guys. (Drummer] Pat [Wilson) was more into Van Halen and Rush." Cuomo says he moved to Los Angeles at age 18 to become a "rock star." He hooked up with his Weezer mates in early 1992, and Geffen A&R executive Todd Sullivan signed the group in June 1993. The label's marketing approach for Weezer was quite traditional. "We felt it was important to build a base with college radio and indie retail and have a truly credible indie development," says Smith. "We put them on the road a few months before the album came out. They did small retail stores and some college radio" to build interest and a base before the label sent the track to commercial radio. Smith says the label supported the album early on with retail programs and advertising. "We wanted to have a sales base, so when it went on stations, it would have have legs," he adds. In addition to radio exposure and retail campaigns, MTV had a hand in breaking the act. The videoclip for "Undone," lensed by fast-rising director Spike Jonze, is in Buzz Bin. Smith notes, "We see it selling well in some markets where it's in between [modern rock and album rock) airplay, and we know it's because of MTV. This is your typical case of radio, video, live appearances, press, and a good profile at retail helping to sell an album." While critics tend to categorize simple songs about beer and girls by twenty-something rockers as "slack-rock," Cuomo says Weezer doesn't fit that mold. "It's ridiculous. For example, today we have three radio shows to do, one in store, this interview, and tonight we have a show. We're not slacking off at all. Whatever I'm doing, I want to be working as hard as possible. Even in school, I was a super-hard-working student," says Cuomo, who is heading back to college as soon as Weezer has some time off. "I write about that stuff because it's close to me," he adds. "I couldn't write about anything too abstract, or about polities or current issues, because I couldn't write honestly about it." Sullivan agrees. "It's a very honest and real record. The band's philosophy from the get-go was to make it honest in every aspect of how they present themselves." This simplicity is evident in the album's artwork, which features the band members standing side by side and staring blankly. (The cover is reminiscent of an early-'80s modern rock fave: the Feelies' debut, "Crazy Rhythmus.") The photo is used in most of the advertising for the album. Ocasek also took a simple approach to producing "Weezer," with a "hands-off" philosophy. "In general, he helped us get out of the garage and into a big studio," says Cuomo. "We had a real crusty and muddy sound, and he eased us into making a major-label record. He just told us to turn up the brightness a bit. It was a little hard to adapt to a big studio when you're used to being a crappy assed band in a garage for a few years."