Silent Uproar: What are you going to do over the upcoming break since you had to cancel the tour?

Chris: We have still been doing a fair amount of promo stuff. Just trying to keep things rolling as best as we can, and really just waiting for Daniel to get himself on the mend really.

SU: Is there any projected time as to when you will be back full force?

Chris: It's a bit hard to say. The doctors are saying it could be anywhere from 3-12 months, so we are hoping it's on the earlier end of that. We are hoping we can get back out there and pick up the tour where we left of really.

SU: Cool. Rolling Stone has referred to the new album as "one of the boldest musical statements ever made by an Australian rock band". Along those lines, I just wanted to know if you are trying to make a statement with the new album, and if so, what it was?

Chris: I suppose you are always trying statement of some sort, I don't know, I guess even if you are just trying to create something different really. It's not like their is a political statement or anything like that, but if people can find something in it to help them get through something, well that's pretty cool as well.

SU: Is Diorama the new sound of Silverchair or can we expect more songs along the lines Freakshow or Frogstomp down the road?

Chris: I don't know where it will go from here, it is a bit hard to say. There is always a drastic change from record to record, so I think we have kind of kept a bit of everything from the start to get where we are now, which is pretty cool.

SU: From things I have read, the band has prided itself on that progression and being able to move forward with each record.

Chris: Yeah, being able to keep it interesting for the people listening.

SU: Do you ever worry that you might alienate fans each time you change or evolve your sound?

Chris: You know there are always going to be some people you don't carry across with you, but on the under hand there are probably people that never liked the band before that can find a new interest or something, you know. So we look at it like that really.

SU: How was it working with Van Dyke Parks?

Chris: That was great you know. I had never really heard of him, and people started rattling off songs he had worked on and that type of stuff, but yeah it was wild to finally meet him and have him do string arrangements on the record.

SU: That is what I was going to ask next, where the string additions his suggestion or was that something the band brought to the table?

Chris: We talked of having some kind of orchestration. Daniel had a pretty clear vision of what he wanted in the end, and Van Dyke Parks created just this monster of a string arrangement. It is really quite amazing, the guy is just a genius.

SU: Alright, what's the coolest thing about Australia?

Chris: Um, I don't know (laughs) it is a pretty happy go lucky and easy place.

SU: Right on. Now for some bass player questions, what is your favorite bass to play?

Chris: My favorite bass to play? At the moment is probably one of my old P basses.

SU: Are you really picky with what basses you use?

Chris: Yeah I mean I have probably changed quite a bit lately. I mean I have quite a few different ones...

SU: So each one has it's own sound that you go after?

Chris: Yeah I haven't got many of two of the same, so each one kind of does something different, which is pretty cool.

SU: Do you have any side projects or anything?

Chris: Not really. I wouldn't mind getting into a little producing or production later on, when the time comes around.

SU: Is this something you might explore further as the future of Silverchair, at least momentarily, becomes uncertain?

Chris: I mean you know it is always good to have other interest just to keep your mind ticking over in the down time.

SU: Do you ever record any music with Chris or Daniel individually or do you always come together pretty much just as a band with the 3 of you?

Chris: Just as a band.

SU: What is the worst thing about Australia?

Chris: The worst thing? That if you have a day off anywhere else in the world you can't exactly just fly home. It is a long way away.

SU: What kind of music are you into these days?

Chris: I don't know, I kind of always listen to lots of different stuff. It can go from the Meeters to Led Zepplin or to Angie Stone or to Marvin Gaye.

SU: Well, what is the last album you bought?

Chris: The last album I bought was, oh dear now you've got me. (laughs) I think it may have been...man, I can't remember. I think it may be Sheryl Crow's record. I am not really sure though (laughs)

SU: As I am sure you know, Sony will be releasing a new box named "All These Years - The Studio Recordings "and it features frogstomp, freak show and neon ballroom. It kind of seems to me as a last shot at making money off you guys. How does the band feel about the album?

Chris: These are things that you don't really have any control over, so...I mean they are a record company and they are just doing their job so.

SU: Do you guys have nay animosity towards Sony?

Chris: No, not really. They did great things for us over the years, so it is just how it goes really.

SU: That's a great attitude to have about it. Ok, well Silverchair has released 4 full length albums, toured all over the world, and you are still under 25, do you ever think it might have all happened too fast?

Chris: No, not really. I think it was a time and place and moment thing really. You can't really say when it is going to happen or what age you will be, so I think once it comes you just have to grab the opportunity and take it as far as you can really. You know what; I think we are quite fortunate that we started a bit younger.

SU: Do you think things might have gone differently at all if you had been older, or that maybe in the early days the age factor held you back in a way?

Chris: I don't know. We just, I don't know (laughs) it is hard to say.

SU: I know I am envious because you guys are my age and have already achieved such great success as a band.

Chris: Wow, thanks, thanks a lot.

SU: Changing gears here, what is your opinion on the recent terrorist attacks in the US? As someone form another country do you fell somewhat like it is our problem to deal with, or do you think that it is something that the whole world should be worried about? I mean after all, what did Australia ever do to anybody?

Chris: I think it is definitely on a world scale. I suppose terrorism and all that has always been there, but just on a much smaller scale. I think it is really...

SU: It is kind of in everyone's face now.

Chris: Yeah, it is right up there in everyone's face now you know and the world was going on one path and that happened and it is definitely on a different path now.

SU: Did it have any direct effects on you guys over there?

Chris: I think it affects everybody and if it doesn't, there is something wrong with you. There are all those people that lost their lives in there and they hadn't done anything at all to deserve that. No one likes to see that.

SU: True. Ok, we interviewed the Living End a while back and we asked them which was a better cartoon, GI Joe or Transformers. They said they hadn't heard of either of the shows, so we thought we would get a second Australian's opinion.

Chris: They had never heard of them?

SU: No, that's what they told us.

Chris: Really?

SU: Yeah, so you do have those shows over there right?

Chris: Yeah, do you guys have them?

SU: Yeah, we thought everyone did. We were kind of stooped as to why they didn't know what we were talking about.

Chris: I use to watch both of them. So I don't know. I had figurines for both, so I am going to have to stay on the fence for that one.

SU: I was looking through a message board and everyone kept asking where the name came from. There have been stories that the record label picked it, and various other things, but I just wanted to see if I could get an "official" answer.

Chris: What Diorama?

SU: No, the name Silverchair.

Chris: We had the opportunity to change our name years and years ago before the Tomorrow EP came out, and we had our own list of band names that we liked and we picked Silverchair, we thought it sounded the best.

SU: Since you mentioned it, where did the title of the album come from?

Chris: That comes from...we went through so many different album titles during making the record in the studio. That one was the best one we came up with. That one was from Robert Hambling's wife. He is the guy who films a lot of the footage for us, and his wife takes a lot of photos, she came up with it. Just kind of like a world within a world thing.

SU: If and when Silverchair is over, have you thought about what you might want to do?

Chris: I haven't really thought about it. I would want to do something in music, maybe a bit of producing, it will definitely be something in music still.

SU: The last question I have may be the hardest one to answer due to the uncertainty about when Daniel will be getting better, but what's next for the band?

Chris: It is almost just like taking everything day by day really. We are just waiting for Daniel to get better so we can get out there and do some shows. So yeah when he does get better we are looking to just pick up where we left off and try and carry on.

SU: Well that's all I have, do you have any final shout outs, thanks yous, or anything you want to say?

Chris: Yeah, thanks to everyone for getting into the record, and we hope to get over there soon.