As I talk to Jimmy Eat World drummer Zach Lind about his band's new album, Futures, and upcoming tour, a certain female keeps interrupting us. If this were a different band, it might be an impatient groupie waiting for her next round of backstage attention. For Lind and the down-to-earth boys of Jimmy Eat World, though, that's not likely. The feminine interloper is actually Lind's 3-year-old daughter Ava, who just wants Daddy to help her out with her new drum set. That's indicative of the glamorous rock 'n' roll lifestyle Lind and his band mates (singer-guitarist Jim Adkins, guitarist Tom Linton and bassist Rick Burch) lead.
"Other than the fact that we make albums that some people tend to like, we're really sort of an un-extraordinary group of guys," Lind says, "and that's all we really can hang our hat on, is how our music speaks to people." Back in 2001, when Jimmy Eat World's breakthrough self-titled album (early copies bore the title Bleed American but it was changed after 9/11) was released, being unassuming family guys was not in. Loud, bombastic rap-metal bands like Limp Bizkit and Linkin Park ruled the day, and Jimmy Eat World's sensitive, poppy emo stood out on the airwaves.
It stood out in a good way, though, spawning a hit single in the catchy, upbeat self-esteem anthem "The Middle," and propelling the band to platinum success. In the time since their last album came out, the band's label, DreamWorks, folded and was absorbed into Interscope; the American political landscape changed significantly after 9/11; and the top bands in rock went from aggro-metalheads to garage revivalists and sensitive screamo boys. "They're succeeding because they're not dating supermodels and they're not doing this or that," Lind says of rising bands like Modest Mouse and Franz Ferdinand, bands he sees as kindred spirits to his own. "They're just playing great music and they're getting recognized for it."
That's also what Jimmy Eat World, un-extraordinary guys, want. They worked hard on Futures, bringing in Pixies and Foo Fighters producer Gil Norton to tighten their sound, spending more time on it than they have on previous albums. They did this not because of the pressure of following up a successful album, but because they wanted to make the best music they possibly could, music they would be proud of, no matter how many copies were sold. "We really couldn't have made a better record, at least in our minds," Lind says. "And if other people don't think so, then at least we know amongst ourselves that if they don't like it, then maybe they just don't like us, and that's fine."
Rock's become more political, too, since Jimmy Eat World were last in the spotlight, and they're getting in on that in their unassuming way, too. The only time Futures comes close to being political is when Adkins sings, "I always believed in futures / I hope for better / In November" on the title track, but the band has contributed a song to a compilation benefiting progressive organization MoveOn.org, and Lind sees activism as an important part of the Jimmy Eat World experience these days.
"We definitely are hoping that Kerry wins. We're definitely hoping for a change," he says bluntly. At the same time, he doesn't want fans to think the band is preaching. "I just hope that this election is sort of a turning point for the youth culture, just sort of a signaling to the rest of the country that we are going to be a loud voice," he adds. "In a room full of all the old, familiar voices, that the youth can really shout it out. And that's what we hope happens, regardless of who wins."
It's a nicely modest message, and Jimmy Eat World's whole existence seems to be about modesty. Not that they aren't proud of the music they're making; they're just not in anyone's face about it. They're stable, grounded guys who all still live in Mesa, Arizona, where the band was founded. They're passionate about music, but some of them have little girls to help teach to play the drums. And that's important, too.