Poison The Well guitarist, Derek Miller, was kind enough to answer some questions for Lambgoat.com on January 27th, 2002. Miller wanted it to be known that his opinions do not necessarily reflect those of everyone else in the band.

So how's the new bassist, and when can we expect you guys to replace him (kidding)?

Hahahahaha, Iano is cool. Things have been alright. I'll be honest I have no clue what is gonna happen. We always say "this one is permanent!" and then we have a problem, so I'll keep my mouth shut. I'm just happy that 4/5 of the band is solid. It's been the four of us for almost four years now.

The issue of Jeff getting sick and not being able to sing seems to be a growing and unsettling trend. Is it just a case of the hardships of touring taking a toll on his body?

It is really both. Jeff has a bad situation being someone who both sings and screams. He has never had any formal vocal training, which is important for a lot of people when you tour as much as we have been, so he really hasn't been taking care of his voice. He doesn't know how to. After almost two months of screaming every night, his throat was fucked up. He wasn't sounding good but we didn't want to disappoint everyone by canceling so we worked around it. We had our roadie, Rick, sing for a few shows (with the help of the crowd) which turned out to be fun. We canceled the Suicide Machines tour because of it though. He just couldn't do it. We knew that if he kept screaming without a rest there might be some irreversable damage. BUT! We found an amazing vocal coach that Jeff is going to be seeing. His lessons actually start this Tuesday (January 31st) in NYC. Hopefully after working with this guy for a week straight he will be able to both keep his voice in shape and sing in key a little better.

Poison The Well has to have been one of the quickest growing hardcore bands in terms of popularity among the kids. What would you attribute your rapid rise to?

Most of it's from the touring. A lot of bands either can't or are not willing to tour a lot. For bands like ours, that have no radio play or commercial acknowledgment, touring is really the only way to do it. It hasn't been rapid either. We have been touring consistently for about four years now. It has been pretty steady in my opinion.

With success comes expectation. Do you feel a tremendous amount of pressure right now on the eve of the release of your new record, possibly one of the most-anticipated underground hardcore records ever (cue the sound effects)?

Hahahaha... I don't know about ever, but I think some people are pretty excited for it. Yeah, I mean there is a lot of pressure of course, but we are just doing our thing, writing what we want to write, touring when we can. I'd be a liar if I said I wasn't anxious to see what people think, but I am happy with the record no matter what the reaction is like.

As a band, you've been receiving growing coverage from more-mainstream websites like Shoutweb, as well as praise from mainstream bands (Kittie). If given the opportunity, would you move to a major label? Would you be comfortable in that sort of position (playing larger venues, opening for large bands, etc...)? How do you think your hardcore fanbase would react? Would you care about their reactions?

If the conditions were right and we were able to maintain artistic control, then yeah we have nothing against it. We have NEVER denounced that sort of thing. I'm not worried about any of it. The main thing I worry about is trying to have fun everynight when we play. I find it's better when I focus on what is in front of me as opposed to thinking about unpredictable shit like the future. As far as people's reactions to something like that, whatever. People that like us for the right reasons (which in my opinion is for music) will stay interested if the music still means something to them, and that's all that matters.

How would you describe the sound of the new record? Do you think it's a departure from the old? Based on what I've heard from the live show, and some people who've heard the album played at various shows, it seems as if the music has an even greater emphasis on melody than before.

Well it's obviously open for interpretation, but I can tell you hands down that this record is heavier. It's thicker, lower, and more driving. The melodic parts are more abundant and generally better, which makes them stick out more. I think of it as "The Opposite", only everything is turned up a couple of notches. It's a departure in some ways but fundamentaly it's still the same.

Was there any particular reason why you decided to have Asterik Studio do the layout for "Tear From The Red?" instead of Atomic-ID!, which did the layouts for "Opposite Of December" and the re-issue of "Distance..."?

No reason other than timing. Don (Asterik) and Jake (Atomic) are both great designers, it just worked out with Don because he was readily available. I love working with them both and hope to continue collaborating on stuff down the road.

How has touring with Hatebreed been? They seem to getting a bit of flak now that they're releasing "Perseverence" via Universal (and Stillborn), riding a big tour bus, playing Ozzfest, etc., basically the whole "they've become rock stars and sold out" deal that happens to at least one band every year (last year it was Cave In). Did you see a difference in the crowd in terms of attendance and the type of kids showing up?

You know what? They may be getting some internet flak, hahaha, but I'm sure they don't give a fuck. They are playing what they want and their shows are getting bigger and bigger, so all of that other crap means nothing. They are doing what they want with their lives so I'm sure a few kids bitching about it means nothing. The difference in the crowd is in the numbers and that's all if you ask me.

"Opposite Of December" has now sold upwards of 25,000 copies. That's the biggest Trustkill release ever, right? Are you guys making a living from the band yet? How big does a hardcore have to be before they can stop worrying about working odd jobs or borrowing money from their relatives?

Yeah I'm pretty sure it is TK's biggest release ever, which is pretty cool. We definitely aren't making a living off of the band yet. We make enough to cover bills when we get home and maybe a little extra but it isn't enough to live for a substantial amount of time. A band has to get pretty damn big before they can make a decent living.

When you guys put that record out a few years ago, you were virtually unknown. Does it amaze you at this point that record has done as well as it has, or did you expect this all along?

We were fucking clueless. We thought "hey let's go make a record that we will like and our friends will like" and that was that. In nine days it was done. This new record has been the same thing. We just want to write and play music that we like. If it does as well then we will be stoked.

How do your parents feel about the band? Do they take the band seriously? I think my parents would be supportive of me, but at the same time, question my judgement.

My parents are 100% supportive of the band in every way. They are smart enough to realize that playing music is what makes me happy, that's all they need to know. The future is something so far off. What if I walk outside and get hit by a car? Fuck it, you might as well be happy while you can.

In the unlikely event that Poison The Well would cease to exist as a band, do you have any backup plans? Did you ever finish your schooling?

I don't have any backup plans or whatever. I used to go to FSU but I left. Music is what I love. It occupies almost of every second of my life whether it be in my head, a guitar in my hands, or something I am listening to. It's not a hobby, it's my life.

Have you guys ever considered relocating the band to a more convenient location, akin to the move Shai Hulud made from Florida to New York?

We have entertained the thought of moving, but I doubt it will ever happen. Most of us are really comfortable where we are. For me, after seeing so much of the U.S., there is no other place I'd rather be.

Are there any new or upcoming records in particular that you're looking forward to this year? What have you been listening to lately?

Yes actually... Team Sleep will be putting out a record this year. I have a bootleg which has most of the stuff off the album and it is mind blowing. Seriously, it's going to be a very special record. Codeseven is putting out a record this year called "The Rescue" that is fucking amazing. Besides that, the usual...Deftones, Radiohead, Refused, same stuff I always listen too!

Any closing comments, or anything else you'd like your fans to know about?

Hmmmmm... I have noticed a lot lately that people like to assume things about us. They read something on a message board, they hear a story, whatever. I would just like to say that we are just normal geeky kids. Come talk to me at a show, say hello, whatever. You'll see that we are just a couple of kids trying to have fun, that's all. To everyone out there that is guilty of starting shit; stop wasting your time and energy being a prick, or tearing someone down, and get on with making yourself happy! Oh, and thanks a ton for this interview!!!!!