Alkaline Trio: transcendental punks

Meditation, surfing, “The Hills”—these are not the topics you expect to discuss with Matt Skiba. As the lead singer of punk rock favorites Alkaline Trio, the Chicago native (and now California resident) won a legion of hardcore fans with his tales of suffering and woe, all laced with dollops of gore, dark humor and alcohol-fueled pathos.

But times change, and so do bands. The Trio recently celebrated both a decade of existence and the completion of a new record, “Agony and Irony,” an album that sees the group replace its speedy tempos and dark vibes with a melodic, almost New Wave (and New Age) sensibility. We spoke with Skiba about the change…and why Lauren, Heidi and the gang can’t harsh on his newfound mellow.

Your new album is called “Agony and Irony.” I’m assuming it’s a play on “Ebony and Ivory”?
We’re always sitting around playing word games. Before we had even written this record, I came up with that snappy title. Our last record was going to be called “Church and Destroy,” but it didn’t make sense. But this title fit the subjects we discuss. And, yes, these are the things that keep me up at night.

Was it hard to not release new music for three years?
It was a bit of a roadblock. We had written a record, we were ready to go, and our label [V2 Records] went under. It was definitely a shock, but we kept writing, and ended up with better songs. I think only two of those original songs actually made this record.

You’ve written songs about the Donner party, the Manson family, and now [late Joy Division singer] Ian Curtis. What attracts you to tragic figures?
We’re all intrigued by something that’s foreign to us, and I think we’re naturally attracted to the macabre. And the song, “Help Me,” about Ian Curtis, is more of a positive thing, how a guy who lived a short, tragic life left something so beautiful for us.

You recently celebrated 10 years as a band. Considering the topics on some of your early records—alcohol, Satanism, death, bad relationships—do you find some of those songs hard to sing now that you’re in a different space? 
I did for a while. I got wrapped up in my own ego…you know, our newest stuff is the best, and I only want to play that! But there are people who want to hear those old songs. And we have an appreciation for them…I mean, the lyrics to a song like “Cringe” seem embarrassing now, but it’s gotten us where we are now, and we’re proud of those songs.

Even though you’re a Left Coaster now, do you miss Chicago?
I don’t miss the weather, though in spring and fall, there isn’t a better city. I have a lot of good friends there, and there are aspects I miss, but I love California. I get to surf a lot.

When you did live there, did you see Chicago bands like Rise Against and Fall Out Boy starting to make their mark?
We’ve been friends with Rise Against forever. And I was friendly with Fall Out Boy from the Fireside Bowl scene. Now that they’re huge—well, Chicago represent, you know?

You were recently a guest on, of all things, “The Hills.” How did that go over with your fans?
The experience was, for us, just another day in the studio, but with more video cameras. One of the girls on the show, Audrina, is an intern at our new label, Epic Records. Her sister is a huge fan of ours and had a child named after one of our songs, “Sadie.” I’m not sure they know what the song is about. [Editor’s note: The song is about Susan Atkins, a.k.a. Sadie Mae Glutz, one of the Manson family murderers.] Anyway, I’ve never seen the show, and I don’t watch TV. If it was something no one watched, we would have done it [anyway], because this person was a fan. But I guess six million people a week watch it. And yeah, the backlash was incredible. I couldn’t believe it; it was like we had invaded Poland. But I really don’t care what people think of our decision. We’d do it again.

You’ve recently professed your admiration of Transcendental Meditation. Is that something that influences you?
It’s pretty much a huge part of who I am. I don’t want to tell people it’ll change your life, but even that doesn’t do it justice. Actually, I was meditating before I talked to you. It’s become like eating or breathing to me.

So it affects your songwriting.
Absolutely. It’s a major part of my creative process. I was actually inspired to start it by reading a book by David Lynch called “Catching the Big Fish.” I adore Lynch, so that’s why I picked up the book. And practicing it, I can now say I honestly live a fear-and-anxiety-free life since I started this. I flipped myself entirely.