On the last day of the Peace, Love , Push Play tour, we were able to sit down with the four very talented guys of the band; CJ, Steve, Nick, and Derek. You can pre-order their Christmas CD and be expecting them to go back on tour in a few months. While Phil Bensen and Chris Koon, their opening acts performed, we were able to ask them a few questions.

Alex: How did you come up with the name 'Push Play'?
Steve: Um, we were actually cruising in Derek's car. We had no idea what we were going to call the band. We were going to Borders to look at some music magazines to think of a cool name to put together and whenever we are in the car we listen to music so we popped in a CD and the CD player wasn't working so someone was like 'Just Push Play!' and we were all getting frustrated. Then we were like wait wait wait, that sounded really cool. So we turned the car around and that was the band name. And that's like a true story, we didn't make that up.

AZ: When did you decide music is what you wanted to do?
Nick: Um, I think we all had music in our blood ever since we were young. We've all played in like different bands and we've played in school bands as well and I just think we always wanted to be in music

AZ: Has music always been your number one goal?
CJ: Yeah, definitely. I know for me and Nick, we started out when we were 10 years old in a band called 'Kaution'. We were in a band since we were little, so yeah we've always wanted to do it.

AZ: Are there any bands that you look up to and hope to follow in their footsteps?
Steve: Sure I mean, any band that is re-invented over time is always admirable. Just because over time you always have to re-invent yourself and it's probably one of the most difficult things to do is to create a different sound and that's always respectable so the Beatles are up there, you got Zeppelin and modern bands like Panic! at the Disco that reinvented themselves that CJ liked and yeah that's pretty much it.

AZ: Every successful band has that 'moment' where they know that things will only get better from there, have you had that moment yet? And if yes, then when did it happen?
Nick: I think we've had little moments like that but I think we are still waiting for that big big moment where it's like 'Yeah this is it. We finally made it'. But we've had many moments like opening for Miley, that was cool and like selling out big venues in New York City is fun and Zootopia, yeah. But I think we are still all waiting for that big moment.

AZ: How was it performing with Miley Cyrus?
CJ: It was fun. That was definitely my favorite show, probably all of our favorite shows. It's just such a different thing to go from tiny, small clubs to gigantic arenas, 5000 person places. You've got cheese platters with grapes and all these crazy jellies, it was nuts. I had a great time.
Nick: It was nicer then any hotel we've ever been to and that was just a dressing room.
CJ: And she was cool, she was probably one of the nicest celebrities we've ever met before.

AZ: Since you aren't related, is it hard to see each other all the time without getting tired of each other?
Steve: I mean we fight like brothers like we fight like, we pick on each other. But at the end of the day we are all brothers and we all love each other and whether we like it or not we are stuck with each other. *Laughs* I'm kidding. But honestly no, we don't fight that much. We get along like every day and it's fun to be with your best friends.
CJ: The only time Steve ever got mad at me was when I got this little pellet gun and I shot him in the butt. He freaked out!
Steve: I didn't wanna lose an eye, 'cause I can just see that happening.
CJ: That was just hilarious.

AZ: Your Christmas CD is being released very soon. I heard a lot of them have been pre-ordered. What are your reactions to it?
Nick: It's cool to release a CD and have people buy it like pre-sale so like it's cool to have the antici- antci- antcipa- [Nick was having trouble saying the word]
CJ: An. Tic. Ip. Ation.
Steve: Maybe some of us should have went to college.
Nick: I know right. - That people want to buy the CD. That comes out the 28th and that'll be a lot of fun.

AZ: If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would you change?
CJ: Um, I think we are doing it right now. Seriously, because everyone thinks you need a major label to get success and sell out venues but we aren't signed right now. We aren't selling out everywhere, we didn't sell out in Wisconsin. But shows like today, it's almost a packed house. Some places you do, some places you don't. But it's cool to just gain that fanbase on your own, just with a myspace.

AZ: About the major labels, I heard you were approached by some but you haven't chosen any yet?
Derek: We haven't found the right thing for us yet, but who knows?

AZ: What is your favorite song to play live?
Steve: Personally my favorite song is Plastique, but yeah we've been touring the same album for like three tours now. This is our third tour, but I'm very excited to play the new stuff.
Nick: I don't know, I used to love Starlight Addiction and stuff and now since we play Heart Attack live and Cover Girl live, I really enjoy playing those because it's still new to us.
CJ: Heart Attack is mine.
Derek: Mine is definitely still situation.

AZ: Do you have any preshow rituals?
Steve: Sure do, right here. Before every show we put our hands in together, who ever is in the vicinity.
CJ: We've been lazy lately.
[They put theres hands together in the center]
All: Quack, Quack, Quack, Quack, Quack, Go Ducks! [Might be wrong on the last part- Crowd upstairs was very loud]
Steve: One time we needed to be quiet and put our fingers in and quietly said Quack, Quack, Quack
[All laugh]

AZ: What are some of the craziest fan experiences that you've had?
[All kind of just look at each other and can't think of anything]
Steve: Pretty much right now. Our bus is parked outside the venue and well we just went to take a shower in the hotel and our bus is loaded with all these gifts, it's a mess.
Nick: After we took a shower we expected that everyone left, it was kind of like an hour and a half after the show ended and we have just eaten inside and so we go to go back into the bus and there were like 10-15 girls waiting for us, so that was pretty cool.
CJ: I got approached in Italy Manhattan, the most random place every. I just stopped in to eat and I got approached by three different people, one was like a dad, there was a mom - different families - and one just a couple of other girls and it was just really weird. 'Are you, are you, are you that kid from Push Play?' [Laughs]

AZ: What is the most embarrassing thing that has happened to you on stage?
[All except Steve]: Steve *laughs*
Derek: I think we can all speak for Steve.
Nick: In Myrtle Beach, he was wearing tight skinny jeans and he jumped, it was the first show and he just ripped his pants right down the butt and he had to wear the pants for the whole entire show. We were all pretty embarrassed for him, it never happened to us but I felt his pain.
Derek: There was another jumping incidence. He didn't land on his feet but when he got up he fell back down.
Nick: So, it was a double fall.
Steve: Yep.
Nick: You've been really good though lately.

AZ: You're going to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, how did that happen?
CJ: I mean we've been trying to get in the parade since way before and with everything that's been happening all the things that we've been doing with the charity, Macy's took a liking into it and it kind of just took off. They thought 'Wow it'd be really cool if you guys can get on the float' and then we ended up moving from a smaller Macy's float to a house float, one of the major ones so we are really happy about that.
Nick: Also I don't know if you guys remember but last Thanksgiving, like I don't know about you guys but my family and I were all crowded around the TV to see that commercial about Push Play. So it's cool to see how far we've come within a year.
CJ: We were actually at the parade last year and we were passing out promo cards and stuff.

AZ: If you could collaborate with anyone who would it be?
Derek: Working with Martin from Boys Like Girls was pretty cool.
Nick: Yeah, that was fun.
CJ: We did a song on our new album with Martin from Boys Like Girls called, well first it was called Better Off, but now it's called This is Breaking Up.
Nick: Kate Perry

AZ: Where do you look for inspiration when writing your songs?
Steve: I guess anywhere. I mean you write about everything; having fun, going out, girls, getting our hearts broken.
Derek: Girls, Girls, Girls.
CJ: Breaking hearts.
Steve: Anything that rhymes, we have a song called Midnight Romeo. It's pretty much like being the man.
[Everyone else mocks Steve]: Being the man.

AZ: What are some things that you can't live without while touring?
Steve: My cellphone and computer.
Nick: I'd have to say cell and computer.
CJ: Actually, showering. We had a four day streak, four days of no showers and it was pretty hard.
Nick: We just showered thirty minutes ago so we're nice and clean.
CJ: It was honestly the most gratifying feeling I've ever felt. I feel like I lost four pounds of dirt. And I can move, I can jump higher probably.

AZ: One of the most cliche questions, where do you see Push Play in 3 years?
Nick: Hopefully selling out big arenas.

AZ: Is there anything you'd like to tell your fans?
All: Thank you so much.
CJ: We love yooooou.
Steve: This is nothing without you, you guys are the best.