Oklahoma rockers/sonic explorersThe Flaming Lipsare no strangers to weirdness.
It was silly, he tells EW.
People were talking about the fact that I used bad language.
I mean, Jesus, Im not running for office!
Last time I checked, a guy in a rock band is allowed to cuss if he wants to.
On March 2, the Flaming Lips visited the Oklahoma Senate to see that body pass the appropriate resolution.
Finally, Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry signed an executive order making Do You Realize?
addCredit(Nancy Ostertag/Getty Images)
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Congratulations on Do You Realize?
becoming, finally, Oklahomas official rock song!WAYNE COYNE:Well, thank you.
Its not been without its ups and downs.
We went to the Senatechamber and I think they were talking aboutstem cells.
And they stopped everything and said, Weve got somespecial guests in the chamber here.
Everybody welcome the FlamingLips!
The whole thing just stopped for an hour and they voted on thisthing.
Ifigured, well, we won the vote and thats the end of it.
But, as weclearly know now, there was another vote.
At which both yourself and Michael Ivins were criticized.Ithought it was a joke.
I thought, theyre really not complaining aboutMichaels T-shirt!
I mean, theres plenty of things they could havecomplained about.
They could have said, Hey, Wayne wrote a song backin 1986 called Jesus Shooting Heroin!
They could have said, HisChristmas on Marsmovie has a marching band with giant vaginal genitalsfor heads.
But you won in the end.
What was the official ceremony on Tuesday like?Itwas cool, uncomfortable, weird.
All the things that you think talkingto governors would be.
I mean, hes a very cool guy.
But it is anotherworld for me.
Did any special privileges come with that?
I dont think anyone really had an answer.
I didnt suggest molesting agoat.
Did the Arcade Fire send a congratulatory telegram?
[Laughs]They didnt.
I wish that had never happened.
I didnt necessarily mean it about the people in the Arcade Fire.
I meant it about the guys that were running their stages at a couple of festivals.
I just assumed [their response] was a joke.
He seemed pretty annoyed to me.I can totally see that now.
Would you care to apologize to them now?I would.
I really feel bad about it.
I like enough of their music.
The idea that Im somehow against them… Im not!
Whats the word on the new album?
I wouldnt say it sounds like jazz, butit sounds freaky and unrestricted.
We had initially thought itwould be out maybe in July.
But now I think itll bemore like September.
Weve got a name:Embryonic.
At least thats what were calling it at the moment.
Weve been recording at Stevens empty, unsold oldhouse.
He put his house up on the market last summer and its stillempty.
If someone bought it wed say, Well, you cantmove in for at least a couple of weeks.
People locally do know thatwere recording there.
Are you recording on open-house days?
Its a beautiful house!
Even if theres some leftover junk from oursession it would still seem very buyable!
