Full On Faceplant: An Interview With The Colourflies

By Staff | January 10, 2025

When last we caught up with The Colourflies, alt-rock titans from the Pacific Northwest, we asked them a bunch of serious questions, and they gave us back the most hilarious answers ever. So, we figured we would give them somewhat more ridiculous questions, just to see if they’d give us serious answers. It didn’t seem to work out.

The Colourflies are a prolific Pacific Northwest indie-rock fixture known for their signature "psychedelic-shoegaze" sound and an unwavering DIY ethos. Originally established in the Inland Northwest and deeply tied to the Washington state music scene, the band is led by the creative force of Matt Legard, whose four-octave vocal range and experimental guitar layering define their expansive "wall of sound." Their music balances raw, 90s-inflected grunge riffs with ethereal, melodic textures—a stylistic blend they have famously described as "the human soul being pushed through a razor wire fence." Over more than a decade, the group has evolved from local underground favorites to an international touring act.

Describe your band's musical genre in a way that sounds absolutely awful.

Tom Deckert, guitar: I mean, what the hell could be worse than the worst of Weezer? Besides the best of Nickleback I guess.

Matt Legard, vocals/guitar: The feeling existential dread that comes out of the ending of the first Jurassic Park movie. 

During a show, if a piece of gear was deliberately set on fire, which band member would you immediately point at as the culprit? 

Matt: Probably me 

Tom: If you watch one of the music videos. Matt actually does set a guitar on fire.  But someone mentioned the drums sound like they’ve been set in fire and thrown down the stairs, and I’ll be damned if I wouldn’t want to make that happen for a special occasion, like a Tuesday. 

Our least favorite songs are that maudlin piece of crap "Cats In The Cradle" by Harry Chapin, followed by that annoying teenage girl summer camp singalong "American Pie" by Don McLean. What are some of your least favorite songs?

Matt: Save Tonight by Eagle Eye Cherry, very lazy song.

Slow Ride, Foghat, way too long, actually says take it sleazy later in the song. I don’t smoke pot. Mr. Brightside, The Killers, You never? I never. Sex on Fire, Kings of Leon, Target music you can fuck to. 

Tom: Man, to hell with you. Cats in the cradle is great. Classic. How dare you disrespect little boy blue or the man on the moon with this insult. I’m personally offended on their behalf.

Your band members are individually hilarious, yet you write serious songs. Would you ever consider just putting out something off the wall like Mr. Bungle’s first album?

Matt: I often have fantasies of putting out a hip hop record, but I love hip hop. But yeah I think about putting the most unexpected record you’ve ever heard from us out all the time. The problem is, we’ve covered a lot of ground in ten years, so there would be less to shock, than one would think. 

What is one instrument you would never consider including in your music?

Matt: An in tune guitar

What's the most embarrassing thing that's happened to you while on tour?

Matt: I got locked out of my hotel room in a five star hotel and my phone had died, So people would just walk past me in the hallway slouched and barely sleeping, I got in eventually. 

Tom: Dude, fire ants. Those bastards suck. 

Would you rather have a number one hit song but it becomes a jingle for a terrible product, or be a critically acclaimed band no one has ever heard of? 

Matt: we’re already a critically acclaimed band that no one has heard of, so the absolutely productions side of me would love a terrible product association, I once wrote a radio jingle for a weed store. 

Tom: Give me that good good jingle money. I wanna be a used up has been, not a never was. I don’t care if you slap a song on a tampon commercial like Twisted Sister. I’m so tired could exist for the soul purpose of shilling for coffee, Thomas Hammer could hit us up. Shake me could sell a couple blenders or those kinda metal tin strainer cups bartenders use, why not?

If your band had a mascot, what would it be? 

Matt: A finger and a thumb in an L on the shape of your forehead. 

Tom: A big ass alien moth would be sweet honestly. As long as whoever owns the copyright for Mothra doesn’t sue the Jesus out of us. 

What's the most embarrassing moment you've ever had on stage? 

Matt: Some overzealous person running onstage and kissing me mid song on the face while on tour. Truly how it feels to chew five gum. 

Tom: I did once full on face plant. That huuuurt. But I didn’t mess up the song or spill my beer. Cause I’m a professional 

If a movie were made about your band, who would play each of you and what would the title be? 

Matt: Justin Long would play me probably , and the movie would be called “ A Series of Uneventful Misfortunes “

Tom: I’m already the Seth Rogen type cast. But I guess I’d rather be him than Jonah Hill. I’d also take the polar bear from the Coca-Cola commercials. Kindred spirits we are. And the movie could be called a few things. “Underbudget cause the studio didn’t believe in it” would probably a fitting title. “And with you as always is Garth” has some potential. Or my personal favorite, “It’s your one way ticket to never getting to be in a movie with Sammy Hagar”

If you could only listen to one song for the rest of your life, what would it be and why? 

Matt: probably either that We Like To Party song by Venga Boys, Hackensack by Fountains of Wayne, or Me and U by Cassie. Each of them are a very important part of my personality. 

Tom: 

IF YOU LIKE PINA COLADAS 
AND GETTIN’ CAUGHT IN THE RAIN
IF YOU’RE NOT INTO YOGA
IF YOU HAVE HALF A BRAIN
IF YOU LIKE MAKIN’ LOVE AT MIDNIGHT 
IN THE DUNES OF THE CAPE
THEN I’M THE LOVE THAT YOU’VE LOOKED FOR 
COME WITH ME AND ESCAPE

What's the most ridiculous thing you've ever seen a fan do at a show? 

Matt: probably either play their leg like a guitar, or break their leg like the guy on the tour we went on with Green Jello when we were their backing band. 

Tom: Ain’t much honestly. Most of them are just people who wandered in on a lunch break by accident and promptly left back to their boring corporate office jobs.

If your instruments could talk, what's the one secret they would spill? 

Matt: His hands are too clean 

Ton: Well, Frampton’s can talk. And it goes wah. Wah wah wah wah wah. Moving stuff for those in the know.

Which celebrity would you want to join your band for a one-off gig, and what would their role be?

Matt: Paul Rudd, or Tim Heidecker. Paul Rudd slapping the bass, Tim on Harmonica . 

Tom: Alan Tudyk doing the various chicken sounds from Moana. I think we could make a banger with that, somehow, someway.

If the entire band had to get matching tattoos, what would it be and where? 

Matt: The only tattoo I have is a UFO on my arm and I got it with our original bass player, there was a member once who got the same tattoo on their neck and had to have it removed when they left the band. 

What’s the worst piece of advice you’ve ever been given as a musician? 

Matt: listen to me, I’m your manager, do what everyone wants you to do. 

Tom: It’s honestly a complete blank. Most of the time it’s good advice. Like, keep track of your mileage, try and watch the other bands if you can. Don’t wander away from the venue or your life will be in terrible danger. You know, standard every day things that regular people say. 

If your band's music were a flavor, what would it taste like?

Matt: Gushers that have been left out in the sun for five days. 

Tom: Sprinkles on ice cream. Specifically too many sprinkles. More sprinkle per sprinkle.