We arrived almost an hour early to our friend Leann's house, eager to participate in her birthday festivities.  Who wants to arrive fashionably late when there is Milwaukee's Best to put the hurt on?  Luckily for my digestive track, this tasty but somehow unsettling beverage wasn't the highlight of the night.

Making their first appearance in the Ohio, playing to a crowd of rowdy students in a less-than luxurious or spacious living room, Breaking Pangaea succeeded where most bands would have failed.  They turned a crowd of party-goers, intent on socializing and drinking uncanny amounts of cheap spirits, into an attentive crowd and brand new fans.  Equally influenced by 80's pop and rock and contemporaries of the emocore persuasion, Breaking Pangaea's brand of "Cannon To A Whisper" rocking is both compelling and captivating.  Over a year later, and three additional trips to venues in Dayton and Ohio, the trio has a new full-length, two five-week tours and greatness on the horizon.  Drummer Will Noon takes a few minutes to answer the questions we've all been asking.

Interview conducted via e-mail, July 2001.

Name: William Thomas Noon...the first.
Band: Breaking Pangaea

Tim: Are you from Philadelphia originally?
Will: No I am not.  I grew up on Long Island, in Lynbrook NY to be exact.  I lived there for 18 years, then transfered to Philadelphia to pursue music and go to school.

T: How long has Breaking Pangaea been playing together and how did you meet?
W: Breaking Pangaea played its first show in Jan 2000 with Silent Majority and the Movielife.  I actually met Fred a year or two prior to playing with him, at a Brody (his old band) show.  When I began seriously seeking musicians to work with I hunted him down, the first time we played, things clicked.  We
were locked in.  it took us a while to find the perfect match, but we did when Fred brought Clint into the picture.

T: How do you break a Pangaea?
W: Actually, there are several ways to break a Pangaea.  First you must spell it right, as you have eloquently done.  Second you get a theoretical supercontinental land mass that is said to have existed several gazillion years ago.  Then you find some fault lines or some tectonic plates that look kinda shakey.  Finally you apply constant pressure or a series of firm, swifts blows, and FABAS! There you have it...or you could just get a kick ass drummer and start a rock band.

T: How did you decide to team with Undecided Records?
W: Fred actually met Cliff and Alex a while back when he was down in Florida swimming with giant sea turtles.  Alex is the really fun crazy guy and Cliff is the brains behind it all.  Actually, Cliff is more like a super villian that masterminds the world domination schemes from a big giant chair in his secret underground ice lair.  We thought it was pretty funny when Cliff asked us to sign our lives away in blood...we didn't know he was serious...

T: When did Undecided release the first EP and what has been the response to this effort?
W: The "Take Apart The Words" release came out in September of 2000 and since then we've gotten a great response.  We've tried to do as much touring as possible to promote it, and so far everything has gone great.  that EP is on its third pressing in less then a year.  Kids have been so cool about supporting touring bands (especially in Dayton) that we want to just hit the road and never come back.

T: What other songs have you contributed to compilations?
W: Well Tim, there are currently two BP songs out there floating around on comps.  First is "Sick Day" which graces Creep Records' latest comp.  Second is "Part" which is on Kick Start Audio's Pennsylvania Volume I comp.  Both songs were recorded at Creep Studios and are pretty kick ass.

T: How would you describe Breaking Pangaea's sound?  Did you start playing together with a "sound" or "genre" in mind?
W: Breaking Pangaea sounds good.   As far as playing with a sound or genre in mind -- no.  Absolutely not.  I am not the most diverse musician in the world, but the only reason why I won't play something is because I don't enjoy it.  If it rocks, in the broadest sense of the world, then I am down.

T: What drummer's have most influenced your playing style?
W:Dave Grohl, because he hit really hard and was super simple. Tim Alexander, he just plays some crazy shit.   Dave Wagonshutz (spelling??) formerly of Kid Dynamite is an insane drummer, super intense live. And then there's Steven Adler, best rock drummer ever!   I hate Neil Pert with a passion, he sucks ass.  He's like a bad robot drummer with no soul...maybe Rush's record label took it.

T: I noticed on the last tour your hands were brokedown and all bleeding and shit?  Do you have delicate, girly hands...that would never happen to the one armed dude from Def Leppard?
W: Wow Tim, you are quite perceptive.  My hands are quite delicate and girly, but this is due to a rare disease I have called Hypo-femapawitis.  I am the only one on the planet with this disease.  I have a team of doctors working around the clock to find a cure... until then I will just use band-aids and tape to prevent the bleeding... unfortunately there is nothing to help mend my heart from insults like yours...*sniff.*  But no, that would never happen to the one armed dude from Def Leppard...I love Def Leppard..."Hysteria"...rock.

T: What is the title of the new album?  How is it different from the EP?
W: "Canon to a Whisper" differs from the EP in that I sing on it.  That's the main difference.  That is why it is billions of times better, and why everyone in the world should own one...to bask in the glory that is Will Noon's voice.  also the full length is much more raw and aggressive, and more true to our live sound.  There are some things on the full length that we haven't previously been able to do.  I think that people are really going to dig the variety of it.  Plus, it fucking rocks.

T: Where was the knew album recorded and with whom?
W: We recorded "Canon to a Whisper" down in College Park, Maryland at Phase Studios.  Mike Fanuelle recorded, engineered, and mixed the record. He did a great job.  I believe he even gets credit for producing the record.  But, that's just not true.  I did it.  I am responsible for everything on the record that you like.  if you don't like anything, well...then you're dumb, and that was Mike's fault.

T: How many times has Breaking Pangaea toured?  What is your funniest story about being on the road?
W: With me being in school full-time, its hard for us to get time out on the road, but every chance we get, we are out there.  I guess we've done three short tours, between 7 to12 days each, then numerous weekends.  We've covered ground from South Florida, up to New Hampshire, and in the fall we will be hitting the rest of the US, touring extensively to support the full length.  Some of the funniest stories are the inside jokes that really only make sense to me, Clint, and Fred... two of our favorites include the "marinara" that makes the burgers sooo good in Wheeling WV, and the fact that Fred is really good at that "on-the-fly math stuff."

T: Have you made a lot of friends on the road? Who are your favorite bands to play with?
W: Yes!!! One of the best parts about being on the road is meeting the awesome people.  Seeing kids come out to every show we play in certain areas, or that they drive for hours because they don't get to see us often is so flattering.  There are so many amazing people out there that I would never ever have known about if it weren't for this band, and that I am so thankful that I've met them.  It's the same with bands, so many good bands out there that you play with randomly, that are totally awesome, here's is a quick list of bands that we love: Orange Island (Boston), Cotton Weary (Long Island), Strangers As Heroes (Dayton), Emanuel Nice (Louisville/IN) just to name a few...

T: What is the most unusual show you've ever played?
W: That would probably be the show we played in Athens, Georgia with "USA is a Monster" (pronounced ooh-sa E-sa monster).  Anyways, they were just crazy...they called themselves "experimental," but it was just
nonsense...they didn't know how to play their instruments, they just made noise, and broke things.  They opened the doors to their van and just pissed out of it into the parking lot.  They came into the place with marker all over their face, drinking wine...they left a bottle of piss downstairs in the computer shop... they spray painted the front of the bookstore... and to top it all off, a drunk friend of theirs, smashed his Ford Pinto into a Volvo Wagon in the parking lot doing 40 then drove around back and pretended like nothing happened... it was an insane night.

T: Why is it that you insist on eating processed food?  Is this strictly a tour diet or a habitual thing?
W: I am a finely tuned machine.  I need only the most technologically advanced foods...like Nutty Bars.  If you drove a Porsche, would you take oil they just removed from the earth and put it into the gas tank?  No.  Would you put 86 octane in it? No.  Maybe if you drove a shitty Ford Escort GT or something... I am in training constantly, 12 months a year, I plan on destroying the world someday...

T: What are your plans for the next six months (both personally and as a band)?
W: Well tomorrow I'm going to quit my pizza delivery job, it sucks... the summer is slow.  August should be exciting, Breaking Pangaea will be doing some weekends in upstate NY, Maryland, Philly, and eastern PA.  and during that time I will be working on some of my solo project. In September the new record comes out and Breaking Pangaea embarks the first of two 5 week tours.  We plan on having more fun then we should be allowed, rocking out harder than you've ever seen, and I plan on hosing everyone with my mega bowling
style... unless of course its that crazy New Hampshire little bowling, then I'm dead meat. The touring will continue up to the holiday season where the lazy boys of BP will rest on their laurels, while I, on the other hand, will put the final touches on my solo project.  When the new year starts up I will sleep through my last term of school and get my Bachelor's Degree in Economics (this degree will be laminated and used as a place mat...I am a messy eater).  During the first 3 months of the new year BP will be practicing/writing and doing weekends, by this time, the Will Noon solo project will be fully functional, performing spectacular live shows and doing some mini-touring in the nova.  At the end of March BP is out on the road again, kicking ass and taking names.

T: How did you hook up with Fata Booking?  Are you happy with them?  How does it differ from booking tours yourself?
W: Nick kicks ass.  I've known nick for many years.  he knows how hard I rock and that any band I grace with my drumming skills will be destined for greatness, so he wanted in on the ground floor.  We are quite happy with him and Fata booking.  The difference is that I get to focus on playing drums, which is what I was meant to do, and less time booking shows... I guess the same goes for Fred...but he just plays guitar, no one cares about that...and Clint...well...its the same for him.

T: What is the most rewarding thing about playing with Breaking Pangaea?
W: I would love to say the chicks, because that would be way rock star... but that's not true, there are no chicks at all... um, the most rewarding thing is probably the people that you meet.  As I said earlier, its just an amazing way to come in contact with some great people.  Also, it's really cool to hear that what your doing has a positive impact on people's lives, that's sweet.

T: Who haven't you played with yet that you'd like to?
W: Well, lets see... I would like to play with the spice girls because they rock the fuck out...but I think they became weird religious people...that or started painfully unsuccessful solo careers.  it would be sweet to play with Def Leppard too...but I guess only in 1984.  I'd like to play with this Swedish band called Randy ...their new record is crazy...as in I think they are now mentally unstable, I really don't know what happened to them...everyone should get thier last record, then their new one, and just ponder what could wreak such havoc on one's mind...

T: Let's pick on your bass player for a minute...has Clint found a job yet?
W: Picking on Clint is one of my most favoritest activities.  No, at the present moment Clint is unemployed.  But, on his behalf I think he did leave the house the other day... on a positive note I have started training him. Soon he will be a Jedi-bass player.  At one with music.

T: Does he have a full-sized sleeping bag yet?
W: I laugh when I think about that.  This is another one of those hilarious inside stories that can only come from tour...  he still has that childrens' sleeping bag, but his new plan is to buy a roll of aluminum foil for each tour.  Every night instead of using a sleeping bag we will wrap him in the foil...its cheap and it provides much better insulation than a mere sleeping bag, perfect for the cool season in Georgia.

T: What is your current playlist?
W: Refused - "The Shape of Punk to Come" (buy it) ;
Randy - "You Can't Keep a Good Band Down" (super rockin') ;
Randy - "The Human Atom Bomb" (crazy) ;
Kid Dynamite - self titled (found the tape, stays in car) ;
Guns N Roses - "Appetite for Destruction" (rock) .

T: How can people find out more about your band?  Where can they go to get the EP and the new record?
W: Well, to find out more about the band, they should come see us live, and talk to us, that's the best way.  But, sometimes that's hard, or people are just lazy...like me.  in that case dorks, head to www.breakingpangaea.com and you can learn all about us and where you can have your face rocked off by us.