Back when 3OH!3 first emerged, for most people, it was hard to imagine that they'd ever amount to anything more than just being, "that 'Don't Trust a Ho' band." However, the non-believers are eating their words as they're still riding out the success of their second album 'Streets of Gold', whilst undoubtedly being the most fun band to ever headline at Slam Dunk Festival.

We were lucky enough to catch Sean and Nat before their headlining set to find out just how life is in their world right now.

OS: How are you guys doing today?
Nathaniel Motte: We're doing excellently today.
Sean Foreman: Sunny! Sunny dispositions. We're really happy because a lot of our friends are playing today so it's really good to see them.
OS: It's a really good line-up this year.
Nat: Yeah, it's good! It's good being in Leeds, too. We had a day off here yesterday. I dunno, we've never really had too much time to explore the city before.
OS: Did you get up to much?
Nat: Yeah, we walked around, did some stuff, grabbed some dinner.
Sean: Did some yoga, fired some rifles.... [laughter] Rode a horse!

OS: So, how excited are you to be playing tonight. You are headlining the Atticus stage after all.
Sean: Really excited! The stage is awesome; honestly, I think it's my favourite, just because it's very intimate...
OS: But at the same time it's quite big.
Sean: Yeah. The sound's good in it too. Then, just the festival itself! Like I said, a lot of people that we've played with during past tours are playing today, so it's fun. It just feels very comfortable and the show looks set to be a good one.

OS: Today's one of those festivals that really covers it all in terms of alternative music: in some rooms you have pop punk bands, in some hardcore bands. What's it like to be involved in something that has such an array of sub-genres all under one roof?
Nat: You know, it's cool for us because we've been to do that and we've done that throughout...
OS: You've done it for most of your career.
Nat: Yeah, you know, whether it's on Warped tour, or even just opening shows; we've opened for metal shows, or rap shows. So, it's been cool for us, and it's fun to be on a diverse festival! I think, as someone who would come to see a festival or to see a day of music, I would like to see a lot of stuff, because I listen to a lot of different things.
Sean: What's really cool about the diversity of the bands is that it's not the same bands competing, because there's very different styles. So if you're partial to ska, you can go watch a ska band, or if you want hear our music - God knows why you'd wanna hear that - you can come to our stage. I mean, when you go to a festival and it's an all ska festival or something, then you might only go see your favourite bands or something. So, it's cool like that.

OS: As well, you mentioned that there are a lot of bands that you know playing today, and that sense of camaraderie just seems to give a nice atmosphere to the festival.
Sean: Sure! Just to be able to walk backstage and run into all of these people that we've been on tour with, it's just nice. It's like a reunion.

OS: So, in the UK, you first visited here in 2009, but in two short years, you've done so much. You first came over and supported Katy Perry at two of her shoes, before playing the Dance Tent at Reading and Leeds Festivals. You then payed the Radio 1/NME tent last year, and that was rammed.
Nat: Yeah, that was awesome!
OS: So what's it been like to experience all of that in such a short space of time? Granted, it's not just in the UK.
Nat: It's amazing. I mean, it is more readily seen for us in the UK because we kind of see it in little vignettes, because obviously we're in States a lot. So, to see the growth, it's a little bit easier to get perspective on it here. But it's amazing. I think the attitude to music out here is awesome: people really love live music and they love a wide variety of music. And so to be involved in something like that is great. Our songs have done very well on the radio out here, which is awesome, so I think we've been able to use that to our advantage. We love touring, and this is our favourite place in the world to play; in the UK. So, we really look forward to being able to do that.

OS: As you said, you have had a fair amount of success with radio over here, and that's not something that's very common with many bands within this genre. It's almost as though you've managed to create a niche, whilst still appealing to the mainstream, so is the idea of crossing genre boundaries something you've always had in mind?
Sean: Well, I think initially... I mean, we were so in the 'internet age' of bands that we didn't necessarily have our sights on radio or anything. Honestly, we didn't service our song in the States to be played on pop radio or anything. We just wanted to be organic, and if people wanted to listen to it, then hopefully they could call up or something like that.
Nat: I mean, we just wanted - and we still want to - make music that sounds a little different but has an edge to it, and at the same time is accessible and catchy and fun. I think that radio for us, it isn't a means to get huge; it's just a promotional way of getting more people to hear the music. You know, when you start having your songs on radio, you kind of start trading good things for bad things. The good things are that, a lot of the songs that people know and a lot of the songs that people love are the ones that they hear on the radio, which makes your live show that much better, but it's a funny game to play. I do think that our reasons for playing are good and pure though, I guess.

OS: You mentioned that when you write, it's an organic process, but that seems to be something that a lot of people doubt when it comes to the more pop side of music.
Sean: Yeah, I totally agree. I mean, I think a lot of the ways that we go about it, and how we started... Honestly, the last few songs - we have a new song that's gonna come out real soon - we just did it in Nat's basement, just me and him. I understand that, especially with some bigger stars, they don't even write their music: they just get in the studio and record the vocals, but that's not how we've ever done it. We produce all of our own music. We write all of it. But, I can see why there's obviously that pretension, but it's not true! Even all of the collaborations; they were all in the studio with us, and their all our friends. I mean, Katy [Perry] was our friend from Warped Tour. So, I can see how that can happen, but it's not like that for us.
OS: I think that a lot of people tend to forget that Katy Perry was originally a Warped Tour act.
Sean: Oh, yeah! That was our first big tour in the US.
OS: And I think it's a testament to her greatness, the fact that she can get up on stage at god-knows-what time on a sweltering day with just a guitar.
Nat: She's a great musician and she's a really good songwriter. I mean, she's in the "uber" total spotlight right now, but she paid her dues and works hard.
OS: So, do you think that that's why you fit in quite well with these sorts of pop punk bands too, because you have that same sort of Warped Tour ethos?
Nat: I think that our ethos is having fun, and making sure our lives shows are fun and loud and energetic. In that realm of bands - "Warped Tour bands" or whatever - it's all about the same thing, about having a good time and not having too many pretentions about it and that's what we try to do. Then, for one reason or anything, people picked up on that and liked that and we hugely appreciate being able to do that.
Sean: I mean, especially things like this [Slam Dunk]... We've played a lot of radio shows and stuff like that where there'll be people with entourages that don't want to be seen, but here, people are walking around. It's all very casual. No one has a giant head, even though these guys have all played millions of shows and played for a thousand people, but they're all just very approachable people. That's what we like. It's very cool to see. Today is a very Warped Tour crowd for us, as far as the people we're friends with goes.

OS: So, what's next for 3OH!3? You mentioned that you've recorded a new song, so are you beginning ti push new material?
Nat: We're finishing up this tour in the UK in next couple of weeks and then we're releasing a single. It's kind of a throwback song that hopefully incorporates some new stuff. I think it's cool. Then, we're going out on the Warped Tour in the States for the first half of it, so we wanted to release the new song, so we have some stuff to play on Warped. Just something to push and something that people can get excited by because it's new. I mean, even for us, to play something new is fun.
OS: Yeah definitely. You only released 'Streets of Gold' last year but it feels like quite a long time ago.
Nat: Yeah, things move so quickly. Then, I dunno! We're gonna take some time out and figure out some end-of-the-year plans.

OS: Any final words?
Sean: I'm six months pregnant.