"They say when music becomes your profession you have to find another hobby. So running became my hobby."
They also say that when music becomes your profession it probably won't stay your profession for very long. Yet Malinin has persevered through an industry that makes Alaskan crab fishermen look like grocery baggers. Talent makes a great band. But chemistry keeps a band together, and the members of the Goo Goo Dolls seem to have a professional maturity about the way they handle their careers. It probably has a lot to do with their continued success. But then it all comes back to the music.
"Musically speaking, bands should be at least remotely on the same page. I know that sounds like an obvious thing, but I know tons of people who play in bands and they don't even like the music. They do it for a job. And that's going to self-destruct eventually. The guys in this band, our music tastes have diversified over the years, but the roots are all the same. We speak the same language. And if you can get along musically everything else seems to work itself out. Of course when you tour for two years, there are going to be times with everybody gets sick of each other, but the respect is always there."
Malinin makes it a point to acknowledge that knowing your space and your place as the drummer is another important key to success. Just like finding room in a song for your drum part, Malinin suggests adopting the same process with finding room for your personality in the band.
"As the drummer, you're not there to be the center of attention. You're there to make the song better. I remember talking to Gregg Bissonette once, and he was telling me how he completely changed the way he runs his clinics because most people who come to those clinics have no idea how to play with a band. They all grind on their chops so they're the most badass drummmer around, then you put them with other musicians and they can't play. Some of that has to do with staying in time. A lot of it has to do with your ability to relate to other musicians.
"So play with as many people as you can. And play music you like."
