You may know of Chandos as the up-and-coming Allston act who just two weeks ago released their debut full length on Car Park Records. You may know and love their gritty, look cialis chaotic sound and their tight live show. But did you know the three-piece is also made up of a cursory knowledge of US history and strong opinions on former US presidents?

The band is playing a big pseudo record-release show in Allston on February 14th – which of course is just two days before one of the biggest, most celebrated holidays of the year – President’s Day.

To get in the spirit, we sat down with guitarist/vocalist Daniel Coulson, Bassist Sean Tracy and drummer Julian Moore at the Honan-Allston Branch of the Boston Public Library to discuss the new record, as well as all things presidential. Here’s what we learned:

Allston Pudding: I read that you recorded your new album in two days – that seems like a lot of work in not much time.

Daniel Coulson: Yeah definitely, and during the recording I got crazy sick and actually had to record all of the vocals in our practice space – which ended up working out better because I can’t record vocals in front of anyone.

Julian Moore: That’s how Prince records his vocals too just so you know – he makes everybody else leave

AP: So what similarities do you guys share with Prince?

DC: Work ethic and sex drive. We throw in a dance move every now and then to keep the ladies coming back….

AP: I’ll buy that. So getting down serious business – tell me your favorite president and why.

Julian Moore: Calvin Coolidge – I don’t know where he lies in the spectrum of presidents, whether he was 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 7th, but he apparently used to have petroleum jelly rubbed on his head while he ate breakfast in bed. I thought that was a weird fetish type activity – and I enjoyed that type of activity.

AP: Did he rub it himself?

JM: No, no, it was definitely a second party, or a third party if you count the breakfast… I think I saw it on a Buzz Feed article. That was the extent of my research on this topic.

Sean Tracey: I have a few. The first one is the pride of my home state, Franklin Pierce. He’s the only president from New Hampshire, and everything I’ve read about him indicates that he was terrible at his job, kind of a failed president, but he’s holding it down for the granite state.

But an actual favorite president would be…. Well actually I have another joke one and that would be Taft, because he was the only president to get caught in a bathtub.

JM: What do you mean caught in a bathtub?

ST: Like, he was so fat he got stuck in it.

JM: Oh, I thought you meant they caught him doing something bad, like, washing himself.

ST: Then my other favorite is the most badass president and that’s Teddy Roosevelt because he did everything and had like 100 different animals at the white house and as many pets as he wanted, like snakes and horses and dogs, cats, birds, just so many different animals. And I think he wore a monocle most of the time, if not all of the time, and I just respect that.

AP: So it had nothing to do with any of his policies or anything like that?

ST: No the animal thing is #1. The Panama Canal thing is #2, because that’s just sick. He drilled a hole through a country – and it wasn’t even our country. He just made it happen – like, “we’re getting our boats through here”

JM: Was a monocle like, just a fashion thing, or was it functional?

ST: I’m going to look at a picture – did he even wear a monocle? (Googles Teddy Roosevelt) Oh yeah he definitely did.  I’m not sure how he kept that in his eye while he was riding his horse with a spear though…

DC: Okay, I know a president who was even more badass, and that was Andrew Jackson, because he used to dual everyone. He died with like 14 different bullets in his body. He’s the only president to dual people too. And he said his one regret was that he didn’t get to dual Henry Clay – so his one regret is that he didn’t kill someone.

AP: So did he die in a dual, or did he survive them all?

No – they said eventually he may have died of lead poisoning from all of those bullets, but he was not killed in a dual.

(At this time – we are told we can’t sit in the children’s section of the library anymore, and we’re asked to move to a group meeting room – which we do)

But Jackson actually isn’t my favorite president – I was just trying to come up with a president that was more badass then Teddy Roosevelt. My favorite is actually FDR, but that’s not that interesting of an answer, but he just did a lot of good stuff.

AP: So he just did his job – that probably counts for something when you’re president.

Actually, I’m going to change my answer to Bill Clinton – he’s totally my fave. How did I forget him.

ST: On a side note, I did just find this picture of Teddy Roosevelt riding a moose across a body of water, probably the Panama Canal.

So, not only did he ride moose, but he killed a ton of wild animals. Not that that’s super cool, but here’s a pic of him with a dead jaguar

AP: Did he do this stuff as president?

ST: I’m not sure what he actually did as president other than go on safari and ride across the canal. And say “bully” a lot.

JM: Did he and Hemingway live at the same time?

ST: Oh, I hope so.

AP: Ok so you guys have a pretty diverse group of presidents that you’re into. I found this book in the stacks and it’s titled “The President’s Table: 200 years of dining and diplomacy”. So the question is, your favorite president comes over your house, and wants to have dinner – what do you feed him and what do you two talk about?

JM: Four cheese mac and cheese – like the kind with breading – lot of variations of cheese, like a few variations of Cheddar… and then a few surprises thrown in there.

Oh, and this is Calvin Coolidge – I guess I would just talk to him about his fetish because it seems like a deep-rooted thing he liked to do.

AP: Do you think he would have an aid rubbing his head at diner? Or is that just breakfast?

JM: Hmm, maybe I just invite him over for breakfast, or I have a breakfast in his bed, or we make sure our beds are touching… dream breakfast with Calvin Coolidge.

DC: Coolidge was the 30th president, by the way – I just looked it up.

ST: So if I were to have breakfast with Teddy Roosevelt, we would probably have to go outside since he didn’t spend much time inside, and we would probably have to go to the harbor or something so he would kill a whale.

Or maybe I would just eat whatever he makes – even though I don’t eat meat. I would have to take one for the team because we would probably spear me through the heart if I didn’t.

AP: Ok you and Teddy are sitting there eating whale meat, what do you talk about?

ST: I would probably ask him… I don’t know. I would kind of be afraid to ask any questions, but maybe I would ask him about the monocle.

AP: What kind of beverage would he like?

ST: I’m thinking whisky–he probably wouldn’t drink much water. He would probably be drinking it out of a flask he brought, or an elephant tusk or something.

AP: What about Coolidge? Favorite beverage?

JM: I don’t know. Because I don’t know him too well… maybe a Jello shot or an ice cold beer?

AP: And Clinton?

DC: Well, he’s vegan now–but I’m thinking steak and potatoes–because there’s no way he wouldn’t want that, even if he is vegan. I mean, back in the day, that used to be his thing, he would just pick up Big Macs and play the sax.

I feel like if this was an older president, you would need to serve them burgers and dogs – like–this is what America is all about. So I would be introducing him to America of today.

ST: I wonder what they would think of the 4th or July–like, I take it pretty seriously. I really like fireworks a lot, because I’m from New Hampshire and I’m still 12 on the inside. I don’t eat meat, but it’s still fun to pretend to grill.

AP: Do you have anything president’s day themed planned for your big show in Allston on the 14th? I mean, it’s such a big holiday and people are going to expect that…

DC: I’m going to buy a new car

ST: Well, the show is on Valentine’s Day, and I don’t think many people are going to be in a president’s day mood, unless we really push it. Like if we deck the fucking halls red white and blue and wear wigs and shit.

JM: We’ll think about it – maybe we can buy some shitty decorations at dollar tree – that place must thrive on this type of holiday – and I know that because I got there like every week.

Catch Chandos with Idiot Genes, Lady Bones, and Palehound at their big show this Saturday – and don’t forget to bring your holiday spirit.