So it's more than a little surprising to catch a glimpse into the domestic life of Supersucker lead singer/guitarist, Eddie Spaghetti.

"You want a waffle, dude," asks Spaghetti to a small child who is begging for some attention in the background during this phone interview. "That's my boy. His name is Eddie also."

Spaghetti is making toaster waffles for his two-year-old who has been watching Sponge Bob Squarepants videos this morning, and Big Eddie says Little Eddie is addicted to the cartoon show. It's something they have in common as well.

"That show is hilarious," admits Spaghetti. "Sandy the Squirrel sings a song about Texas that was written by Junior Brown. They've had all kinds of great music on there. They've had a Cramps song on there, and Blag from the Dwarves sings a song on there." He also admits he would like to write a song for the show some day, but so far the opportunity hasn't presented itself.

Immediately at hand, though, is the next leg of the Supersuckers' tour. The band is hitting each region of the country in short three-week bursts. The first leg took them through the Northern Midwest and Northeast. This next leg begins in Richmond, and will take them through the rest of the South.

"I'm looking forward to getting some good eats down there," says Spaghetti. That will be welcome perk for this band that has had to trim away the fat in recent years since leaving a major label. Gone are the days of touring in the comfort of a plush tour bus with over forty feet to stretch out in.

"We're still "Van-ing" it, dude," says Spaghetti. "We're trying to work smart." And smart it is, because the cost of renting a bus would set the band back about $700 per day.

"When we had them before, we never thought about how much they cost because Sub-Pop just paid for it," he continues. "Of course, now we do because we know we won't ever see a dime from our Sub-Pop days. We were the recipients of some really bad money decisions. They spent a lot of money on our band, and we had a really great run there. It was a lot of fun. But, as soon as they started realizing that it wasn't going to pay off to spend their money like that we started thinking about it ourselves."

Thoughts of going completely independent were shelved for a short while, although it remained on their minds.

"We thought if we were going to be working on a budget then we should be doing it on our own terms," says Spaghetti. "It wasn't the reason we left Sub-Pop. We left initially to be on an even bigger label. We were on Interscope for, like, a second. We were signed, recorded a record that no one will ever hear, and then got dropped. That was the catalyst that made us come to the decision that we could no longer rely on these outside forces to be as passionate about what we do as we are. So we started putting the records out on our own."

That passion is a passion for simplicity. A stripped down, raw approach to what Spaghetti refers to as "making up songs," not songwriting.

"I mean what do I really write down?" asks Spaghetti. "The words? That's about it. I mean, Willie Nelson is a songwriter. Eddie Spaghetti is a song 'maker-upper.' It's been a part of me ever since I was a kid and I got my first guitar at twelve. It wasn't about playing really well and playing leads. It was about making up songs, and it still it is."

He says the by-product of a band's limitations is simplicity, and that is what makes great rock'nroll so visceral.

"I think of all my favorite bands, and my musical heroes, especially in rock'nroll, as people that have the most basic of skills — The Ramones, and even Motorhead, and AC/DC — they're all criticized for being real simple and base," he says. "Those are all the things that I like. (That style of playing) is born out of necessity. That's what creates a sound in a band. That's definitely been the case in our band."

And, maintaining that level of proficiency (or lack thereof) is tantamount to Spaghetti.

"You don't want to grow too much musically, because that can be the kiss of death," he says. "I always liked the way Joey Ramone was, he never picked up a guitar unless he was going to record a record or play a show. He never practiced, and I sort of like that aesthetic. The challenge of channeling your creativity through this very basic skill level is what creates some really great rock'nroll. You may not know that this is a stupid lick that's been played a million times, so you're not instantly defeated. You think, 'This is great! I'm going to write a great rock'nroll song.' And, that's all what all great rock'nroll songs need to be."

Spaghetti maintains that making the jump from playing simple, classic rock'nroll to backing up Willie Nelson on the Nelson tribute album, Twisted Willie wasn't much of a stretch. Although, he says country players are a more humble bunch. The two camps convened to record the Nelson penned, "Bloody Mary Morning."

"It's not really the same with country music," says Spaghetti. "Country music is really simple music to play. But, there are some really amazing players in the world of country that don't use it obnoxiously like, say, some Heavy Metal guitarist might."

Even though there are tight budgets, cramped touring vehicles, and any number of other nefarious events that can make being in a band a trying experience, Spaghetti is still jazzed about what his band has been able to accomplish over the past 15 years.

"We get these moments — these really great experiences," he says. "We're not hanging Platinum Records on the non-existing walls of the houses we don't own. But we do get to record with Willie Nelson, and go on tour with The Ramones and Motorhead."