How do you define success?

Prior to taking the stage and rocking a sold-out Paramount Theatre on the Oct. 19, AFI bassist Hunter Burgan sat down with The Daily to answer some questions.

The Daily: Where did you go to college?

Hunter: I went to two different junior colleges: Sierra College, on three different campuses, and Yuba College. Basically, every day of the week, I'd drive an hour in a different direction. Jade (guitar) graduated from Berkeley, Dave (vocals) went to Berkeley, and Adam (drums) went to Santa Cruz.

D: What's your songwriting process like these days? I've read that it's mainly Jade and Davey, but that you're getting more into it.

H: I've always been writing. I'd say I write less now than I ever have in the past. Davey and Jade really have a solid thing they do together. The way I write songs is totally different. They bounce ideas off each other, and I just write an entire song. And it's either appropriate or just doesn't come together. The way we've written songs continues to evolve -- now they'll write a basic concept and bring it to everybody, and that's when we all sort of write into it, take it to a place where it is when you hear the record.

D: Who are your inspirations, bass-wise?

H: Probably Eric Avery (Jane's Addiction), James Jamerson (Motown) -- Matt Freeman is one of the people that got me interested in playing bass. I was playing drums, guitar, different things. There's definitely a line between being a good bass player and being a showoff bass player. Guys like Les Claypool, for example -- he's an amazing player, but he's just showing off the whole time. I can't imagine him playing a bass line that really glues a song together, ya know? So that's always been my thing -- to glue the song together, but also put in something that's unique.

D: How do you guys stay sane on the road?

H: I live with my sister when I'm home, so I talk to her a lot. We all have pockets full of communication devices. On me right now I have two cell phones and a Sidekick. No disrespect to the kids in Third-World countries who only have only one cell phone.

D: So what's in your CD player right now?

H: I don't have a CD player right now. Everyone has iPods. I've been listening to a lot of Duran Duran recently -- a lot of '80s stuff, because that's what I grew up listening to. So Cyndi Lauper, Billy Idol; I've also been listening to the new Outkast a lot.

D: What would you be doing if you weren't in AFI?

H: Probably not playing bass. Bass is the newest of all the instruments I've learned to play, sort of the one I was forced into. I'd be doing probably something more mellow, which is a shame, because I love the rock. But a lot of the songs that I was writing (when I joined) were on the piano and jazzier. It's easy for a guitarist or a singer to step over to a piano onstage, rock that baby for a little bit, but a bass player -- you have responsibilities. You've got mouths to feed. I figure when I'm old and can't run around anymore, I can just wheel up to the piano and do my thing.

D: What question do you always want to be asked and never are?

H: Ooh, OK! I've been waiting for this for a while. I'm waiting to be asked how I define success.

D: OK, Hunter -- how do you fine success?

H: Well, I'm glad you asked. I define success as ... one more than five ess.