KEY POINTS:
Chris Joannou of Silverchair has something he would like to share with you.
The band have scored their fifth consecutive number one album on the Australian music charts - and they have their Higher School Certificates.
"Five number ones and we've got our HSC," the bass player laughs.
This may seem an obscure fact to put out there, but for a band that formed in 1992, when the boys were just 14, it's an important bit of trivia.
The subject comes up as we are discussing back up plans, and if the band ever had one.
"We were just having a good time. We were pretty naive in the start," says Joannou, sitting in Neil Finn's Roundhead Studios in Auckland.
"But we did Year 12 and finished school," he laughs.
And how did they do?
"We nailed it," he says with confidence. "I finished top of my maths class. I even got up and accepted a cheque from the principal."
At this point, singer Daniel Johns can take it no longer. He erupts laughing and cries: "It was the dumbest maths class! You were top of the bottom!"
Not that Johns was any better. By his own admission, he spent maths classes drawing sketches and daydreaming.
"I can't do numbers. I was always getting in trouble. I didn't understand it and I still don't," he says mock wistfully.
Good thing for him the whole music thing worked out then.
Maths may seem an odd topic of discussion, when sitting down with two-thirds of Australia's most successful rock band, but it highlights two key points.
The first, is that both Johns and Joannou are remarkably unaffected by their fame and success.
Throughout the interview, they laugh at themselves, each other, and drummer Ben Gillies - who is unable to make the meeting as he is taking a wee kip upstairs.
This is surprising, given Johns' widely reported turmoil from dealing with Silverchair's unexpected success in the mid-90s. Though the singer speaks softly and thoughtfully, he soon reveals himself to be a bit of a joker and even hijacks the interview.
"I've got a question for you Chris," he interjects. "How does it feel to be constantly referred to as the greatest rock and roll band in the history of time? How does it feel to be literally the best band ever?"
Queue fits of giggles from both boys.
His banter with Joannou is natural and genuine, as one would expect from two bandmates who have been working together for nearly 15 years.
Which brings us to the second key point, highlighted by the maths discussion. That these boys, all three, have grown up together. From the days of "the dumbest maths class" to recording a fifth album, they have been through it all together.
In 2002, after the release of their fourth album, Diorama, the band announced an indefinite hiatus.
Johns' health was suffering and all the band members were ready for a break. Though outsiders speculated it was the end of the group, Joannou says the band themselves never really discussed it.
"We knew we were going to take a break and just see what happens. There was no 'we will reconvene at this date'."
Three years later, the group reunited for the Wave Aid concert in Sydney - a fundraising event for victims of the Boxing Day tsunami.
"When we played together, after a long time apart, we remembered what it was like," said Johns. "We didn't want to ever forget again."
Refreshed and reformed, the band's decision to record their fifth album, Young Modern, was a natural progression.
Johns had spent the previous 18 months songwriting and the boys soon found themselves back in the studio.
For the first time in their careers, the band were out of contract and in a position to fund the album themselves.
"We thought it would be a better idea to fund it ourselves and not have to deal with A&R [artist and repertoire] guys and record company people telling us what to do," explains Johns.
"We thought it'd be a good idea to do it and finish it first, and then shop it to a record company," adds Joannou.
"That way you just get people that like you instead of people that think they can manipulate you."
The result is a record the band are truly proud of.
"Of course you always think your last work is your best work. You wouldn't be doing interviews if it wasn't," says Johns.
"But it is definitely our best album. It's got some of our best moments on it.
"There were some great moments on Diorama and Neon Ballroom but as an album, I think this is our best. I don't feel like there's a weak point."
On CD
* Who: Silverchair, long-running Aussie rock trio
* What: Fifth album Young Modern out now
* Also: Silverchair will return to New Zealand in October this year, alongside fellow Aussie rockers Powderfinger. Tour dates to be announced later this month
