Q&A: Patrick Stump

The title of Fall Out Boy's fifth album, Folie à Deux (out December 16th), is a psychiatric term that translates to "the shared madness of two." "When two people with independent neuroses come together, they can become exponentially crazier," explains the band's 24-year-old singer and guitarist, Patrick Stump. "A whole new type of crazy." Over the disc's 13 tracks of intricate, punk-infused pop, the emo superstars explore themes of adultery, materialism and vanity, and how stardom can make people go completely mad. "It's about the way pop culture pumps up our desire for useless crap," says Stump. "It's our first real statement."

Before you were born, your father was involved in the Chicago folk scene.
He tried. My dad was kind of a peripheral character to Sixties and Seventies players like John Prine and Steve Goodman. The world does not know the name of David Stump! He was always playing around the house — like a greatest-hits jukebox. As I go through bands' catalogs, I hear songs and I'm like, "That's not Dad? That's the Eagles?"

I heard you are a great vocal mimic.
I got into singing by accident, because I was an impressionist. I started out by doing a bitchin' Elvis Costello impression. I can do a good Tom Waits and a good Prince. I was totally bashful about singing in front of people, but when you're making a joke of it, it's a completely different story. I remember the first Fall Out Boy show. I couldn't even sing, I was so horrified.