Q:You recorded a bunch of songs that never got released, before [former drummer Jordan Hudson] left. Whatever happened to those?
A:A couple of them made it onto compilations. They'll probably all come out when we put out a record of a ton of b-sides. There are at least eight or nine songs, I think. Something of a lost record.
Q:Did you start a new direction for the new album, or did those songs fit with this new album?
A:The songs did fit, actually. Lyrically, they were similar. A lot of the songs were just really dark. And the main thing we just wanted, we thought we could make better songs than those. Like, those songs are really good, a lot of them are pretty long. We worked pretty long on arranging those songs. Kathy and I just wanted to start fresh after Jordan left.
Q:Which do you prefer, touring or recording?
A:I actually like recording more, just cause you get to play way more. When you're touring, you only get to play an hour a day or so. When you're recording, you just play all day, pretty much, and then you're just being creative. I love recording, I never get to do it enough.
Q:When you're on tour, do you ever end up writing songs while you're on tour, just to fill in?
A:I could never write like a whole song, I could always write little pieces of songs. I used to write a lot of lyrics on tour, but now I write a lot more music on tour.
Q:Have you gotten any more comfortable as your career's gone along playing to live crowds?
A:Kathy and I, at least for us, we've been in so many bands before this band that we're already pretty comfortable. I go back and forth; some shows I'll be really nervous. I get nervous when we open for other bands, but when it's our own show I usually don't get so nervous.
Q:Does that have anything to do with playing from a different crowd from your own?
A:When you're going to play for your own crowd, those are already people who like you and trust you. And so, it can be tough trying to win over other people's fans that don't know you and have never heard you. Sometimes it goes really well.
Q: Have you ever gotten booed off the stage or anything?
A: No. (laughs)
Q: So really there's nothing to worry about.
A: No. I mean it depends on who you're playing with. The Hold Steady, those crowds will be rad, those'll be drunk, fun crowds, I think, so, I'm not worried about those.
Q: The new album was on a ton of year-end best of lists. Does that success give you any more or less motivation as a musician?
A: It gives me more, I think. It's nice to have. I don't know how I'd feel if I saw it on a bunch of "worst" lists. I'm sure I wouldn't feel good about that. I try not to read reviews too much, but a lot of times when they're so good then I really don't mind reading them. We've been pretty lucky with the press, reviews are usually really good for us. That pumps me up. That just makes me realize that people are really paying attention, and that people like it, so I wanna make sure that the next thing we do is as good as the last. I don't want to lose the respect from critics.
Q: Were you surprised with this album's success?
A: Kathy and I were just so pleased ourselves, we liked it so much that we didn't worry too much. You can gauge it from when you first record something and before it comes out you give it to your friends and people around town. The response was really good right away, so I guess we kind of figured that overall people would like it.
