>We have been playing all over our beloved Northwest and are currently planning a nationwide tour to begin after the New Year. We LOVE to play shows.

Any crazy stories from shows?

>Last year on my birthday we played a show here in Portland and my fucking guitar strap fell off in the middle of a song resulting in a painful crashing noise. Twice. A beautiful Les Paul. On my birthday dammit. She's ok and forgives me but we've had to undergo couples therapy.

How long did it take to write and record the new album?

>"The Veil" has been in process for about three years. Our last CD was done on a shoestring with the vocals done in one night. This time we were obsessed with the idea that this time we were going to take our time and do it right. It definitely paid off.

What are your major influences/ As a band and What influenced This CD?

>Everything from the obvious: Radiohead, Muse, Jeff Buckley, Coldplay, Neil Finn etc. to the not so obvious: Lots of Jazz: Sonny Rollins, Coltrane, The Bad Plus, MMW. African artists Habib Koite, Oliver Mtukudzi, other world artists such as Nusrat Fateh Ali Kahn and, of course, Manu Chao. Also, lots of classical music. We are the least cool (or most cool, depending) band on the scene. We are all music school geeks who love great music irrespective of genre. Therefore, Jeff Buckley, Bach and Coltrane have alot in common. I win the award for most unpronouncable world artists to ever be on a single iPod, our violinist wins the award for obscure classical music, and the rest of us have a healthy mixture of rock, jazz, and indigenous Siberian wedding music. Kidding on that last one. Kind of.

What is your favorite song to play live?

>Right now, Oceanmile. People never know what to expect from that song. So many different textures and rhythms. When it kicks into the only power chords I think we have on the whole CD, I like to see people piss themselves.

How about what is your favorite song of the new album in general?

>It's different every day. I am really proud of Davy Jones. This war doesn't deserve vague protest songs. This one definitely isn't vague.

Are there any b-sides? If so, are they going to be released anywhere?

>There aren't any b-sides, technically, but there are tons of other songs. We all had a vote to decide which ones would be on the album. We all had a different list. Eventually, they will all be released.

What do you guys do for fun when you are on tour?

>1. We LOVE to meet fans and get to know the cities we are in as much as possible.
2. Listen to LOTS of music.
3. Read TONS of books.
4. Play full band Halo multiplayer on the XBox 360 while talking shit to each other.

What do you think sets you guys apart from the bands in your genre?

>We have a string section and don't dress like the Strokes. Plus, our drummer is genetically perfect. He has documents to prove it.

What is something that you can't live without on tour?

>Entenmanns chocolate donuts, Nina Simone, and XBox 360.

Well that wraps it up, thank you guys so very much for the interview. Anything you'd like to say to the readers of SkylinePress.net?