UN: With two albums under your belt, what can we expect from the band’s upcoming album? I’m not sure if there is a specific release date, but I think I read sometime in 2006? Is the album recorded yet?

Clayton: Well the songwriting continues to get more diverse with each album. I’d say the main difference is that the songs on this album, Smoke and Mirrors, are generally shorter and more to the point, lots of 1-2 punches. We’ve definitely included a wider range of our influences on this album, and Curt (bassist) sings a lot more on this one that the previous 2 albums. There’s a couple of songs even where Curt and Trinidad trade off vocals. The record will be out late February 2006, no specific date as of yet. There is also a licensing agreement in the works for a vinyl release to coincide with the cd release.

UN: This will also mark the bands third album released on Small Stone. Are you guys pleased with how things are working out with the label? Obviously you guys aren’t out to make a fortune, so it must be awesome to have a label behind you that truly believes in the music.

Clayton: Small Stone has been totally awesome. I wouldn’t necessarily say we’re not out to make a fortune but we’d definitely like to be able to scratch out a living playing music the way we want to. Which I think if we keep plugging away at it like we have is completely conceivable in the future. Its just a matter of getting it out to the people who will dig it if they just know about us. I’d choose a label like Small Stone any day over a label that would try to exercise control over the sound and direction of the music.

UN: Do you think it’s a pretty sorry time for rock and music in general? Everything seems to be far too trendy now, and no one is concerned with playing music with passion and meaning anymore. Granted, there are still bands doing it for the right reasons, it’s just sometimes hard to pick them out.

Clayton: I completely agree with you. Like I just said too, there’s definitely an audience out there for rock music that isn’t the over produced, predictable “trendy” rock of late. its just a matter of those people finding out about us and likeminded bands that are out there rocking in the trenches.

UN: Do you think that being a three piece allows the band more room to explore and in general just more room for expression? I can’t quite pinpoint it, but three piece bands always seem to be much tighter and are just more fun to watch. The musicians are always more in tune with one another, and by that I mean musically, not literally in tune.

Clayton: We have a lot more “freedom of expression” if you will as a three piece. Its easier for communication with fewer people and there aren’t as many toes to step all over. The more instruments a band has, the less room for improvisation among the group. We have a lot of parts of song where we kind of self indulge for a bit. Usually around the guitar solo sections and those change night to night depending on our moods and such. We’ve always kinda had that Zeppelin approach to the music where we can take some liberties with our own songs. I doubt that we’ve ever played our songs exactly the same way as far as leads and fill go and sometimes even the structure a bit.