by Jason and Brent

Unwed Sailor’s Marionette in the Music Box is a beautiful album.  What was the writing and recording process like for that disc?  Where did the concept come from?

Nic and I came up with the concept before we saw “crouching tiger, hidden dragon” at the huge movie theatre at navy pier in Chicago. All the music for the marionette record was written and recorded before the artwork was started. the concept came very naturally…it just kind of popped out of our heads. it was meant to be.

What is next for Unwed Sailor?

Unwed Sailor is recording our new record piece by piece as time allows. We are touring in the summer as well. I am really excited about the new songs…I feel we are going places we have not gone before.

What was your motivation behind having a Roadside Monument reunion in 2003?  Is there any chance that there will be another Roadside Monument recording in the future?

Playing in roadside monument was one of the most remarkable/memorable experiences of my life…so why not give it another go? I guess that was our motivation. we just loved it and missed it so damn much. as far as I know there will never be another roadside recording. there is a possibility of a live track released on a future comp.

Which Roadside Monument recording is your favorite and why?

I would have to say “I am the day of current taste”…that record stretched us all musically. That record was recorded all live except for the vocals. I remember finishing “cops are my best customers” and thinking ” I cant believe we just did that!”

What was it like to work with Lasso and Ester Drang on Circle of Birds?

It is always great working with those guys…good friends. Circle of Birds was just a great experience. 48 hours of non-stop writing and recording. Really intense…but I am really happy with the outcome. I think we achieved the mood.

Will there be another Circle of Birds album in the future?

Not sure about that one. The original idea for Circle of Birds was too put out a series of records with different members each time. We would have two core members (me and James McAllister from Ester Drang) and then just put together a slew of other musicians that we liked. it’s a lot of work. there have been a few failed attempts. The last one was a possible Circle of Birds Norway recording. how great would that have been?!

What made you start Decahedron?

I did not start decahedron. it was conceived by Jason and Shelby from the band Frodus. They started it before I was in it. They asked me to join and I felt like I could not pass it up. They are great people who make great music. A rare thing today.

How will you balance your time between Unwed Sailor and Decahedron?

So far I have juggled my time between unwed and decahedron successfully. I will just be a busy man from now on…touring a lot…recording a lot…my favorite kind of life.

What do you think of “Christian music” and the industry behind it?

I really don’t care for any of it.

What bands are you currently listening to?

I am listening to a lot of different music right now. Neil Young has been a consistent favorite lately…the who…The Ramones…The Church Starfish album…Early Day Miners…Willie Nelson….Love and Rockets…pretty much the full spectrum.

If you could, can you name a few artists that have influenced your music?

New Order, Pullman, Willie Nelson, Yann Tiersen, Mum, Peter Gabriel…etc…etc…

Any other comments?  (contact information, etc.)

We just released a song on the record For Jonathan. It is a compilation of artists who wrote a soundtrack to the Chris Bennet film For Jonathan. The Film is about Chris’s friend Jonathan who died of cancer…Chris and Jonathan went out one day and filmed their day together…each artist wrote their own soundtrack to the film. The Great Vitamin mystery is putting it out. check it out….

www.thegreatvitaminmystery.com

thanks.