A lot of the songs on the Our Home Is Gone are acoustic; what made you decide to switch from that style to a full instrumentation?
Meg and I have always liked the sounds of drums and bass…and all other instruments for that matter: piano, cello,etc. However, in a lot of our songs, Meg still plays the electric/acoustic, so we are sticking to our roots.
What are your major musical influences?
I think some of my more obvious influences would be Casiotone for the Painfully Alone (for awhile I was unsure whether I was being overly derivative of his style until I began writing a few folksier songs), as well as Beat Happening, Daniel Johnston, Kimya Dawson (whom I’ve met a few times and is an absolutely delightful person), David-Ivar Herman D?ne’s solo ukulele stuff is just wonderful, and I know he’s influenced me some. Plan-It-X Records, Friends and Relatives Records, and all those kids in Bloomington, IN are just so inspiring that I think going to a house show up there would make anyone want to be a musician. Matty Pop Chart and Dennis Driscoll would probably be my two hugest influences lately. I like musicians who aren’t out to save the world with their music. (more…)
What inspired you to have a differing photograph inset for As If By Ghosts?
I like the idea of these complete strangers being immortalized whether they like it or not. I have a stockpile of 20 or so that I have not been willing to part with. I think the possibility of someone photographed seeing this album on their grandson’s desk and realizing it’s them, is fucking brilliant to me. I?m sure they wouldn?t feel the same way though. (more…)