Interview by Matt Crosslin   |    Photo courtesy of James Preston

SLIDE (L to R): Mike Baker, James Preston, Sam Mitchell

It’s an all too common story in the music industry: band creates underground buzz, band gets signed, band puts out an album, label folds or drops band, and band disappears (s much as people complain about the dreaded “sophomore album,” most bands should be celebrating the fact that they even made it that far).  Sincerely Paul was one such band.  Fortunately, the story doesn’t end there.  Dormant for over a decade, the buzz for Sincerely Paul recently re-ignited (due mainly to a small number of websites) into a full blown re-issue and even the resurrection of a related band under the name of SLIDE.  How does SLIDE relate to Sincerely Paul?  What can we expect in the future?  Read on as James Preston and Mike Baker answer our questions….

For those that might be unfamiliar with Sincerely Paul, could you give us a brief run down of the history of the band – how it started, what the musical influences were, etc?

Sincerely Paul was formed in 1988 by three high school friends and one acquaintance. These core members began looking for a lead singer. At the time, I (James), was working as a teacher’s aide with the bass player’s mother.  She mentioned to me that her son’s band was looking for a singer. I sent them a demo tape, and was asked to join. Mike Baker came along a little bit later and began playing drums with us. The band began performing at churches, and within our 1^st year, we were asked to play at the 1988 Cornerstone Festival in Illinois. After the festival, a lot of doors began to open for us. We began to play and opened for L.S.U., Undercover, The Choir, The Altar Boys etc…. We played at other Christian festivals including Creation Fest in 1992, Six Flags Atlanta Fest in 1993, Knott’s Berry Farm Jubilation Nights, as well as major Hollywood Clubs including The Troubadour, The Whiskey, and The Roxy. We also opened for new wave faves “A Flock of Seagulls”. Sincerely Paul played lots of shows. We loved playing live, and we played so many places….. honestly, its hard to remember some of the venues. Influences? That’s a hard question because each of us had our own favorites that we drew creative juices from.  It is impossible to be an artist and not carry some of that influence into the creative process of writing, performing and recording.  Although we made an effort to remain unique and original I would say that a good part of instrumental stuff on Grieve was heavily influenced by Pink Floyd, The Cure and Psychedelic Furs.

How did Sincerely Paul get signed to Blonde Vinyl? What was that experience like?

During the first part of 1991 we were engaged in talks with several record companies trying to find a home for our music.  We had found ourselves being booked often with Mike Knott’s Band “Lifesavers Underground,” and got to know Mike through these live shows. I believe Mike approached us personally and asked us to be a part of Blonde Vinyl and we accepted.  So, Sincerely Paul was signed to Blonde Vinyl Records in 1991.

We felt Blonde Vinyl allowed the band to express itself artistically with minimal restrictions. In short, Blonde Vinyl allowed us to maintain our sound and message without any drastic changes. The experience working with Mike Knott and Blonde Vinyl was great. Mike was very supportive of our direction and goals. We were excited to have Gene Eugene work with us on the project as well (Gene mixed some tracks on Grieve). We actually signed the recording contract with Mike Knott over dinner at a restaurant (near the Blonde Vinyl Office) in Orange County, CA. Since both of us (Mike and James) live in O.C., we pass that restaurant from time to time, and often reflect back at that time with gratitude.

Many Blonde Vinyl bands were considered “controversial” for pushing the boundaries.  Was there any controversy surrounding Sincerely Paul?

Sincerely Paul was no stranger to controversy. There is a story James shares inside the bio of the upcoming re-issue of the Grieve CD where one church literally stopped one of our shows and escorted us out of their building. The biggest controversy we had at the time was our lyrical message and dark appearance.  Industry folks and many magazine reviewers thought since we came from Orange County, CA that we should all be rich, happy and shallow.  Some even labeled us as ‘posers.’ We were really misunderstood.  The sad thing is that none of those who judged us this way knew anything about our collective pasts or that James was training to be a licensed psychotherapist.  Maybe we were drawing from a well deeper than a collective admiration for our favorite bands.  Maybe we had real life experiences that allowed us to express a way for people to move from a painful past to a future of hope? Most of our listeners loved what we did, but the majority of the Christian Music Machine didn’t “get it,” didn’t want to “get it,” and hence steered clear of us out of their own fears of something different. The lyrics and the message of Grieve challenges the listener to remove masks, confront falsities about themselves, and makes them deal with difficult, taboo issues head on. We knew that concept frightened a lot of decision makers in the Christian industry who were used to signing bands who perpetuated the “shiny happy perfect Christian” mold. Even though we were considered a ‘dark’ and ‘brooding’ band by many our message was never one of despair – it is about real people, living real life in real time. Our message was always filled with hope, renewal and recovery – one just had to dig deep to mine the diamond buried in black coal.

What happened to the band after releasing Grieve?

Once Grieve was released, Sincerely Paul began to play more live shows within the Club Circuit in Hollywood, CA. As a band, we found we were more accepted playing bars and clubs in Hollywood, than we were at churches and youth group rallies. In a lot of ways, the secular audience we attracted were more responsive to us…. maybe they could better relate to our message and style of music? In addition, other big venues like Creation Fest and Atlanta Fest welcomed us to play in front of larger audiences. Our listener and fan base grew once Grieve was released because people outside of California were now able to commercially have access to our CD in stores. We also began to play live outside California as well, hitting some southern and east coast locations.

How did SLIDE come about?  What is the story of SLIDE? Is there any difference between SLIDE in the 90’s and SLIDE in 2009 (as far as musical direction, goals, etc)? How would you compare and contrast Sincerely Paul with SLIDE?

SLIDE came about immediately after Sincerely Paul broke up in 1993. Mike Baker and I along with our new member, Sam Mitchell, began writing music together. SLIDE was approached by R.E.X. records to provide a single for their compilation CD. The single, “The Black and the Blue” was released commercially and received a lot of positive feedback, and from that, we were offered a recording deal with R.E.X.. There really is no deep back story to SLIDE. Mike, Sam, and I wanted to make music, because we love writing music. We love the experience of being in a band and working as a team collaborative effort. We wanted the music to be different from what we did in Sincerely Paul. More upbeat, not as dark… more danceable, but still maintaining a band atmosphere where live instrumentation meets electronic technology. The only difference between the SLIDE of the 90’s and the SLIDE of today is the way we write music. As you probably know, the internet has changed how bands write music. We no longer are confined to a sound proof garage (where all band members squeeze in together) to write music. The only thing Slide will have in common with Sincerely Paul is band members James and Mike. The sound we are going for will not resemble Sincerely Paul, and thus, this is not a sequel to Sincerely Paul. After all these years, we are fortunate to have all 3 original members of SLIDE (from the 90’s) working together again.  We are also fortunate to have sound engineer Brian Webster on board with us again.  He recorded, produced and engineered many of Sincerely Paul’s tracks and live show.  He even recorded and engineered the 1993 version of “The Black and the Blue.”  Even still, we don’t consider this a reunion, because SLIDE never commercially released a full length LP, and SLIDE was so short-lived. So it’s kind of a unique situation we are in, presenting ourselves at this time in our lives. Our goals for SLIDE are to write some really good music, have fun with the writing process, and hopefully grow our listener base through the World Wide Web. In comparison to Sincerely Paul, we would probably say we hope our lyrical content will continue to stir emotions and cause our listeners to think.

A little over a decade and half later, and Grieve is getting re-issued.  How did that come about?

The re-issue of Grieve came about because of the internet and fans of Sincerely Paul who have been in contact with us for the past couple of years thru email.  The re-issue would have never happened without the help of blogs that were set up by listeners who remembered our music and emails that we continually receive from listeners who remember us. Also, the re-issue would never have occurred without the help of Mike Knott. I (James) contacted Mike Knott and asked him to sell me the publishing rights to Grieve. Mike Knott agreed, and I met with him to finalize a deal for me to obtain the rights to own Grieve. We are thankful Mike did this for us. We are hoping the re-issue of Grieve will help bridge past Sincerely Paul listeners to SLIDE so they can experience some new music from us.

What can you tell us about the re-issue of Grieve?

The Sincerely Paul re-release of Grieve will be issued as a 2-Disc Definitive Edition. The official release date is Tuesday, May 5, 2009. The first 300 copies sold will be considered limited editions and will include a special numbered insert signed by original Sincerely Paul band members James Preston and Mike Baker. Digitally enhanced for 2009, Grieve has been given a complete makeover. The 2-Disc edition will include new art work, an insightful bio/essay, new pics, and 11 unreleased tracks. The CD can be purchased at www.slidemusicgroup.com.

What future plans do you have with SLIDE?

For the immediate future, SLIDE plans on releasing a full length CD and digital downloads by 2010. We love to play live and interact with our listeners, so we hope we get the opportunity to play live again soon. Keep checking our website www.SlideMusicGroup.com and www.myspace.com/slide for details.

Some people say the music industry is in bad shape.  Do you agree?  Why, or why not?

It would appear the music industry is in bad shape monetarily speaking (and in some ways creatively speaking as well). It’s definitely not the mega money maker it used to be. We don’t think there is one single reason for this….maybe it’s because of the way people are obtaining and listening music these days (i.e.: internet/digital downloads, iPods, etc.)? Maybe it’s the way music and bands have been marketed?  Things really had become formulaic and commercialized. Thank God new venues like XM/Sirius satellite radio and websites to download new music are available as an alternative to commercial channels! We will say this – sometimes something old has to die before something new can be conceived and born. The death of the “formula” has given rise to a new breed of creativity which would have never been heard or even given a chance to blossom through traditional channels.

What advice would you have for bands such as Sincerely Paul that want to come back and re-release old material, or maybe even record new material? What advice would you have for new bands that are just now getting started?

We would say make sure you go thru the proper legal channels to make sure you have the rights to release your work. Use the internet, sharpen your internet skills, make the internet your best friend.  Write and perform live anywhere and everywhere (no matter how many people show up to your show), and be accessible to your listener base. It is also important to remember that not all bands were made for re-uniting to make new material. Sometimes you need to move forward with new ideas. Make sure your doing it because your first love is music, and because you love the art of creating music.  If you’re main goal is making a living or making big money than you might be better off getting a degree in accounting!

Many bands are now re-recording old albums for all kinds of reasons.  If you weren’t able to get the rights to re-issue Grieve, would that have been a consideration? What is your opinion on re-recording old albums?

No, we would not even have considered it. If another entity (i.e.: record company) bought Grieve, there is little we could have done about it. I don’t believe we would have had a whole lot of say with the re-issue if someone else owned it.  Which is why we are glad to have the rights, because James and I really felt like we did justice to the re-release. We wanted to make sure it was done correctly. The new art work design and the sound re-mastering were very important pieces to both of us. After the discs were re-mastered, we would meet, go to Star Bucks, sip coffee, and listen to it from a listener’s perspective in our cars. We really wanted to make sure people could hear the difference. And I think our listeners will be quite pleased with Brian Webster’s re-mastering work. He did an excellent job. We were blown away on how he treated the project because musically, one can hear sounds and separations of the music you could not hear before.

Our opinion on re-recording old albums is we think its fine to do it once, but get it right the first time. Multiple re-issues of the same album seems a little greedy to us. We really don’t agree with the current sales tactic trend that seems to triple dip into consumers’ pockets every few years to get them to buy the pretty much the same album with an occasional tweak here and there.

What are some of your favorite memories from being in Sincerely Paul?  You wanted your lyrics to get people to think, to remove masks, etc. Do you have any stories about how they did just that?

Some of our favorite memories of Sincerely Paul were doing live shows… especially the big festivals (Creation Fest and Cornerstone) and playing the major Hollywood Clubs (the Whiskey, the Roxy, the Troubadour). We have always been a “people person” band, and loved meeting fans and listeners after the shows. We had a rigorous rehearsal schedule, practicing at least 3 nights a week, staying up past midnight, and having to get up the next morning to go to our regular jobs. We have a joke about the correlation between weekly rehearsals and live shows.  “For every 50 hours of practice and rehearsals, you may get one really good live show that stands apart from the others”. The point being that it’s a lot of hard work to practice on a regular basis, and you may have some live shows that don’t live up to expectations.

The lyrics…..they still are a big topic for discussion to this day. Moreover, some of the emails we received from listeners who tracked us down thru the internet were people who wanted to share their personal stories with us. This occurred frequently when the band was together – as people used to snail mail us their stories to our P.O. Box.  One story recently came from a married couple who told us Grieve saved their marriage from crumbling into divorce. Another story came from an individual stating she literally broke down after hearing Grieve saying the lyrics helped her deal with repressed child hood abuse issues. Still, another came from an out of state D.J. that use to play our songs on his radio station. He wrote to tell us that the lyrics finally got him to seek out help for severe depression and problems with addictions. Those are just a few of many stories we have received. We must admit, it still amazes us to this day to hear stories like this from our listeners. It does appear, in some ways, Grieve was a source of healing, or rather, the beginning of healing, for some of our listeners.

How do you feel about the music industry’s (CCM or mainstream) attitudes towards expressing faith in music?  What are your personal feelings about that?

Wow, that’s a powerful question. And let me preface first that between 1994 to roughly 2008, we really have not followed what has happened in the CCM circles. And we say that with all honesty. Revisiting Sincerely Paul after all these years reminds us of that 1960’s Twilight Zone episode with Burgess Meredith — you know, his character played a book worm that loved to read, and suddenly, there was this explosion that took place, and he walked up from the basement to the outside dwellings only to find a nuclear bomb had gone off and destroyed nearly everything in sight. It kind of feels that way, because here we are returning to some of our musical roots, and we have found that a lot of stuff in the Christian market has changed…. mostly due to technology, how people obtain music, the fall of many record companies, and with time comes the normal aging process…. bands get older, new younger bands come into fruition…. so yeah, things appear to have really changed or are just non-existent anymore. In our opinion, expressing faith in music is a personal decision. If that’s what you want to sing about great, if not, that’s fine also. But we have never been big fans on how the Christian market tries to separate itself from the secular market. Believe us when we say, from a business perspective, THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE. Sorry if that sounds harsh, and people may not want to hear it, but that was what our experience was like…in fact, we found people in the secular industry to be more honest and forthcoming in their approach… In the beginning stages of the band, Sincerely Paul’s biggest mistake was trying to fit into the Christian mold. We were rejected by the Christian Music Machine when we did not submit to a lot of the rules and regulations. That is, until Blonde Vinyl Records came along. Bottom line, be a musician first, and if faith is part of your message, great. But don’t let your faith pigeon hole you into musically expressing yourself to just one specific audience.

(continued from part 1)

Gene in Little League Graduation photo

Gene’s first car Senior picture

Early live shots, band and date unknown.

Gene with his brother Todd

Gene’s sister Lisa

Gene practicing, date unknown.

Christmas 1970 (Gene, Todd, & Lisa) Gene in “The Wake” 1971 Baby photo	Newspaper ad for “Cannon” 1972 Baby photo
Various promo shots

(continued in part 2)

Looking Inside by Matt Crosslin (watercolor, 1997).  “This image makes me think about what we find inside of our hearts whenever we take a long hard look at ourselves.”

Interview by Matt Crosslin

Writ on Water is back with a new album and a whole slew of re-issues.  If you are keeping count, this is the second time they have done that without the support of a label of any kind.  Jeff MacKey & Daniel Johnson recently answered several questions about the past, present, and future of their band.  They shared several insights that any Do-It-Yourself band, as well as fans of the band, would do well to check out.  Read on the see how they have accomplished the rare feat of living without a label….

For those who are not familiar with your music, how would you describe your sound, influences, and direction as a band?

DANIEL:  From the beginning, we were very heavily influenced by the classic 80′s 4AD sound (bands like the Cocteau Twins, Dead Can Dance, early Wolfgang Press, etc.) and atmospheric specialists such as Brian Eno and David Sylvian. We were big fans of people creating expansive guitar textures, such as Kitchens of Distinction and The Church. Personally, I listened to a lot of Joy Division and early New Order (I think Jeff originally introduced me to them). We strove to create somewhat unconventional songs wrapped in dense sonic textures.

Nowadays I think our listening habits have expanded a great deal. I’ve gotten into a great deal more world music and choral music.  Additionally, I’ve done quite a bit of study and research on 17th- and 18th-century neo-Byzantine music, and I think that has opened me up a lot to modes and scales that aren’t ordinarily incorporated into pop music.

JEFF:  That’s always a tough question to answer because there are different types of influences.  From a structural standpoint, I think artists like David Sylvian and The Wolfgang Press played a major role in opening up my eyes to getting outside traditional song structures and deliberately avoiding a lot of foundational pop concepts like repeated choruses and whatnot. Texturally, I think bands like Cocteau Twins, Joy Division, the Virgin Prunes, the Church, the later Talk Talk/Mark Hollis work were all important for me, although I don’t know how much of that can really be heard in our finished work.  Also, Daniel and I are both listen to a lot of classical music/opera, which probably affects the way we hear and arrange things as well.

How did you become connected with Blonde Vinyl?  What was it like being on that label?

JEFF:  We had recorded a complete 4-track demo version of ‘Sylph’ (just as we later did for The Greyest Day) before we had a deal in place, and we got that into the hands of some people at Blonde Vinyl.  We had a lot of support from some people at the label, like Ken Bauer and Chris Rumbaugh, who I think understood what we were doing.  BV put us in the studio with Chris Colbert and Dave Hackbarth, which was a very good experience.  I’m not sure Chris had ever recorded anything quite like ‘Silence Broken’ or ‘Conception’ up to that point, but he made some lovely contributions to the album.  I think ‘Sylph’ pretty well captures our sound at the time.  ‘Sylph’ came out in December of ’92, and the label was a memory a few months later so I’m not sure it ever got a great deal of promotion from the label.

DANIEL:  We personally knew several people who were affiliated with the label, so we may have had an unfair advantage in getting our demo tape heard. We had recorded all the tracks from Sylph (with one substituted track) at home on a 4-track cassette recorder, and we submitted that.  Apparently they liked it quite a bit, because they made us an offer.  We always had a good relationship with everybody in the BV office (when I was unemployed they briefly hired me to do some computer work).  They let us co-produce, which as I understand was pretty rare for first-time bands, and we got away with making a lot of not-so-accessible music.

What was the one track substituted from the Sylph 4-track demo version that Daniel mentions?

JEFF:  There is a track called ‘Offering’ that is available as a free download on our website in its original home 4-track version that was initially slotted as track 8, where ‘Repose’ ultimately appeared.  It’s an instrumental Daniel composed/recorded which we liked a great deal but determined didn’t quite fit with the way the album was coming together.  I thought we had lost this recording over the years until I ran across it among some old tapes I was cataloguing last year.  We might put up a couple more of the 4-track recordings made for ‘Sylph’ as free downloads at some point.

For those that don’t know, can you tell us about how the Internet played a role in keeping the band going for close to two decades now?

DANIEL:  After about 1994 or so, the band kind of drifted apart. A few years later Jeff and I got to emailing about the possibility of re-recording The Greyest Day.  I had just installed some digital audio software, so we got together (either at his home or mine) and started playing around. We only recorded one or two Greyest Day songs before we got sidetracked with new ideas. That was the basis for the Pelleas EP. Meanwhile, our friend Chris Nandor had made MP3′s from our Greyest Day demo cassettes, and MP3.com “released” them as either downloads or a CD-R.  When we finished work on A Wingless King, we sought a better solution (since MP3.com had folded), and after some research we decided to go with a self-release using CreateSpace, which made our album available on Amazon.

JEFF:  It has kept us going off and on, at least.  Dan and I looked for another record deal after BV, but we stopped playing live altogether following the departure of Joel and Miles, which made things tough.  We took several years off before the MP3 thing really hit.  Talk of ‘The Greyest Day’ demo had gotten around somehow, and we’d actually sent out some cassette copies to fans who had requested them.  Our friend Chris Nandor cleaned up the 4-track recordings for us, and we made them available via mp3.com back in 1999.  Dan had also set up a digital studio at his place, and we decided to take a stab at a few of our songs from the mid-’90s that we’d never gotten around to recording at the time, which eventually turned out to be the ‘Pelleas’ EP. The internet gave us a chance to release our work without going through a label and working at our own pace, which was nice-especially for a band that, as of today, hasn’t played a live set in more than 15 years.

You’ve mentioned possibly re-recording The Greyest Day demos to make a full release.  Is that still a possibility?  If so, how is that progressing?

JEFF:  It’s not progressing at all currently, but it’s still a possibility–an idea I sometimes kick around.  I actually think that we did a decent job of realizing some of the songs despite the 4-track limitations, and it would be difficult to recapture material that goes back so far at this point.  I don’t think we’d ever re-record it in its entirety, but I could perhaps foresee an EP or mini-album containing new/re-worked versions of some of the songs.  Or perhaps not.

DANIEL:  I doubt that we will ever get that far. Those songs are from a completely different time in our lives, and we have both grown personally to the point that it’s difficult to relate to them anymore.

How would you compare A Wingless King to Sylph?

DANIEL:  When we recorded Sylph, we were allotted two weeks in the studio to record and mix the whole album. This meant that much of the producer’s job had to be done before we even got there (though Chris Colbert came up with some great ideas in-studio, including the wonderful fan-guitar shimmer in the first half of Silence Broken).

When we started work on A Wingless King, we recorded most weekends for as many months as it might take.  This allowed us to play around with instrument texture and song structure a great deal more than we had the first time. As a result, I think A Wingless King has something of a looser feel than Sylph.

JEFF:  I’d like to think that A Wingless King shows quite a bit of musical growth from Sylph, if only because we’re so much *older* than we were in ’92.  As an album, we had tried to construct Sylph with a deliberate aural and thematic arc from start to finish, ‘Conception’ to ‘Colder,’ with ‘Burning Heart’ in the center.  I think A Wingless King has more of an ebb and flow as it moves along, although there is a definite symmetry there as well.  In terms of sound, I’d like to think there’s a cohesiveness across the decade and a half between albums.  I tend to think of ‘A Wingless King’ as being more song-driven than ‘Sylph,’ although I’m not sure how well that characterization holds up to a track-by-track comparison.

What kind of theme/themes did you hit on with both albums and why are/were they significant to write about to you?

JEFF:  The curious thing about ‘Sylph’ for me is that I see more of a thematic arc now than I was aware of at the time.  When we were putting the album together, we were thinking about an arc more in musical terms, as I think there is a symmetry about the 11 tracks on the album from an aural perspective.  And while we were conscious of starting our first album with an instrumental called ‘Conception’ and concluding it with a song (‘Colder’) that finishes with the line, “this is the end,” it was certainly not intended as a “concept album.”  Looking back, and having had this called to our attention by fans over the years, it is possible to view the tracks as almost providing some type of running narrative throughout–some of which was deliberate and some less so.

As for ‘A Wingless King,’ there are numerous themes.  I think one recurring theme might be summed up as the gap between reality and the ideal, and how one deals with the space between–both in the past and present.  I generally write words to music rather than the other way around, and the music therefore dictates the direction of the lyrical content.  That has always been my process, although I have come to realize over the years that it’s not the most common approach.  Whereas poetry that I write tends to remain separate from music.  I think there is a thread connecting ‘Angie Swirls’ to ‘Things Only Heaven Knows,’ the two tracks that bookend the album, but it is something ambiguous that each listener may or may not find for himself.

What are some of your favorite moments lyrically or musically from A Wingless King?

JEFF:  I’m not sure I can answer about the lyrics, having written them.  Musically, I am very pleased with the organ-like guitar in the first section of ‘Bittersuite,’ and the way Dan wove that theme back into the final movement of the piece, tying it all together.

DANIEL:  I’ve been especially proud of the way The Laughter Ceases turned out.  I recorded most of the basic tracks in a single day. There isn’t a single synthesizer on that track; everything is a real analog instrument.  Also, after we finished up the mix, I couldn’t get the bridge section from Rain Over Unmapped Sea out of my head.

Writ on Water was been around for over 17 years now.  How is being in a band different now than it was in the early 1990s?

DANIEL:  We no longer feel the least obligation to perform live, or to produce any music at all if we don’t feel like it.  I don’t think we’re so much a band as a two-person musical collective.

JEFF:  In the early days, three of us lived in the same house, had instruments literally set up in the garage and worked on music together regularly. Today, most of the work is done individually and then shared via internet.  Jared recorded the drum tracks for ‘A Wingless King’ up in the Bay Area, quite a distance from us.

Any chance we’ll see any of your albums re-released on a label, or are you wanting to stay independent?  Why or why not?

JEFF:  Anything could happen, I suppose.  At this point, we don’t have any plans to change our independent status, but I’m not opposed to working with a label again if we could find a good fit for what we do.  It’s nice to be able to record at our leisure and also to be able to release a project essentially as soon as it’s deemed finished.  On the other hand, there are obviously benefits to the support of a label when it comes to marketing and promotion, which we are essentially left to do for ourselves.

DANIEL:  I don’t suppose we’d object if somebody wanted to repackage our material and give us money for it… but we aren’t expending any energy at the moment to shop our records around. Prior to the release of Pelleas we really pushed to get noticed by a record label, but the only label that gave us the time of day wanted full publishing rights with no assurance that they’d stay in business. (And sure enough, it seems that they disappeared without a trace.)

Any chance that Three Broken Chords and a Half-Truth might ever make on to CD?  Is there any other unreleased material sitting around like that?

DANIEL:  I think the whole point of the Three Broken Chords idea was that it’s a graveyard for songs that aren’t releasable but are interesting enough that someone might want to listen to them. You have to be a juggernaut like REM to get away with trying to sell your unfinished experiments.

JEFF:  We only intend Three Broken Chords and a Half-Truth as place to download freebies from our website.  We have a decent amount of other demo material lying around, although I’m not sure how much is suitable for download.

When I first saw that your CDs currently for sale are CD-Rs, I was a little concerned about packaging quality.  But when I got them, I was pleasantly surprised at how professional the overall package was. Many CD-Rs for sale on the web just don’t have very high quality CD booklets and such.  Do you print up your packaging yourselves, or is there a company out there that did that?

JEFF:  We are using a company called CreateSpace, which is an Amazon self-publishing subsidiary.  We shared your concerns initially, but we were pleased enough with their product to go ahead and use their services.  I’ve gotten positive feedback from fans regarding their customer service and quality.  We will continue to look for the best options for release of our future projects.  At the same time, I think that the bias against CD-Rs will be a thing of the past as a result of the quality work of companies like CreateSpace.  A good album is a good album, whether CD or CD-R.

DANIEL:  After looking at several publish-on-demand businesses, we decided that CreateSpace looked like it allowed the most artistic creativity with packaging. We were pleasantly surprised when we saw how nice it all looked.  When you compare that to, say, Cafe Press’s product, CreateSpace wins hands down.

Speaking of CreateSpace, do they give you any type of sales logistics, like who is buying your product or where it is being shipped?  Or is it just straight sales numbers?

JEFF:  They do provide logistics for direct sales but only numbers for cds/downloads via Amazon.

With all of the great insight you have on the history of the band, I want to throw in the cliché question just to see your thoughts on it: is there anything you would do differently?

JEFF:  In hindsight, I wish we’d played live more when the original lineup was together and that we’d documented our live shows better.

Speaking of cliché questions, do you get the questions like ‘what does the band name/this song title mean’ questions frequently?

JEFF:  We used to get quite a few questions about the title ‘Sylph,’ but there really is no single answer as to why that or ‘Pelleas’ were chosen as album titles–the various connotations evoke something we felt fit the project, and both have a connection to a composer or songwriter we admire.  A few people have asked about the title ‘A Wingless King,’ which comes from the lyrics.  These days, the origin of the band name can be found quickly enough via a Google search.

What other future musical plans do you have (studio, live shows, side projects, etc)?

DANIEL:  We are working on getting some final mixes for our two EPs to be released this autumn.  Beyond that, Jeff has some new material that has been in the process of creative ferment for several months, and I’ve had a couple ideas for sonic experiments.  I don’t think a live show is going to happen anytime soon.

JEFF:  We’re very close to releasing two new EPs, which may or may not be available before the publication of this article.  Both consist of material written around the time of ‘A Wingless King’ but are quite different in sound from each other.  ‘Ancestral Echo’ is made up of songs with something of a structural minimalism but are texturally consistent with the majority of our work.  ‘Wunderzeit’ is made up of songs I wrote for some acoustic sets that I performed back in 2001 so they are a bit more acoustic in foundation.  Once that is done, we plan to start work on a full-length album of new material.  I’ve already written a few things that may or may not be a part of it.  There are some other songs from the ’90s that have never been recorded properly that could also either become an EP or perhaps additions to ’3 Broken Chords’ down the road.

Live shows…I think it’s possible at some point.  I’m not sure how, and I’m not sure where, but I would like to hear how the material would sound on stage again.  But first we’d have to put together a live lineup, and there are some other logistic issues that would have to be addressed.  But it’s not outside the realm of possibility.  As of today, Writ on Water hasn’t been on stage since 1993.

I’ve been working on mixing the two EPs this week, and it’s getting close.  Jon Sonnenberg is doing a remix of ‘Wondertime’ (from ‘A Wingless King’), which will be included.  Once he is finished with the remix, we’ll get started mastering and set a release date.  It’ll be 11 or 12 tracks altogether, so basically the equivalent of a full-length.  With our prior releases having all been separated by quite a few years, it’s exciting to be on the verge of releasing two projects within a calendar year.

If another band wanted to re-release old material, or formally release unreleased material such as you have, what advice would you have for them?

DANIEL:  First, make sure you have the copyrights to re-release your old stuff.  Blonde Vinyl has been very good about releasing their artists from any old obligations, allowing us to do a re-release of Sylph. Second, make sure you retain all rights on your material. Third, try to release in a downloadable format; either iTunes or an online megamerchant like Amazon.

JEFF:  Go for it.  The internet makes things possible that bands couldn’t even consider twenty or even ten years ago.  There are enough options out there that there is no reason for anything to be unavailable IMO.

From your perspective, are there any problems with the current music industry?  If so, what can be done to solve them?

JEFF:  The end of the major label’s virtual monopoly over distribution is good for bands that want to do their own thing, but it can also be extremely difficult to get one’s music heard in such a wide open marketplace.  The predictions that ‘In Rainbows’ was going to be the end of the music business as we know it have proven somewhat premature, and most of us who are independent aren’t in Radiohead’s position when it comes to self-releasing material.  I appreciate what MySpace has become in the music world, allowing bands an easy way to connect with fans and be heard.  Anything that puts the quality of one’s music at the forefront at the expense of the mere marketing of image/product is a plus in my estimation.

interview by Matt Crosslin, photo courtesy of Joshua Lory

Some may not know how much of a veteran you are.  What is your background in the music scene?

So for me it started in 1991, I went to my first show and saw the Crucified at the Omni in Oakland, Ca. I was hooked after that and tried to make every show I could. A few months after that I saw Veil of Ashes, Dead Artist Syndrome, The 77′s, and The Choir at the same venue. During those years it was rare to see any Christian bands play in Northern California. So Cal was blowing up with great bands. Aside from the Christian shows the Bay Area had an incredible local scene with bands like Green Day, Rancid, AFI, Samiam, Jawbreaker, The Donnas, the list goes on and on. I used to watch all those bands for around $6.00 at either 924 Gilman or the Berkeley Square. Bands like Deftones, No Doubt, and Weezer used to be the opening acts, crazy!

The first time I saw LSU play was in the Las Angeles area 3 days after the Rodney King riots. The show was LSU, The Choir, Altar Boys, and Undercover! Spectacular show, Knott wrapped himself in duct tape and was rolling around on the floor screaming, great set, just to short. When The Choir came on Steve Hindalong came out and wrapped masking tape around his legs in jest of Michael, that was pretty fun.

Around 1992 a place called The Screem started up in Concord, Ca and threw some great shows. Frank Tate was running it. He later went on to manage The Prayer Chain and The 77′s and later started 5 Minute Walk Records. The Screem lasted for quit some time. I was in a local band that played there a couple of times. That’s back when I met Masaki Liu, I recorded at One Way Studio a few times and used to hang out in the background learning as much as I could gather. I also used to roadie for Dime Store Prophets here and there. Masaki taught me so much about music, writing, playing, recording, the business side, and I’m forever grateful for this.

To you, what is the difference between today’s music scene and the way it used to be?

This is a tough question, I could rant for hours on this one. Overall with the state of “Christian” music, I don’t feel the spirit moving the bands like I used to. Everyone is to concerned with image, worst of all worried about being sexy. It sickens me, it really does. Look at the pictures in the album sleeves and magazine adds, pouty lips and all. I think the message is very skewed to Christians and non alike. The bands I grew up on focused more on the music, art, and spirit, not MTV and magazines. It seems like image takes priority over beliefs, I guess. The passion is almost gone, music and art in general is pointless without passion. It also seems like people just gave up on singing and being different, with the exception of underground bands. Also the older bands get little to no respect and that’s sad, Daniel Amos, The Choir, The 77′s, Scaterd Few, The Crucified, LSU, these bands should be bigger than ever. They were the pioneers, I mean The Cure can still pack out venues, and not that these bands were ever that big, but the Cure is still gaining new fans all the time. All the bands I grew up on are all but forgotten. There would be no POD or Underoath without them, but would those bands ever take someone like Scaterd Few on tour now that they’re huge? I doubt it. It’s all business, It’s all very frustrating.

What or who got you interested in music in the first place?

Four things got me interested in music, seeing live shows, hearing the Ramones for the first time, my older brother being in a band, and being the weird kid wanting to fit in. That last one was the biggest, I never fit in with the kids at church, I was a little different, but I loved God all the same and as much as anyone. God used the rock n’ roll in my life to give me the sense of belonging that I was wanting. I finally fit in and had friends, I was the total loner/quiet kid and now I have a purpose and I’m still an individual. I hope that makes sense.

Can you give us a run down of the projects that you are working on?

Aside from the new L.S.Underground, I have a band with my friend Jason Groff. It’s called Western Grace, we play melodic punk in the vein of Hot Water Music and Rise Against. Knott and I are also working on a new Lifesavers album that’s going to be a real fun in the sun kind of record. Andy Verdecchio from Five Iron Frenzy is drumming on that one. Andy and I had a short lived band together while I lived in Denver for a couple of years, so I’m real excited to work with him again.

How did you get connected with L.S.Underground?

I commissioned Michael to do a painting of the Ramones because I knew he was a big fan and he was stoked to do it. In the email I mentioned that I had a home studio and that I wanted to record him someday. We started talking and became friends and he mentioned he wanted to do a real heavy L.S.U. album and I was like “I’m your man!”. He asked if I knew any drummers that were good at double kick and I really didn’t know anybody, though I never told Mike that. I asked Masaki if he knew anybody and he said “what about Jim Chaffin?”….brilliant idea. I got on Myspace (the greatest networking tool ever if your in a band), found Jim, sent a message, he was down, and that was that. So the lesson is never be afraid to ask, but be tactful at the same time, no matter how big of a fan you are, don’t act crazy and scare off the artist, you may get to work with your favorite artist someday. God played the biggest part in bringing this together, answered many, many prayers.

What is it like working with Michael Knott in the studio?

Mike in the studio is very casual, but down to business, he knows what he wants, but also wants to capture the moment. I’m sure he approaches every record different though. He would lay a temporary bass track down to a click and then guide Jim through his ideas for drums. Jim went above and beyond, blew us away with tasteful fills and beats. A few songs were written on the spot at the studio and turned out amazing. We never rehearsed any of these songs as a band. It’s like a freestyle album, no one knew what the finished product would really sound like.

Are you part of the song writing process for the L.S.U. material?  If so, how does that or just the whole band thing work with the distance factor?

I did get to do some writing on this album and that dropped my jaw. During a break I was outside the studio strumming away on an acoustic and Mike was like “that’s really cool, do you want to lay that down for the album?”, heck yeah I do. I worked out the one he heard and in the process came up with another song. I told Knott I had two songs, ran them both by him and Jim, they liked them, then we put ‘em on tape…or computer I guess.

As far as the distance thing goes, most of this album was done by sending disc’s back and forth via mail and email. Once the drums were finished Michael trusted me and left it in my hands to do as I please, I had some direction, but a lot was up to me. I recorded guitars and bass in Northern California while Knott was in SoCal. Casey Prestwood recorded his own guitar tracks out in Denver. I recorded Matt Biggers guitars in the bay area. Michael came back up to record a few vocal tracks a few months later, then went back home with a set of masters to finish up the record with Rick McDonough.Back in the analog tape days that would have been very hard to pull off, ProTools rules!

There are some pretty high caliber people working on the new L.S.U. project.  How did they get involved?

Well, like I said, I found Chaffin on Myspace, by the way Jim is the coolest guy alive, so kind and loving. Casey Prestwood, who is best known for his guitar work in the band Hot Rod Circuit, was my across the street neighbor when I lived in Denver. One of my old bands opened for Hot Rod years before we became neighbors, small world indeed. I’ve known Masaki for a long time. Matt Biggers is an old friend of mine since our teen years. When I get the chance to do studio albums, I try to get all my favorite musician friends involved.

Any future plans for any of the projects you are working on?

Future plans for these projects is to get them in the hands of the people. I’m not out to make a bunch of cash, I’m in it for the art, but I do want the art to be the best it can be, and a little cash is never a bad thing. I’m dying to play some live gigs with Knott, I really hope he wants to do Cornerstone 09, that would be a dream come true. I want to play a lot of live shows with Western Grace as well. We have one album finished and another ready to record. If you want to check us out go to www.myspace.com/westerngracemusic.

Aside from that I want to work with Allan Aguirre someday.