Paul: So I guess we should start with you introducing or whatever, the normal stuff, you know.
Nate: Ok. I'm Nate and I sing in The Format.
Paul: So everyone already knows the basis of the band, so there's no need for those generic questions but umm...
Nate: Excellent.
Paul: Basically, everyone wants to know, what's the status of the new album? Where are you guys, what's going on with it?
Nate: We're still writing songs. We've written about 12, and we're probably happy with about six to eight of them. And you know, the other ones are just there, we might just play them or we might make B-sides out of them or something like that. And we're looking for a producer and as soon as we get a producer, we'll go right into the studio and start recording. But like, we're specifically doing this tour so we can play a few new songs and see what people think.
Paul: Ok. So do you guys have any kind of timetable or anything? Do you know when or anything?
Nate: The label wants it out by this summer, so if we can get a producer in time, it'll be out by this summer.
Paul: Are there good odds for that?
Nate: It depends on how much work the label does to getting a producer. There's going to be a producer here tonight that we're going to sit down and talk with. But, you know, it's just one out of a list of twenty.
Paul: So how's the writing going? I know you said you had twelve songs written and you only like six to eight of them, but is it a lot harder this time because you have more pressure because the first album was so big?
Nate: I don't think there's any...the only pressure that we're putting on ourselves isn't coming from any outside source other than ourselves, I think. Because we're writing a record that isn't, isn't as—catchy in the obvious way as it was in the first album. I mean, I think they're some of the catchiest songs we've ever written, but I think that there's more depth to them and, and we try a lot more in terms of writing the song and like really thinking them out. I mean, you know, we were, what, 19 years old when we wrote the last album? I'm 22 now, so a lot of stuff has happened, you just sort of learn from that and from being on the road forever. You just sort of start to learn all kinds of new things.
Paul: Besides being less catchy, is the sound generally different? Or, rather, how is it different from the first album?
Nate: Umm...it's not going to be as probably as big-sounding, specifically in the guitar department and the drum department. It's gonna be a lot more real, I guess I'd say, and we're writing a bunch of songs on piano and some of them are old-timey and it's just going to be a lot more of a pop record and drastically less of a rock record. And not pop in the Britney Spears fashion.
Paul: If all goes as plans, the album comes out, what, like sometime mid-summer? Something like that?
Nate: Yeah.
Paul: What would be your plans after that? A tour, a headlining tour?
Nate: Yeah, I'm sure that we'll probably just do a tour. We'll do tours after that. Hopefully a headlining tour because I mean, the way that I see this record, a lot of the songs are sort of longer and they require orchestration and there are going to be more members and what not. So a headlining tour would be a good way to do it because it's hard to be a support group and bring eight people on the road.
Paul: Are there any bands are planning on tour with or want to tour with?
Nate: Uh, Reuben's Accomplice, who we're with right now, they'll be on any tour, a lot of tours we go on. Steel Train, umm...you know, it's fun touring with friends. But then again, you make friends by going on tour with people you don't know. So, we'll see what happens I guess.
Paul: Well, ok, that was the main block of questions I had for you, but for the rest I have a bunch of questions that we had our viewers, readers, fans, whatever, submit. These are a little random but, you know, it's what they wanted. So, one of the questions I was asked the most was whatever happened to the EP that was supposed to be released last year?
Nate: Umm, we started working on it and then we got offered the Switchfoot tour and it was too nice to pass up. And so we did that and now we have enough material for a full album.
Paul: So the songs that were going to be on the EP are just going to be transferred to this full length?
Nate: Well, some of them. Some of them. Some of the songs are songs that we've grown out of and don't like as much.
Paul: I remembered one of the songs you guys played was “Faith in Fast Carsâ€, that was supposed to be on the EP. That's a personal favorite of mine of the new songs, will it be on this album?
Nate: It might be on the record, I'm not sure how much it fits the style of the record. I think we kind of want to put it on the record but we'd have to do something really weird to it in order to make it be on the record.
Paul: Ok. So I know you did guest vocals with Straylight Run for “It's For The Best†on their new album. They want to know, how do you like how it turned out and do you have any plans on collaborating with John [Nolan] or the band again?
Nate: I think it turned out really well. I was happy with it, it was a lot of fun. I got to go to Woodstock, New York for a day. And Woodstock's a really cool place. As far as collaborating with the band again, I have no idea. I mean, I haven't talked to John or Will or any of those guys in quite some time. Will calls me every now and then and we'll chitchat, but I don't know. They've got this record and I think they're going to spend some time with, you know, playing it for people.
Paul: Are there any plans for collaborating with other bands? Because a lot of people loved the fact that you and such a—that two big bands collaborated.
Nate: Uh, I just got a call from the guys in Limbeck and they're recording out in Minneapolis and they want me to come out there and sing on some stuff. So, I might go do that.. I was just like, I don't know. I have so much fun because a lot of these people are my friends and they write really great songs and so I get greedy and like “Yeah, I'd love to sing on that songâ€, but I don't want to turn into Pharrell Williams.
Paul: Yeah, he's on everything.
Nate: Yeah and just be on everything.
Paul: One person wanted to know, is there any way the new stuff is going to be folkier or slower than the first album?
Nate: I don't think it'll really be folkier. I think that sort of alt-country phase has passed everybody a couple years ago. Umm, it might be a little folkier. It's definitely not as heavy. But that doesn't mean a song can't be fast, you know, so they're a little more broadway-esque, I'd say.
Paul: Ok...honestly, I'm not certain what that means. Broadway-esque?
Nate: Haha. It's like...[singing] â€Guys and dolls...guys and dolls...â€
Paul: Haha. So do you have any new influences that came in with this album? Did anything happen or did you discover any bands that have influenced you, like influenced you stronger on this album than the first?
Nate: Yeah, I mean, being on tour, all you do is sit in a van all day and listen to music. So you have to like find new and exciting stuff to listen to. For us, it was finding old and exciting stuff to listen to. Like, Van Dyke Parks and Prefab Sprout, you know, weird bands from the '70s and '80s. Nothing really modern. Like, I'm a big Wilco fan but other than that, I don't really like...well, buy or purchase any new CDs.
Paul: Well, will the artwork continue with the animation theme? You guys seem to have a theme going on with your albums.
Nate: You know, I don't think so. I've got an idea for the artwork for the next record, and it doesn't involve any sort of art. It just involves pictures but pictures that would end up looking like a, like a, I don't know, like a, I don't know, I don't know how to describe it.
Paul: Were you the one that designed the artwork for the previous albums?
Nate: That's all Sam.
Paul: All Sam? So are you taking charge of this one?
Nate: No, I think I just have a general concept and maybe a photographer will help us out.
Paul: So, haha, someone heard that you got a new puppy a few months ago, I guess you posted it on the livejournal you guys post on sometimes? She said that she was worried when you said she went to the vet, she wanted to know how isshe doing and what is going on with the puppy?
Nate: Haha, she's all right. She's, I don't know. [to his girlfriend] How's Nico doing?
Nate's Girlfriend: Haha...she's great.
Nate: She's definitely—
Nate's Girlfriend: She's sassy.
Nate: Oh, she's sassy for sure.
Paul: What'd she go to the vet for?
Nate: She came with a virus, which is not cool, so I ended up spending a bunch of money at the vet getting her better and she didn't even really get better, we had her for a month and a half and she didn't get better until a week and a half ago.
Paul: Whoa.
Nate: Yeah so there were some really frustrating times. One time, my girlfriend and I and my Mom took her to the vet at like...what time did we go?
Nate's Girlfriend: Like one in the morning.
Nate: Yeah, like one in the morning and, but we eventually got better and now she's just really annoying. But cute.
Paul: What kind of dog is she?
Nate: She's a mini bull terrier.
Paul: Oh, cute.
Nate: Yeah, they're, she's difficult. Like, if she doesn't want to have anything to do with me, she'll just look the other way and that's it and I go and be all like trying to be kissing her and she's like, blowing me off.
Paige [my friend]: Kind of like real women when they're mad at you.
Nate: Yeah, hahahaha.
Nate's Girlfriend: She does what she wants. If she wants to be loved, she'll be loved. If she doesn't feel like it, you know...
Paul: How old is she?
Nate: She's now about 3 months old.
Paul: Oh wow, haha, I'm trying to imagine a mini bull terrier at that age...really cute. But anyways...this is mine, Coke or Pepsi?
Nate: [to his girlfriend] Did we have this discussion earlier?
Nate's Girlfriend: I don't know.
Nate: Coke on a more consistent basis. But Pepsi can be good sometimes. Sometimes. Cherry Coke above all.
Paul: Oh of course, Cherry Coke rules. Well ok, that's about all the questions I had. There were a few stupid questions that I filtered out, I figured you didn't want to go through some bullshit.
Nate: Haha, it's okay.
Paul: Well, that's about it, I guess.
Nate: All right.
Paul: Thanks for the interview.
