(4) A lot of Californian bands seem to split up quickly after releasing just an EP and maybe an LP, whereas UK groups tend to stay together for longer. Would you say that constant splitting up and the forming of different groups keeps ideas fresh and stops the scene stagnating? Or, conversely, are bands that stay together more likely to fulfil their potential?

Chris: I dunno, we're not just a California band -- i'm from Connecticut. And I don't think we're 'close' enough to the scene to make comments on a whole group of people. A band splits up when it has to, usually it's got more to do with the people than it does with the music. We're just lucky enough that we get along (in some ways I get along with Blake and Adam better than a lot of people) -- I guess it's almost like a marriage -- there's this band and this music that I'm committed to, that's a part of me, and these two guys who I know share the same dream or whatever, and no matter what (short of attempted murder, ahh, given events that have reared their ugly heads in the past, I'm pretty sure I might be willing to overlook even this), we've got to stick it out. it gets a little bad sometimes, but I know it'll work out. Oops, maybe I should answer the question. look, a band needs to break up when it starts writing bad songs -- too few bands seem to notice this, they cling to their name or their reputation or whatever and suffer a slow lingering death. On the other hand, a band doesn't have to break up to prevent stagnation. people change, and if you're lucky enough to be in a band with people changing at the same rate, the band moves forward as your ideas move forward. Hell, how can you make generalizations about bands, each one's different, they're as diverse as the people who are in them.

Blake: What could I possibly add to that, my wife speaks the truth! Oh yeah, it's funny that you say California, though, I would think DC or something. In the case of DC I think it's really cool -- like you get to hear all these good musicians in different combos, and it usually renders a distinct new musical personality, and that's great. I think we've yet to really get to where we should be, there's a lot to do still. We live on different fucking coasts right now, it's so frustrating! Adam's going to school in LA and Chris and I are trying to finish here in New York. Next year we should all be together in some as-yet-unnamed location, writing collectively, as it should be. for the time being, we're nationwide (no small task, I assure you).