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Starting at the halfway point of the band's coast-to-coast tour, I traded a couple emails with Craig Extine of Olympia, Washington's The Old Haunts. Because I like it, I feel like trying to describe their music, but instead I'm suggesting a listen on the Kill Rock Stars website, or on their MySpace profile. Enjoy (that's an order).
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Nick Meiers: You're out supporting Fallow Field right now, which I understand is a collection of recordings. Did Kill Rock Stars need more material than you had ready, or did you want to get the older material out before delivering an entire new record?
Craig Extine: We had just completed our third recording session when we hooked up with Kill Rock Stars. Rather than
re-record our songs from the earlier two sessions, we decided to compile the different sessions into an album. The label left it up to us to decide how we wanted the album to be.
NM: What's your writing process like? Is there a chief songwriter or is it a democracy?
CE: For most the songs, I bring a riff to practice and we all work on the additional parts and changes together. Then I figure out the vocals.
NM: What CDs are getting the most spins in the van these days?
CE: We've been listening to all kinds of stuff. The Modern Lovers, Adverts, Shirelles... We get a kick out of listening to bands from whatever region we're driving through.
NM: I know there's been some illness going around. How's everyone feeling now?
CE: No more colds, no more whooping cough!
NM: How did the three of you get together? Where you already friends and/or previous bandmates?
CE: Curtis and I were in the Serum Greys together. Scott and I were good friends and roommates. Curtis was the first drummer out of four. He rejoined in May.
NM: What are your favorite stops across the US?
CE: Chicago, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Chattanooga have been especially cool. We're in the middle of the tour right now. We're stoked to get back to the
west coast this week. Oakland and SF are always a blast.
NM: What books are getting read in the van?
CE: Curtis has been reading Fast Food Nation. I have a copy of The Picture of Dorian Grey that hasn't been opened once since tour.
NM: What bands do you think readers should know about that they're probably missing right now?
CE: Missing right now? Hmm...? Spider and the Webs, Crime and Punishment, Devin Davis, Demon's Claws, Veronica Lipgloss and the Evil Eyes, Al Larson, King Cobra, Bathtub Gin.
NM: Any shout-outs?
CE: No shout outs.
NM: Thanks.
-- Nick Meiers
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