Trish Klein from Be Good Tanyas: Well that song is one of the songs on the record. We actually couldn’t figure out a name for the record. [laughs] So we were just going through all the songs. We had all the songs together, tossing around [choices for] names. That sound is really a stand-out track. It had a real feeling to it. You know how an album always has that one track that brings that feeling, that puts the whole album … brings it all together in one song. So that was the song. Plus it’s about springtime and that kind of, you know, new flowers and grass and all that … and it’s a very sexy album.
You guys took a break for a while there. What prompted your return? How does it feel to be “back”?
Oh it’s crazy. This was sort of … during our first time off we all got involved with other projects. Before we sort of did the record and then we’d do some tour dates. But now it’s more about trying to include touring in our lives now and we’re all feeling a little overwhelmed with the band and everything else [we’re doing]. We’ve become extremely busy people; which is funny because we’re like these three lazy procrastinators. You know, what started out as just getting together with your friends and singing songs, playing music, relaxing, has turned into us becoming busy, busy people, flying around the world, taking meetings and interviews and touring and all this stuff. It’s turned into this whirlwind thing. You know there’s The Accidental Tourist, but we’re like the accidental touring group. And now we’re going to Europe.
Yeah I was noticing you’re about to go to Europe.
Yeah we’re going to Europe. Again. And we’ll be playing shows [at places that] we’ve never done before as a band. We’ll have a tour bus, and we’ve never had a tour bus before. It used to be we’d drive ourselves around in our little van. But this time we’ll have a tour bus, so that’s something exciting. And we have a sound guy, someone doing lighting and someone doing monitors. And we’ll be bringing a baby on tour this time.
That should be fun.
Well it’ll be different. He’s a toddler, actually. And he’s super – you know, with gender, there’s all this are you born with it or is it socialization? stuff. But this kid, from the time he was born, he’s such a little dude. Like Frazey will be like, “Let’s take some pictures,” and he’ll be more like “No, I wanna throw a big rock.” So anyway, it’s gonna be crazy. We have child care coming along. It reminds me of that Fleetwood Mac documentary. Have you seen that?
No, I haven’t.
Well, it’s Fleetwood Mac and they’re this huge band in the 1970s, and they all had their kids on the road. They were all these hippies with their kids. It’s just funny. So I think of us as Fleetwood Mac on the bus.
You guys should do some Fleetwood Mac covers.
I would like to. I really like Fleetwood Mac and I’m not afraid to say that. You know, when we were in the studio on this album, we kept talking about making one of those classic folk-rock albums like Fleetwood Mac. Of course you can’t make a classic folk-rock album, because that happens later, but we were sort of channeling Fleetwood Mac and Neil Young, Stevie Nicks and all her wild outfits, everyone doing cocaine. Of course we don’t do cocaine. But we do drink green tea.
So green tea is the new cocaine?
[laughs] Yeah, totally green tea is the new cocaine. Well people have all the accoutrements: the cups and the kettle. And it sounds like a drug deal when people are into these Asian teas. They’ll be like “I went to see my guy in Chinatown and he got the best stuff. It’s new and it’s just so fresh, so green. Hand-packed. [laughs]
