How's life been on the road?

R: good...glad to be finishing & starting a new record

Why the title 'RockCrown'?

R: The track on the record, is about indistinguishing between the expectations of what rock & roll will provide for you and the realities that it really does provide for you and the final result being you get out of it what you put in to it.

How do you feel about the new material?

R: We are comfortable with the new stuff. True fans like the direction we are going in. You don't write songs for the radio, you write them for yourself and hope that people like them.

What is 'Houdini's Angels' about?

R: 'Houdini's Angels' is a painting that my friend did, which I named. The painting was of 2 angels standing over a man and the reality of it being, the songs is the discussion between Houdini and his angels and he was a good publicist and I wonder why he didn't just get sick of it all and give up.

In 'Houdini's Angels' you talk of people getting tired of themselves, what's 'a genius in a cushion on your couch?'

R: You gotta go seek and find knowledge and truth and seek love. You are not gonna find it sitting on your couch watching t.v.

What do think about singing on stage?

R: Most of the time concentrating on remembering the lyrics. Sometimes someone is singing along and that will catch my eye and that will shift my attention. If there is a moment in the show and it fills like a lull, its because my mind has been sidetracked, sometimes the daily events get caught up in the show.

Sometimes you seem a little preoccupied and that you got a lot of shit on your mind?

R: I like to keep to myself, I'm most comfortable by myself or with a few people I know.

How do you feel when you look out and see someone singing along?

R: When people are singing along, that's the real reason that we do this.

Some singers feel that this is my space and they feel uncomfortable when people sing along.

R: I understand, they change night to night and their arrangement changes. It really annoys me when I'm singing a song and someone is shouting out the name of another song that they would rather hear, that kinda pisses me off.

How has your life changed being in a Rock & Roll band?

R: My life hasn't changed that much being in a R & R band, because that's all I wanted to be in, all the steps in my life have been trying to maintain that. I don't feel my life has changed that much, it has broadened my attitude about listening to different types of new music.

What will you do after 7m3?

R: I think of terms of other things, other music, I don't think of it as terms of when 7m3 ends, I think the band will continue its path and we will branch out and do other projects as well.

Do you ever think of producing?

R: Yeah, that's something I would like to get into. You gotta have a lot of time on your hands to dedicate to the band you are working with.

How was it the first time yall went on the road?

R: The first time we went on tour we were in a van, it was the best time due to everything being new and the new places and experiences.

Do you ever sit back and go 'Wow, I'm in a Rock & Roll band that is doing good?'

R: There has been a few times I have sat back and thought about what I am doing, like when you see a sun rise or a mountain range, you are like holy shit i can't believe that this is happening to me. There has been a few times its happened to me. You are living in the moment, you cant put to many expectations where this will lead you, you gotta take it day by day.

Do you listen to your own albums?

R: I listen to our records till they are released then I don't listen to them anymore and new songs that we are working on for our new release, I'll listen to them over and over until we record them, to figure out lyrics and stuff.

Will there be an all acoustic show someday?

R: There will be an all acoustic show sometime soon, hopefully in tour, I just don't think people are ready for it right now. Mtv isn't really too interested in us as a whole so it will prolly be something that we do.

What's your favorite song off of "American Standard" and "RockCrown?"

R: My favorite song off of ''AM'' is 'Roderigo' or 'Favorite Dog.' 'Favorite Dog' is my favorite song off of "Churn." Off of "RC" it is 'Times Like These' or 'Oven.'

How long do you see yourself doing what you are doing?

R: I'll prolly be making music till I'm dead.

How do you handle negative responses to your music?

R: It used to really upset me, now, its just one of those things you gotta get used to. There are a lot of people who really love our music and a lot of people who would love to see its demise , that's just the kind of nature of everything. A lot of people don't get it till they see us live and the radio doesn't really respond to non-singles, they all kinda follow one another.

Who would you love to tour with?

R: I would love to tour with the Black Crows, or its really hard to say, we been offered a lot of tours with bands, but we've always turned them down cause we like to play our own shows. I'm still a big fan of all the bands that's influenced our music so its hard to say, Neil Young or Tom Petty.

How does your parents feel about your status?

R: My parents like it, but they still have a hard time believing that its a life.

How did you begin playing?

R: When I picked up a guitar for the first time it had to do with my best friend at the time who was already playing the guitar and the music we were in at the time, like R.E.M. and early progressive music, that still had a lot of acoustic guitar in it and that's why I wanted to play the guitar.

What do yall do before a show to get ready?

R: Before a show we listen to a lot of loud music on the bus and Giti runs around and beats on shit and everybody kinda looks each other in the eye and says 'lets go do it, have a good show.'

(The final and most important question) Which SPICE GIRL would you pick first?

R: The spice girl I would pick first would be, [pauses] Jewel. [laughs]