What do you mean by opera? How will that work?
SD: It’s modeled after the sort of Wagnerian mode of opera, where he developed themes and motifs for different characters. You’ll hear in further acts things like Ms. Terri’s theme from Act I that will come back when the main character is thinking about his mother. Also with the book, it’s another way to move the opera into visual, more of a spectacle.
Do you have any plans to do something like the Dresden Dolls are doing right now with The Onion Cellar, kind of combining theater and music and spectacle like that?
SD: I’m sure we’re up for anything. The main goal for the band is to actually perform what’s on the record live. You’ll hear on the record a lot of friends coming in — you know, violins, cellos, French horns, trumpets, harps. We have a lot of things we’d love to accomplish live.
And you’ll be going on tour with that new record?
CC: Yeah definitely. I know that our booking agent has a lot of seeds planted, so to speak...what have you...ergo...vis a vis...concordantly. [laughter]. But there’s no confirmed anything — we’re just trying to start touring full time in March.
And you mentioned a book — what’s that going to be like?
CC: It’s coming out with the full-length. Originally it was supposed to come out with the EP and follow the timeline of the EP, but it’s going to come out with the full-length because I think visually the full-length and the subject matter of the full-length are a lot darker and more artistic. It’s going to be a not-so-children’s book. It’s not going to be laid out like a comic book; it’s going to be laid out like a children’s book with heavy illustrations and short sentences to describe what’s going on. It’s more art than it is words.
Who’s in charge of the art?
CC: The art’s going to be done by a guy named Zach Nicodemo. I first met him because he did all the merch for TREOS. He and Jealous Republic, which is his company, did all the artwork for the EP. There might be a couple of artists that get in on it, but for the most part, he’s the art side of it. I direct him on what to do, but he definitely knows what he’s doing.
Now, most of you are from California, but do you consider yourselves a Boston band?
I think the thing about that is with calling yourself an any-city band, especially Boston because the Boston scene is so specific, and if you’re a Boston band you’re a Boston band with pride, I think that the reason we call ourselves a Boston band is because it was kind of birthed in Boston and it was where the music was born and it was where everyone got together. I think calling ourselves from anywhere else, like saying we’re from California because a bulk of us are from California, that would be true for the individuals, but for the band — we could all be from different continents and I think where ever we live and where ever we make music is where the band is from. What do you think about that? Do you think it’s weird that we consider ourselves a Boston band?
