Photo Credit: Joe MabelProbably not seriously until I was out of high school, somewhere before we made Crooked Path. I knew, though, once I started playing drums at age 11, that music was something that was always going to be a part of me. I just don’t think I had a strong desire to make it my living until later.
How did you come together with your “Laughing Dogs”?
It was sort of an organic thing, one member joining at a time. Our original bass player saw me play in a coffee shop and wanted to play music with me. That’s how Travis and Justin also joined the band. Keith used to play in a band with Justin a few years ago, and he stepped in as the new bass player. We had been trying to get Ty ever since we first played with him (Patsy Cline Tribute Show). We were still based out of Ellensburg and finally one night he said “Move to Seattle and we’ll talk” so we did.
What was the main inspiration behind Alone In This Together?
Our goal was to create a record that felt sincere and honest. We wanted to capture the feelings we get when we play those songs live because I think the majority of what attracts people to us comes from our live shows. We didn’t want to pile layers on top of layers on top of layers so we tried to get as much live as we could and keep the overdubbed parts full of energy too.
How do you feel the tone of Alone In This Together differs from Crooked Path? Do you feel that you’ve changed since your debut?
They are vastly different. You can hear the changes in everything from my voice to the lyrics to the band itself. The first record was almost an experiment. It was originally recorded as a demo. I didn’t really know what I wanted and the whole experience of making a record was new to me so I think a lot of decisions were made for me. I don’t regret any of it though and I’m still proud of what Crooked Path is. Alone In This Together has a lot more thought put into it as far as arrangements go. We knew before we went into the studio the gist of how each song would go. The entire band was a part of the process and I think (hope) that shows in each song.
When people are listening to Alone In This Together is there anything in particular you’d like them to take away from it?
I want it to hit people close to how our live shows do. I want someone who’s never heard us before to listen to the record, go see us live and not be disappointed and vice versa.
Describe the recording process. Where was the album recorded? 
How long did it take?
We headed straight into the studio after a two week tour down the coast and back so the songs were fresh and raw from playing them every night. We recorded it at Litho Studio in a week. We didn’t work as long of days as we did for the second record but we were just as dedicated.
A lot of the time it’s sit around and wait, dial in sounds, play the same part over and over again but when we actually all get to play the same song at the same time it makes the waiting worth it. The best moment was when we only had one song left, High Water, and it was getting late. Ty’s friend had just bought him a bottle of aquavit from Sweden. We decided to take a shot, go in and record it in one take. We taped a trashy cymbal onto Travis’s snare to get a real dirty, loud bangy sound, we had to make a few tweaks to find the perfect grit, so we had to do one more take after two more shots. It was a good end to a long week.
What’s your favorite track off the record?
‘Alone In This Together’ is probably the closest to my heart. It was also one of the hardest songs for everyone to agree on. It brought up a lot of questions and opinions and ideas, which was difficult but I think it‘s because it’s such a powerful song and we wanted it to work and to be heard so there were battles and compromises. But in the end it’s still my favorite song on the record and everybody still loves each other.
It’s pretty amazing that Mike McCready of Pearl Jam played guitar on the title track. How did the relationship come to be? How does it feel to have an artist of such caliber be a fan of yours?
We met through mutual friends. Justin and I played a Christmas benefit he put on about two years ago. We didn’t meet up again until we played the Hootenanny for Haiti. Mike, as well as Duff McKagan from Guns ‘n’ Roses and a slew of amazing seattle singers and musicians were a part of it.
Mike wanted to know when we were putting the third record out and what he could do to help. It’s been really amazing and surreal to have someone who’s established such a career in music be so supportive of us. He’s been crucial in getting the third record out and we’re all just honored to have him play on it.
What do you find to be the most satisfying – writing, recording, or performing live?
Definitely playing live. The process of writing can be tough and sometimes draining when you’re in a rut. I go through phases where I can’t write a song for months and even though I’ve been through it for years, I still get the panic that I’ve used up every song I have in me. Logically I know that’s not the case, but it can be frustrating.
When we record, I feel like we have to take every song apart and analyze it before we can put it back together into what people hear on the record. The finished tracks always give me a sense of relief but it doesn’t have the flat out, here it all is, passion of playing live. We get up there, spill our guts, walk off stage and that’s it. No going back and playing the solo again or singing the third line twenty more times. It just comes out and we get to feel the energy of the audience and each other and it’s a moment in time. That’s the most satisfying to me, whether it was good, bad or great.
Do you have any pre-show rituals?
When we went down California last year Justin and I decided to start a bloody mary blog. Though I haven’t really kept up on the blog, we still like to have a bloody mary from every place we play before the show. Unfortunately most bartenders aren’t stoked when you order a bloody mary at 7PM. The best one we’ve had still has to be from The Mayfair in Spokane. Not enough garnishes, but the best tasting one.
Are there any others musicians you would like to collaborate with in the future?
If I had a time machine I would travel back and work with 70’s Bruce Springsteen and Patti Smith. Justin makes fun of me but lately I’ve been really into “Because The Night” cowritten by Smith and Springsteen. I would also love to collaborate with Tom Petty or Danger Mouse. I really loved the album Dark Night Of The Soul, written by Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse. Actually I just wish I had been a part of that record, all the artists who were on it are pretty amazing.
What measurable milestone would you like to reach next?
Playing PJ20 is definitely one of those milestones. I would love to play the Gorge, open for Tom Petty, put out some songs on vinyl and tour the rest of the states as well as Europe. Although honestly, I’m looking forward to the milestone of putting out Alone In This Together after two years.
What can fans expect from you for the rest of 2011?
Aside from a new record, I’m hoping for an extensive tour to get us out to the places we’ve never played before. We have fans from states we haven’t played yet that post on facebook that they want to see us live, so hopefully this year we can make that happen.
[...] http://eburban.com/feature/id.8314/title.interview-star-anna [...]