INDOOR LIVING (Merge, 1997)

Jon: This was the first record of ours where we made full use of the space age technology known as four-tracking. Songs were built from the ground up around single sections that were made up for the most part on the spot. We recorded everything and took the tapes home and tried to figure out what worked and what didn't. By April of '97 we had amassed enough songs to warrant a trip to the recording studio. We decided on Bloomington, Indiana's Echo Park studio in part because of it's great exotic microphone selection but mostly because of our love for classic Indiana-style cooking. With local producer/genealogist John Plymale in tow we made our way out to the town that Mellencamp built . Or was it Bobby Knight?

Unbelievable Things: Jim came up with the main riff for this. Originally called "Fraternal Disorder" for no other reason than that it put one of us in mind of the band Wilco. Doesn't make sense to me either. Superchunk's "Gimme Shelter"? Nah.

Burn Last Sunday: One of the first songs written for the record and the first one recorded. Initially intended to be the single.

Marquee: This was a song that we played out a few times in the weeks before we left for Bloomington. Many people were quite vocal in their dislike for it. Mac goes apeshit on the keyboards throughout. The very first part of the song was taken from the four track demo we did in the basement.

Watery Hands: Drum beat was slightly lifted from Let's Active's "In Little Ways". Became apparent during mixing that it had the most chance of getting radio play (what happened?!). One of my favorites.

New Bruises: The closest we've come to 60's garage punk. I think Laura came up with the main riff. I made my vocal debut on this one. You're forgiven if you can't make it out. I'm the heavily distorted "aaarrrggghh" at the very end of the song. Hey Mom, I told you those singing lessons would be worth it!

Every Single Instinct: I like this one. Never played live. A tribute to Morrisey.

Song For Marion Brown: Working title: "Baba O'Really?" We received a letter from Mr. Townshend's solicitor several months after IL came out but he dropped the issue when he saw the album's sales figures.

The Popular Music: The running joke was that someone would play a guitar or bass part and someone else would say "that sounds like something Weezer or Billy Corgan would do!" The comeback would invariably be "but they're popular!" I can't say this particular song was likened to anyone in particular. Maybe Nerf Herder.

Watch My Fingers: The forgotten track. Soundchecked the first night of the IL tour and promptly put to bed.

European Medicine: One of my favorites on the record. Last song to make it to the album. It bumped "With Bells On" from the final version. Mac was still writing words for it while we were in mix-down mode.

Martinis On The Roof: Working title was "Felipe" in reference to the cat that we shared a Spanish hotel room with during the "On The Mouth" tour. Subject matter took a very serious and melancholy turn when Mac wrote the lyrics . Gibson Smith was a friend of ours (and most of Chapel Hill for that matter) who was killed in a car accident in early spring of 1997. This song is for him.