2/7 Appleseed Cast @ Mohawk

We’ve been following Appleseed Cast since the days of End of the Ring Wars way back in 1998. It would be easy to think that maybe the guys have lost a step or two having been away from touring for so long, but that wasn’t the case at Mohawk. Some of the older tunes like “Forever Longing the Golden Sunsets” & “Steps and Numbers” were not quite as tight as they used to be, but encore songs “Fight Song” and “Fishing the Sky” sounded like the old days. New tunes from Sagarmatha also quieted the crowd in their low points and blew you away in those typical AC rising actions. Let’s just saw we got exactly what we came for. Before the show, we had the chance to speak with singer, guitar player and founding member Chris Crisci about the state of his band. Follow the jump to read the full interview and check out some pictures from the show.

ATH: Why the decision at this late in your career to make a mostly instrumental album with vocals either limited or heavily “effected”.

Chris: Just whim.  It’s why we write music in the first place.  I don’t think the decision was really thought about much more than knowing what we wanted to do.

ATH: Where does the name for the new album Sagarmatha come from?

Chris: It’s the name given to Everest. We wrote a somewhat apocolyptic lyric line for the album and we liked the way Sagarmatha fit in with it.

ATH: You started this band in the middle of the “emo” era of music way back in the late 90s.  A lot of your peers at that time have faded or disbanded all together since then.  How have you two kept this thing going for 10+ years?

Chris: The way any band that lasts a while does I guess.  I never really thought of our music as being emo or not emo.  It could, or couldn’t be, depending on who you ask.  I like writing songs, independent of genre.  I guess, to answer the question directly, I really don’t know.

ATH: With such a huge catalog of songs at this point, what are 2-3 of your favorites to play live?

Chris: Sunset Drama King, South Col, Fishing The Sky

ATH: Way back in 2001, we saw you headline a show at Emo’s with Mates of States as your opening act.  Mates has since blown up on the national scene, playing huge festivals and selling songs to the O.C. Soundtrack.  Are you comfortable with your level of “success” in comparison to some of your old compatriots?  What did it take to make you feel successful?

Chris: Honestly, I love the fact that I can be involved in writing, recording and performing music and make a living from it.  I’m thankful everyday that this is what I do.  I’ve work landscaping, and construction jobs.  I’ve been a cook, and worked 5 years at a Kinkos before this.  I much prefer sitting behind a mixing desk, or performing live.  Those are the comparisons I make.  Mates Of State are great.  I’m happy for them, and I’m happy for us.

ATH: What’s the current state of side projects like Hundred Hands & Old Canes?  Are new things in the works?

Chris: Old Canes is finishing up a record right now.  Hopefully it will be out on Saddle Creek this fall.  Hundred Hands, as of right now has nothing in the works.

ATH: You’ve been playing Austin for years.  What are some places you frequent when coming through our town?

Chris: The sushi place around the corner from Emo’s.  Various bars.  We usually get pretty wasted there, so it’s really kind of a blur.

ATH: What was the best album of 2008/what’s going through the speakers on the tour bus?

Chris: We listen to a lot of talk radio.  As far as the best album of 2008… I really haven’t been able to listen to a whole lot.  I’ve been really busy, and we haven’t toured much, which is when I get a chance to listen to more music.

Thanks again to Cris for taking the time to answer our questions.  Photos are credited to the great Connor Davison.  Give him a shout on myspace or on his flickr page.