How would you describe the "Strange Celebrity" sound for those who have not heard you yet? Quinton: I think it goes?"Hook laden melodic rock with riffs for days and a twist of pop". Wow, that?s funny because I think the label describes you that way too! (laughter) Luke: Hey! They stole it from us! (laughter) Tracy: Sonically speaking, I think we sound like a rock band that has set up some microphones in front of them. We don?t have that overproduced sound that can?t be reproduced live. There aren?t tons of recording tracks and we played and sang all the parts ourselves. When we play it accurately, it should sound like the record. (laughter)

Since you guys are on a Christian record label, I assume that you are all Christians. What part do you feel that your faith plays in your music? Luke: I think that our faith plays a big pat, especially when we were writing for the record. I wouldn?t say that "Remedy" is really a straight up Christian CCM record. We don?t really say "Jesus Saves" or anything on it anywhere but it is written from my standpoint and I?m a Christian. It really deals with the everyday struggles that I, and I?m sure a lot of other people, go through. I think that the music reaches a broader audience than just Christians and that enables us to get out there and talk to people that we may not have been able to meet before.

Are the album?s lyrics pretty autobiographical? Luke: I think it all depends on the song. It depends on what I was going through when I wrote it. I would say that they are mainly dealing with struggles that I have gone through, but maybe not at that particular moment in time. It?s just about life and what people experience. It?s also a lot about that longing that we all have for something else. Our first single, "Free", was written about Sept. 11th and the people that had lost somebody in that attack. I tried to imagine what it might be like to have somebody and then wake up and them not be there anymore. Just to wake up alone each day and not have that other person there and they ultimately to look to God to set them free.

Now, since you, Luke, are songwriter by profession really, I wonder how you feel about putting other people?s songs on the record? To pretend like a label doesn?t, or shouldn?t, have any influence over a record is ridiculous but is it hard to sing someone else?s words? Luke: Well, I really wrote all but one song on the record. The one song that we did do that wasn?t mine was easy for me. When the label said they?d like us to do it and I listened to it, I was excited to do it. It is a really great song and when I heard it I wished that I would have written it! None of the other ones that were pitched to us really connected with me at all and luckily I was given the opportunity to write most of the record. The people at the label really liked what I had written with other people and we ended up using that stuff for 10 of the 11 songs on the record. Tracy: It?s a fun live song also.

Can you tell our readers a little about the song "Ruin" and the thoughts behind it? Luke: Yeah, "Ruin" is somewhat the prodigal son story. It?s about someone who clings to you and you?re their only hope and when you aren?t there they are in shambles. Whether it?s dealing with keeping someone accountable for alcoholism or whatever. When you?re there they are OK and when you?re not there they are in despair. That?s really what it?s about, a sort of co-dependent relationship and giving that relationship over to God instead.

So, a kid takes his hard earned $15 dollars, that he earned working for 3 hours at McDonalds, and walks into a record store. With poor album sales all across the board last year and thousands of records to choose from in his local store, why should he go for the Strange Celebrity CD? Tracy: First of all we go to McDonald?s so it?s only fair! (laughter). Quinton: We have a cool album cover too! Tracy: Yeah, a lot of people buy albums because of the album cover. It?s the first thing that they see. Yeah, I admit it, I am totally influenced by album covers. Tracy: I think that more importantly we have a really great record. We anted to make an album that you could play without having to skip any songs and I think we did that. Luke: It?s like a roller coaster ride with no filler and that?s worth your hard earned $15. At least I feel that way. Tracy: Yeah, it?s not just a hit single and then "What?s the rest of this crap on here? "kind of album. Quinton: I think what?s really cool is that we have a record that we think people can connect with. The lyrics are really open and honest and I think that people will find a connection with them. Tracy: We just hope the kid pays the $15 and doesn?t download it! (laughter)

Any touring plans for the summer? Luke: Nothing official yet, but we just signed with a company called Monterey Peninsula and we should be out soon playing everywhere we can.