What have you been up to recently?
Relaxing a little. Producing an album is a huge undertaking, and while it was an amazing process that allowed me to work with some incredible people, it’s really reassuring just to be finished with the damn thing.

Who are your big influences?
One of my earliest musical experiences was listening to Kate Bush with my father in our two door Toyota sedan, so she’s a huge influence on me. I have a lot of admiration for her courage as a writer, and the way she insists on making music her own way. I was a big musical theater nerd as a kid, so it’s safe to say that Stephen Sondheim was an important influence on me as well. When I started getting into rock and indie music, I fell in love with bands like Radiohead (yeah I know, everybody says Radiohead), The National and The Hold Steady. I also really love bands like the White Stripes and The Dresden Dolls that refuse to limit their sound to just one genre - they take a myriad of other influences and find ways to make them their own. 

What can people expect from the progression from Paper Kingdoms to All Our Heroes Drank Here?
Paper Kingdoms was very much an experiment on my part. I wanted to see what kind of album I could make by myself, in my house, with no engineer and no other musicians. That’s also kind of the story arc of the album as well; the songs are about being reaching out and being disappointed, and then finding the courage to take care of yourself. All Our Heroes Drank Here was a totally different experience. I was working with a band and an engineer (specifically the amazing Josh Fox at Royal Drag Studios in Brooklyn), so it was much more of a collaborative thing. That works out well thematically with this particular album, since so many of the songs are about trying to find your place in the world, your place in the relationship, your place at the party. I’m really proud of Paper Kingdoms, but I think I will probably re-record it at some point with a full band. It’s amazing what a good drummer can do for a song.

Your sound is heavily influenced by NYC, why did you decide to take it in that direction?
I grew up and went to school in small towns in Minnesota and always felt like an outsider. New York was the first place I ever lived that really felt like home, and I think that’s true for a lot of people who live here. I’ve lived in NYC for six years now, and most of my better anecdotes have happened here, so it makes sense to me that the city would influence my sound. I mean, I guess I could write some songs about drinking cheap vodka and going sledding in the parking lot of the Moorhead, MN WalMart...there’s probably at least an EP in there, right?

Any plans to take the new album over the pond to the UK?
(Excitedly replies) Yes please. Touring is a challenge for all of us unsigned bands, but it’s definitely a goal for the coming year. I would love to come do some shows in the UK, and if there’s an audience to play to I’ll find a way to make it happen. Also, it will be so much easier to stalk Mighty Boosh cast members from the other side of the Atlantic.

Where do you see yourself in 2012?
As you say, All Our Heroes Drank Here is very much a New York album... I’m looking forward to doing some traveling, learning some new things, and finding inspiration outside of myself and my city.

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