Q: How and when did Echo Screen come together?

A: Echo Screen came together way back in the summer of 2003. My first band had just broken up, and Tim and Nick were in a band that had broken up that summer as well. They asked me to play with them, and the rest is history I guess…The funny part was that Mike actually wanted to play drums for us. At the time I don’t think he was listening to anything but Dream Theater. Then we said “hey you want to come play in our pop punk band?” and for some reason he decided to give it a go.

Q: Did you play in any other bands before forming Echo Screen? I mean it seems everyone has an embarrassing band somewhere in their history. Anything like that?

A: I guess I sort of just answered this one but we were in bands before Echo Screen. I wouldn’t say they were embarrassing, just really raw and really fun. I was way into Millencolin at the time so I wrote a bunch of funny songs about playing poker and weird veiled references to really dumb stuff…and the other guys were real into Blink and NFG so they were really riff based pop punk. In a way your first band is just that initial experience of playing music with friends, and you only give yourself a name because coming up with a name is about the most fun thing about being in a band. Speaking of that, how great is name of Nate from The Format’s new band…Fun…I wish I had thought of that…he’s gonna sell a million albums.

Q: I read that your wife actually laid down some vocals for the cover of Mary Jane’s Last Dance by Tom Petty? How did that go?

A: About a month before we were asked to do the comp, she had made a joking comment like “why didn’t you ever ask me to sing in your song”, and I just said “hey Yoko settle down over there” (kidding of course, my wife supported the band more than anyone on earth) But then when we decided to do “Mary Jane’s Last Dance” I had this concept for a female vocal in the chorus. It kind of gives Ms. Mary Jane a persona in the song, as if she’s calling to you in the chorus. We recorded the track with Angus Cooke and he was real awesome about coaching her through it since she had never recorded her vocals before and didn’t even mention Yoko once…it was a good time.

Q: I did a little research and found out that you have a degree in History. What made you choose that particular major?

A: After spending a year at a business school and feeling horribly out of place, I just took a step back and said “What do I really want to study?” and it was History. For all you aspiring history majors, unless you’re going to teach don’t plan on using the degree for a job…I have yet to use it.

Q: Any future plans for Echo Screen? More albums? Tour?

A: Me and Tim have been kicking some stuff around lately, and have really hoped something could work out so that we could record an EP, but for now we’re just kind of getting the material together for when it does work out. When we release that, we’ll make sure that there are some shows involved…but it’s all speculation for now.

Q: What was more difficult to record, the Blink 182 cover or the Tom Petty cover? Why?

A: I’m glad you asked this question, because I get to say thank you to Pacific Ridge for asking us to do both of these covers. I would never use the word “difficult” to describe either of the recordings we did. I think everyone would agree that recording covers is about the most fun we have in the studio. We get to try out crazy ideas (like that party scene we did in “First Date”) and we can kind of take the pressure off ourselves and just make a kick ass recording. The Tom Petty song took longer, though, so I guess you could say it was more difficult.

Here’s the final five, they’re just a few random questions that will help readers and fans get to know you a little better:

Q: Favorite Genre of music?
A: If good lyrics were a genre, that would be my favorite genre. Hearing a line in a song that makes me say “shit, why didn’t I write that” will usually keep a song in my player for months.

Q: All time Favorite band?
A: Oasis (Please do an Oasis tribute album!!!) If the only thing you know of Oasis is “Wonderwall”, I suggest you go download the songs “The Masterplan” and “Whatever” immediately. You’ll wish it was 1997 all over again…or was that 1996??

Q: Best theme park you’ve ever been to?
A: Hands down, Disney World in Florida. That place is its own zip code…I go every year.

Q: Yay or Nay on the recent Batman flick The Dark Knight?
A: I don’t see intense movies in the theaters because they make me pass out (seriously, it’s a long story), but I will answer for the other guys in the band and give it a big Yay.

Q: Historical event that interested you the most?
A: I was always enamored with the Middle Ages as a kid. Chivalry, knights, castles and all that jazz. Of course I went to college and found out that nothing was like they show it in the movies and on TV, but I still love it. And the way medieval Christians acted is the reason I don’t go to church anymore.