So, as many of you may know, mewithoutYou is my favorite band. I have always liked the crazy melodies and passionate vocals of this slightly less-than-usual band hailing from Pennsylvania (not to mention the tasty album art) I decided that I would email the band and ask them a few questions about their new album, their spirituality, and their life as fellow band members and brothers. Here is what I got from Aaron and Mike Weiss (vocalist and guitarist, respectively); thanks a ton, guys! :

1) " Tell me a little bit about the new album. What can we expect lyrically and musically?"

Mike: I think that the new album lyrically doesn't stray too far from the other mwY
albums. The songs seem to hold onto that urgency of finding God and loving one
another, self examination, nature and animals, and past relationships. Where
you'll see new territory I think is in how Aaron uses his voice and the tone
of the songs. A re-occuring song that comes in seperate sections on the album
is much like a childrens song with soft melodic singing. The first track is
much like a Dylan song in it's vocal delivery. There are other tracks with
Aarons known vocal shouting etc. as well, but we tried to balance the album
out a little with melody and background vocals. Musically, the new album is
much more open minded. We had a lot of friends come in and put their talents
to work with instruments like harp, horns, upright bass, Aaron plays some
accordian and acoutsic guitar, Jeremy Enigk sang on a couple of tracks. I am
confident in saying we made a "new" mewithoutYou record that drives the band
forward.

Aaron: Lyrically, there's more focus on G-d, less on the passing relationships and
troubles of this life. Musically, there's much more experimenting,
different rythyms and instrumentation and vocal melody. Much much better
than our earlier stuff, I think. As for maintaining "indie status," I dont
think we have much choice there!

2) "Are you looking forward to the upcoming fall tour? Are you planning any Idaho shows?"

Aaron: Not looking forward to the tour, no, tho I'm sure it will be wonderful.
Just trying to look at right now and be grateful for right now and if when
the tour comes I think I'll be very very grateful for that too. Don't know
about playing Idaho...

Mike: We are really exited to tour on this album, indeed! We just try to perfom the
music with passion and sincerity out there and I hope that makes it a special
time for anyone who shows up. I guess we might have some guests join us here
and there. who or when, I don't know :-) I do believe we are coming to Idaho
in early Sept... (*Mike Noakes jumps up and down in glee*)

3)"Aaron: I have been reading and meditating on the words of Jesus the Christ and Rumi the Poet recently. After doing so I listened to both of your albums again and noticed some striking similarities, additions, and alterations. How have these two spiritual writers (Prophet/Poet) been influential in the formation of your inner-life, self-understanding, and lyrical expressions?"

Mike: I can't answer that one because I'm not Aaron :-)

Aaron: Wow, quite a question! Jesus is my Rabbi and my teacher, above everyone
else. Rumi's poetry has helped me to love G-d more than any other, so I'm
indebted to him endlessly. Rumi loved Jesus, and Jesus loves Rumi, and I
don't see much difficulty in reconciling that. Both were drawn to the
lowly, both had a single-mindedness about doing the will of G-d, about
nothing else mattering. Both seemed aloof to doctrinal arrogance and
religious self-righteousness. Neither seemed to worry about anything. G-d
is one, one reality, one truth, one Love, whatever language we may use,
there is only one. May that One have mercy on us!

4) "Mike: What effect does your music have on your spiritual life? Do you find it to be enriching, challenging, and/or a combination of the two?"

Mike: I believe that in the performance of the music, I'm more easily directed
towards what I see as God's love in this world. Partly because it's a way to
bring lots of people together in celebration or catharsis etc. through sound
and rhythm and partly because of Aaron's lyrics which make me think more
deeply about this life. The challenge lies in putting on a good performance
night after night and always getting in touch with these things. I do consider
myself a "Christ follower" in so much as I try follow Christ. I don't always
do such a great job in that. I think Jesus' teachings have really guided me
spiritually for the past ten years or so. I don't really read a lot of books
about spirituality, but I like to go to church.

5) "Mike: What guitarists have been influential in your own personal style?"

Mike: Lately it's been David Gilmour, Johnny Marr, Doug Martsh, Bernard Butler, John Fruciante, Omar Rodriquez, Ian and Guy from Fugazi and that kind of stuff...

6) Will any of the proceeds from the upcoming tour go to any charities/social justice programs? If so, which ones and why?"


7) "As brothers, both biological and as fellow band members, how does spending so much time with one another impact your sibling-relationships?"

Aaron: Haven't had the fighting instinct for a decade or two. Nowadays we get
along wonderfully, as friends and bandmates and brothers and fools,
fumbling together along and asking for grace, and so often finding it.

Mike: I think that it allows us to even have a real relationship with one another.

With all the time we are away on tour, to be in the band together simply gives
us time together rather than time apart. From that i think we've continued in
our brotherly relationship we've always had since the beginning of our lives.
We've always been close for some reason. maybe it's the closeness in age or
our genetic make up or something. We do disagree on a lot of fundamental sort
of things, but that's just the reality of being in a band.

8) "Do you align yourselves with any specific local-gathering of Christ-followers, whether a formally established church or not?"

Mike: I have been going to an Episcopalian church when we are home from touring for

over a year and a half now, and I really love it. I would say it's more on
the moderate side of conservative churches. Very liturgical and traditional.
Several parts of the service remind me of a Catholic mass. Our priest says that the
Episcopal Church is "Catholic Light" great taste, half the guilt. ha ha :-)

Aaron: I belong to a Mennonite church in Philly, worship at my mom's Sufi mosque
from time to time, and hover around other rogue groups of doubters.

9) "Do you have anything else you would like to say to you fans and friends who will be reading this?"

Aaron: Pray for me, that I would understand truly that I don't need anything that
hasn't already been given me.

Mike: "Be excellent to each other, and party on dudes!!"
-Bill S. Preston and Ted Theodore Logan