Interview with James Carroll
For those who don't know can you explain why Mike Poulin has parted ways with you guys? Poulin has been touring hard for a long time. He spent the years that he played bass with us also playing in another full time touring band. He was barely ever home. Over the course of the last 6 months or so we all (him included) noticed a distance. We finally took the time to sit down and talk about it, and we all decided that what Pope needed from the band, he couldn't really get, and what the band needed from him he couldn't really give. No drama, just life.
How did Luke Schwartz end up joining the band, and how is he adjusting to being in the band so far? Luke has toured with us a bunch over the past few years in one capacity or another. He always felt like a member of this band, so it was a pretty easy decision. He's done an incredible job adjusting. I mean he jumped in right in the middle of us writing a new record, and he has honestly contributed so much. It honestly feels as though he's brought new life to this band.
So you guys are currently working on your new album, can you tell us how this is coming along? It's going great. Today is the last day of drum tracking. Drums sound huge.
Lyric wise, what sort of subjects can we expect to hear about on the new record? To be honest, I spent the last year of my life in a nervous wreck. I'm not exactly sure why. I feel as though there are so many facets of my life that I care so much about and that I try to nurture as best I can, and it's been really tough not to let them tear me apart. That thought process had a very heavy influence on the lyrics for this record.