Artist : Avail Interviewed By : Jay Pitts Date : February 7, 2003 Site : www.availavail.com

JP : What was it like working with Brian Paulson on your current release
"Front Porch Stories"?
TB: It was a totally great experience. We'd gone with our friend Mark Miley for the past couple of records and decided to try something different. We went to a new studio (Sound of Music) here in Richmond and asked Brian if he'd come up from North Carolina to produce it. It was a good fucking time. And came out better than we could have expected.

JP : What has the reaction been from your longtime AVAIL fans been to the new record?
TB : So far it's been very positive. We are lucky to have had fans who have grown with us over all of these years and they've watched and heard the whole progression.

JP : What do you draw inspiration from when in the writing process?
TB : We play off of each other really well when we are beginning to write a record. We also bring our own lives into the writing process. We've always been a band who only knows how to write by feel and with words that reflect our own life experiences. Much of the writing comes directly from things that we have seen or felt up close.

JP : I noticed on your list of tour dates you are primarily touring the East Coast. Do you have any plans to come back to the Midwest?
TB : Well the tour has been going on for a little while now. We've done 45 shows since mid-November (it's now early February). The first few weeks or so were out in the Midwest and on the West Coast. We just finished up our East Coast dates. Now we're planning a tour starting in the first week of March. We're playing mostly small cities and places that bands don't normally go. A few of those are in the Midwest, so check the AVAIL site (availavail.com) for tour dates.

JP : How do you feel about the current trend in popular music moving from "Nu-Metal" to garage & punk?
TB : I don't think too hard on it cause it really doesn't effect my life. I find that there are very few bands in pop culture who interest me. I'm more
resigned to listening to my old country records and independent stuff from bands who play with heart, like Jericho, Strike Anywhere, Hot Water music,
Tragedy and others.

JP : What are your thoughts on the current U.S situation in Iraq & North Korea?
TB : I can't speak for the entire band here, but I am personally disgusted by Bush's world domination intentions. In my view he is a raging lunatic who
needs to be ousted from office. He talks about regime change in Iraq. I'd rather bring that discussion closer to home and see him locked up and put away in a mental clink.

JP : What is your favorite venue to play live?
TB : I simply love playing shows. I like playing all kinds of different places and for all kinds of different people. So I don't have one specific place to
play.

JP : While on tour, who are some of your favorite bands to play with?
TB : We just finished a tour with The Casualties and Jericho and I'd have to say that it was amazing. All of the bands sound totally different but somehow the crowds seemed to enjoy all of them and we all got along better than words can express. But we've been lucky to tour with some of our favorite bands over the years, like Boy Sets Fire, Strike Anywhere, Hot Water Music, Lagwagon and many more.

JP : If you could hand pick musicians to have a side project with, who would they be & why?
TB : I'd start a side band with Billy Bragg and Steve Earle. And I'd do that because I admire their songwriting so much.

JP : If you could get 15 minutes on a national media outlet either TV or Radio what would you say?
TB : Regime change begins at home. Lets dump Bush and get a Prez who was really elected and will focus on issues surrounding corporate dominance, equality, poverty and class.

JP : Describe the feeling you get while on stage & playing your heart out?
TB : It is not unlike me to become so absorbed by the vibe I get from the crowd and the band that I get in an almost trance like state. It almost becomes spiritual-as cheezy as that may be to admit.

JP : How do you feel AVAIL has progressed since its beginning in ‘87/’88?
TB : We've matured as songwriters and definitely play our instruments more solid, but we've kept the feeling the same as in the beginning. And that is
to be honest, play without a gimmick, do what we want and have the best time we can doing it.

JP : Thanks for taking the time to do this interview.