With eight full-length albums under its belts, which includes today’s (February 17, 2009) release of the band’s Sagarmatha, Revolt’s Evelyn Miska had the pleasure of talking to The Appleseed Cast’s Chris Crisci.

Revolt: Sagarmatha released in the US today and it is your eighth full-length album. What are your hopes for the album and do those desires change as you get further along in your career?
Crisci: If we go Platinum on this one, let’s just say my hopes will have been surpassed. I think we’ve been a band [for] just over 10 years now. We survived the Bush administration in this band, and having done so, sure, I’d say some of our hopes have been modified. The core of why we do it has remained the same- it’s pretty selfish. I love writing and recording music. My interest in everything else related really exists because it lets me do the thing I love. I can speak for Aaron [Pillar] and include him, because I know he feels the same way.

Revolt: With eight albums under your belt, do you find that you still learn new things when entering the studio? What kinds of approaches did you take into recording Sagarmatha that really worked well? Is there anything you already plan to do differently on the next album?
Crisci: I learn something every time I get in the studio, or mix, even if it’s not my project. Every project is different, and there’s a million ways to present something. With Sagarmatha, I’m not sure what did or didn’t work well. I think I’m too close to it right now to say. I feel like we started out on a path and took it where it had to go [and] I love where we ended up. It was vastly different than what we were planning sonically, yet it still remained true to the overall concept of a mostly instrumental, amorphous, kind of montage of images and feelings.

Revolt: What are you most proud of about Sagarmatha?
Crisci: On “South Col,” close to the end, I play my favorite riff so far. I like to write a good riff.

Revolt: It looks as if you have a rather intense touring schedule for February and part of March. What are you looking forward to on the tour? What aspects of touring don’t you like? Do you have plans to tour overseas in support of your album?
Crisci: I have always liked touring. I like traveling and there’s a freedom to the road that I like. It’s relatively carefree in that, your everyday responsibilities are [to] wake up, drive, and play a show. What I don’t like about touring is that you have to leave everything you care about for an extended period of time. I have a wife, a daughter, and a little boy, and I miss them a lot on tour.

Revolt: The band has been settled in Lawrence, Kansas for a few years now. What prompted the move from California to Kansas? Do you find the environment has an influence on the type of music the band is creating?
Crisci: We left California pretty soon after forming. We’ve been in Lawrence for around 10 years now. I’m not sure about how the environment has influenced us. I feel like we would have had to have been a band longer in Los Angeles for me to be able to compare. I do feel [as though] Lawrence is a very artistically supportive town… but we’ve been asked that question a few times over the years and I still haven’t come up with a very good answer to it.

Revolt: How is the band adjusting to the departure of Marc Young and Aaron Coker? Have you had any success finding permanent replacements for them at this point?
Crisci: Right now we have a couple friends from other Lawrence bands playing with us, but we’re not going to try to rush anything. Aaron and I have always written nearly everything, so for right now we’re just talking about new songs and projects that we’re working on. When it comes time to start rehearsing for the next record we’ll see what happens then. We’re not ruling anything, or anyone, in or out.

Revolt: What is the best part of being part of The Appleseed Cast at this moment? What is the most difficult aspect?
Crisci: The best part is that I feel like we’ve recorded a unique record and I’m really excited about the ideas we have for the next one. The most difficult is being away from the family when I’m on the road.

Revolt: What are the upcoming plans for The Appleseed Cast besides some touring over the next month?
Crisci: Well, we’ll see where we are with writing soon, but we’re staying busy. Lots of writing and planning for the next album. It’s a record that we’ve wanted to make for a long time, and I think now is the time to do it. Aside from that, there are tons of other things keeping us busy, [such as] recording projects and other work. I wish I had more hours in a day.

Revolt: While most bands want to be known for doing something original, every musician has likely been influenced by another band or artist. Who has been your biggest influence or what band/musician do you most admire?
Crisci: We don’t sound like them, but Sonic Youth has had a huge amount of influence on how I look at music, and how I want to do things.

Revolt: What do you think are some of the most interesting trends in music right now? Is there any particular band or musician whose recent work you’ve gotten excited about? Are there any forthcoming albums you’re particularly psyched to hear?
Crisci: There are a lot of things going on, and that I like bits and pieces of each. There hasn’t been much that I have really been compelled to dive into, though. There will be, it just takes a few years in between.

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