1. So, first off, what is it like to be in the band, Koufax?
>In two words...party machine! No, seriously it is amazing to be able to travel with something you enjoy.
2. You've got a great band name as well. Did you get it from the baseball player, Sandy Koufax?
>Thanks, although I can't take credit, as it was named by an old roommate of mine from New York. It is in fact Sandy's last name, and it was a plan b band name that he never used.
3. I've been seeing various reports on the net that you've lost some members since "It Had To Do With Love". I know we can't trust what's on the net all the time, so what is the situation of the group? If some people have left, who are the replacements, if any?
>It , to my knowledge, was never a secret. Andrew (bass) and Sean (synthesizer wizard) decided to not do the band anymore with no hard feelings. Dave (drums) is practicing with us and recording the new record with us, but he plays in other bands so we have a different touring drummer. Our new bass player Benny is from Detroit and he is a dream come true for us.
4. The new record! Compared to "It Had To Do With Love", how will this one sound, and how will it differ from your first full-length? Oh, and also, does it have a name yet?
>No name yet...got any ideas for us? Anyhow, the new record is going to be much more about energy and capturing our live performance rather than focusing on making an intentionally softer pop record like we did the first time around. Think everything from Supertramp to the Cure to something as current as the Strokes.
5. I think that you've got a song writing style that is really unique. The way you deliver the vocals, like your directly telling a story instead of just singing it straight forward, the lyrics, they seem really personal (at least to me), but in a different way than a lot of other groups. Are they really that personal? How do you write songs altogether?
>Thanks for those encouraging words, but to be honest I feel I just started writing coherent lyrics that tell a story. A lot of our old songs are lines written in the ever so restrictive verse format, which usually has me just using lines that are floating around somewhere in my head, and then trying to make sense of the rubbish. In terms of songwriting, I usually have a song written and then fixed and elaborated upon by the rest of the band. Jared, Benny, and Dave are all very integral this time around as to how the songs will take shape, as will the producer Dave Trumfio too.
6. You probably get this question a lot, but who were some influences that you've taken with you into putting together your own music? What were you listening to growing up?
>You know, I can tell you what I was into when I was younger, but I'm not sure how it would fit into Koufax's style. The key really is that we all like so much different music (and that is not just in rock and all its subgenres). I first fell in love with Metallica, Guns n Roses, and Motley Crue. The latter half of the nineties found me starting to explore music and realize that there is so much great stuff that had already been done decades ago. The possibilities for stuff influencing us is endless in that regard...hope that made enough sense.
Part two of the Koufax Interview>>>>>