Monsters of Folk interview, 2009

Paste: Through the recording of the album, what moments stand out for you?

Ward: We played in one of the most insane thunderstorms I’d ever seen in my life. Do you remember that? We ran away to [Mike’s] house for shelter.

Mogis: Oh, I remember that—’cause there was no basement in the guesthouse.

Oberst: It was a big summer storm in Omaha, and Matt [Ward] isn’t used to that kind of thing. Ward: I was frightened. [laughter] But we got through it.

James: We drew him a bubble bath.

Oberst: I had a lot of fun at the middle session we did in Malibu. Jim and I were sharing our friend’s painting studio. My friend has a house in Malibu, with a little painting studio behind it, and they were very nice to offer us to stay. And it was May, but it was just really…

James: It was like 60 below.

Ward: Basically, they were staying in a garden shed.

Oberst: We’re in there in our sleeping bags on these air mattresses with little space heaters, giggling…

James: Like, “Are we gonna die? Are we gonna make it through the night? Should we leave?”

Oberst: And then these two were staying at some mansion.

Ward: A mansion on a hill.

Mogis: You could see the ocean in the distance.

Ward: So they come over in the middle of the night...

Oberst: And we’re like, “Can we sleep on the floor?” [laughter] Those were good times.

James: Memories were created.

Ward: Bonds were formed.

[Flash 9 is required to listen to audio.]
70 plays