...Exploring new places of course.

Our percussionist Rich Chwastiak came to the University of Miami (where we eventually met) from a small mining mountain town in north eastern Pennsylvania. So when our schedule finally allowed us a free day before our show in Philadelphia, we finally took up his parents generous outstanding offer to stay at their house and see the town.

We went twenty feet out his backdoor and immediately found ourselves in Ranger Rick territory. Nothing but trees, rivers, leaves and this stuff called "collum," the extra land brushed aside when mining for coal (also known as 'coal dirt.') It looks like half coal, half earth.

About half way through our hike up the mountain, we got caught in a torrential monsoon. The hardest rain Rich said he'd ever seen up this way. And it never stopped (until we got back to the house and hour later of course...)

I hope these pictures are able to convey how much fun we had.

Chase finding the abandoned train. Rich telling him to get down.

Crossing the river and into the woods

Startin' to rain

At the summit, some 2,200 feet above sea level.

A Couple of Happy Campers

One wrong move...

Crossing the river on the way back. Chase bet me $10 I couldn't make it across without getting knocked over by the current. (Still haven't seen the $$)

On a separate note, we were very kindly looked after by our friend Kathy Grymes in Savannah. This woman not only put up with our shit, but fed us for a couple of days and supported us wholeheartedly at the gig.

God bless this woman

I used to steal all my sister's cds when I was younger. Her tastes really dictated mine. So one Sunday morning in 1993 (I wasn't really into music until around this time), I snuck into her room looking for a new album and saw the iconic photo of a naked baby 'swimming' towards a dollar bill.

All I could really think of was 'that poor baby will probably drown. Where are his water wings?!'

But it was enough to intrigue me. So I took it, put it in my portable cd player and went out to cut the grass. And from then on, I was hooked.

I had no idea who Dave Grohl was. No idea who the screaming man was. I just knew that I'd never heard anything like it.

So in appreciation of the 20th anniversary of the release of one of the greatest albums ever made, I've decided to cover the classic 'Something in the Way.' Thanks for the great music, guys.

Our friends at AntiMusic.com recently asked me to contribute to their 'Singled Out' series where artists disect some of their original work. I was happy to contribute and try and shine some light on one particular (and complicated) song I'm most proud of, the tenth and final track from 'Name It...' called 'The 4:45 Through Remembrance."

Out of respect for them, below is just an excerpt. They'll post the entire thing later this week so keep an eye on their site if you'd like to read on...

The 4 45 Through Remembrance by Tristan Clopêt