cm: Describe the shows of Tripping Daisy from your first show until you packed the houses.
td: The first show was at Club DaDa's Open Mic night. I was more concerned with the show than I was with the music. I spent most of my energy creating slides and film loops for projection. I had my mother-in-law sewing till the wee hours of the morning so we could have a massive screen to project on. I thought the show was great and the music was ok, but nevertheless, it was a success. We had a lot of friends and family there for support.

That same night we were asked to play at Trees at a future date. We accepted and that pretty much started the whole Tripping Daisy frenzy. It was a weird time for the Dallas music scene. There were only three clubs that were doing live bands. Deep Ellum was just getting started. Nobody was putting on elaborate shows at that time. I think we sort of stood out, so the popularity of the band grew rapidly. Which was great... but bad at the same time. Musically we weren't prepared for what was about to happen. The songs weren't as good as the show was. I think we were always trying to catch up with ourselves.

Eventually we got there, but it was awhile... The hardest part of it all was going through this process KNOWING THIS the whole time.

kp: You've said you had an idea for Polyphonic Spree even before Tripping Daisy. Is it coming to fruition the way you foresaw, or have there been surprises along the way?
td: I actually started thinking about it during Tripping Daisy recording sessions--just kind of wishful thinking. I have always loved the sound of many voices singing as one; also the beautiful sound of the harp and the flute and other symphonic instruments. I had wished we had them certain times of our recording processess. So, I thought it would be great to one day have a band that incorporated all those elements. I thought when Tripping Daisy was done, this would be something I would do in my later years. It just so happens I started it sooner.

When I would think about The Polyphonic Spree, it was always about the SOUND. That is all I really had...an idea for a sound that appealed to me. That is what I went for, but what happend was something far more romantic. There was a drama born when the band got together and it became a show with an emotional zeal: a spirit that continues to blow me away.

cm: Your songs are like refrains of songs, making the whole show one whole song. Is there a reason for writing like this as opposed to Daisy songs?
td: When I'm writing songs for TPS for some reason I feel compelled to let them continue. Sometimes I don't want them to end. They feel like they want to keep going. It is very comforting to me to let this happen. I don't have an interest in making pop songs. Don't get me wrong--I love sunny pop music. I'm just not interested in making it. I write Drama Pop: it's a lot thicker.

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