So, what can you tell about your new project as Mt. Eerie?
Um…it’s just the same as the old thing.

The Microphones?
[nods] Yeah.

You’re not really varying anything except the name, as a fresh start?
Well, yeah, I guess so. The subject matter is different, but it always is. It’s constantly fluctuating.

I know you recently took some time out in Norway. What kind of impact did that have on songs you‘ve written since then?
Well, I haven’t made any records since then besides live albums. I’ve been traveling a lot since I was there and while I was there. But I’ve written lots of songs since then. I don’t what impact. I mean, it was like life changing, so it had a huge difference on every aspect of my life.

Share a memory from this experience.
Oh man. I have so many memories because I was living alone and there was no one around where I was living… And so I went kind of crazy because I was so away from the world that I kind of went crazy in a good way. Like I was talking to myself a lot and just completely in my own world. It was really great, but I can’t really narrow it down. I mean, I’m always remembering things that I’ve forgotten. It was such a rich time for my brain, like so many little details just come back to me every day and it’s just…whatever.

I’ve been hearing from friends about your shows, and wow, that one you just did in Denton [October 2004]? It sounds like it was absolutely amazing.
Really? That was… a weird one. It was fun.