Belle and Sebastian - Questions and Answers

last updated 5th march '03

Question & Answer's

This section is where the band members will answer your queries and we'll post them on the site, so keep sending us your questions by clicking here to email them to us.

Lizzie Stark
I was just wondering where the title "A Century of Fakers" comes from. I'm writing my thesis on Lady Chatterly's Lover, and the first chapter is on A Propos of LCL. I just used this quote from A Propos -- "This feeling only what you allow yourselves to feel at last kills all capacity for feeling, and in the higher emotional range, you feel nothing at all. This has come to pass in our present century. The higher emotions are strictly dead. They have to be faked." Anything to do with the title? Also, are you coming to America again soon? Nothing whatsoever to do with the title, but it's interesting. It would be such a nice appropriation, but I could never get through a Lawrence book. So no. But yes, we are hoping very much to be in America in the late summer. I always like to come at least once a year, so fingers crossed.
Stuart.

Cabot
You guys should really cover Led Zep's "What is and what should never be" it would be so perfect live. Don't you agree that it would rock? Obviously, being a huge Led Zep fan, I am enormously in favour. However, I might have plumped for Thank You instead, it being the best song ever written, Mick.

Sarah Harbison hello,i was reading stuarts good and bad times in glasgow, and wondered what the other members thought of going to sleep and other bits of the day. i sorta like ii myself, as its easy to forget about trivial stuff. and duvets are the comfiest place to be. the morning routine is one of my bad points of a day. also can you help suggest that bands play here in aberdeen? not many do and i think a lot of people would appreciate it. Sra I like going to sleep. I think I am just on that cusp all the time, between being awake and being asleep. I can sleep any where, any time. Makes touring easy really. I agree, Aberdeen is a nice place to play. I particularly like the Lemon Tree as a venue, Mick

Lucio
A couple of months ago, I saw a film made in Scotland called The Wicker Man and the folky atmosphere made me remind all the time Belle and Sebastian. Did you see that film? I think I kind of prefer the film actually. It's a really good film. I recently loaned a copy to some Polish friends of mine, who I was worried might have had some problems with the dialogue. But they understood it fine, and loved it. What do you mean, the Wicker Man reminds you of Belle and Sebastian? Must be all that pagan love ritual we constantly get up to I suppose, not to mention the human sacrifice... Mick

Bruno Hi! I'm from Brazil and I'm very glad to talk to you. When you came here to Brazil - last year I think - you played one song and i would like to know its name. Where did you played? In a TV program, called "Programa do Jo". He is a white fat man and his has white hair. The TV is Globo. In that time, you sang a Jorge Benjor's song called "Minha Menina", but i'd like to know the name of the song that you played in the end of the "programa do Jo". I have to say that when I play the "jonathan david" single here in Brazil, everyone likes, I really llove it too! Hi Bruno, On that show we played Wandering Alone from the Storytelling LP, Mick.

Thom Allott
Amongst most fans of the band, it seems to be the common consensus that Beyond The Sunrise comes right at the top of the pile of least favourite songs. Whilst I would personally disagree quite strongly (although I am unable to find a 'bad' belle And Sebastian song, being the blindly devoted fan that I am), I was wondering what the band's general view of it was, especially snce Bel's departure. It is obviously a stylistic departure (hence its division of fans), but does it stand out for you as a stinker? And who chose for it to be added to Fold Your Hands...rather than, say, Nothing In The Silence which is a more palatable 'tune'? Also, would you ever consider resurrecting any songs written or performed by Isobel or Stuart David nowadays? Or have The Gate, A Century of Elvis and A Space Boy Dream expired on the concert front? It seems weird that 'Beyond the Sunrise' isn't terribly popular. It's probably among the most fully realised songs we've ever recorded. I don't think there's anyone in the band who doesn't think it's brilliant. Everyone certainly wanted it to be on the album - although some people wanted it to come along in a different order from the way it turned out.

Hmmm... what about 'The Gate', 'A Spaceboy Dream', etc? Well, there are just some songs that I imagine wouldn't be easy for us to do even if we had the inclination. Those Stuart David spoken word things are just HIM, there's no way anybody else could deliver things quite like that. I don't remember us playing 'The Gate' very often, although i've managed to blank out a lot of the early gigs. It was never one of my favourites, to be honest. Sarah.

Hazey Jane "Sleep The Clock Around" played on a Reality Show here in Brazil and "Legal Man" was used as soundtrack to a TV report. What do you think about this sort of use of your songs? By the way, will the DVD/VHS have scenes of the gigs you did here in 2001? They were wonderful and I think the world should see them. Sometimes we can be a little bit arse-y about that sort of thing - not giving people permission to use songs in this way or that. But we have ended up being on quite a few TV shows anyway, and it's always a little strange. At first I don't always realise what the music is - I suppose because the songs spend such a long time sitting in your head anyway, and it takes a while before you notice that the're coming from the real world!

We found ourselves doing all manner of crazy stuff in Brazil that time, just because it seemed so very far away and strange. Stuff we probably would never have done if we'd thought there was a chance we'd ever see it. Did you see us on the Jo Soares show? It was ludicrous! That's a treat in store for you, viewers. As for the live shows, in the first cut of the dvd, which I took a look at last week, there were a couple of bits in there. i hope they bring back happy memories to you. Sarah.

Breno
Brasil I don't speak english but I will try write this e-> mail.who is the girl whit a scissors in the cd legal man? she's very pretty. It's my old flatmate, Miss Rozanne Suarez. She IS very pretty. Actually, I'm just off to meet her, because it's her day off and the weather's nice. We're going to wrap up warm and go for a walk. I'll let her know you were asking about her. Sarah

Jules Hello all. I am a high school student in New York City and want very much to go to a Scottish University. Seeing as stupid American college counselors don't know anything about European schools, I of course realized that I should ask my favorite Scots what they think. So, U. of Edinburgh? U. of Glasgow? St. Andrews? Any advice/recommendations/random anecdotes as to where I should look into, or as to the real dirt on these schools? Well, Stuart, Chris, Mick and myself all went to Glasgow university, which certainly has a few pretty great things going for it. The main one is the city - it's Scotland's largest, fairly diverse, quite utilitarian and there's much more going on than just the university.

If you're sick of the big city, and you're looking for somewhere a little out of the way, St. Andrews could be the place for you. But if you like living in New York, then I would recommend that you cross it off your list, because it never seems to have much going on except the university. And golf, if you can afford it. My brother went to university there, but he and I are cut from very different cloth. It's bitterly cold, too.

Edinburgh - well, it's a place that I like to go to now and again for a day trip but I'm very happy not to live there - and never more than during the festival, when it's overcrowded with theatre-going luvvies and street performers. It's not as rainy as glasgow, but it's colder. The cinemas are good. The view from the Dean Bridge is breathtaking.

But Glasgow... well, on a sunny day, with the glow of the pink sandstone and the lure of the parks (there are more parks here than in any other European city, I believe) you can get away from it all right in the city. Lose your sense of direction among the curves and crescents in Dowanhill! Sneak in to the university's Museum of Anatomy for a few gory thrills! Save up and get down to the Rogano for the classiest cocktails! (You can live on cheap, delicious soup upstairs in the QM union to compensate.) There are 2 rivers. The museums are free. It's easy to get around - there's even a little subway. You can be out in the country in 20 minutes, or at the airport in 10 if you're going further afield. Continental could even fly you in direct from Newark. The only places I've seen that match up are Stockholm and New York.

You should probably give a little thought to what you're going to study I suppose, and see what the different departments have to offer - but there's more to life than lectures. Sarah.

Richard
Melbourne, Australia OK, in the last couple of months we've had Mogwai come through town, and last night I caught Idlewild playing at one of my local pubs The Rob Roy (and no it's not a tacky Scottish theme pub where bands are forced to play 'Flower of Scotland' over and over again, as Roddy W. was afraid it might be - or so he quipped last night). Two questions for you. One. Any news on an Australian tour yet? And, Two: Who are some other good Scottish bands I should check out, apart from The Reindeer Selection, who I already know and love? no news yet on any touring as far afield as australia. or anywhere else, for that matter.

the greatest scottish band of them all is Teenage Fanclub. not a shadow of doubt. i hadn't seen them do a proper gig in 3 years or so, but caught them at the Barrowlands on friday night. i'd almost forgotten how great it was to see them play. i needed another fix. and then decided to make a night of it last night and went to their edinburgh show - which was even better than friday's do - followed by several bars, each one more surreal than the last. when they played 'radio' i thought i was going to wet myself.

and they ARE headed down under very soon - they go to japan at the weekend, and to oz from there i think. do yourself a favour and go and see them.

they're playing in aberdeen tonight. it's tempting. if i jump in the car now, do you think i'll get there in time? Sarah.

Angela At any rate, I just thought I'd drop a note to say 'hi'. I recently stumbled upon your website and have been reading through all of the interesting stories. I love how you show a more personal side as opposed to the rather impersonal websites of other groups. (Keep up the diary, Stuart!) So many of the things you all have said make me feel less stranded. (there is more but it has been highly edited) ... Hi there, Angela! A few of my closest friends are adrift in the world of academia. There's a philosopher, a psychologist and a virologist. A couple of weeks ago, the psychologist wrote to me, telling me about her feelings of inadequacy which come from spending all her time surrounded by extraordinarily clever people. For this sort of thing to be coming from HER, I thought, it must be pretty intense.

I mean, my virologist chum is clearly a bit of a bright spark - but you might say he hides it well. I was telling him about the psychologist's troubles, and he told me it's just a fact of life in academia. There is always someone who manages to squeeze a little more juice out of the old grey matter. To counteract these moments of self-doubt, he said, he tells himself daily, "I am the finest mind of my generation". Maybe you should give that a try.

As for the philosopher, the notion that he might not be clever enough is probably nowhere near abstract enough to be of any concern to him...

Actually, your email has really struck a chord with me. Being in a band with so many high-flyers, it's easy to feel useless. It's inspiring at times, but it can also become oppressive. I don't have any advice for how to deal with it really. It seems to help if you can turn your back on it for a wee while - a couple of days can make all the difference sometimes; now and again taking a back seat for longer and making sure you look after yourself is the only way. I know it's not always possible. I cling to the belief that the right combination of circumstances fill everybody with boundless energy and creativity from time to time - it's just waiting for your turn to come around that's frustrating.

On another note, you were saying you enjoy diaries and autobiographies. I thought I could point you in the direction of a couple of things I love. 'Boy' and 'Going Solo', both by the author Roald Dahl, are fantastic. 'Down and out in Paris and London', by George Orwell, is also essential reading. These guys know what they're doing with words.

For a while I seemed to be reading a lot of books of letters, too. I have always loved getting letters from my friends and my family. And now and again it's good to write one. One of my favourite ways to use a little time off on tour, if we're lucky enough to be staying in a nice hotel, is to write a letter back home on hotel stationery. Anyway, there are at least 2 or 3 volumes of the letters of Groucho Marx which are hilarious in places, as you might expect. But my favourite collection must be 'Ansel Adams: Letters and Images'. You don't even need to be into photography. The thing with letters is that you get to observe real interraction between people. It often seems a lot more illuminating than when people consciously try to identify themes and meaning and continuity in their lives. The ghost-written celebrity 'auto'biography is a genre I don't have much time for. I started John Cale's 'What's Welsh for Zen?' and I was appalled! One thing that ISN'T interesting is the settling of old scores. It was just pretty depressing. Move on, John!

The other thing about collections of letters is that they don't always deal exclusively with the most dynamic moments in an individual's life: frustration and rejection and day-to-day normality are as relevant as the moments of success, joy, tragedy, and all the other extremes life throws at us. Reading the really great letters in these books always makes me want to sit down and write a little something to one of my friends - something that they might keep and go back to one day, even though it reflects a distant moment - and if I manage to do it, it always feels pretty good sticking the stamp in the corner and making a special trip to the postbox on the corner. Or, as I'm about to do now, clicking SEND NOW and watching the words float off. Sarah

Bryan
Bremerton, Wa Hey I just wrote this to let you guys know, that I've been listening to your music since 1998, and you haven't let me down yet.I particularly love the instrumental pieces you did for the Storytelling soundtrack, and I was wondering if you were at all influenced by Vince Guaraldi. He did the music for the Peanuts cartoons, and the soundtrack has the same kind of feel to it.. That's quite an accolade. Chris will be delighted in particular. he valliantly learned how to play "Christmas time" for our Radio 1 Peel session just before xmas, and the rest of us sang as high as we could. Guaraldi must have had quite a pair of hands on him. Personally, I think the words to "Christmas Time" are pretty spot on. 'Oh, that we could always see such spirit through the year'. Hats off to that. Sarah

Hi Bryan, I've been to Bremerton! I took a lonely ferry ride there in 1994. I wandered around and got the next ferry home. Me, Richard and Beans have been listening to Vince Guaraldi recently as a matter of fact. I'd like to aspire to his level of musicianship and lyrical ideas! Stuart

Carlos
Dallas TX Who writes all the piano parts for the albums and who plays it on tour? How about sheet music for it sometime? Generally, whoever plays the piano parts on the records also wrote them and plays them live. Mostly it's Chris and Stuart, although Stevie and myself have been known to give it a go from time to time when Chris is looking the other way.

Sheet music? We tried to put out a songbook of all our songs to date a couple of years ago and didn't get very far. Better to strap yourself to the keyboard for a decade or two and learn to play like Mr. Geddes. Sarah.

Dave
1. which musicians did you most enjoy touring with? 2. is there a chance you might perform with Jonathan Richman again? 1. Jonathan and Tommy 2. god, I hope so. Sarah

MORE Q&A

Lizzie Stark	I was just wondering where the title "A Century of Fakers" comes from. I'm writing my thesis on Lady Chatterly's Lover, and the first chapter is on A Propos of LCL. I just used this quote from A Propos -- "This feeling only what you allow yourselves to feel at last kills all capacity for feeling, and in the higher emotional range, you feel nothing at all. This has come to pass in our present century. The higher emotions are strictly dead. They have to be faked." Anything to do with the title? Also, are you coming to America again soon?	Nothing whatsoever to do with the title, but it's interesting. It would be such a nice appropriation, but I could never get through a Lawrence book. So no. But yes, we are hoping very much to be in America in the late summer. I always like to come at least once a year, so fingers crossed. Stuart.
Cabot	You guys should really cover Led Zep's "What is and what should never be" it would be so perfect live. Don't you agree that it would rock?	Obviously, being a huge Led Zep fan, I am enormously in favour. However, I might have plumped for Thank You instead, it being the best song ever written, Mick.
Sarah Harbison	hello,i was reading stuarts good and bad times in glasgow, and wondered what the other members thought of going to sleep and other bits of the day. i sorta like ii myself, as its easy to forget about trivial stuff. and duvets are the comfiest place to be. the morning routine is one of my bad points of a day. also can you help suggest that bands play here in aberdeen? not many do and i think a lot of people would appreciate it. Sra	I like going to sleep. I think I am just on that cusp all the time, between being awake and being asleep. I can sleep any where, any time. Makes touring easy really. I agree, Aberdeen is a nice place to play. I particularly like the Lemon Tree as a venue, Mick
Lucio	A couple of months ago, I saw a film made in Scotland called The Wicker Man and the folky atmosphere made me remind all the time Belle and Sebastian. Did you see that film?	I think I kind of prefer the film actually. It's a really good film. I recently loaned a copy to some Polish friends of mine, who I was worried might have had some problems with the dialogue. But they understood it fine, and loved it. What do you mean, the Wicker Man reminds you of Belle and Sebastian? Must be all that pagan love ritual we constantly get up to I suppose, not to mention the human sacrifice... Mick
Bruno	Hi! I'm from Brazil and I'm very glad to talk to you. When you came here to Brazil - last year I think - you played one song and i would like to know its name. Where did you played? In a TV program, called "Programa do Jo". He is a white fat man and his has white hair. The TV is Globo. In that time, you sang a Jorge Benjor's song called "Minha Menina", but i'd like to know the name of the song that you played in the end of the "programa do Jo". I have to say that when I play the "jonathan david" single here in Brazil, everyone likes, I really llove it too!	Hi Bruno, On that show we played Wandering Alone from the Storytelling LP, Mick.
Thom Allott	Amongst most fans of the band, it seems to be the common consensus that Beyond The Sunrise comes right at the top of the pile of least favourite songs. Whilst I would personally disagree quite strongly (although I am unable to find a 'bad' belle And Sebastian song, being the blindly devoted fan that I am), I was wondering what the band's general view of it was, especially snce Bel's departure. It is obviously a stylistic departure (hence its division of fans), but does it stand out for you as a stinker? And who chose for it to be added to Fold Your Hands...rather than, say, Nothing In The Silence which is a more palatable 'tune'? Also, would you ever consider resurrecting any songs written or performed by Isobel or Stuart David nowadays? Or have The Gate, A Century of Elvis and A Space Boy Dream expired on the concert front?	It seems weird that 'Beyond the Sunrise' isn't terribly popular. It's probably among the most fully realised songs we've ever recorded. I don't think there's anyone in the band who doesn't think it's brilliant. Everyone certainly wanted it to be on the album - although some people wanted it to come along in a different order from the way it turned out. Hmmm... what about 'The Gate', 'A Spaceboy Dream', etc? Well, there are just some songs that I imagine wouldn't be easy for us to do even if we had the inclination. Those Stuart David spoken word things are just HIM, there's no way anybody else could deliver things quite like that. I don't remember us playing 'The Gate' very often, although i've managed to blank out a lot of the early gigs. It was never one of my favourites, to be honest. Sarah.
Hazey Jane	"Sleep The Clock Around" played on a Reality Show here in Brazil and "Legal Man" was used as soundtrack to a TV report. What do you think about this sort of use of your songs? By the way, will the DVD/VHS have scenes of the gigs you did here in 2001? They were wonderful and I think the world should see them.	Sometimes we can be a little bit arse-y about that sort of thing - not giving people permission to use songs in this way or that. But we have ended up being on quite a few TV shows anyway, and it's always a little strange. At first I don't always realise what the music is - I suppose because the songs spend such a long time sitting in your head anyway, and it takes a while before you notice that the're coming from the real world! We found ourselves doing all manner of crazy stuff in Brazil that time, just because it seemed so very far away and strange. Stuff we probably would never have done if we'd thought there was a chance we'd ever see it. Did you see us on the Jo Soares show? It was ludicrous! That's a treat in store for you, viewers. As for the live shows, in the first cut of the dvd, which I took a look at last week, there were a couple of bits in there. i hope they bring back happy memories to you. Sarah.
Breno Brasil	I don't speak english but I will try write this e-> mail.who is the girl whit a scissors in the cd legal man? she's very pretty.	It's my old flatmate, Miss Rozanne Suarez. She IS very pretty. Actually, I'm just off to meet her, because it's her day off and the weather's nice. We're going to wrap up warm and go for a walk. I'll let her know you were asking about her. Sarah
Jules	Hello all. I am a high school student in New York City and want very much to go to a Scottish University. Seeing as stupid American college counselors don't know anything about European schools, I of course realized that I should ask my favorite Scots what they think. So, U. of Edinburgh? U. of Glasgow? St. Andrews? Any advice/recommendations/random anecdotes as to where I should look into, or as to the real dirt on these schools?	Well, Stuart, Chris, Mick and myself all went to Glasgow university, which certainly has a few pretty great things going for it. The main one is the city - it's Scotland's largest, fairly diverse, quite utilitarian and there's much more going on than just the university. If you're sick of the big city, and you're looking for somewhere a little out of the way, St. Andrews could be the place for you. But if you like living in New York, then I would recommend that you cross it off your list, because it never seems to have much going on except the university. And golf, if you can afford it. My brother went to university there, but he and I are cut from very different cloth. It's bitterly cold, too. Edinburgh - well, it's a place that I like to go to now and again for a day trip but I'm very happy not to live there - and never more than during the festival, when it's overcrowded with theatre-going luvvies and street performers. It's not as rainy as glasgow, but it's colder. The cinemas are good. The view from the Dean Bridge is breathtaking. But Glasgow... well, on a sunny day, with the glow of the pink sandstone and the lure of the parks (there are more parks here than in any other European city, I believe) you can get away from it all right in the city. Lose your sense of direction among the curves and crescents in Dowanhill! Sneak in to the university's Museum of Anatomy for a few gory thrills! Save up and get down to the Rogano for the classiest cocktails! (You can live on cheap, delicious soup upstairs in the QM union to compensate.) There are 2 rivers. The museums are free. It's easy to get around - there's even a little subway. You can be out in the country in 20 minutes, or at the airport in 10 if you're going further afield. Continental could even fly you in direct from Newark. The only places I've seen that match up are Stockholm and New York. You should probably give a little thought to what you're going to study I suppose, and see what the different departments have to offer - but there's more to life than lectures. Sarah.
Richard Melbourne, Australia	OK, in the last couple of months we've had Mogwai come through town, and last night I caught Idlewild playing at one of my local pubs The Rob Roy (and no it's not a tacky Scottish theme pub where bands are forced to play 'Flower of Scotland' over and over again, as Roddy W. was afraid it might be - or so he quipped last night). Two questions for you. One. Any news on an Australian tour yet? And, Two: Who are some other good Scottish bands I should check out, apart from The Reindeer Selection, who I already know and love?	no news yet on any touring as far afield as australia. or anywhere else, for that matter. the greatest scottish band of them all is Teenage Fanclub. not a shadow of doubt. i hadn't seen them do a proper gig in 3 years or so, but caught them at the Barrowlands on friday night. i'd almost forgotten how great it was to see them play. i needed another fix. and then decided to make a night of it last night and went to their edinburgh show - which was even better than friday's do - followed by several bars, each one more surreal than the last. when they played 'radio' i thought i was going to wet myself. and they ARE headed down under very soon - they go to japan at the weekend, and to oz from there i think. do yourself a favour and go and see them. they're playing in aberdeen tonight. it's tempting. if i jump in the car now, do you think i'll get there in time? Sarah.
Angela	At any rate, I just thought I'd drop a note to say 'hi'. I recently stumbled upon your website and have been reading through all of the interesting stories. I love how you show a more personal side as opposed to the rather impersonal websites of other groups. (Keep up the diary, Stuart!) So many of the things you all have said make me feel less stranded. (there is more but it has been highly edited) ...	Hi there, Angela! A few of my closest friends are adrift in the world of academia. There's a philosopher, a psychologist and a virologist. A couple of weeks ago, the psychologist wrote to me, telling me about her feelings of inadequacy which come from spending all her time surrounded by extraordinarily clever people. For this sort of thing to be coming from HER, I thought, it must be pretty intense. I mean, my virologist chum is clearly a bit of a bright spark - but you might say he hides it well. I was telling him about the psychologist's troubles, and he told me it's just a fact of life in academia. There is always someone who manages to squeeze a little more juice out of the old grey matter. To counteract these moments of self-doubt, he said, he tells himself daily, "I am the finest mind of my generation". Maybe you should give that a try. As for the philosopher, the notion that he might not be clever enough is probably nowhere near abstract enough to be of any concern to him... Actually, your email has really struck a chord with me. Being in a band with so many high-flyers, it's easy to feel useless. It's inspiring at times, but it can also become oppressive. I don't have any advice for how to deal with it really. It seems to help if you can turn your back on it for a wee while - a couple of days can make all the difference sometimes; now and again taking a back seat for longer and making sure you look after yourself is the only way. I know it's not always possible. I cling to the belief that the right combination of circumstances fill everybody with boundless energy and creativity from time to time - it's just waiting for your turn to come around that's frustrating. On another note, you were saying you enjoy diaries and autobiographies. I thought I could point you in the direction of a couple of things I love. 'Boy' and 'Going Solo', both by the author Roald Dahl, are fantastic. 'Down and out in Paris and London', by George Orwell, is also essential reading. These guys know what they're doing with words. For a while I seemed to be reading a lot of books of letters, too. I have always loved getting letters from my friends and my family. And now and again it's good to write one. One of my favourite ways to use a little time off on tour, if we're lucky enough to be staying in a nice hotel, is to write a letter back home on hotel stationery. Anyway, there are at least 2 or 3 volumes of the letters of Groucho Marx which are hilarious in places, as you might expect. But my favourite collection must be 'Ansel Adams: Letters and Images'. You don't even need to be into photography. The thing with letters is that you get to observe real interraction between people. It often seems a lot more illuminating than when people consciously try to identify themes and meaning and continuity in their lives. The ghost-written celebrity 'auto'biography is a genre I don't have much time for. I started John Cale's 'What's Welsh for Zen?' and I was appalled! One thing that ISN'T interesting is the settling of old scores. It was just pretty depressing. Move on, John! The other thing about collections of letters is that they don't always deal exclusively with the most dynamic moments in an individual's life: frustration and rejection and day-to-day normality are as relevant as the moments of success, joy, tragedy, and all the other extremes life throws at us. Reading the really great letters in these books always makes me want to sit down and write a little something to one of my friends - something that they might keep and go back to one day, even though it reflects a distant moment - and if I manage to do it, it always feels pretty good sticking the stamp in the corner and making a special trip to the postbox on the corner. Or, as I'm about to do now, clicking SEND NOW and watching the words float off. Sarah
Bryan Bremerton, Wa	Hey I just wrote this to let you guys know, that I've been listening to your music since 1998, and you haven't let me down yet.I particularly love the instrumental pieces you did for the Storytelling soundtrack, and I was wondering if you were at all influenced by Vince Guaraldi. He did the music for the Peanuts cartoons, and the soundtrack has the same kind of feel to it..	That's quite an accolade. Chris will be delighted in particular. he valliantly learned how to play "Christmas time" for our Radio 1 Peel session just before xmas, and the rest of us sang as high as we could. Guaraldi must have had quite a pair of hands on him. Personally, I think the words to "Christmas Time" are pretty spot on. 'Oh, that we could always see such spirit through the year'. Hats off to that. Sarah Hi Bryan, I've been to Bremerton! I took a lonely ferry ride there in 1994. I wandered around and got the next ferry home. Me, Richard and Beans have been listening to Vince Guaraldi recently as a matter of fact. I'd like to aspire to his level of musicianship and lyrical ideas! Stuart
Carlos Dallas TX	Who writes all the piano parts for the albums and who plays it on tour? How about sheet music for it sometime?	Generally, whoever plays the piano parts on the records also wrote them and plays them live. Mostly it's Chris and Stuart, although Stevie and myself have been known to give it a go from time to time when Chris is looking the other way. Sheet music? We tried to put out a songbook of all our songs to date a couple of years ago and didn't get very far. Better to strap yourself to the keyboard for a decade or two and learn to play like Mr. Geddes. Sarah.
Dave	1. which musicians did you most enjoy touring with? 2. is there a chance you might perform with Jonathan Richman again?	1. Jonathan and Tommy 2. god, I hope so. Sarah