...Where do you go when you hang out?...

...Where do you go when you hang out?... morella's forest

Up until recently, Morella's Forest was known more for their spiffy latex jackets and plastic wigs than for their enchanting blend of rock'n'roll and spacey noise pop. People who managed to avert their eyes from the stare-inducing cover of their major label debut, Super Deluxe, were rewarded with a very good album. Now, MF have improved on the debut with their long-awaited sophomore effort, Ultraphonic Hiss, by changing producers, sporting a more radio-friendly, poppy sound, and ditching those trendy, hip, shiny jackets in the trash. I got a chance to chat with Shawn, MF's guitarist.

What are some of Morella's Forest's influences?
We are totally into indie pop bands like Poole, Velocity Girl, and the Flaming Lips. Our influences always change, so we're into bands like that, and we wanted to write a great, catchy album. We are very proud of our new one. It's our best work yet.

Why did you change producers for your new album?
We wanted to try a more polished producer who could get us a really good sounding record, and Keith Cleversly has worked with Hum, Flaming Lips, Posies, and many other, and it was an honor to work with him. Plus, he really liked our music which is a huge compliment. Chris (Colbert, of Fluffy) and Steve (Hindalong, of The Choir) are good, but not for our new sound.

What are some of your favorite songs on the new record?
Our favorite songs would be "Glitter", "Candy Necklace of Love", and probably "Tangerine Drops". I like most of the album, but there are a couple songs I could do without. Like "Lime Velve t Love Seat". It's my least favorite song.

Where's the latex jackets?
We wanted to go for a look that represented us, not a big cool freak show. So we got a photographer that could do that, and Tim Owens is a super cool guy, and he takes great photos. I like the new pictures a 100% better than the last. The first ones were really cool to look at but they really did not portray who we were. But cool still.

Any tours coming soon?
We are going to start to tour this April again. We are going to do some shows with Velour 100 and Starflyer 59 and who knows who we might hook up with. We will probably go on two big tours next year plus all the festivals.

Has being in a band changed your personal life at all?
I'm getting married in February so I have to think of my wife now. But she is very supportive of the band thing, so I won't slow down too much.

How does the band work together in the songwriting process?
Sydney writes all the ly rics and melodies, and I write a lot of the basic songs. But without the other band members, we could never pull it off. Sean has a very unique bass playing style that really makes my guitars sound good, and Nate just pounds on the drums and keeps the songs driving. We all pretty much write the music except for Sydney. She has the really hard part.

What was your favorite 70's T.V. show?
"Good Times" was probably my favorite 70's show. "Flipper" was good also.