The Rooks Web Site

How did you come up with the band name The Rooks? I've always wanted to know this. - BLAKE

Michael: Our former bass player Michael Nunziata arrived at a rehearsal carrying a racing form that he found on the C train coming down. As any New Yorker will tell you, when you're on a subway train without reading material, anything with print on it is a welcomed find. The form was filled with lists of racing horses and on the way he began circling names he thought might be good for a band. One of the horses was named The Rook. We decided on it unanimously almost immediately. That would have been in 1991.

Where are you from, what was your childhood like and what was your first exposure to music? - THEO/CALIFORNIA

Kristin: I grew up in Rocky Hill, Connecticut just south of Hartford. We had cows and horses and fields and woods around our house...lots of room to roam. I had two great parents who were supportive and encouraging...the whole Ozzie (not Osbourne) and Harriet family scene. My two brothers and sister were a lot older that me and they were always playing The Beatles, The Byrds, Stones, all this great stuff that I got into really young. I was a music freak by age four. I used to come home from kindergarten and go in my room and play records all afternoon.

Ken: I'm originally from New York, but "grew up" in Vancouver, Canada. With no father, siblings and few friends, my childhood was great. My mother worked as a secretary for the Vancouver Symphony and dragged me to countless concerts where old ladies sitting behind us would chastise me for fidgeting too much. Looking back on it now, I guess it was pretty boring.

Michael: I was born in Hartford, Connecticut and was raised in East Hartford. My childhood was good in spite of my parents breaking apart when I was...young. We were shifted back and forth between them for weekends and such until the courts asked me which parent I would prefer to live with. Can you imagine? A question as that...in the end I chose to live with my father only because I wanted my room. He stayed at the house and my mother moved out. My decision would have been the same had my mother chosen to stay in the house. It had nothing to do with one parent over the other. As a twelve years old child, you cling to what is safe and warm and those were my friends, my room and my neighborhood...everything that meant security to me. Both of my parents were always around for me and my brother so it wasn't like we saw one more often than the other. Music was always going in our house. The first recordings I can recall were Jackie Wilson, Harry Belafonte, Frankie Laine, Mario Lanza, Presley, Nat Cole, Sinatra, Doo Wop Polka, Big Band and my father singing Old Man River.

What is your musical background and who have you played with before joining The Rooks? - MARCI/BOSTON, MASS

Ken: Started on piano, moved to organ, moved to drums, moved to Boston to study at Berklee for one agonizing year. Played with The RoadRunners in Vancouver; The Cheshyres in Toronto and The Optic Nerve and The Ultra Five in New York. I've also done many shows with Michael Lynch and am playing bass with my folksinger wife, Rebecca Hall. Right now I'm producing and playing on her second album, "Sunday Afternoon," due for release in October.

Other than The Rooks and The Grip Weeds, have you ever played with any other NYC based bands? - CAREY/LOS ANGELES, CA

Kristin: There was an all-female band called Good Question later known as Dark Secret that I played with for years. We were a 3-piece power trio originally out of Boston but relocated to NYC. I really got my chops with those girls. We were nuts...we all lived together in the city and did a ton of live shows here and in England. We recorded one single that's actually got an original of mine on it. I had a brief stint with Joe Mannix, Chris Peck and their band Mannix. I was a huge fan of their songs and of their early incarnation Oral Groove. Occasionally outside The Rooks and The Grip Weeds, I'll play flute with a trippy folk outfit called The Wyld Olde Souls. Also, I frequently guest on or help out different bands that record at The Grip Weeds' studio in New Jersey.

Do you have any friends or family members who influenced you and helped you develop your talent and love of music? - DON

Michael: There was always music being played in my home when I was a boy. As I've stated, ethnic music, Big Bands and Rock & Roll...everything. My lifelong friend John Bezzini was entirely instrumental in influencing me and he helped me to develop my love for music..he's a few years older than I. John was my best friend for many years when I lived in Hartford and we are still very tight to this day. I feel that my decision to become a songwriter and musician is a direct result of my friendship with John. Also, he's a Yankees fan...which brings him closer to God.

Ken: Poverty notwithstanding, my mother signed me up for piano classes when I was five, and tried to push me along well into my thirties. Don't know how she managed to put up with the noise.

Kristin: My big brother Art bought me my Les Paul Deluxe when I was in high school...it was a big deal. He always told me "To go for it!" Everyone in my family always listened to a lot of great music while I was growing up. Even my dad was into Zeppelin!

How do you keep your guitar ideas fresh with every new song that Michael brings into the band? - HEATHER/MIAMI, FLA

Kristin: I play around with different riffs and melodies for hours. The guitar arrangements you hear on the songs have been really worked on and refined. I'll spend a lot of time improvising and playing with new songs, taping rehearsals and listening back for ideas. It's not really hard to come up with a bunch of new ideas...it's just trying to capture them and getting them to fit that's time consuming.

A while ago, you suggested the line-up of The Rooks had found stability. Since then there have been quite a few personnel changes. What kind of toll does that take on the group, and you personally? - RICHARD/MALVERN, ENGLAND

Michael: It doesn't really take much of a toll...for me, anyway. It may stop momentum for a bit but...I'm still here. Kristin's still here. You have to understand that it becomes difficult for some musicians to play with a band where it's hard to earn a living. Patrick (Yourell) left to pursue a line of work with good potential income. Lauren (Agnelli) has now done the same. Anne Benkovitz we threw out because she...it doesn't matter. People have lives and often they feel it's better for themselves to get on to greener pastures than to play music with a cult band. I can't say that I blame them. It doesn't keep me from writing for the band. Hey man, were like The Pretenders...different faces on every album it seems.

You're new to the band. How did you come on board? Ad, word of mouth or just plain luck? - CLIFF

Ken: I've known Michael since about 1990 through a mutual friend, Dawn Eden. I played an acoustic set with him around that time back when The Rooks were still forming. Years later, when I heard The Rooks were looking for a drummer, I tried out and that was it.

Where were you on 9/11 and how has it affected your life and/or music? - RITA

Ken: Tuesday is "Ken brings bagels to work" day at my office. On Tuesday, September 11, 2001 I was at 21st Street and First Avenue when I noticed billowing black smoke coming from downtown. My first thought was "Great, NYU's on fire." Everyone at Ess-a-Bagel was gathered around a little TV and someone said that a plane had hit The World Trade Center. I called my office and asked if I should come in under the circumstances. The assistant said that my boss and the others were already gathered around the conference table waiting for their bagels, come hell or high water. So I trudged uptown and served up the stupid bagels. As news of the unfolding craziness came over the radio, I got a bit freaked out and announced I was going home, where I've been ever since. How has it affected my music? I've tuned my tom-toms a little differently.

Kristin: I was coming into New York City around 9:00am on the train that morning. Across the Hudson I saw the Twin Towers burning from my window. I had to travel through Penn Station to my office which was right under The Empire State building...both seemed like terribly unsafe places to be at that moment. My husband and family were hysterical...yelling at me on my cell phone to get the hell out of there...but the city shut down and no one could get out. It was frightening and sickening. Afterwards, I was truly touched by the show of concern from so many friends and musical acquaintances from across the country. I got a lot of calls and e-mails. I had friends that worked in and near those Towers. They were okay. Everything else seemed trivial. Everyone I know in the NYC area was in shock for a long time...the incident shattered our sense of security and routine. Right after it happened, every time I would get together with family or friends you could feel a new found sense of appreciation and gratitude...for each other's company and friendship. We made jokes about our petty problems and were embarrassed by our insignificant gripes. Unfortunately, being in New York City so much I have to deal with this uncomfortable feeling that we are a "target." It's in the back of my mind all the time.

Michael: On the street not too far from the... area. I was on the sidewalk immediately after the first Tower was paralyzed and actually saw the second plane strike the other building. I also watched both Towers fall into nothingness. It's all different now. As for music...I don't know.

Not Lame is a Colorado based label. How did you get hooked up with them musically? - JAKE/SOUTH CAROLINA

Michael: Our music somehow found its way to Bruce Brodeen. After a bit he rang me up and there we were. I think we were the first band on Not Lame...I think.

What inspired you to pick up the drums? A concert, certain artist etc? - CHET/BILLINGS, MONTANA

Ken: When I was a small child, my mother took me to see a band concert in the park. First thing I noticed was the drummer nestled among the horns and woodwinds. I think he played a Lucite kit. He was totally cool and made everyone else look like a wimp. Being a non-drumming wimp myself, I thought "Man, this guy is so fierce, I wanna be like him."

How often do you play guitar when not involved with band duties? - BILL/PHOENIX, AZ

Kristin: I sit and goof around on the guitar...sure. Recently, I've been plunked down in front of The Who DVD "Live at the Royal Albert Hall" trying to pick off Townshend's licks, or every now and then I hear a cool old song and have to go learn it or something. It depends how busy or tired or inspired I am...when I pick up my guitar. Sometimes I don't go near it for a long time and prefer to rearrange my clothes closet or ride my bike or drink margaritas with my friends.

Can you list your top 5 favorite songs? - NANEE/CALIFORNIA

Ken: "Walk Away Renee" - Left Banke; "Heart Like A Wheel" - Kate & Anna McGarrigle; "Way To Blue" - Nick Drake; "Lady-O" - Judee Sill; "All My Trials" - Peter, Paul & Mary.

Michael: I can't do that. Music is too closely tied to mood, time and sense memory. If I called out 5 songs today, by tomorrow that list could turn into a lie. Sorry, Nanee. Give her another question...whoever is in charge of this mess.

Kristin: "If I Fell" - The Beatles; "Expecting To Fly" - Buffalo Springfield; "Magic Man" - Caravan...(not Heart); "Trampled Under Foot" - Led Zeppelin; "Wasn't Born To Follow" - The Byrds.

To me, The Rooks are one of the best bands ever. Does it bother you that you are not as famous on an international level as say, Oasis or The Strokes? - ROBERT/NEW HAVEN, CT

Kristin: Yes, because we are certainly deserving of it...and we've worked just as hard. I would love to play more often and go all over the world and make a lot of money doing it. But it's not really about being famous, it's about being able to be a creative person. On a smaller scale...I am lucky to be with people and have situations around me that allow me to do that.

How frustrating is it that since "Chimes" seven years ago the only original release that The Rooks have put out is "A Wishing Well," especially given the quality of songs you are writing? - RICHARD/MALVERN, ENGLAND

Michael: Well, it hurts me very much inside that we cannot record as often as we would like. In one way it's nice to have a large collection of work behind me but when I look at all of the songs that remain unrecorded...it needles me. The expense of recording is a never-ending dilemma.

How did you come up with the name "A Wishing Well" for that particular record? - THEO/CALIFORNIA

Michael: I tend to carry titles in my mind, usually for songs. The original title for that album was going to be All Saints Day but somewhere down the path that turned into "A Wishing Well." How I came up with those titles...I don't know. It's like asking me how I came up with the titles for "Meditation" or "India." I don't know that either. The title for our next album is "Something Blue."

I like to fool myself into thinking I can play the drums a little and I'm a bit new to it. I'd like to know what kind of kit you use and why? - ROBERT

Ken: I have three Ludwig kits from 1961, 1965 and 1967. The first two are black oyster and the third is silver sparkle. Virtually all the hardware, except the cymbals, is also vintage. The drums have a lovely rich sound and, being kind of 1960s crazy, they were what most of my drum heroes used.

Who is the biggest influence to you as a drummer? - ROBERT

Ken: Hal Blaine-just listen to the drums on the Carpenters' Hurting Each Other and you'll know why.

I love the version of Waiting that you sing on the new CD. Will you ever record a solo album? - JOANIE/WOODSTOCK, NY

Kristin: I haven't really been focused on writing my own songs...though if I did they'd probably end up surfacing on the next Grip Weeds album, not a solo record.

At the start of a Yankees game, if you could select anyone to sing The Star Spangled Banner, who would it be (dead or alive, Elvis doesn't count). - ANNIE/AVON, CT

Michael: Well Annie, how about Bing Crosby...and if it were a double-header perhaps Billie Holiday or Harry Nilsson.

Kristin: Kate Smith

Ken: The Legendary Stardust Cowboy.

Is there any prospect of The Rooks or you as a solo artist ever touring The UK? - MARTIN/ENGLAND

Michael: At the risk of jeopardizing position, we've tentatively been offered about twelve dates in England for February 2003. Whether it happens remains to be determined by...the promoter I suppose. Would people come out to see us? If we do Martin...first three pints are on you.

You seem to dabble quite well back and forth between The Rooks and The Grip Weeds. How do you manage and how is each band special to you and in what way? - SHELLY/BROOKLYN, NY

Kristin: Both The Grip Weeds and The Rooks work cyclically at this point so I can fit in gigs, rehearsals and recording...but all the members in both bands juggle different musical projects...it keeps things interesting and you can bring the influences back and forth. It only makes everyone better. The New York music scene is very incestuous anyway. Michael and I are both from the Hartford, CT area. That's where we met so we have the Connecticut roots thing in common and we both have family and friends back there. It was Michael who actually introduced me to The Grip Weeds...who are my family now, I ended up marrying one of them and we have our own house and studio together as a band. Technically, in The Rooks, I love to handle all of the lead guitar work and the solos. When we play live it's much more demanding on me as a player...plus I'm usually singing a lot of harmony vocals. When Michael writes songs he usually leaves me to come up with the lion's share of the guitar work. As far as what makes working with each band special, I feel Michael goes to a very different place with his writing so the Rooks' songs can be much more introspective and delicate...emotionally on the edge. The Grip Weeds are more of a freight train...a real wall of sound. It's wild live, you have to hold on for dear life sometimes!!! The Grip Weeds tend to work more as an "ensemble" on parts and I share the guitar work with everyone. I've been lucky to find two great groups of musicians and help bring their songs to life.

Can you give us a picture of how it works when Michael introduces a new song to you? What happens when you first run through it and how much input do you have and how much direction does he give you? - KIM/BUFFALO, NY

Ken: Michael always comes in with a demo that we take home and study. He usually has ideas for various melodic and rhythmic hooks that we work on. Along the way, we're welcome to introduce any of our own ideas and Michael's very respectful of them. Lately, I've been trying to include bagpipes and cat vomit noises, but Michael just won't listen.

What's your first impression of a song when Michael brings it in and how do you tackle it musically? - MARCI/BOSTON

Kristin: Michael usually hands me a rough demo or he'll show us something live in rehearsal. We'll try them out a bit and talk about the direction or the feel and then we'll work on it. I tape everything that we do in case some great melody or riff springs out of nowhere. I'll go back and spend time on my own developing the guitar arrangements and solos.

From your pop circle of friends, how do you determine who will appear on a Rooks' record as a guest player or back-up vocalist? - SHELLY/BROOKLYN, NY

Michael: I have a good feeling for what a track needs and take it from that aspect. I'm very aware of the gifts that our musical brethren possess and choose accordingly.

How many bands were you in before The Rooks and were you ever a solo artist in the early days? - BLAKE

Michael: Many bands...like anybody else. I was never a solo artist...it's more of a gas to play with others. I never fancied myself as Prince.

Were you a Rooks fan before you joined the band? If so, when and how did you learn about them? - MIKE/MICHIGAN

Ken: I was a Rooks fan even before there was a Rooks. Michael introduced me to his new material in 1990 and I've been Rooked ever since.

How has playing in The Rooks changed over the 12-odd years you've been doing it? Is it still as much of a blast as in the beginning? - RICHARD/MALVERN, ENGLAND

Kristin: I think at this point in The Rooks' time machine the band's sound may be in for a big change. Michael is writing songs mostly on piano so the next recordings may reflect that. Live we're still performing as a loud, nasty four-piece rock band and that's always fun. We've recently parted ways with our bass player (Lauren Agnelli) and may make a change with our record label but we've got some great new people on board helping us with the business and the website.

I always thought the song "Steeplechase" is both original and timeless. Of course, you could call it "Beatle-esque" but was there any specific inspiration for that song? - JOHN/SUFFERN, NY

Michael: There was no exact inspiration for that work. I had to struggle with that song for a bit before it took its shape. The idea for the text of the song came from watching the news. I seem to recall that it was one harrowing story after another...which must have put me in the mindset to write "Will it end when mankind pushes itself around the bend." Things haven't changed too much since then I guess.

What instrument did you start playing first, the flute or the guitar? Do you play any other instruments as well? - CHET/BILLINGS, MONTANA

Kristin: I started flute lessons in 4th grade and have been dabbling with it my whole life. I never really had chops on it like I do on guitar. I picked up the guitar when I was twelve and couldn't put it down. I also play a bit of mandolin and harmonica.

If you could have your choice of any guitarist in the world, living or dead, to be able to sit down with for an hour and listen to them play and talk about their style, who would they be? - MARK

Kristin: Jimmy Page.

How often do you play drums when not involved with band duties? - BILL/PHOENIX, AZ

Ken: Sometimes I play with Michael Lynch. I did a few songs with Huw Gower and Michael (Mazzarella) at a Stiff Records tribute a while back. I practice with pads on my kit in my apartment, but it's no fun without a band to support.

How do you define power pop? - NIC/NYC

Ken: Pop with power

Michael: "Revolver"...the British issue. The first REAL power pop album. They're all STILL trying to remake that album, aren't they?

Kristin: Chocolate, electric, crunchy.

What's your next album going to be like and how will it differ from the great "A Wishing Well?" - STEPHEN/OHIO

Michael: Somehow it will be different mainly because we're not the same people today as we were then...planes hit towers. It changed things.

Do you ever find that male musicians look down to you because you are a woman in a male dominated field? - KARLA/NEW YORK CITY

Kristin: At this point in my career, I've got so much experience and so much playing behind me that it just makes me laugh...but yes...I still deal with that crap on a regular basis. I really can't blame most people for their ignorance...women do not usually play lead guitar! Until people actually see me plug in and play, they just don't get it. They say "Oh, are you the singer?". When I say "no" they look puzzled. A quick tale or two...just a few months ago I bought a very expensive Les Paul from a salesman in a well-known music store. Two weeks later, I was back in the store with my husband and the salesman automatically asked HIM "how he liked the new guitar?!" Years ago, I was in an all-female band that was playing at The Hippodrome in London. We girls set up to play and then the stage manager walked out and asked us where our backing band was...I got a million of "em"

The message in "Some And Others" is nice and I love the words to the chorus because they ring true. Is that song about a real person or did you just make it up to get the point across? - GLEN/SIOUX CITY

Michael: It's about someone I know...sure. It would cost you a lot of beer for me to name names.

Were you intimidated at all joining a band with such a rich history and dedicated fan following? - HEATHER/MIAMI, FLA

Ken: Of course...especially after four dark years of law school and full-time employment, I was a bit rusty. Michael, Kristin and Lauren worked with me tirelessly, and I feel much better now, thank you.

Were you accepted warmly into the band right away or did it take you a while to feel comfortable working with them? - VICKY/ANAHEIM, CA

Ken: Everyone in the band was super-nice and normal, which was a real treat.

Can you tell me what are the last three CDs you've purchased? - PETER/INDIANAPOLIS, IN

Ken: Richard X. Heyman - "Basic Glee," "Langley Schools Music Project;" Belle & Sebastian - "The Boy with the Arab Strap."

I read in an interview where Michael said he tries to keep up with all of the current bands like Incubus, Bjork, Red Hot Chili Peppers and many others. Who are your favorite newer recording artists today and why? - SHERRY/UK

Kristin: In my CD player right now is "Coloursound" by The Anderson Council. They're a great new power pop band from right down the street. The whole Hives...Strokes, White Stripes thing is happening now and is kind of 60s-ish cool.

Would you ever consider producing someone's music that you didn't exactly dig? From a producer's opinion, how does one work through that? - LANE/NEW MEXICO

Michael: I can't help a band if I feel that they don't have songs...I'll work with anyone if they have material. I have passed on working with numerous younger bands simply because I've felt that they were not yet ready to record. I would rather see them practice and mature than to take their money and have the band hate themselves and their recordings six months later. The paycheck is never worth trying to sculpt something from nothing. Almost every band I've had to politely and diplomatically turn away have come back to thank me in the end...they realize that I turned them down...at that time...for their own benefits. I would never take advantage of a band's situation...naïve or otherwise.

What famous producer do you admire and respect and how have they influenced your work? - LANE/NEW MEXICO

Michael: Well...George Martin for his arrangements, his open-mindedness to a group of men younger than himself...and for his patience to their sometimes daffy demands and often quirky work ethics.

Who are your favorite bands or artists? - ROBERT/NEW HAVEN, CT

Ken: The Beatles, Bee Gees, The Carpenters, Nick Drake, Vince Guraldi, The Hollies, Carole King, The Kinks, Van Morrison, Dusty Springfield, Irma Thomas, Dionne Warwick, Neil Young, The Zombies...to name the first that come to mind in alphabetical order.

Over the last ten years, who, in your opinion are the most important bands/artists in music and why? - RON/NEW ORLEANS

Michael: I'd need to think...Nirvana. They were kind enough to give "rock" back to us...and they were probably the last band to open the major label door wide for countless unknown bands to have a chance to get signed. Beck, I suppose. He's a very talented guy...creates good sounds. Eminem is pretty awesome in his field. Ryan Adams, perhaps. I need another fifteen minutes to see what else he has to offer.

What are your three favorite Rooks songs and why? - KASHA/PERTH, AUSTRALIA

Kristin: That changes...but today I would say "In A Pinwheel Spin" - it's a calliope of classic power pop; "Monday Morning" - live...I love digging into that riff. It's got a cool attitude; "Steeplechase" is simply beautiful.

If you could take full credit for writing one song, which would it be? - MARILYN/CORPUS CHRISTI, TX

Michael: Perhaps "Love For Sale" or "My Funny Valentine." I always hope I can write something as majestic as "Bridge Over Troubled Water" or "The Sound Of Silence"..."The Boxer" even. That's what I'm looking to do one day.

What is your favorite Rooks song and why? - CYNTHIA/BALTIMORE, MD

Ken: Color me predictable, but it's got to be "Reasons." Why? Maybe because it sounds a little like "raisins," which I like a lot, especially the chocolate-covered ones.

Michael is an awesome producer but is there ever a time when you disagree with something that he does or wants? If so, how do you work it out? - CAREY/LOS ANGELES, CA

Kristin: The Rooks is a chemistry between people...the give and take is what makes the sound of the band interesting. It's my job to enhance Michael's songs...to present ideas, melodies and parts that he hasn't thought of. We generally agree but if there is disagreement on a particular part, it usually becomes evident as the song develops what is needed or not. In the rare case when it doesn't and we still disagree...I just kick his butt. No actually, Michael being the writer has the final say.

What do you consider to be the most meaningful or personal lyric (to you) that has ever been written? It can be your song or someone else's. - MARK

Michael: "I know it's only rock 'n roll but I like it." Jagger and Richards...pretty meaningful if you ask me...

Have you modeled your drumming after any particular drummer(s)? - CRAIG/HARRISBURG, PA

Ken: Ringo, Bobby Elliot (The Hollies), Hugh Grundy (The Zombies), Keith Moon and those cymbal-smashing mechanical monkeys.

How many guitars do you own and is there a special, lucky guitar? - BLAKE

Kristin: In the corral right now I've got three Gibson Les Pauls, a Gibson ES-355, a 1964 Gretsch Nashville, a Rickenbacker 12-string and a Jerry Jones electric sitar plus a few others. My current favorite is the 1957 reissue Gold Top Les Paul. It took a lot of work to get it right but now it's amazing sounding. Most of the recording I did with The Rooks was on my 1972 Les Paul Deluxe...that warhorse went through everything with me.

I notice that the band does not perform covers on any original Rooks records. Would you ever consider doing a cover on a future release? - CHET/BILLINGS, MONTANA

Michael: We hardly record as it is. I would hate to squander our fifteen minutes on doing someone else's work that has already been recorded. I'll leave that to the same five bands that turn up on every tribute album known to man.

You and Kristin really seem to have a bond. In your opinion, what is the most inspirational thing that Kristin brings to The Rooks? - SHELLY/BROOKLYN, NY

Michael: Certainly her love and dedication to our work. She really gets it and works tremendously hard to elevate what I hand over to her. Listen to "In A Pinwheel Spin" and you'll hear what I mean...listen to it all. She's somewhere, everywhere.

Was it hard to learn all of those classic Rooks songs and how closely do you keep it faithful to the recordings and how much of your own drumming style do you fit into them? - BRETT/WINTER HAVEN, FLA

Ken: At first, I tried my damndest to imitate my esteemed predecessors, but as we learn more original material, my own style is starting to creep in.

Many pop bands write lyrics that are fairly mediocre at best and I think Michael is at the top of the hill in this category. Do words mean anything to you and if so, how do you rate Michael's lyrics? Also, which Rooks song is your favorite lyrically? - GENE/MINNEAPOLIS

Kristin: Important...yes!!! They complete the musical picture. Michael blows my mind with some of the stuff he writes. He's scary. I have many favorites because I know personally what inspired him, so they have a special meaning to me and it makes it kind of fun. "Music Sound Sensation," "India," "War," "Trip"...and there's some from the very early days that are wild, intense and chilling...that no one's heard!

Are you a classically trained musician and are you into other genres of music like R&B, jazz or country? - DOUG/CAPE COD, MASS

Ken: I've never studied Haydn's hi-hat parts, so I guess I'm not classically trained. The older I get, however, the more I like different kinds of music, so long as it's done well.

Have you ever gotten writer's block and for how long? - CAREY/LOS ANGELES, CA

Michael: There are periods where I don't write but I'm not certain that I would call it a...or...MY writer's block. I like to use the analogy that writing is like a well that is filled with water. As you drink from the well, you lessen the water within it and in time the well becomes empty. I work from a song well and the more songs that I extract from it, the more empty it also becomes. During those periods of inaction, I like to think of it as the well taking time to fill up again from its source...wherever that is.

The Rooks have made great music and your guitar work is an important element. Do you ever get stuck for ideas when facing the task of having to make your guitar playing live up to the high quality of Michael's songs? - PHILLIP/WINNIPEG

Kristin: I never get stuck worrying about "the quality" of what I might come up with for Michael's songs...I love doing it! I know when I've hit on that wicked cool part or when I'm playing rubbish. I'm not intimidated by the material. Most of it really moves me and I usually can't wait to get my hands on it. Sure, sometimes I procrastinate, or I'm blocked or buggered up but I also have the other band members to bounce ideas off of and offer suggestions if I'm not sure whether something is working or not.

Is "From The Shelves Of Soundscape Studios" just a treat for the fans or will it win new converts to the cause? - MARTIN/ENGLAND

Ken: You tell me.

Michael: Well, it's a batch of outtakes. I'd rather one would seek out the issued tracks first...did you?

You've been in The Rooks for a long time. What is your favorite memory about being in the band? - TERRI/CINCINNATI, OH

Kristin: We were playing in this beer garden somewhere in rural Czech Republic. The place was crawling with excited teenagers there to see "a big band from New York City!" It seemed our appearance there was quite a big deal. The opening band took the stage and the crowd was merciless to them. After ten minutes, the audience drove them off the stage. I witnessed this from the back of the room and was mortified. I thought this crowd was going to eat us alive...I was terrified. The club owner was a bit frantic and rushed us on. We took the stage and the kids poured to the front smiling and dancing and calling to us. They were going crazy...these young guys were trying to kiss me...it was wild...great show...needless to say!

You write a lot of songs. Does it get harder over time to come up with fresh ideas to write about? - HEATHER/MIAMI, FLA

Michael: It becomes more difficult over time for me to write good songs. The ideas for lyrics are not the problem as I always use my surroundings for a kick-off. To marry those ideas with music that will hold up is always the trick and the worry. Listen...it's HARD to write music...for me anyway. How long is this interview...to the end of time???

How is the music of The Rooks different than other bands' music you've been involved in? - MARCI/BOSTON, MASS

Ken: We actually practice.

What do you think the typical Rooks fan is like? - MARTIN/ENGLAND

Kristin: ...A young girl...no...the typical Rooks fan probably loves beer, sports, their mums...and I don't think any of them are typical.

If you could hook up a VCR to your mind and record all of the events of your life onto one 350,000 hour tape, what would be the one five minute segment that you would want to keep rewinding and playing over and over again? - MARK

Michael: The five minutes just BEFORE this 350,000 minute interview started. I was thinking about you. Can I go now? I've gotta go see a man about a dog...