"Hey, guys! Come on in." I say as I'm quickly getting up to shake their hands. We all exchange greetings and I decide it's a good time to start asking some long-awaited questions.

What instruments do all of you play? Have there been any changes from Ella Thorn and the Roses?

Annie

: "Should I go first?" Annie giggles.

Interviewer

: "Go for it!"

Annie

: "Okay, so I switched from playing an electric guitar like in 'The Roses' to an acoustic guitar. It just felt better in my hands and in my soul. You know what I mean? Or is that just strange?" She giggles again.

Interviewer

: "But you've also changed your sound, haven't you? So it just makes sense to switch to acoustic."

Janice

: "It also works better at home, Annie's mother was a little scared of the electric guitar." Janice laughs.

Joe

: "I still play the drums if anyone cares." Joe laughs.

Janice

: "Joe wait your turn." Janice whispers to Joe mockingly. "And I still play keyboard but it's been a lot harder going from 5 musicians to 3 since we also had a bass guitar and another electric guitar so it's got a whole different dynamic to it."

Would you consider yourself the same band after the split?

Annie

,

Joe

 and

Janice

 look to each other for thoughts.

Annie

: "Nah, I wouldn't really consider us the same band, we have such different sounds already and the whole atmosphere is so unique. It's just a different band with a few of the same faces, like in some alternate reality where 'The Roses' never happened."

Interviewer

: "Fair point."

Why did you three choose to stick together?

Joe

: "We've just known each other for so long and we didn't have any bad blood between us so what's the point in finding new people? We knew what it would be like to work with each other since we had done it for 3 years previously and we were all bored of the rock sounding vibe."

There was no bad blood after the breakup?

Joe

: "Well... When I say no bad blood I mean between Annie, Janice and I. Ella and Pete had a bit of a row with us which basically ended the band." Joe pauses. "God, Ella and Pete might kill me for saying that."

Interviewer

: "The truth must come out."

Joe

: "Yeah, I suppose but this being our first interview since 'Short Story Long' we might end up telling our whole life story." Joe laughs.

Can you describe any of your new songs?

Janice

: "Title by title?" Janice looks to Annie and Joe. "That might be a little risky, but, hey! I love risk."

Annie

: "'Sleepless Origins' is the first track and it's got that feeling where you've just woken up but your bed is still warm and it's the best thing ever so you don't wanna get up."

Joe

: "Probably because you spent the whole song writing from your bed."

Annie

: "As I said, you don't wanna get up."

Janice

: "The second track is 'Metal Chairs' which was written around the theme of an old peaceful milkshake place, or I suppose diner, and it has a lyric which goes, 'slippery hands, cold to the touch. Never felt such a rush' which was just me thinking about milkshakes at the time" Janice pauses to grin. "Man, I love milkshakes."
We all laugh.

Joe

: "I suppose I'll give you a track I wrote. 'Broken Spine' was a track I wrote about the need to get back up even if you feel broken down. Just pick yourself back up and do it well, do it with confidence. Cause, heck, there is only one time to do things and that's now. I know this will sound a tad cheesy but think of life as one big experiment because it is. Every decision is an experiment. Will I get yelled at for saying this? What will happen if I eat that? We might even be sitting on an alien's desk right now for a school project."

Annie

: "What grade do you think the alien got?"

Joe

: "A B-." Everyone laughs.

Interviewer

: Anymore?

Janice

: "Nooo, we shouldn't. We already gave you three titles." Janice smiles as she reaches for her phone. "Do you think our label will mind if I just..." Janice proceeds to then play 3 seconds of one of their new songs. Which one? We don't know but it sounded really nice and peaceful to us.

Annie

: "Opps."

Joe

: "'Opps', is right." Joe laughs.

Interviewer

: "Well you better be off before you leak the whole album!"

Janice

: "Oh, they won't mind." Janice winks before standing up and shaking my hand.

Joe

: "One interview down, 2 million to go." Joe and then Annie shakes my hand goodbye as they all depart my office.