How long has the band had it's current line-up?
Since 1999.

How long has the band been together?
We met in college but didn't get serious until 1997. Things picked up considerably when Jordan joined the band in '99. Once everyone was out of school we started recording.

Who started the band?
We all kind of just came together. I knew Terry. Terry knew Carter, and they started playing guitar together. Scott played drums with our original bassist. Carter knew those guys, so eventually he and terry got together with them. I filled in for the singer role.

Where did the band start getting gigs?
In college. We started doing fraternity and sorority shows, backyard parties, mixers etc. When we got out of school, we started doing the same, hitting the college circuit pretty heavily in Virginia and up the east coast for a while, before moving on to clubs.

How are the songs written? What's the creative process?
Terry, Carter or Jordan will come up with a guitar part or idea for a song, and hash it out with the band. I write the lyrics and vocal melodies. We then put the two pieces together in our rehearsal space, which is the basement to the band house. Usually the music comes first and I take a CD of it and work out the themes, vocals and words on my own. Other times we will all riff on an idea in practice; the guys taking turns filling in some ideas to try. Sometimes I will sketch down some ideas during practice if they hit me at the time. "Wandrin' Around" was built around a drum beat Scott had. A lot of things are written while recording. It changes from song to song...

What are the band's influences?
Each of us has different musical influences, from classic rock to pop, jazz to jam, Celtic to bluegrass and roots.

I like Celtic music, bluegrass, but in smaller doses these days. As a kid, I grew up on too much Monkees and Beach Boys and Aha (some of the best lyrics out there), with adolescence spent on too much R.E.M., The Police & Sting, Nirvana, and Stone Roses. I like film scores. I am in need of time and money to pursue a lot of good music out there, but currently listen to some Strokes, David Gray, small doses of Coldplay & Radiohead, The Beatles, and Vanessa Daou.

Carter grew up with a lot of R.E.M., Phish and Bad Religion. Nowadays theres tons of different things on his radar: Brad Mehldau, David Grier, Danny Gatton, Uncle Tupelo, Bill Frisell, Pat Methany, Morphine, Mike Marshall, and Edgar Meyer.

Jordan grew up on Sting, Miles Davis, Barenaked Ladies, U2... while Terry favored Neil Young, AC/DC, The Pogues and The Chieftains.

Scott grew up on classic rock - Aerosmith, The Who, U2. In college, he was into Phish, Primus, 311, and the then "new" Seattle scene. These days, it's everything from Flaming Lips to Medeski, Martin & Wood, Fiona Apple to John Prine, Wilco, Yo La Tengo, Blink 182, Planet Drum, Calexico, Galactic, and The Roots.

Where do all the eclectic influences come from?
(ie: mandolin tin whistle, bodhran, cajon)
There's Celtic and bluegrass influence in there. The Cajon was just a cool thing to do for stripped down stuff. We don't want those influences to consume our music - we're a rock band, not a Celtic or bluegrass band - but they add a nice spirit to a lot of the music, which seems to sit well with some Carbon Leaf themes. It adds a fresh approach to what we do as a rock band.

How would you describe your sound?
It's good acoustic-based rock with some roots and pop influences.

How has your sound changed since you started playing together?
It's totally changed. And keeps changing. We started out writing kind of what we were hearing on the radio back in college. Luckily we were able to escape it. I hear some early stuff and just groan! But that's what it takes. It was more electric, heavier guitar alternative. Darker for sure. Some goofy harmonies and quirky ideas and themes.

What are your favorite places to perform?
Anywhere where there are people listening.

How have you developed your fan base?
What have you done to get to your current level?
Persisted. Devoted years to hard work. It takes time. We've just progressed little by little, playing for pockets of people and gaining fans one at the time. It really takes fans latching on to what you're doing and spreading the word. Bands need fans spreading the word. The internet is really helping a lot, and we've been encouraging people to burn our CDs, tape trade and file share to get the music to their friends. We always encourage people to buy it if they like it, but try it before you buy it. It's a good policy and creates a symbiotic relationship between and band and audience. One doesn't survive without the other, really. Bands can't always depend on massive air play, So word of mouth is key.

How did you get selected for the Coca-Cola New Music contest?
Dick Clark Communications came up with the contest. We uploaded 3 songs (The Boxer, Wandrin' Around & Shine) to their site. Over 800 bands entered. They narrowed it down to 50, then 10, then 3, then...us! You had to be unsigned. The winner got to play on the american music awards in front of 100 million people worldwide and received the first annual Coca-Cola New Music Award for '01.

What was the competition like?
It was stretched out over 8 months from entering to performing on the AMAS, but it still felt like a whirlwind. We met some great people whom we'll keep in contact with for years to come, I'm sure. The other bands were great, as were the people from Coke, Dick Clark Communications and CMJ, which were the sponsors and creators of the New Music Award.

Did you feel confident about your chances of winning?
I felt we had as strong a chance at winning as any of the other bands. It would come down to the judges taste, ultimately.

What is Dick Clark like?
Dick Clark was down-to-earth, funny, very hands-on and enthused. You can tell he loves what he does.