On the back of the fantastic indie power pop album Telekinesis!, we talked to Michael Benjamin Lerner about his travel plans and how the record came together…

How did the association with Death Cab For Cutie’s Chris Walla come about?
I met Chris initially through my good friend Jason McGerr, who plays drums in Death Cab for Cutie. I had only met Chris briefly backstage after a couple of their shows, but randomly got a message from him on my myspace that said that he had listened to the songs I had up there, and that he really liked it. I was obviously pretty excited about this! The next show we went to, which was the first show of their Narrow Stairs tour, Chris approached me afterwards and said, “Hey, I want to make your record. What do you think?”. I was pretty excited about this prospect, and was even more excited by his excitement. And that’s how he came to make this record with me.

With geography as a theme of sorts on the album, where is one place you have never visited but would love to?
There is a song on the record called ‘Tokyo’ which is about wanting to visit there very badly. I’ve never been. It is just one of those places that looks so totally and completely different from anything that I’ve ever known. It looks like such an amazing city, with all the neon lights, and giant crosswalks in Shibuya, and super extra strange little trinkets. And sushi! Sushi is one of my all time favorite foods, and I bet my favorite Sushi restaurant in Seattle is nothing compared to all the sushi you can eat there. It sounds like an incredibly amazing place to visit.

What other bands/musical projects have you been involved with prior to Telekinesis? Well, I started out playing drums. I’ve played drums for ten years now, I think. I remember joining my first band at a very early age, and started playing gigs at bars in Seattle when I was 15 years old. That was fun! I played for some local bands in Seattle, Yesan Damen and Toy Gun, as well as lots of others that even I can’t recall the names of anymore.
Do you think you would employ the same recording technique of a track per day, on future recordings?
I think definitely, if it feels like the right thing to do. I also think that it was just something that happened, definitely not something that we consciously set out to do. I think listening back now, there’s quite an immediacy to some of the recordings, which is probably due to the speed and manner in which they recorded. So, on the next go around it could be cool to try something different. Maybe spend a little more time on each song.

How do the songs change when played with a live band vs your solo studio recordings?
It’s really amazing to have three ridiculously talented, lovely, and wonderful friends to tour a record that you made by yourself. it brings a whole new energy to the songs, and each time we play, something magical happens that could never be achieved when one person is making music. It’s a really incredible feeling to take this record out on the road, and it’d be impossible if it weren’t for David, Jonie, And Chris’s mega talent.

I hear a range of influences on the record, are you a fan of Big Star, Weezer, Red Kross?
Yes on Big Star and Weezer, I’ve never heard Red Kross, however. I feel like I must investigate that one now!

You play drums and sing live, do you prefer that to the guitar singing frontman role?
Oh yes! I feel like this is the best of both worlds for me. I never planned on being the ‘frontman’ in any band, I’ve always wanted to be a drummer. So, being able to do both at the same time is just icing on the cake. Plus, I feel like you have to play to your strengths, and guitar isn’t one of those for me. I feel like I can fumble through a recording, but live, not so much!

Your songs come across with energy and and an ‘up’ feel. Do they hide darker feelings for you?
No, not at all. I think all of it is pretty positive. It’s a record about distance, whether relationships and distance, travels and distance, I think it is all optimistic.

Have you talked about getting down to Australia/New Zealand at all in the near future?
It’s been mentioned! We would be psyched to come play shows in Australia and New Zealand.

Have you started thinking about the next Telekinesis album yetand if so what direction will it take?
Not so much. I guess I’ve been writing some songs, but mainly right now I’m very focused on touring behind this record, and giving it our best go!

‘Telekinesis!’ is out now on Rogue Records through Inertia