+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Hi Jona! Hi Mark! If you search for 'YACHT' on the internet many of the results involve Yacht clubs, how does it feel to have so many fans with clubs and websites dedicated to you? (even Cardiff has it's own YACHT club so presumably there should be a great turnout at the gig) We couldn't feel more honored with the amount of YACHT clubs popping up around the world since we've been a band. I think the rise in popularity of these clubs comes from Claire officially joining the band this year, and/or our recent signing to DFA Records. Our only concern is that these clubs seem to consist of a pretty specific demographic (rich people). We have a firm stance on being a band both for and by the people, no matter class, creed, race, or sex. We're planning on creating some sort of infrastructure to rework these clubs from the inside out to make them more friendly, liberal, and most of all, grunge. What have you been doing today? Presently we're in England and we've been driving on left for the second time in our history. It's much more of a stressful nightmare than we had expected. Today we drove from the Creamfields Festival where we played yesterday to a small place I've already forgotten the name of... Claire is half-British and has a very nice aunt here. There is a dog named Alf and great Wifi. Tomorrow we play Sheffield. What is your favourite website in the world? http://www.urbanhonking.com is the greatest website in the history of webbies. Right now it's in a very weird transitional space, but man is it good. Two friends of mine and I made this site in 2001 and it's grown into some sort of monster. It's basically a network of blogs and breeding ground for all kinds of different community based projects that don't fit anywhere else in our lives. For instance, we created three seasons of an online reality show called THE ULTIMATE BLOGGER which is still the biggest project I've ever done to date. Another example is a project we just finished where seven friends only ate seven single ingredients (of their choosing) for seven days. I only lasted one day. I like coffee (I'm addicted to coffee) and it wasn't on my list. The last American based bands we had playing at a Shape Function didn't know Wales had it's own language (Welsh). Wyt ti'n siarad Cymraeg? I KNEW. I played in Cardiff while drumming for Devendra Banhart and I learned a little bit about Wales! I don't know what you typed... I didn't learn that much and I can't find a translator on the interwebs! My Dreamcast has stopped loading games at the exact same time as my local 'cash generator' (pawn shop) had a new shipment of rucks of Dreamcast games priced at £2. What is the most annoying thing that has ever happened to you? Google Maps keeps fucking up directions here in England. We don't have roundabouts in the US and there are hardly ever street signs. THIS SHIT IS FRUSTRATING. I guess that's what we get for doing nearly-literally everything ourselves. On your press release it says that last year you played in 17 different countries. Are you expecting Wales to blow your mind? I ALREADY KNOW IT WILL. Have you ever played in Berlin? I was just there for a week and thought it was a great city. Yup. I played in Berlin three times last year, one of which was a really great release party for a compilation CD/book by the artist David Shrigley called "Worried Noodles." David Shrigley made a lyric book to songs that didn't exist and then artists ranging from David Byrne to the Dirty Projectors to YACHT to Mount Eerie wrote songs using the lyrics. I've been a fan of David Shrigley for a while and when I met him at the release party in Berlin I totally blushed... hard. I'm starting a new job on the same day as the gig in Cardiff, is it ok if I meet you at about 6 o'clock or after sound check? Yes. Thanks for asking! Love, Jona