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1.) We’re happy to give a warm New Year’s welcome… how is the brand-spanking New Year finding you and yours?
Quiet, mostly. For the moment. The record is finally out, and that’s surreal on its own. It’s that feeling you get after the tide of adrenaline goes out—then it’s the holidays, then back from that, and suddenly it’s January and I have the flu. But I’m smiling the whole time.
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2.) Can you talk about what inspired Battle Cat?
It started post-divorce. I felt like I was well below zero—emotionally, financially, just across the board. It was scary, but it was also freeing in a strange way. I didn’t set out to make a whole record. I could only move forward in five-minute increments at that point.
I did know that recording demos on my own was something I was capable of, and in times like that my biggest superpower has always been stubborn indignation in the face of what I perceive as underestimation. My younger brother lent me his traveling recording gear from when he was working long stints in the oil patch in North Dakota. He’s always been good at suggesting something I didn’t know I needed—he’s very true-blue.
Anyway, I taught myself to use this M Box 2 on an old Mac Mini, and next thing I knew it was three in the morning and I was recording a million hand-clap tracks with my cats staring at me like I was completely nuts.
I was feeling stuck and lost in translation, and I knew that if I buckled down and started tracking demos, I could at least express myself and begin to work my way out of that place.
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3.) What was it like collaborating with producer Jeremy Ylvisaker on Battle Cat?
I’ve known Jeremy for decades—our dads were best friends. He spent time at my parents’ farm south of Mandan, where I grew up, working on musical projects with his dad while I was already living in the Twin Cities. I’ve also done musical work for his dad here.
Years later, Jeremy asked me to sing lead in a band he dreamed up called 2 Fast 4 The Devil, a really fun tribute to the first two Mötley Crüe records. There was also an original doom metal band, DoomChild, another one of his brainchildren, where I played guitar and sang.
During all of that, I started playing him demos as I made them. Before long, it became something we both began to invest more in. I knew I didn’t want the limitations that come with being the only person working on a project, and I also knew I trusted him—his aesthetic, his taste, and the fact that he genuinely cares about the work.
He’s someone I’d bet on to make things better every time. He’s authentic, honest, and he doesn’t half-ass anything or blow smoke.
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4.) What’s the origin story behind “Hard to Leave”?
First of all—zing! Thank you. And, oh boy… who’s asking, and who sent you?
Honestly, it started as a silly, slightly coy play on words that I just decided to lean into. This is a song that really benefited from Jeremy in the producer role. He was the one who first used the word “coy” to describe the lyrics, and that ended up informing the direction we took with it.
His guitar solo is just massive, and it completely sealed the deal for me.
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5.) What’s the trick to pulling off a great cover like “Be My Baby”?
Thank you—that really means a lot. I’ve loved that song forever, and it’s not something you try to improve on. For me, covering a song like that—one I’ve always loved—almost feels like a form of worship. It’s an actual tribute.
I originally recorded the demo just as a project for myself—an indulgence, really. We didn’t dress it up. We let it be what it is.
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6.) How is Battle Cat similar to Patchwork Story? How is it different?
This one is hard for me because we’re talking about decades apart. There are obviously stylistic differences, and a lot of that is informed by life and by the times—different eras, really.
What feels similar, though, is that I’ve always been more interested in the act of making the music than in the outcome. At this point, I don’t try to see very far down the road. I’ve learned that we don’t really have control over what’s coming next, and pretending otherwise doesn’t help.
What I do know is that with each record, I’ve done the most honest and authentic version of my original music that I was capable of at the time. That part has stayed consistent.
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7.) Can fans expect to catch you touring or performing?
Yes. I’ll be playing shows in support of Battle Cat. I’m taking a measured approach, but performing is a big part of how these songs come alive.
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8.) If hard-pressed, how would you define your music?
First of all, thank you. The reason you hear bits of all of that is because I honestly have been, and continue to be, in very different kinds of bands—everything from traditional country to, as mentioned earlier, early Mötley Crüe.
I tend to skirt this question every time, not because I can’t answer it, but because I don’t want parameters. There’s no box in my mind. I don’t want anyone listening with prerequisites, even though I understand why the question gets asked.
I think your assessment is fair, and you’ve clearly spent time with the record. Where do you think the genre dart lands? If I had to define it, I’d say it’s genre-fluid.
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9.) Can you introduce the backing musicians who helped make Battle Cat?
I’ll never be able to overstate how humbling this part is for me. I’m genuinely grateful to be surrounded by this loving, slightly out-of-control, ridiculously talented group of people. They’re real stars. I don’t know how this happened, but I often think of that line from The Sound of Music—“somewhere in my youth or childhood, I must have done something good.” I’m always pinching myself, and I never take these people for granted.
On the recording side, Battle Cat was produced by Jeremy Ylvisaker and me, with Jason Rosenberg as executive producer. I handled vocals, guitars, percussion, and organ. Janey Winterbauer provided backup vocals. Jeremy played guitars, bass, keyboards, and percussion. Drums were played by Noah Levy and recorded by Jon Herchert at Deck Night Studio. Everything else was recorded by Jeremy and me. The record was mixed by Adam Krinsky at Bellows and mastered by Huntley Miller at HM Mastering. Photography was done by Shelly Mosman.
The live band includes me on vocals (no instrument at the moment as I’m healing from a three-level neck fusion), Janey Winterbauer on vocals, Jeremy Ylvisaker on guitar and vocals, Joel Schaan on guitar and vocals, Randy Kramer on drums, and Steve Murray on bass.
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10.) At the end of the day, what do you hope listeners walk away with after listening to Battle Cat?
I hope it keeps people company for a while. If someone finds a song that meets them where they are, that’s enough for me.
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