David: This should answer your question. Here's our tentative track listing:

1. "Hesitation Eyes"
2. "What You're Waiting For"
3. "Terror on the Tarmac"
4. "I'm Always"
5. "Lazy Librarian's Son"
6. "This Heart of Mine"
7. "Bending Back"
8. "The Saddest Song"
9. "Everything Changes"
10. "I'm Still in Love"

We've written the songs long distance and e-mail has been nice this go round. We both sent each other cassettes full of possible songs then the other guy tweaked them into perfection. We plan to do the recording together over a long weekend.

I'm really enjoying the free MP3s cover album at your website. If you were to put together another collection, what artists would you cover?

David: Not a lot of thought went into that album. It was just kinda spontaneous while obviously silly and fun. Here's a short list of current faves: J. Lo, Garfunkel, Smokey Robinson, [Nashville band] Joe, Marc's Brother, Badfinger, Incubus (though Jerry would never allow this).

Jerry: Thanks, I think it's a good collection of songs. It's hard to pick songs, especially by bands you like, because you don't want to be disrespectful or corny or clever in an annoying way. I think David's taken a try at the Destiny's Child song "Say My Name," but he wasn't happy with it. Maybe a Jayhawks song? I'm not sure.

How did you get hooked up with your label, American Pop Project?

David: I think Mel C. from Am-Pop heard our "Silver Leaves" 7-inch on the Berkeley college [radio] station. One thing led to another and we've put out two albums on his label.

Jerry: I'm not clear on how Mel at American Pop Project heard of us. In 1998 David and I released a 7-inch single called "The Silver Leaves," and I think Mel somehow obtained a copy or heard us on college radio. It's a strange relationship because while we've put out two records on Am-Pop, we've never met the guy. It works out well, though.

What albums have you two been listening to lately?

Nashville bands: Joe, Marc's Brother, David Mead, Swan Dive, Jetpack.
Pop culture: Weezer, Coldplay, Guster, Blake Babies, Creeper Lagoon, Pete Yorn.
Old stuff: George Harrison, Simon & Garfunkel, [Brazilian bossa nova legend] Astrud Gilberto, [British Invasion duo] Peter & Gordon.

Jerry: I haven't been listening to much new music lately. On my MusicMatch jukebox on the computer is Wilco, Daniel Johnston, Centro-matic, Madonna.

David, what's on the horizon for the Luxury Liners? And while I'm sure there are a lot of gray areas and points of overlap, how do you distinguish between material for the Foxymorons and the Luxury Liners. I guess I'm wondering if there are different muses at work--i.e., how you separate them in your mind creatively--though, I don't mean to get too precious or pretentious about it.

David: Luxury Liners are still looking for someone (like an Am-Pop) to believe in us. We've been alt-country, '60s pop and now we're finally just a rock band. We put out an album--really just a collection of demos--last year, called Sound as Ever. The title was a nod to Gram Parsons. He used to sign his letters that way. We've since learned that the Australian band You Am I also titled an album that. Oh well. Our latest release, "The Believe," is a three-song enhanced disc that we've also used as a demo while looking for a label. No luck.

As far as keeping things separate, it used to be easier. Luxury Liners has the poppy girl/boy songs, and Foxymorons has the weird art songs. Lately the lines have been blurring. Now I try to decide who I'm writing for before I start. I keep a mental record of [which group] needs songs. Right now, the Luxury Liners need songs so my head will be filled with Luxury Liner vibes as I write. Each band also gets a chance at the other band's rejects. Luxury Liners never got a song called "Baby Blue" to work for us, so I sent it to Jerry and he made it perfect. It ended up being a really strong track on Rodeo City.

So sometimes each band's members help me decipher who gets what. Both bands even recorded one song called "The Duke of Gloucester." Also, one of the first songs Jerry and I ever wrote was called "Blockbuster." Jerry hated it, but the Luxury Liners have played it for four years now. So the songwriting thing hasn't been a problem yet.

Jerry: I don't really dislike the song, but it was one instance where I didn't think it was really a Foxymorons' song. I like hearing the Luxury Liners play it, though. Maybe I should give it another listen.

I'd be remiss if I didn't ask you about Flickerstick, that band that won VH1's Bands on the Run. You shared the bill with them, right? Any sign of the lofty heights they would reach? Did they try to fight you?

David: The Foxymorons opened for them in December just before the show had aired. The Dallas media had already dissed them pretty bad so we didn't even talk to them. I just assumed we wouldn't get along. Luxury Liners then played with them in Nashville about a month before they won the show. I don't have VH1 so I had no preconceived notions, except that I learned I'm not a fan of their music in December. [But this time,] we actually had a good time chatting before the show, so I don't have anything bad to say about them. Rex and I even talked about cool indie bands and Texas. Oh yeah, and I've seen the show now and I'm relieved someone acted like crazy rock star fools.

Booze, fights, cussing, and women: that's what I imagine Gram Parsons and the Rolling Stones doing. Rock-n-roll!

Jerry: Flickerstick. It's too easy to take a shot at that band. They never said anything to us. God Bless them.

And God Bless the Foxymorons... Good night.

On the web:
Foxymorons