When Matt left Postman Syndrome and Day Without Dawn formed I obviously wanted to still make music with him, because the dude is the bomb. I had also been wanting to try to write music in a very different style, by writing the vocals along with the music, and even choosing chords around melody lines.

So in 2006 Matt and I formed a very short lived project that was going to be called Biclops actually, but since we only got together three times I didn't want to waste such a good band name, and I posthumously wound up calling the "band" Hanna Barbarian. It turns out there's a band or two with this name, who I'll avoid listening to so that I can pretend I'm the only one with good ideas (much like how I pretend that no one else came up with the idea of calling their band, character, or scientific apparatus Biclops).

For years I've been wanting to go back and finish these songs, especially Lasso which was basically done, but I've had more stuff on my plate. Oh well. Maybe one day if one of our main bands ever slows down.

It was fun though, just writing for the studio and not worrying about a preconceived idea of what our sound should be. I suppose the project was more my thing and I roped Matt into it. I was in a Ween and Beach Boys phase and I wanted to do quirky pop like that, but mixed with some of the, uh, post-prog, sure why not, that we usually play. I think it had potential. I enjoyed writing lyrics that were simultaneously stupid and bleak.

Lasso
Snowman

On Lasso I played drums, guitar, and sang the parts that, well if you remember that Matt can sing well it's obvious which parts I'm singing on (fortunately I've gotten at least a little better since 2006). Matt played guitar, and sang well.

Snowman is much less completed. The guitars were also recorded like ass. Still, I love Matt's backing harmonies. I can't believe he agreed to sing those lyrics. His guitar is on the left and mine is on the right. Pretend rocking drums and bass come in with the second riff and that the song doesn't end lamely like drunk sex after a fifth of jack.

-Chris