BWF: How did you guys all get together?

Esfand: Basically, I wanted to start a band- it's as easy as that. I did a couple of different solo albums on my own, trying to get something going. At some point I knew that I'd have to start playing the stuff live, just doing it in the studio didn't work out, so I went online looking for a band and Justin answered an ad that I put up at Craig's List. And I think it was the first time that we played together- for him he said he definitely wants to do it. From his playing, I couldn't say no either, so then he came into the picture.

Justin: We worked with a second guitarist with these big massive guitar solos and stuff, and we went though a whole bunch of bassists and none of it seemed to work so (we) really didn't have a band after awhile! We played a few shows and then we didn't have anything.

Andreas and I had grown up together, but fell out of touch for about...I dunno, four or five years and whatever- and I just got a phone call from him one day saying that he was in town and looking to play music so I said- oh, good thing you called because we need a bassist! And that was about it, he came right in and fit right in from the word go.

BWF: Before you guys solidified the lineup, did you have any other band names or has it always been "Landlord"?

Esfand: Actually we did start the band originally calling it: "Wall to Cascade"......

BWF: ...

Esfand: Yeah- you get that reaction of "...what? What was that?" (laughs) Everybody was like: "Wall to what??" And what happened was it's: "Wall TO Cascade", but everyone thought it was "Walter Cascade". So after shows, they would come up to me and they would go: "Hey Walter, that was pretty tight." And at that point we knew that it wasn't the right name really. And actually what happened after our lineup change, we decided to change our name to Landlord.

BWF: Why Landlord?

Esfand: Well actually- it's interesting you say...We all have different perspectives of what Landlord means, and the first person to suggest it was Justin, so I'll let him tell you why he picked it-

Justin: I was driving...We had finished a long rehearsal, we got done at around like 12 or 1 in the morning, it was a good hour-plus ride home, and I was so wrought out and was just listening to a song on the radio- I was listening to Landlord by The Police and I thought, man that'd be a great band name! It's a great tune, it was one of the first songs they recorded together, and I always thought that we had that sort of an energy about us, so to be able to use that for a band name was appropriate too, given what Esfand writes a lot of the songs about, so it seemed to fit. And I called him and left him about 5 voicemails saying over and over: "LaaandLOORRRD! The band will be LANDLOORRD!" (everyone laughs)

Andres: ...I came into the band when it was already Landlord, it was a really cool name. (laughs) I can't come in and say: "let's change it to something else!" You know?

BWF: You joined because of the name!

Esfand: Yeah, he joined because of "Landlord"

Justin: And he kept his mouth shut! (everyone laughs)

Esfand: Well, I see a two dimensional side of it- one is The Police name, it's driven, it kinda describes our sound. (Another) one- it's the whole idea behind the landlord and a lot of stuff that we write about, it kinda defines every individual as a landlord, really. We OWN objects, things- we ARE their landlord in a way, and when we think about our landlords, it's such a feel because obviously they let us down in one aspect or another...(And) if those objects had voices, they would probably look at us (and have) that type of negative feeling of a landlord as well. So it has that double meaning for me...if that makes...any sense! (everyone laughs)

...more