This interview was ridiculous. It was one of our greatest interviews and consequently one of our worst. It was 50 minutes long and so out of this world we had no idea what to do with it. (that is why it was bad).

The interview took place back in August and we have been trying to come up with a suitable way to showcase it. The Year Long Disaster has toured Europe, done a state side tour with Motorhead, and aged about 50 years in dog years. We had weekly meetings to discuss how to tackle this.

Would we take three minute portions and animate it? Would we turn the audio into video segments? Would we re-enact this on stage with professional players? All these ideas were kicked around and eventually we settled on, cutting the audio into five parts and transcribing them. So for the next three weeks we will bring you our interview with the Year Long Disaster's Rich Mullins.

BnR: How was it recording your self titled album? Was it easy to record? How was the process?

Rich: It was pretty easy. We were working with Jim Waters. The guy is hilarious and fun. He is pretty easy to trust. You never know what you are going to get. We just sat back and did it live; basically playing a show. We had a couple little overdubs once in a while.

BnR: Do you also write music that way? All musicians in the same room together?

Rich: I'll write the music and then bring it to practice. Then the three of us start hashing it out and see what works. That is how we put it together. Then Dan adds the vocals. It is a little bit different than that.

BnR: When you are writing, do you find it easier to sit down at a desk or do things come to you when you are on tour? How do you write?

Rich: I get them all the time. I will get a drum beat that I really want to explore. You just get a feel of a song that I want. Then I'll construct a riff melodically around the feel and then see where that goes from there. Usually whenever I have my guitar on is when it happens.

BnR: We were talking to Metal Mike from Sebastian Bach's band. He has to sit down and schedule time to write, do you have time to schedule to write down stuff?

Rich: I think when things are going right. I am on the road 300 days out of the year, you just have to let shit happen. You can't be like "You know I am in Kansas City next week I am going to stay at the hotel room and write."

BnR: What is your favorite song on the album?

Rich: I switch back and forth. I think right now I still really like Per Qualche. I think that riff is pretty killer.

BnR: Which one do you love playing live? Obviously it changes, but right now what is it?

Rich: Leda Atomica goes over well. I wish we were recording the record now because we had only had that song a little while when we recorded it. And to get it dynamically where it is at, it is really killer live.

BnR: I think you are going to Europe shortly. Who are you touring with over there?

Rich: We are doing seven festivals and Metallica is playing two of those festivals with us. I guess one of the festivals REM and the Flaming Lips are headlining. But then we are doing our own shows with a band called Clutch. And we are doing shows with a band called Avenged Sevenfold. And then doing a few shows with a band called Thrice.

BnR: I know you have toured Europe before, do you like touring Europe or America more?

Rich: I like them both honestly. It just depends on the tour and what is going on. You don't want to be in Minnesota in January. That isn't fun. Same thing, you don't necessarily want to be in Sweden in Feburary. It really depends. Globally people are very similiar. Although, to be honest, Spain is the best country to tour.

BnR: Oh? You have some good stories from Spain?

Rich: Oh you know, everybody's got stories. They all involve Kentucky Fried Chicken and Champagne.

BnR: Well Kentucky Fried Chicken in Spain, that's got to be interesting. So who has been the best to tour with? I know you have toured with the Foo Fighters, Pantera, and Metallica. Overall, who has been your favorite?

Rich: In this band, we toured with Velvet Revolver, Turbonegro, Foo Fighters, Dropkick Murphys, Clutch, The Sword. Those are a few. We did some shows with The Cult that I loved. Every band is so different and you have different moments of fun. I think the Foo Fighters are the funnest. Dave Grohl is out of control. He is hilarious.

BnR: They seem like a really fun band to tour with.

Rich: They are. I can tell you right now.

BnR: We haven't been lucky to witness the brillance of a Year Long Disaster live show. What could one expect?  Should I wear a poncho?

Rich: Yes, bring a super soaker and a poncho. It goes back to the way rock n' roll should be played. It is totally an old school rock band.

BnR: I am tired of these ingrateful rockstars that just stand up there and play for themselves.

Rich: Oh god, with the hot haircut and the eyeliner?

BnR: Exactly and the tight jeans.

Rich: Here is the word, ready? Calculated Faggotry!

BnR: Where they announce through the press that they kissed a member of the same sex just to be cool.

Rich: Exactly, that is just stupid. It is cool to be gay. Back in the day, gay people had really kick ass bands, Judas Priest, Van Halen. [laughs] Embrace it! It makes it better.

BnR: With the album you have started to gain a lot of notriarity. Has Volcom started paying you in socks?

Rich: Yes, we moved up to tee shirts and I think we received a coat last week. Originally, we were paid entirely in wristbands.

BnR: You gotta be paid somehow.

Rich: Yea I think we got a whole bunch of clothes that no longer fit Ryan Sheckler.

BnR: You have gotten acclaim from Yahoo and Rolling Stone. Do you care what the critics say?

Rich: No. Then you have to believe the fad. AC/DC did the coolest thing when reissued all their old records on CD. Inside each one they have the Rolling Stone review of Highway to Hell. Rolling Stone gave it no stars and said "it was a new low in rock n roll." That is the greatest rock album ever written. People are then and even now not realize what is going on in front of them.

BnR: You don't have to get us started on what we think of Rolling Stone Magazine.

Rich: Yea, exactly. You just can't buy that stuff. We just had a magazine called Magnet tore us apart and the guy never even listened to us. He just assumed that Daniel being the son of Dave Davies we were riding off the favors of people. Daniel hasn't lived with his father since he was 13. They have no idea. I met the guy, he couldn't even get a job at a grocery store.

BnR: Which version of Smokin' In the Boys Room do you prefer? Motley Crue's version or the original version by Brownsville Station?

Rich: I believe the Brownsville much more than I believe Motley Crue. I believe they were just so high and so out of ideas of what to do. They were just like 'we need a hit man.' But that is cool.

Yes, that may seem tame and just like a normal interview, but I assure you we were just warming up. Come back Friday for Part 2 of our Year Long Disaster interview.

Audio can be heard below. It takes a moment to load.