J:When and what made you pick up the bass? Was it any one record or just a matter of there's a bass in the corner can you try to play this?

Lee: well my dad had played bass in a few bands that never really did much but he was good at it and so i always enjoyed watching him play. the basses were around the house and stuff but he sold his gear years before i started playing.

J:What kind of bass's and amp's have you used in your time with the set?

Lee: i have had myriad set-ups in the set and all of them were pretty thrown together. i finally managed to get a pretty decent small set-up together (gk800 head/swr 2x10 cab) and that was stolen but i didn't have to pay to replace it so now i have an swr350 head and a newer swr 2x10 cab. it's good and has never failed me. i also have an swr 8x8 cab that i just had repaired. that is not for set use but i'm glad to have to mix it up a little.

J: When I was talking with you at SXSW we got into a discussion about Fugazi . You said they had a infulence on you. What album really hits home for you and why? Any good stories of you crowd surfing at one of their concert's?

Lee: i have never really managed to get into red medicine for some reason but other than that any and all fugazi will do just fine. fugazi was one of the first bands that kind of bridged the really fast early 80's hardcore that i was totally in love with with the indie stuff that i would eventually get into. joe lally is just an amazing bassist and i was really struck by the movement of the parts because they had had their own melodies but were also kind of stark and rythmic too. the collection of the first two fugazi ep is my favorite release. the overall tone of those two ep's is pretty dark and in high school that did me just right.

J: Also at SXSW I noticed you had an X on both arms meaning you were straight edge? Was being exposed to Fugazi a infulence on the decision to live your life that way? Are there any words of wisdom you might give to younger kids that are thinking of changing their lifestyle?

Lee: well i'm not so sure the fugazi guys are straightedge one of them in particular is responsible for the phrase but anything beyond that is pure speculation because i have never met any of the members of the group with the exception of joe. i was simply never interested in drugs or alcohol. there was a professional skateboarder named tom knox that had a deck that had a clenched fist with an x on top of it (i'm fairly sure that it is almost exactly a youth of today graphic of some kind). i knew that i thought drinking and drugs were pretty boring in that it just seemed like what was expected of kids in junior high and high school, but when i read an interview with tom know he talked about straightedge and it just sounded like me. that just gave it a name and he talked about minor threat and a few weeks later i found the complete discography cd in a friends bothers room and snuck it home and was totally perplexed at what i was hearing. records like that usually end up being my favorites and this was no exception especially when i read the lyrics. perfect for me at that time. i can elaborate more on this is you want. hhhhmmm what would i say to kid making a lifestyle change? nothing i guess. i like the way i live. there are a great many people i know that were once straightedge that aren't anymore. i am still their friends but i don't feel any need to commune with fellow straightedge people especially because a large majority of that scene is fairly xenophobic and reactionary. it's also just become kind of like a reason for dudes who can't catch a football to hang out and act like steakheads together. not interested.

J:So What bands are you really into at this moment?

Lee:at the moment i'm enjoying mahjongg, my disco!, headphones. i have also been listening to alot of late 80's and early 90's english stuff again like stone roses, swervedriver, pale saints, and ride. thats was the stuff i listened to before hardcore and even during so. thats all i can think of right now but it's changes everyday you know?

J: When I was talking with Ken he made the comment that the set is a part time band so, what do you do in your spare time? For instance, work and night life? Do you have any hobbies?

Lee:i'm pretty boring. i lay pretty low when not playing. i read. i read comic books. i stay in most of the time. when the set was going full tilt i really got burnt on rock clubs so i try to stay out of them as much as possible. my roommate is a dj so i go watch him sometimes as i am totally astounded by his ability to manage so much stuff at one time. i like dance music but hate dancing.

J: When you played your show in philly for your with The album leaf, sean was on drums. It's also known that Ken has worked with Styrofoam and Ben Gibbard, Sean was also in The Long Winters and Craig was in Paul Newman. Have you worked with any other bands either as side projects or, just something to keep you busy when the band isent playing?

Lee: i have another band that i was playing with for awhile during the first set hiatus. it was laot of fun but i was basically everyone in the set except for ken and sean. it was a lot of fun and i hope to start doing it again after all this set touring is over.

J: The set has a pretty impressive back catalog and you guys are reaching your 6th record. If there was a "best of" released what songs would you hope to see on that record that you really enjoy playing or hearing.

Lee: i miss fool around alot. i know that ones is pretty new but it was fun to play because it was fast and slow at the same time. it used to scare me so i always like playing that song as well as hearing it. i think tom had a pretty good keyboard part on it that i never really picked up until recently. other than that we play the hits as far as i'm concerned. people always want aaron and maria. i can't remember if we have ever actually tried to play it a show. i know it has been practiced but it has been years so it hasn't been in the rotation recently you know. as for a greatest hits deal i'd like there to be kens demos attached to every song so you can hear how hot the originals are.