Silent Uproar: Have you noticed a change on this tour - especially since the release of your album last August and in the midst of all the hype?

Carlos D: The cities we are playing this time around are the cities we haven't played yet, so it's almost like it was in September. That's the whole idea of this little one-week thing, to make up for the fact that we haven't played the East Coast.

It's almost the same size venues, maybe a bit bigger since September. But, it's still the kind of crowd where it's like, "Oh, this is first that we're seeing you!" [We're] still getting stuff like that…

SU: Well, after Christmas break you are playing Letterman. Are you preparing yourself?

Carlos D: Yeah… I'm still trying to emotionally, mentally and psychologically prepare.

SU: I've heard it's cold in there when they record the show…

Carlos D: Yeah, I've heard that. I guess I'll bring gloves.

SU: I would venture to say that this is probably the most you've toured at any one time. Has it been exhausting or has this opportunity been something you've looked forward to?

Carlos D: Well, both. It's actually terribly, terribly exhausting. But, since the conditions are getting better, it's easier. For instance, there's time to sleep on the van. Before it was excruciating, and it was like day after day after day.

SU: So, when you get done, what's the best thing about going home to New York?

Carlos D: Oh, it feels so good to be home. Every moment is treasured and every moment is precious. It's great; it puts your home into a new perspective, because you don't see it as much. And, it's just such a different lifestyle, because you're always moving around; you're there for a night and you can't get to know anybody. Then, when you [go back home], you're all out of the loop and everyone has gone on with life. You still feel close to them, but at least your familiar enough with your surroundings. Yeah, it feels great [to be home]. I get very homesick when I'm on tour.

SU: In the middle of all that's been going on since you're album was released, you've managed to make two videos with Doug Aitken for "PDA" and "NYC". What are you're thoughts on the video making process?

Carlos D: It was fairly simply. We were flown to Toronto to do "PDA" and Los Angeles for "NYC". Both videos took a day to shoot and obviously there was a lot of editing for each. Have you see the PDA video?

SU: Yeah.

Carlos D: The "PDA" video is mostly animation type stuff…

SU: Both videos have a very interesting style. Did the band suggest any of those ideas?

Carlos D: We got a treatment and we were really impressed with the ideas and felt [Doug Aitken] was somehow in touch with the songs. So, we were fairly confident that we would like what would come out, and we were right both times.

We're all kind of film buffs and have some kind of consciousness about cinematics. For instance, we wanted to have a kind of 1984 feel for [PDA]. So, that was our suggestion.

SU: Any idea on a next single or if there will be one?

Carlos D: We would like to do something with "Obstacle 1," since it was just released as a single in the UK and Europe.

SU: Going back to "NYC": While it's a very nice change of pace, I'd say comparatively it's the black sheep on the album. With all that's happened in the past year or so, it's hard not to read post-9/11 messages into the song. I'm sure something else inspired the song…

Carlos D: Well, it was written almost a year or more before September 11th, so it really has nothing to do with it at all. It does have that anthemic quality, so it would make me think it's some kind of ode to New York. But, if you listen to the lyrics it is really more about disenchantment and alienation.

SU: "Say Hello To Angels" is pretty dreary lyrically, but it's the one of the most rhythmical songs on the album - especially with the breakdown. Is that kind of stark contrast also something you strive for when writing?

Carlos D: The Kinks were really good at that…

No, we don't really think about that because the lyrics get added on after the song is finished. So, when we write a song we don't think about any text ideas, it's all about the music. Then, it's up to Paul to write something. It's basically how he feels, so he doesn't write contrasting lyrics or anything.

SU: It's evident your overall sound and the vocals have attracted quite a few musical comparisons. What would you say have been comparisons that you're just tired of hearing?

Carlos D: Well, I'm sure you know which one we're tired hearing…

SU: Joy Division…

Carlos D: Yeah, since that's the one that we'll always hear about. We love that band, so it's not from embarrassment [that we're tired of hearing]. But, to the degree that people compare us to [Joy Division], it really confounds us. It's like, "Where are you coming?" It's just one band out of so many. There are a couple others that people harp on a lot, and I'm like, "Yeah, that's there too." However, there are so many others that people never get…

SU: For example?

Carlos D: Spiritualized. Any thing from Roxy Music to the Pixies… and Sam's a big Shellac fan. Yeah, so there you go…

SU: Not to say what dictates your creative expression are the magazines articles and album reviews, but will you purposely try to incorporate new ideas or influences on your next album - in an attempt to shake some of those comparisons? Or do you just have to have a "fuck it, who cares" mentality?

Carlos D: We'll that's how we do all our songs; whatever comes out comes out. And if we were to write songs based on those certain comparisons that would be giving too much credit to the people who are [them]. The whole idea is to just distance yourself and separate yourself from that. And really stay true to do what you want, as if you were isolation.

The new songs we do have are progressions from what we already have. But, they will still have the Interpol signature on them, cause they'll come out the same way.

SU: I've read that your writing process is very democratic; everyone inputs ideas. Have you had a chance to sit down and write any new material in the past year?

Carlos D: 3 or 4 songs…

SU: Have you had any chance to play them live?

Carlos D: No, not yet. I think we're going to premiere them in New York at the end of this month.

SU: Can you let us in on how they're going or what they sound like?

Carlos D: Yeah. Well there's one that's really slow and has this Lynchian, 50's doo-wap feel - very keyboard heavy, very different than anything we've done. And there are a couple others that you could see a similarity. Then, there's one really, really poppy one that's really, really short.

SU: Just to satisfy my own interest, are there any plans for Matador or Chemikal Undergroud to print up more of your FUKD I.D. EP given your recent success?

Carlos D: That's an idea, but we haven't really thought about it. So, there are no plans for anything like that…

SU: Since 2002 is winding down, what have you be listening to religiously over the past year? Not limited to albums released solely this year...

Carlos D: I DJ a whole bunch of post-punk, new wave and electronic type stuff, but I haven't had much time in contact with that recently - I haven't had time to spend. I really, really like the new Doves album, The Last Broadcast. Other than that, Neil Diamond and Metallica… Metallica because I used to listen to it a long time ago, when I was a metal head.

SU: It's good to go back sometimes…

Carlos D: Yeah, yeah! I bought Master of Puppets and was like, "I forgot how good this album is!" Then, I just heard some Neil Diamond songs on the radio, and I thought he was pretty good. So, I picked up his Greatest Hits. Just random shit…

SU: To wrap this up: any New Year's resolutions for 2003?

Carlos D: You know what, there was one, but I forgot. That would assume that I have more control over my life than I give myself credit for. Things are pretty out of control…