by: Linda Romanello

For 10,000 Maniacs, you could say that what was once old is new again. After three critically and commercially successful LP’s on Elektra Records, the band has rediscovered its musical roots and shared its findings with the release of Hope Chest.

The band recently passed through New York on a four-week promotional tour in support of Hope Chest. Steven Gustafson spoke to “It’s Hip” backstage at CW Post University, in Brookville, Long Island, before that night’s performance.

Q: Although Hope Chest is the band’s new LP, the material on it is from earlier recordings?

A: Yes. Well, we recorded those albums in Fredonia State University for a student project. We hooked up with some students and borrowed money from friends and family, pressed 1,000 copies and sold them out of our van. When we signed with Elektra Records, they decided to pull them off the market and we’ve just been waiting for the opportunity to release them for a lot of our fans who’ve been anxious to hear that stuff.

Q: How do you feel about the material?

A: We’re all pretty proud of it. I think our fans are going to be able to appreciate a little bit more where we started, how we started, at least musically. Maybe even how the band has evolved a little bit.

Q: What about the band’s name?

A: That’s was kind of a mistake too. We were doing a Halloween party in our hometown and we took it from a list of names. We kind of put our heads together and thought it would be funny for a Halloween show and it stuck. (laughs) We wanted to alienate certain people in our hometown. There were a lot of Top 40 cover bands and we didn’t think that those people who like that music would like us so we wanted to let them know, ‘you aren’t going to like us, don’t even bother!’ (laughs)

Q: What would you like to see as the band’s future?

A: I’d like to see it last for a few more years and continue to write good music.

Q: How do you account for the band’s unique sound?

A: Well, I think it’s the way the individual people in the band approach their instruments. And it’s the approach that we took from the very beginning. My guitar player has a very different, unique style and I think Natalie does also. When we started, we really didn’t want to try and sound like anything, it was just the way the music happened. It’s still that way. It just happens by mistake almost.

Q: What are some of the subjects appearing thoughout the LP?

A: There’s a song about a girl with multiple personalities, something about Agent Orange, chemical warfare, Natalie’s grandparent’s - I guess about everyone’s grandparents.

Q: What do you think are some of the more important issues that you sing about?