Mark Mulcahy Interview

(Interview conducted in 1999)

1.How are you? How are the Polaris record sales going so far?

I am doing real well, thanks. Sales are going really well which accounts for me not being able to do this earlier.

2.What are Scot and Dave (Jersey and Harris) currently up to?

Scott and Dave are very busy almost year round playing with Frank Black. He has a new record out and they are going on tour in Europe soon. If you go to the show remember to yell Polaris at the quietest moments, or maybe yell Jersey and Harris.

3.Why did it take so long for the Polaris album to be released. Was there a lot of demand from Pete and Pete fans over the last few years?

The reason it took so long to put this record out is because Nickelodeon had first chance at it. They put their records out through Sony and through Rhino, but neither ever picked up the Polaris record. They do mostly "animation-driven" music. Polaris is the real thing, superstar rocket fueled reality. So after a year I was able to get the permissions from up above. The next step was talk to Mezzotint, so I started talking to myself. I gathered the Mezzotint braintrust: Elsa, Tim Swan, and I did some remixing with T-Buck. I did a lot of research for the cover and pretty soon voila! C'est bon. It is complete.

4.  How did you land the job doing music for Pete and Pete.

Will Mcrobb is a big Miracle Legion fan and he asked us to do the music. Since Mr Ray wasn't available at the time we needed a new name and voila...POLARIS. And so we did one year and it worked out, and so two years....three years...and now the CD and who knows what will happen now with Polaris.

5. Did you enjoy this experience (for instance your guest appearance on the show)?

What a question, who wouldn't enjoy being on the greatest show on earth!!!!

6. Have you had any response from anybody associated with Pete and Pete about your new album?

I've only spoken with Will who thinks its out of this world and "Teddy" (Foresman - Dave Martel) and Teddy says its Krebstariffic. Everybody at Nickelodeon thinks its a smash.

7. Will Polaris be doing any gigs together (any outside the US like you did with the Unbelievable Truth)?

Well, we have never actually played an official gig. I guess if the record does pretty well we will try and do some kind of tour, maybe this summer. If anybody has any gigs they can write or email us at Mezzotint. We really want to play but we just don't know where.

8. Where do the names Jersey, Muggy and Harris come from?

Those are our tv names.

9. Why did you set up the Mezzotint label - have things run more smoothly for you now you're on your own label?

I wish I had started Mezzotint a long time ago. It has been really great so far. The first Miracle Legion record was on a label called INCAS which was a sort of co-operative independent from CT, and Mezzotint feels a lot like that did. I like being able to release records when I want to. If you are on a big label it can be great too, but it has its own set of problems. Either way has its own successes and difficulties, and right now I am happy to be in control of what i'm doing. Viva Mezzotint! Viva Elsa!

10. What's your favourite song you've written (and do you have a worst)?

There is a song on Portrait of a Damaged Family called "Screamin". Whenever I hear it I am surprised I wrote it. It's very mature isn't it? Also "storyteller" and every inch of the Pete record. My least favorite song i've written? I don't like to put myself down. They are all my little buddies, so I don't want to say anything bad about them.

11. What music are you currently listening to?

Rufus Wainwright, Wilco-Billy Bragg, Spongefinger, Chris Harford, Orange Juice.

12. If you weren't a musician now, what might you be doing instead?

A U.N. translator

13. What's the future for Polaris, Miracle Legion, yourself as a solo performer and Mezzotint as a whole?

Regarding it all, Mezzotint etc.. I suppose I'll keep putting out records and going on tour. Mezzotint is putting out the Butterflies of Love record on May 1st and I'll be releasing a new solo record real soon. I'm not sure about Miracle Legion.

(Drum roll, please...)

14. And finally, the biggy, what is the third line to Hey Sandy?

Thanks for asking ...

A huge thanks to Mark for answering our questions.