Trail Of Dead Enjoy Food, But Aren't Big On Contemporary Rock

Austin, Texas band ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead have built a career on bursting eardrums and busting instruments. Yet, away from the chaos, they're really just a bunch of hungry guys in search of a square meal.

"Believe it or not, I judge a lot of the cities we play by their food and the kind of restaurants they offer," band co-founder Conrad Keely says with a slight smirk. "For example, Toronto has a really good mix of cuisine, which I like — plenty of great Asian restaurants.

"Targeting some decent places to eat is really important to us, and normally a top priority in most of the places we play."

Trail Of Dead have been chowing down across North America recently in support of So Divided, their fifth full-length album and third release on a major label. The disc, which arrives on Tuesday, continues the more constrained approach introduced by 2005's Worlds Apart and trades the bluster of their earlier works in favour of more calmed tempos and skilled arrangements. The album definitely rocks, but also reflects the diverse listening habits of Keely and his bandmates, at least in terms of willingness to experiment with various sounds.

"On tour, we listen to a lot of country music and a lot of world music: Fela Kuti, Orchestra Baobab, The Carter Family, Townes Van Zandt, plus some of the older bands I've always enjoyed, like Genesis, Yes and Pink Floyd," says Keely. "Pretty much the only thing we don't listen to is contemporary rock music, believe it or not."

Hardened road warriors from the very start, much of Trail Of Dead's reputation has been built on the road with early gigs boasting piles of smashed instruments, squalling feedback and near riots. These days, the stage show is more focused on the musicianship. While the rush of hitting the crowd head-on is still there, Keely says that the lure of the studio has increased tenfold in recent years.

"For a band at our level, we don't really sell all that many albums, so the constant touring is what allows us to keep going and make a living. That's why we'll play hundreds of shows in an average year. Personally, I'm getting a bit tired of touring. It's not because I don't like playing shows or travelling anymore; I'd rather just focus my energy in the studio and making more records. Unfortunately, the nature of the business is pretty standard: record an album, tour the album, tour the album some more, and start over again."

If the past is any indication of the future, look for Trail Of Dead to be touring So Divided well into 2007.