TS: Alright who are all of you and what roles do you have in The Republic Tigers?

The Republic Tigers: Adam Mcgill plays lead guitar and sings. Ryan Pinkston plays guitars, keys, and sings. Marc Pepperman plays bass. Justin Tricomi plays drums, and sings, and I'm Kenn Jankowski. I sing the lead, and fiddle with the guitar sometimes. We all write, produce, and engineer.

TS: Adam and Kenn, I understand that you two got all of the current members together prior to being The Republic Tigers. Were you expecting things to click so well and take off so quickly?

The Republic Tigers (Kenn): The band name was chosen in March of 06. Adam and I joined forces a couple months later. Ryan a couple weeks after that... Marc a couple weeks after that and Justin a couple weeks after that. I never expect the good things. I only hope for them. We have high hopes, and I'd say they have all come to pass.... so far. I am very thankful for how things have worked out.

TS: How long have you been a band now? Are all of you original members?

Kenn: Fall of '06 is when we finished becoming The Republic Tigers, by agreeing to play our first show, and having finalized our line-up. So, over a year and a half.

Kenn: Yes, the 5 of us are the 5 original members.

TS: When you sat down to write your most recent album what kind of vibe was in the air? Were you all anxious to get it done and out there or was it more of a timely process?

Kenn: It was a timely process. We weren't really considering "the record" as much as we were the individual songs. By the time we started the record, we already had a good idea of what we wanted to hear from each song. The recording of the record was more of another opportunity for us to really focus in on the details.

TS: What are you hoping people take in from it?

Kenn: The words are, for the most part, not meant to be grasped quickly. I'd like to somehow help the average listener overcome some of the "instant gratification" culture that they've been thrown into... with everything in moderation, you've got to at least make a slight effort to breath slower; otherwise you'll be dead before you know it. And what is there to show - hopefully more than just the knowledge of beating a video game, or hacking the latest gadget.

TS: Out of all of the songs on the album which one means the most to you guys?

Kenn: Every track is extremely dear to me. If you held a gun to my head, I'd say "Contortionists".

TS: Do you guys write songs all together or are you and Adam on your own with that?

Kenn: We all write music in this band. Most of our songs will come from a member's song idea that has been started but not quite finished. We hand off ideas and start building on top of what's there.

TS: While reading up on you guys I came accross an article dubbed "Discovering the Undiscovered" and it made me wonder.

Kenn: Obviously it's good to be noticed but are you going to try to remain under the surface so that you can continue with your style of music versus what the big record labels try to push at you? Maybe I'm delusional, but I think if EVERYONE discovered us, we would still do what we want. Plus, our label isn't the pushing kind.

TS: On tour, was there any city where your fans and the crowd's enthusiasm really blew you away?

Kenn: Columbus, Ohio was great. St. Louis. Jacksonville. Orlando. The Kansas City peeps blow our minds every time though.

TS: Where would you like to tour that you haven't been yet?

Kenn: The UK, The Netherlands, and Japan.

TS: What would we find on your iPods? Who would you say your biggest influence is?

Kenn: We all like radiohead. But, we'd like to think that our own creativity is our biggest influence. Plus cinema, books, experiences, and relationships; more than any bands or musical group.

Kenn: On my iPod you will find The Good, The Bad, and The Queen; Black Moth Super Rainbow; Caribou; Blonde Redhead; Charlotte Gainsbourg; David Bowie; The Passengers; Mew; and Robert Wyatt, to name very few.

TS: What was your favorite part of the SXSW tour?

Kenn: It was fun being able to play a show and then go next door and watch another.

TS: What are your opinions on p2p networks and file-sharing?

Kenn: I appreciate those who purchase our hard work more than those who don't. I do like that consumers can now choose "who deserves what". I think it keeps the artist on their toes. I do seed keep color. I think the reviews people post under a torrent file are almost more effective in buzz-building than about anything else.

TS: There's a rumor that Marc got fired from Radio Shack, is it true? If so, what for?

Kenn: I think they tried to make him wear, like a XXL work shirt or something. That depleted his desire to make it in on time.

TS: Favorite video game and video game console of all-time?

Kenn: If they made silk worm for sega saturn we'd be set.

Kenn: My all-time favorite game changes about every year. Right now, I am playing (and loving) Ninja Gaiden 2, Call Of Duty 4, GTA 4, and Bioshock on my Xbox 360. -- and, Silent Hill - Origins, Patapon, and God Of War - Chains of Olympus on my PSP.

Kenn: I try for the high score on Ms. Pacman, and Tri-Towers, when we are on tour, and the venue has one of them. I have a few records throughout clubs in the U.S., with the name "kjtiger", or "kjtrt".

TS: Awesome guys! Thanks to The Republic Tigers. Any last words to the loyal followers out there?

Kenn: Thank you!