As kid growing up in Alaska, singer-songwriter John Roderick of The Long Winters preferred to spend most of his time with his friends knee-deep in Star Wars action figures. "My friends and I did nothing but play with Star Wars toys," Roderick recalls. "We weren't very well-off, so I wasn't the first one on my block to get the action figures, but I had a couple of rich friends who had everything -- every action figure, the landspeeder, Han Solo's blaster, and even a Death Star playset that folded into a carrying case. My first toy was probably a Han Solo figurine, but my favorite was my Han Solo blaster. It was a hand-me-down from some other kid. The battery cover had fallen off, but it was still the coolest gun ever."
"I still have a couple of stormtrooper figurines, including a TIE fighter pilot," Roderick continues. "The one I wish I still had was my little remote-control R2-D2. I got him for Christmas in 1979."
Roderick was eight years old when A New Hope first hit theaters in 1977, but he had to wait a few months before he first laid eyes on the Imperial Star Destroyer on a big screen. "I remember the lines around the block, and the incredible excitement," Roderick says. "My mom was a no-nonsense person and would never wait in line for five hours to see a movie, but eventually it was playing at enough theaters that I made it in. The crowds continued for half a year, and I must have seen it five times."
"A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back were simply perfect," Roderick continues. "There wasn't any aspect of them that didn't ring completely true to me. And when I discovered that they were filmed using big models loaded with firecrackers, it was even better. That was kid nirvana! By the time Jedi came out I believed George Lucas could do no wrong, so I was a little disappointed to see Care Bears running all over the place. It's the classic Scrappy-Doo problem."
Even though Roderick remains anti-Ewok, he's still excited to see the unaltered versions of the original trilogy on DVD. "I still watch the first three any chance I get, searching for any sign that I only love them because I first saw them as a kid," Roderick says. "But no, they're undoubtedly awesome and would be if they were released today."
Composer John Williams' musical score also holds a special place in Roderick's heart. "His original Star Wars music was like 'Beethoven's Fifth' -- eternally great," Roderick says. "The cantina music is still a pop smash in my opinion."
Roderick's appreciation doesn't end with the films and its music. He also takes pride in showing off his retro gamer cred. "I loved the first Star Wars video game," Roderick says. "We played it in the back room of Max's Pizza in Girdwood, Alaska all through the '80s."
When he wasn't dumping coins into the classic arcade game, he was honing his skills as a budding musician and songwriter. During the '90s, he returned to his birthplace of Seattle, and formed the bands Bun Family Players and the Western State Hurricanes. But it wasn't until 2001 that he joined forces with Harvey Danger singer/songwriter Sean Nelson to record at Hall of Justice Studio, operated by Death Cab For Cutie band member Chris Walla. Roderick added the talents of Joe Bass (Sky Cries Mary) and Brian Young (Fountains of Wayne) to the recording sessions and completed his debut record The Worst You Can Do Is Harm. While on tour to support the record, Roderick penned the follow-up When I Pretend To Fall, gaining the attention of Barsuk Records who later released both albums in 2002 and 2003 respectively.
The Long Winters toured the U.S. with Nada Surf, Death Cab For Cutie and The Decemberists throughout 2004, and later with Keane in 2005 in support of their EP Ultimatum. In 2006, the band released their third album Putting The Days To Bed.
The Long Winters indie-rock sounds and sensibilities have earned them praise in the hard-to-please critics' circle. And it doesn't hurt that past contributors include such musical icons as Peter Buck (R.E.M.), Jon Auer and Ken Stringfellow (The Posies), Jason Finn (The Presidents of the United States of America), Ben Gibbard and Chris Walla (Death Cab For Cutie), and Scott McCaughey (The Young Fresh Fellows), among others. For the most recent release -- Putting The Days To Bed -- Roderick is joined by Eric Corson (Bass/Vocals), Nabil Ayers (Drums), Jonathan Rothman (Keyboards/Guitar/Vocals), as well as a few special guests.
"Chris Walla is the original Long Winter emeritus, and he stopped by to give me some production encouragement, and then jumped behind the piano and added some nice chords to 'Honest,'" Roderick says. "He played a little guitar there too. Not long after, Chris Funk from the Decemberists stopped by the studio when he was in town from Portland. We were still working on the song 'Honest,' so Chris played his pedal steel, banjo, glockenspiel, and hammer dulcimer on the track. We were having a blast just calling out instruments, and everything he played was bonafide. Other than that, we had our usual horn section play on a few tracks, and my brother Bart Roderick played Hammond organ on 'Hindsight.' Kurt Bloch from the Fastbacks/Young Fresh Fellows was hanging out and so we had him play a smoking solo on 'Ultimatum.'"
However, even with the never-ending roster of musicians, Roderick wouldn't be opposed to adding one more.
"It'd be nice to have Leia in our band," Roderick smiles. "A scrappy Rebel princess? Heck yes! As for the Long Winters blending in to the Star Warsgalaxy, I'd have to say that most of my band would be sitting at the bar in Mos Eisley. I, on the other hand, would be a most-feared bounty hunter."
Roderick's preferred mercenary-for-hire job title aside, it's actually a certain scruffy-looking nerf herder he most identifies with. "Han Solo is the ultimate anti-hero," Roderick says. "I basically tried to talk to girls the way he talks to Leia the whole time I was in college, but it didn't work as well for me."
To find out more about The Long Winters, visit the official band site here. Listen to tracks off the latest album on the The Long Winters MySpace page here.
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