How did you get your name "Bleu"?
..i had blue hair from the end of high school through college...it was just a dorm room nickname that stuck...the "eu" spelling was because naturally i thought it was a little cheesy (ya know..bleu..like the cheese..uh?)..

If you were stranded on a desert island and could only have 5 albums, what would they be?
Jellyfish - Spilt Milk
ELO - Zoom
Guns'n'Roses - Appetite For Destruction
Joni Mitchel - Blue
Bruce Springsteen - Born In The USA

How long have you had your sideburns and what possessed you to grow them?
..oh man..i guess i've had these things since '99...really i just grew them on a whim..my facial hair sprouts fast so i used to always try out different things...one day, we took promo photos and bAng..i'm stuck with 'em...people always say "Elvis"..but i like to imagine that they invoke Neil Young or John Lennon..or..at least Wolverine? (i get that a lot now)..

Do you consider yourself a live artist who puts out albums, or a studio artist who plays live shows?
..i enjoy both..honestly..i wouldn't wanna have to give up one for the other...they're so completely different..and each provides their own satisfaction...

Where does the name "redhead" come from?
..i'll leave that up to the listener to decide...

Do you have a favorite song on the album?
..i'm not the first to say that songs are like children..you love them all equally for different reasons....but it's true..

How did you meet Andy Sturmer from Jellyfish, and how was it working with him?
..i actually met him through John Fields who co-produced "redhead" with me...he had known Andy peripherally for years and also loved his music...when John and i recorded our first song i begged him to play it for Andy...much to my surprise he really liked it, and based on the sound, decided to take John to Japan to work on the current Puffy AmiYumi project...when they got back Andy became more involved in my record and we got the chance to write and record together...it was an amazing experience getting to work with one of my heros...he's definitely one of the most amazing musicians i've ever had the opportunity to know..his sense of melody and structure are so classic...and he is obviously one of the most unique singers and drummers to record....

And Dan Wilson?
i also met Dan through John Fields (good guy to know right?)..they had worked together on the Semisonic record "All About Chemistry" and John suggested that we might co-write some songs...it was a thrilling collaboration...Dan is a consumate craftsman but really knows how to milk the spontenaity and inspiration of the writing process...we had a lot of fun...i've since had the opportunity to work with him again as a player on his current solo album...Dan insisted on recording almost all of the tracks live in the "ballroom" of his home in minneapolis...this was an extremely foreign recording situation for me..but once again, the spontenaity and inspiration were a huge thrill...

Why were there two different releases of "redhead" and what are the differences?
..we initially released the record only online and at shows...there was a long period of time before we got geared up for the in-store release..and in that interim i had written some new songs that everyone was pretty excited about including...it was a great opportunity to tweak the record..make tiny changes in the mastering and the art that had been bugging me...i wish i could do that with all my recordings...the new version has the additions of "get up" (which ended up being the single) and "that's when i crash"..."sayonara" and "ursula major, ursula minor" were left off...obviously, the fans of those songs are disapointed..but..we couldn't leave everything on (i wish we could)...

Now that Redhead has been re-released on Columbia/Aware, what's different?
..wow..uh...everything..and..nothing....er...i've certainly been doing more interviews 'n promotion stuff...but..i'm still just truckin' along..doin' my thing..tryin' to get the music out there to people...'n..stuff?..i've always busted my balls for this..so..that hasn't changed...

Do you have a favorite song to play live, or are you sick of them all by now?
..there's a couple i'm sick of..but most of the songs i still enjoy playing...for some reason "3's a charm" is always fun for me live...and of course performing with the choir is amAziNg...that definitely reinvigorated some of the stuff for me...

Where did you meet the guys that you play with live?
..my guitar player Bill was in one of my favorite Boston bands Expanding Man..when i found out he wasn't playing with anyone i immediately went after him...he actually knew Max my bass player from around the scene...he was mostly playing upright with jazz combos at the time and very eager to get out of that scene...my keyboard player John is an old friend from high school...he managed my high school band THC (hA!)..we're working together now on a project of his called The Greek Embassy...Dylan the drummer is the most recent member of the group, and the only guy who auditioned...he totally nailed the languishing rhythm of "Feet Don't Fail" and we knew he was the one...

What's the best show you think you have played up until this point in your career...the one that stands above the rest for you? Also, best band you've played a show with?
..Mercury Lounge in NYC with the Get Up Choir (30 person choir) was definitely the best show i've ever played...pure joy....as far as bands...playing with Rick Ocasek was definitely a highlight..but..one time i played an acoustic show with Jimmy Gnecco from Ours at a tiny place in Brooklyn called Pete's Candy Store..i think it only seats maybe 20 people..and he made me practically weep..it was easily one of the best shows i've ever seen...i've had the pleasure of playing with them on several occasions and it's always great..but..oh wait..Midnight Oil..that was amazing...they rock harder than just about anyone i've ever seen...Will Hoge's pretty badass..oh..so is Puffy AmiYumi...and OneLineDrawing.. oh..and Phantom Planet...aAaa!.. there's lotsa good ones...i guess i'm lucky....

What's the funniest/weirdest thing that has happened to you on the road?
..well..i just played a showcase in Japan and the entire Sony staff was wearing "bleu" t-shits and prosthetic sideburns...that was pretty freakin' weird...

Tell us a little about the Japanese release.
..the Sony Japan release of "redhead" includes "just a song" (which was written and recorded with the incomparable Matt Mahaffey of Self) and an alternate mix of "sayonara" that includes more prominent background vocals from the j-pop group Puffy AmiYumi...i had always wanted to release my music in Japan and it was sOo cool to get to go there and do promotion...Tokyo was the number one foreign city i'd always wanted to visit and it didn't disappoint...

What do you think of the Boston music scene?
..i've always loved the Boston music scene...it's so vibrant and diverse..there's lots of opportunities for original bands..and lots of support and healthy competition...it's great to be in a town that has a long history of excelent local music...right now i think there are lot of particularly good bands...and it's nice to see the "industry" paying attention to that and getting stuff out there on a national scale...