Coheed & Cambria recently released the final chapter in the Co&Ca saga. Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume Two: No World for Tomorrow debuted with critical acclaim as well as impressive sales numbers.

This band is arguably the greatest band in modern music. Music has been seriously lacking when it comes to genuine rockstars with an innovative sound, but there is no denying that Coheed and Cambria fit the description.

I was curious as not not only their perspective on their success, but how they've managed to maintain mystery while dominating in the transparent world of the internet. I caught guitarist and co-founder, Travis Stever, while shopping for tour bus DVDs...

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Congratulations on the new record! 62,000 copies your first week is very good! You leaked the album out more than a week before its official release...do you think that hurt your numbers or helped?


I don't know whether it helped, but its good to know that there are people out there who will actually buy it. Let's face it people just aren't buying music anymore.


62,000 people may disagree with that. Haha You're in a concept band. As a concept band, you rely on the albums, art and comic books to fully execute the total vision. Do you think downloading is just hurting sales, hurting the listeners experience, or both?


I think its hurting the industry period. Of course it hurts our sales. It's all about how you deal with it. The only way to make money now is to be on tour. Kids get made fun of if they tell their friends they actually bought an album.


Come on, is it really THAT bad?


Yeah, it is. Kids don't even know they should be paying for it. Every time a site gets closed down for downloads, 5 more open that night. I remember when Napster first happened, I was like 'Wow! This is a treasure chest! I can get everything I need.' But now I think about it more. I admire the work the artists put into it. Album art is a big thing for me. I love album art. I remember staring at covers trying to figure out what the hell was going on and I feel bad that kids now are missing out on that.


Does your vision for a song, sound or story ever surpass your abilities?


We have never experienced something like 'Oh, shit. This is not what we thought it was gonna be'. It's more like how do we work this out so it's what we want to hear. Really, it all comes naturally. We have never experienced 'that's too hard to play', we just figure out how to make it happen. That's what's really cool about this group of musicians in Coheed. We all really like the challenge and push each other.


I mean, after you're done with the record there's always gonna be things that you want to do differently. There will be little parts here and there that you have developed more since then, but thats the cool thing about it- you can't change it.


How important is it to be able to recreate the sound live?


Right now we're touring with back up singers and filling out the sound. I think its the closest we've ever sounded to an album. No matter how cool this new stuff is with the bigger production, the old stuff is great. Passion is such a big part of the live experience and it really comes down to the 4 musicians who wrote the songs in the first place. I like bands to sound different live...to sound like the album is boring. If it sounds the same live, there's really no point. You want it to be different but you want it to be close to what you know. It's a delicate balance, but very cool things happen when you play live. When you free yourself up to just go with it and be in the moment, you just don't know what will come out. We have a whole new thing now thats much bigger than before. If it works out, I'm sure we'll keep up with this level of production. We feel like we're able to work on this bigger scale because it's really rooted in something solid.


So when can we expect a Coheed and Cambria headlining tour with laser light show and fully animated projections?


(laughs) I don't know if we would do an extreme huge laser light show. Actually...if we could do it well and it wasn't cheesy, that would be really cool. Can you imagine? (laugh) Coheed and lasers. I think it could work!


You started performing “The Running Free” over the summer. Let's talk about singles for a minute. Do you find it difficult to choose singles since you write concept albums? Any song you choose will be a fraction of the story taken out of context, yeah?


First and foremost, we're a rock band. A lot of things within the story are influenced by what's going on in Claudio's personal life. It's very influenced by all the things that happened this past year with the band falling apart. Mike leaving and then coming back, Chris Pennie joining us. So, while there is a story that runs through all the albums, viewing them as individual songs isn't difficult. Regarding singles- it turns out that anybody should be able to relate to this band just for being into rock music. They can enjoy the music without knowing the story. So, no, the standard for choosing singles isn't really any different because of the lyrics.


You seem to appeal to the basement dwelling music geeks, as well as the 'hip' kids who are suffocatingly mainstream. Are you ever surprised by who is into you?


Nah, it doesn't surprise me. All the different things that come out in our music are who we are as a band. People don't have to be ****ing prog heads to enjoy this band. I don't even know how to describe it...we cater to a lot of people's listening needs.


Are you your favorite band?


No!! No way...I mean, of course we like what we do. But...it's not like that. I am definitely not my favorite guitar player. Are you your favorite journalist?


Yes.


Well there ya go! No...what kind of.. I mean, that's a really horrible question.


I know. (laughs) I am just ****ing with you.


(laughs) I figured.


Let's go back to the beginning. Did you have the saga of Coheed and Cambria planned out before you started making the albums, or is it a story that unfolds as you write the music?


Yes. (chuckle) I will say that he did have an idea of what the story was, but like I said things that happen in his life make their way into the bigger story. Things change, but the main idea of what's gonna happen was laid out early.


When do the comics come into the picture?


The comics have been an idea since the get go. Claudio loves comics and it was always an idea...to write a story that could be put into comic book form. That's the thing, people have this idea that we're all into D&D or comic books and that couldn't be further from the truth. Like I love movies...I love horror movies. That influences me. If people are passionate about the comic book, I think that's great. What better person for them to have telling stories than Claudio. He's one of them.


Although I would argue that you are more than just another band, the fact of the matter is, you ARE a band and surely face the same struggles others do. I see bands today who are working SO HARD to find that cluster of people who will really GET what they have going on. Did you have to seek out your fans, or did they find you?


We found each other. I hate using a bland answer for that, but it's true. We found them in that we were a touring band plugging for years. 7 years ago we were playing in basements for about 5 people at a time. But we were playing almost every night, and that's what we wanted. Once we got out there and the word spread, they started looking for us. An audience won't seek you out, you have to look for them. Every night we were out there looking for those people who would really get us. Plus we had Equal Vision fully behind us and supporting us. If people are looking for something to connect to, and you're it, they have to know you exist whether its through word of mouth or randomly catching you at a bar. You have to find each other. It takes effort on everyone's part. Once we started playing bigger shows, we were always sharing bills with post hardcore and emo bands. We never thought we belonged there but there didn't know where else to put us. We just didn't fit in. At all. But that's where people have found us. We were the black sheep everywhere we went, and who can't relate to that? Now we enjoy sharing the stage with all kinds of bands. And this tour right now with Clutch and Fall of Troy, it's a mixed batch. It's fun. We did that with the Blood Brothers too. We like to mix it up. We like having variety in the show.


What would you say was the biggest factor in you breaking out? Was it just playing all the shows and fans spreading the word, or do you promote heavily through the internet, or...


Definitely word of mouth was a big part of it and the internet of course. That's why it's hard when I talk to people about how ****ed up downloading is and...I am always going on and on about how the internet is destroying rocks' mystique. 20 years ago the most appealing thing about your favorite rock band was the stuff you made up in your head. 'I wonder if they live in a castle or an underwater cave.' But now you can see the guy taking a shit on the internet. Now it's like I am biting the hand that feeds because it's such a great tool, but it's really bad at the same time.


You seem to have avoided some of that. I'll be honest, I've been listening to your music for years, but I had to do a little searching to find a lot of information on you. How do you have mystery surrounding you?


It's not really a conscious effort. I think the storyline helps. Our songs aren't like a diary. I think in order to avoid it, you have to realize how whoring yourself out too much can effect you. I think Spin or something has this thing where you call in for 7 days on tour. It's cool because it gives fans a small glimpse into what life is like on the road, but it's up to the musician how much they put in there. Musicians know how hungry people are for information, it can be easy to give them too much.


Back to the new album, I can't really say that I have noticed this, but others have pointed out how 'different' the new album sounds. What do you think?


I think naturally as a band we are always progressing. We tried some new writing methods. Some songs we started on keyboard which changes things. Claudio and I worked together more. The End Complete we just sat down and wrote in a day. We haven't explored that part of our friendship in a long time. 'Ten Speed' is the last time, I think. We take different approaches on the music. Some of it we just wanted to experiment. I don't think it's really that different, I just think we've grown more. Having Chris involved made a big difference.


You have added Chris Pennie from Dillinger Escape Plan to your lineup. How is that working out and what was the deciding factor in making him the official new drummer after Josh's departure?


We did dates will Dillinger. They knew what we were going through with the drummer situation. We said we needed someone to jam with and Chris stepped up. We all clicked right away and he's been with us ever since. He wrote all the drum parts that Taylor played on the album and now Chris is on the road with us. It's good.


Coheed and Cambria is a very high concept project bursting at the seams with creativity. How has it been working within major label politics?


The label has been great. Columbia has been very supportive. The industry has been really rocky for quite some time. But, we love Sony. No complaints here.


Has the label been involved with either The Amory Wars or The Willing Well miniseries? Or is that something you guys have done out of your own pockets?


It was a collaboration. They have their involvement...we work together on things.


How important do you think it is for bands to have their own team of people, rather than using those who have been assigned to you or referred to you by the label?


I think comfort on the road is a very important thing. If you have people with you who were appointed, even if the job gets done, it may be uncomfortable. You have to be away from your home and your family and you need to know the people around you are not going to add bullshit to what you're already dealing with. We've had our manager since our first album. We clicked right away and we knew he was a no bullshit guy and he gets the job done. We were very comfortable hiring him. We have our touring crew and it's a very family atmosphere. We like to keep the same road crew, but after 6 or 7 years, people have to come and go for numerous reasons. Like our sound guy has been a friend for years, and he's been our sound guy for 5 years. I can't imagine it without him.


Lets talk producers- Rick Rubin?


I think he was credited as the A&R, and that's what he was. He's the guy that listened to it and said 'this is good.' That's all we needed, really. Nick Raskulinecz produced the album.


He also did Rush's new album...


(chuckle) Yeah, he did.


I have to ask...come on man...you don't like Rush?????


(laugh) When we were first starting out, Claudio got the Rush question all the time. None of us had ever really heard Rush before. Of course, now we have. I dig it. We like what they have going on, and Claudio is really into it.


I don't think you sound like Rush musically.


Yeah, I don't either. They're really good though.


You guys have toured with 3, even shared a member...


Yeah, we love those guys!


There are probably more similarities there, yeah? I just saw them last week and they were the ****ing sickest band I've ever seen live. Are you usually fans of the bands you tour with, or do you find yourself sharing the stage with acts that aren't on your level?


We play with a lot of great bands. That's been one of the coolest parts of this experience. We're really big fans of a lot of the bands we share a stage with. I mean, sometimes we will end up on a bill with shitty bands, and I won't name any names...


You can just say 'Warped Tour.'


(laugh) You said it, not me.


Well, that's it for my questions. If there's anything you want to throw out there or anything I forgot, now is the time...


(chuckle) Nah, that's cool. We're touring all the time, so come see us... judge for yourself if we need laser lights.