Bats and Mice's debut EP was an intricate affair of 3 songs that were created in a way that most great things are, through friendship. Starting off as 3/4 of Sleepytime Trio, the bands core members are now Ben Davis and David NeSmith, formerly of Sleepytime, and Ash Bruce and Daron Hollowell, formerly of Four Hundred Years. However, don't let the members former bands influence what you think Bats and Mice might be, because this is an entirely new chapter of music for them. Their sound lies in a place full of rich vocal harmonies that meld with driving drums melodic guitars that can soothe one minute and rock the next. They have a new full length soon to be released on Lovitt Records and are currently crafting their live show for an upcoming tour. So what is Bats and Mice all about anyway? I had a chance to talk with David NeSmith via email about Bats and Mice and the common bond that keeps them writing music together.

Interview conducted via email by Dan Rizer, December 2001.

Names: Dave NeSmith
Band: Bats and Mice

Dan: How soon after Sleepytime Trio ended did Bats and Mice begin?
Dave: Pretty much it was a given... it was September 97 and Drew was leaving for Seattle and the rest of us wanted to keep playing together... it took a while for us to get it together since all our other bands kinda took over for a bit... and we really didn't want to rehash the same STT stuff... we had to figure out our own sound. So, we jammed a lot and finally came up with 3 songs for an EP, and that was recorded two years later.

D: Is it tiresome to have Bats & Mice have the ex-member tag constantly attached to it?
D2: Yeah.

D: Do you ever feel frustrated with old Sleepy Time Trio fans who are expecting the band to sound more punk?
D2: I do sometimes, but I understand. when I was a little boy I was SO in to Quiet Riot. I LOVED THEM! And I remember when "QR3" came out... I was practically praying "PLEASE GOD, DON'T LET THEM USE KEYBOARDS!!! NO KEYBOARD SONGS!!" Because so many of those kind of metal bands were getting into putting power ballad keyboard crap on their records. Imagine my utter horror when I heard that record!! Keyboards all over the place!! But now with being in the Rah Bras as well as with Bats we use keyboards all the time. They are really quite friendly even if they did kill Quiet Riot for me.

D: Do you feel that Bats and Mice is a part of the same scene that Sleepytime came from?
D2: Definitely... we are older now.

D: What is it that compelled the three of you to continue playing music together after Sleepytime disbanded?
D2: We love each other... We made that EP together and it was so much fun because we are all friends from college. We also wanted to prove to ourselves that we could do it. We wanted to do the LP together and start going on as a 'real' band, so we got Daron to play with us. But Fanny (Jonathan from Sleepytime, original drummer) had to bow out because Engine Down and Denali were taking up to much time for him. So Ash from Four Hundred Years joined up. Now we are one half Sleepy T, and one half 400 Years. Which is so awesome for me and Ben because we love those guys too. And with this new LP it's become their band as well. I can't imagine it without them. I was just moving into my new apartment and found a letter Daron wrote me back in '97 after Sleepytime broke up. He so passionately stated how much Sleepytime meant to him and how beautiful it was that we had gone to Europe together (Sleepytime, 400 years, European tour summer '97)... I was still so moved. Now, because I was here in this new place, with a new band, with my friends that feel just as much passion towards life and music as I, I was pretty much crying at the end of the letter.

D: You guys all have other musical ventures outside of Bats and Mice, where does Bats and Mice fit in to the equation with all these other bands?
D2: Right now it is figuring out it's place. We have some turmoil right now in our lives making room for it... but it is important to us to become a fully functional band instead of just a recording project. So we will see how frictionless this is...

D: Would you consider Bats and Mice more of a side project then?
D2: In the beginning we did... just kinda a recording project to have fun with new ideas. Now we are a full time band with all the hopes and dreams little boys have.

D:Rah Bras seems like a band that is more about experimentation with the song writing form whereas Bats and Mice writes songs in a bit more of a traditional sense. What are some of the challenges of each and what are the personal rewards.
D2: I can't imagine a life without both. Rah Bras to me is my chance to play with everything new and fun and have people saying "What the fuck is that!!?!?!", and Bats is my chance to let my emotions have a say... and try to connect with people and have them say "I know what that is!! It makes me want to love everybody or go talk to someone and reach out." As you can see, I am still such an emo boy at heart.

D: Does Bats and Mice get much time to tour with so much else going on? If so who is the band gone out on the road so far with? How important is the live show to Bats and Mice?
D2: We haven't toured yet... but we just decided on an East Coast tour in March 2002. I can't tell you what a live show is like yet for bats... we are having our first one this Saturday.

D: So with whom and where are you guys playing this Saturday, and do have any bands in mind that you'd like to tour with this March?
D2: We are playing two shows this weekend. Saturday in Chapel Hill with 12 Hour Turn, and Sunday in Philly with Rainer Maria and Ted Leo. I love those two towns. As far as March goes... I would love to tour with PJ Harvey. Do you know her? Can you introduce us?

D: Hmmm... If you come through Dayton perhaps I can hook it up. You guys have a new LP coming out soon on Lovitt, what can we expect from the new album?
D2: This album is more of a realization of the EP I would say. We didn't really know where we were going back then, and I had to do all the guitar work. Now we had more people involved and more time. Daron described this record as being the first step in a more defined direction. I think that works.

D: What is the new album going to be called?
D2: "Believe it Mammals"

D: Is there any significance to the album name?
D2: My fiance was telling me how she knew this girl in high school that used to go around saying "Believe it 92!" for they were the class of '92 and I guess she wanted to remind everyone of that fact. Maybe it's our way of reminding the world?

D: Are there any other new releases in the works?
D2: Nothing nailed down yet. We are currently just trying to get our live 'act' together.

D: With being in two different full time bands do you have time for other creative outlets besides music? Are you afforded enough time to have a day job?
D2: Somewhat... I am VERY busy these days. My fiance, Aparna, is in medical school and also paints. So she is so busy as well. We take yoga, we run around like mad people and spend most of our free time together. I have a day job as well. I start to complain about lack of time, but in truth, I would rather be busy. I have this real problem with the passage of time... I notice it perhaps too much.

D: Where did the name Bats and Mice come from and is there any reason that you chose two rodents for your band name?
D2: It is from and E.E. Cummings poem, and it was really just the code name for this project for a long time. I guess the obvious references to anthropomorphicisms (that's a big 'un! shoo….that word don't even exist I bet.) is apparent. I like that part of it too.

D: How do you guys write your music, is there a primary songwriter?
D2: No... we all write music, lyrics, harmonies. It's very, very collaborative.

D: There is a noticeable amount vocal harmony in your music, does the instrumental arrangement come before the vocal harmonies and lyrics or do you write around the vocals?
D2: Usually the music comes first and then the vocals really get fleshed out in the studio.

D: How do feel about the lyrics to your songs and what does Bats and Mice hope to accomplish with the lyrics?
D2: At most we attempt to solve the entire worlds problems... and at least we have sounds coming out of our mouths.

D: What records, if any, have been inspiring you lately?
D2: I have been listening to the Hedwig and the Angry Inch soundtrack and Zoot Woman Living in a Magazine and anything by Swervedriver.

D: What bands do you see as having the biggest influence on Bats and Mice?
D2: Right now? Swervedriver for me.

So as it goes Bats and Mice went on to play their first live shows as a full band the weekend of December 15th, 2001. Be on the lookout for their new full-length and try to catch them on tour this Spring. Thanks to David and all of Bats and Mice and Lovitt Records for the interview.