running to the middle

interview with Middle Distance Runner
By:brenton crozier
From: EU Jacksonville
Date: December 2007

WHO: Middle Distance Runner
WHEN: December 9th
WHERE: Jack Rabbits

Middle Distance Runner is an unsigned band from Washington DC. With all the sound awareness and some of the occasional quirk of Arcade Fire grouped with the pop sensible accessibility of Elliot Smith, Middle Distance Runner has an expansive and yet somehow infectious sound that won’t leave them unsigned for long. That is if they even want the “sex appeal” of a label, as Ian Glinka, bass player of MDR, puts it. EU talked to Ian about a week before MDR’s tour, which hits a number of major Northeast cities including Jacksonville on December 9th at Jack Rabbits.

EU: It’s surprising with such an accomplished sound, you are unsigned. Is that due to lack of interest or are you holding out for that perfect deal?
Ian Glinka: We have spoken with a few labels but haven’t reached the point of what was being offered is what we’re looking for. The industry is changing and the notion of a label is changing. We give a lot of credit to our manager in building a team that makes us a more attractive option to a label.

EU: Is DC a good area to be an unsigned band as far as attention, a vibrant scene and venues?
IG: Everyone says if you want to break in, you have to move to New York, LA or Austin, but for me the best thing about DC, besides feeling so comfortable, is that it’s geographically tucked nicely [between] everything. As far as how a label might perceive it, we’re probably better off.

EU: You guys marry a number of sounds together in each song. Is that a result of a collaborative songwriting style or a wide number of influences?
IG: It’s definitely both of those. Everyone in the band comes from a unique, specific background. Everyone has that one band that everyone else makes fun of them for. It’s a bit of a tug of war at times. I’m happy with how we’ve compromised and come to an agreement. We do have a lot of similar interests. I’ll be hearing Garbage and Oasis and somebody else will be hearing Led Zeppelin. The process, typically, is Steve and Eric will come up with demos for songs and then everyone else will take it from what they had to something awesome (laughing).

EU: What’s the band that you are made fun of for liking?
IG: Garbage, Spice Girls. I thought Spice World was pretty funny. I recently watched it though and was considerably less drunk, it wasn’t nearly as funny.

EU: How does the DIY operation influence what you do?
IG: We don’t have anyone breathing down our neck telling us “you should sound more like this.” There is a lot of freedom, but there is a trade off. We’ve been lucky because the band has an extensive history with technical recording and mixing. I was blown away the first time we played back our recordings for the album last year that we recorded in Eric’s basement. You can be as DIY as you want, but if you don’t have a good sounding recording you’re wasting time.

EU: Guilty pleasure song?
IG: Shania Twain’s ‘Don’t Impress Me Much.’ I was visiting my cousin in Florida. We were deep sea fishing and that song came on the radio. Any chance I get at a karaoke bar, I bust that one out. It’s an incredible pop song.