The first thing you notice is the vibes, a desk-sized array of wooden bells that compares to a kid’s xylophone like a Hummer next to a tricycle. Then you might hear a violin warming up with scales, and what’s this? A cello? Two keyboards? An accordion? But fear not. You haven’t stumbled into a pit orchestra’s garage sale. All this serious equipment goes into the dark, rich blend of rock that is The Old Ceremony, like a cornucopia of nuts and candy going into an outrageous new Ben & Jerry’s flavor. As the group’s self-titled debut made its way onto many Best of 2005 lists, we sought out bandleader Django Haskins and some of his numerous associates for a little Q&A.

OT: You’re a new band. Why "The Old Ceremony"?
Django: The band's name comes from the Leonard Cohen album New Skin for the Old Ceremony, which is a reference to circumcision, I believe. There's nothing like a good circumcision joke to break the ice—Lenny's a laugh riot.

OT: Tell us about the album.
Django: The new album is our attempt to just capture the sound of this band as it develops. I brought a lot of songs to the band when we first started playing together, and the ones that seemed to reflect the band's personality best, and the ones that took on lives of their own when we played them live, were the ones that were chosen. Even though the album is fairly richly textured, with strings and horns and vibes and organ and piano and guitar, etcetera, we recorded most of it live in a little room, just playing together like we would at a rehearsal or show. I think that live aesthetic gives it some air that studio recordings don't always have.

OT: What is "pop noir," exactly? Who are some of TOC's influences?
Django: Well, "pop noir" is just an attempt to classify, for those who require advance classification of some kind, the essence of what we do. It means cinematic, theatrical, and moody pop music. We look to people like Astor Piazzolla, Sinatra, Nick Cave, Tom Waits and Leonard Cohen as fellow-purveyors of dark, theatrical pop.

OT: How did a rock band come to incorporate vibraphone, violin and all that old-school keyboard work?
Django: We're lucky to have some seriously badass jazz musicians in this group, and they bring their ears and their chops to the songs in a unique way. I was really trying to put together a group that would stretch the traditional boundaries of "pop" or "rock" music, and the unusual instrumentation seemed to fit with that ideal.

OT: Which songs get requested the most?
Django: "American Romeo" and "Blood and Oil" are two of the more requested songs off of the album. Other ones we hear are "Afraid of Love" (a deceptively positive love song) and some of the newer material like "Bao Qian" (a song written almost entirely in Mandarin Chinese, so who cares if it's happy or sad words? For the record: it's sad).

OT: Do you even have any happy songs?
Django: You know, we do have some happy songs, like "Radio Religion" (about the redemptive power of pop music) or "American Romeo" (though it’s also tongue-in-cheek), but many of our songs tell somewhat darker stories. I'm not sure why, but I find them more interesting than happy ones. It's pretty boring to watch cars sail by on the freeway, but once one of them slams into a wall, well, just try to look away.

OT: Now some questions for everybody...What were some highlights of your previous musical experience? How does playing with TOC differ?
Django: Playing in International Orange with (Ben Folds Five bassist) Rob Sledge and Snuzz was a great experience. I enjoyed the back-and-forth of having three songwriters in the band. But The Old Ceremony is amazing—I love bringing in songs and watching them take shape when bounced around the brains of all these great musicians.
Violinist Gabriel Pelli: I recently toured Europe with a Kirtan chant band: ancient Sanskrit call-and-response singing...The Old Ceremony stands out because all the musicians are absolute pros on their instruments. And Django’s songwriting is able to convey deep feelings without resorting to clichés or formulas.
Vibe player and organist Mark Simonsen: Once, I accidentally ate Steve Morse’s pre-show guava.

OT: If you couldn't play music, what would be your calling?
Django: New York City cabbie.
Mark: I have a hard time imaging life not being a musician...I come from a lineage of farmers and would have loved that kind of life, but in this day and age, I’m not sure that’s even an option.

OT: What's the worst place you've had to sleep on tour?
Gabriel: Sleeping in the van on a sub-zero night in Philly on a previous tour, with police cars and choppers whizzing by all night.
Mark: I once slept on the floor of a commune called the Beehive in Brattleboro, Vermont. It was so disgusting that we now refer to the Beehive as the Behind.

OT: What's the best road food you've had?
Django: Kielbasa at a Ukrainian restaurant in NYC.
Mark: Steak sandwich at the Williamsburg Café in Brooklyn.
Gabriel: Cracker Barrel, hands down. The fireplace sure is a nice touch.

Hear some tracks from the album at www.theoldceremony.com