Low

PERSONNEL: Matt Livingston and Alan Sparhawk and his wife, Mimi Parker

LIVE: Duluth

THE NEW RECORD, DRUMS AND GUNS: “It’s from the lyrics of an old Irish antiwar song—‘Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye.’ Johnny’s going off to war, and it’s about the absurdity of sending this person off to be blown to bits. Just the phrase evokes the spirit of what I feel these songs are.” (Sparhawk)

WEB CHATTER ABOUT THE BAND: “I pay absolutely no attention at all. Somebody will tell us something, and then [Alan will] kind of get curious and maybe look into it a little bit, but we don’t really seek it out.” (Parker)

LIFE AFTER PUBLICLY ADMITTING SERIOUS MENTAL STRUGGLES: “It’s not something that there’re easy answers to the questions that arise. ‘How are you now?’ Well, I feel great, but I also felt great on the way to the hospital. If I’ve learned anything, it’s to not think you’re doing OK, because that’s usually when some sort of rough couple days is right around the corner.” (Sparhawk)

LIFE WITH A SIX-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER: “It’s just kind of dawned on her that what we’re doing when we’re leaving and going on tour is working. Before, I think she thought we were just leaving. Poor kid.” (Parker)

BEING IN THE BAND: “One pleasant surprise was that I got to know two pretty awesome kids. I definitely consider them pretty good friends now, and definitely became better friends with the band members too.” (Livingston)

CATCH THEIR ACT: April 14, CD-release concert. First Avenue, 701 1st Ave. N., Mpls., 612-332-1775, chairkickers.com