I’m happy to finally be posting my exclusive interview with Bryan of The Ataris. In the interview he discusses their upcoming release and gives out some great info about the band. I hope you enjoy.

For the record, could you please state your name and role in the band?
My name is Bryan and I play Bass in the band.

On a whole, how was the year 2009 for The Ataris?
2009 has been pretty great. We have been working on a new album that we are all very excited about. We were able to go out and play a bunch of shows and do some Warped Tour Dates as well. We also went to South Africa which was a first for the band.

What were some of your favorite releases of last year?
I was a big fan of  ”Frank Turner - Poetry of the Deed” that album is just great. I’m a big Thrice fan and their new album Beggars was pretty incredible. Also some friends of mine put out some great albums. “In The Face of War - Everything You’ve Heard is True” and “Cowboy Angels - The Burden of Love & Sin” Kris actually did some singing on the Cowboy Angels stuff. Check out myspace.com/inthefaceofwar &myspace.com/wearecowboyangels you will dig.

A lot of fans were hoping that The Graveyard Of The Atlantic would be released last year. When will it be released this year?
We were hoping it would be released last year as well but we just weren’t able to finish it. Right now everything but vocals are finished. Kris and I are actually going to begin working on those in the next couple days. I can’t really guarantee any specific time frame right now. But we will get it out as soon as we possibly can. We just want to make the best album that we can.

How does the album compare to some of the bands’ past releases?
It sounds more like what you would have expected after So Long, Astoria. I like to call it “the missing link”.  It is a very rockin’ album. I think that all the fans of The Ataris will really get it and love it.

What were some influences during the recording of it?
Musically it has the influences of The Replacements, Springsteen, Jawbreaker, etc. But life is a big influence on all our music. You have to write about what you know. That makes some of the best songs.

Are you guys going to release the record independently or through a label?
Right now we are talking to some labels. There are no plans to release the album ourselves. But you never know what will happen. It’s Exciting!

Should we expect to see major tours this year in support of the album?
We are actually getting ready to hit the road in a few weeks. As far as the rest of the year? Who knows. I am sure we will be doing a lot of work pushing the new album.

Who are some of your favorite bands to tour with?
We love all the bands we tour with. We are some pretty laid back dudes so we are easy to get along with.

What do you enjoy most about either being or tour or coming home from a tour?
I prefer to be on tour. It’s always nice coming home but I tend to get bored after a couple days. I like going out playing shows and meeting new people. It’s Fun! When I am home I try to pass the time recording bands at my studio The Gallows Recording Studio. I also do FOH at a club nearby sometimes. There are some bands that are less than awesome.

Do you expect 2010 to be a big year for The Ataris?
I am so excited for this year. I can’t wait for all our fans to hear our new album. We are very proud of how it is coming out. I can’t wait to see what will happen!

Thank you so much for your time, do you have anything to add?
Thank you! We love our fans! Check our mypace for tour dates. Come out and don’t be afraid to say hi. We love to talk.