Please list all of your band members and their roles in the band.

I'm Daniel Van Cortlandt, I'm the egomaniac who sings lead vocal and plays rhythm guitar. I'm also responsible for all the lyrics and a lot of the music. Troy Fannin plays lead guitar and sings harmonies. Marcel Hamel and Dave LeBlanc play bass and drums, respectively. Outside of that core group we have a lot of guest instrumentalists and singers on different tracks.

For starters, what bands were you guys a part of prior to St Van Cortlandt & The 101? How long has the band been around?

I was in a few bands out in California. I guess the one that got the most notoriety was a band called Lowly. We opened for Journey once. That was a laugh. Troy and Marcel and Dave have all been in a million bands playing in a variety of genres. Marcellus Hall, Natalie Mishell & Co., French Miami, the Vanity Belles, and Brothers Moving are a few of the bands we have ties to.

What’s the origin of that name and have you changed the band’s name before?

I was hallucinating on the 1 Train on the New York Subway and the sign on the side of the train appeared to say "St. Van Cortlandt" at the time. It doesn't actually say that. I added "& the 101" after the 101 freeway which is the other commute on which I frequently used to hallucinate.

Who writes your songs? What are the main themes or topics for most of your songs and do you think these topics will change over time?

I, Daniel Van Corkscrew, write the songs. The main themes are the mutability of perception, the insignificance of human existence in comparison to the vastness of time and space, and hypocrisy, especial of the religious variety. I see my lyrics getting a little more story-oriented as time goes on, and as I gradually fade into the soft gray indifference of old age, I will probably write less challenging songs and focus on more positive and desperately uplifting themes to coincide with my pending mortality. That's what people do right?

What bands are currently inspiring the music that you’re making?

I heard this band Rock Plaza Center for the first time yesterday. I'd say they're inspiring me pretty currently. Baroness is my jam right now. Saw them at Webster Hall on my birthday. They shook that place to it's foundation.

Was there a particular band/artist or concert that inspired you to start a band?

Not one in particular, no. Although I did operated under the delusion that I was the reincarnated spirit of Jim Morrison and Patricia Kennealy's aborted child for a while.

What do you do to prepare for a show? Any flexing, exercises, ect …

I usually get pretty bad stage fright so I find that, depending on the day, it helps to either seclude myself and spiritually prepare for the task ahead, or get drinks with friends and pretend like I'm not about to hit the stage in 20 minutes.

What has been the biggest highlight of the band’s career so far?

Probably putting out this new record, The Lion Tree. It's been a laborious release to say the least, and I'm honestly a little cynical about how people will react to it because it's kind of an unusual record, but at the end of the day I couldn't be more proud of what we've created.

If you could tour with any bands, past or present, who would they be and why?

I'd like to have toured with Nirvana, mostly because I never got to see them live. I saw Dave Grohl drum for Queens of the Stone Age once and I danced in the desert sand until I coughed up mud. That might've been one of the best shows of my life. From that I can only imagine how incredible Nirvana must have been. It's true that a band is only as good as their drummer live, and as far as feel goes, Dave is one of the greats.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

You can find our new record, The Lion Tree, on Bandcamp (http://stvc101.bandcamp.com/album/the-lion-tree) and iTunes (https://itun.es/us/ZlcQeb).