antiMusic: Thanks a lot man for fitting me in like this right before the holidays start. This time of year is pretty crazy so I appreciate it. First off, you guys haven't released anything since 2002's Superkala. Why has there been such a large gap between albums?

Mark Wilkerson: Obviously I wouldn't have liked it to be that way, but that's how it happened. We had a lot of bad luck. We got dropped from our label, Lava Records, and that took a lot of time. Then we had a big legal battle with our former manager, a process which took about two years. After that it was just finding the right band members, as we had lost almost everybody from taking a long time to get out of our contract and all that sort of stuff. Some people left, others we had to let go. Everybody except for me is now new to the band and it just took a really long time to pull all that together and get the record done. We recorded the new album before we had a record deal this time. Finding your own producer and putting everything together on your own and without a label takes a lot of effort.

antiMusic: Do you mind recapping your troubles with Lava and your management just for people who aren't familiar with it?

Mark: With our management, it was just a contractual issue we had to resolve over a lot of things that were (pauses) how shall we say this? It was wrong? It was either a matter of us going to court or both sides agreeing to drop it and just move on. That took a long time legally. Meanwhile, we couldn't record or write anything as we were still under contract to Lava Records. That put everything to a halt. The situation with Lava was that Lava was a sub-label of Atlantic Records and Lava was using all of Atlantic's publicity department and what-not. Eventually, they decided to go out on their own and we went with Lava since we were on Lava. That took them a really long-time for them to do and we lost a lot of momentum on radio. Everything just hit the floor. After that, it was a waiting game and we were still under contract. I thought they were going to demo us to death. We just had to wait until we were finally out of our contract.

antiMusic: Your next album is called Damaged. What kind of themes or ideas will you be exploring on it?

Mark: I don't think there's a single overall theme to it. That is kinda what happens when you do it over the course of two or three years---the theme falls by the wayside. It then comes down to just writing good songs that people like, and not putting a theme to it. Everything on the album has a slight jaded theme to it. Nothing's too upbeat about it, which works as I guess its rock 'n roll. It is overall just a bunch of life experiences we've had over the last two or three years.

antiMusic: Having not heard the album yet personally, what would you say is the best song on Damaged and why?

Mark: I'd probably pick "Live Again," the sixth track on there. It's very up-and-down; I like the fact the verses kinda die for a minute---they become a lot more subdued and then it really dives in the pre-chorus before getting really UP for the chorus. I like the rollercoaster effect, and it's a good live song anyways.

antiMusic: The first music video/single off Damaged is for the song "Anger Cage." What was it about this song that made you pick it?

Mark: It is more of the label's decision. We were bystanders, and we really didn't have an opinion. Obviously we would have, but I think we were too close to it to make an objective decision. That's what the label is there for, that outside set of ears that tells you what to do best. It is not necessarily the best overall song on the record, but it is the best to open up the album and reintroduce us to radio.

antiMusic: You furthermore whipped up a "making-of" for the "Anger Cage" video. What prompted that decision?

Mark: I honestly have no idea whose idea that was! In this day and age though, I think people like as much as possible. When people find a new band now, they wanna be able to see everything---they wanna see how the record was made. That's the thing now---everybody wants to know what's going on backstage, after the show, on the bus. It is just whatever extra you can do.

antiMusic: As a band who has stayed out of the limelight for a bit, how would you say things like iTunes, Myspace, and Google have changed the music industry, for better or worse?

Mark: When our first album came out, only Napster was out and it wasn't a HUGE deal. It was just starting to become a big deal. I guess everybody's up in arms about the internet but most bands don't make any money off the record sales anyways. The biggest hits are going to the record labels and so that's why they're upset about it. Bands are making their money off touring and merchandise and publishing. I don't really think that the internet is a big deal for us or for bands, but more the labels that are suffering from it. On the album, the band isn't making a penny! The label is making all the money. If you can get a record then, get it.

antiMusic: How important is radio success to a band like yours right now?

Mark: I was actually having a conversation with one of my buddies the night before last---Tim from 311. You have a band like that; they just have a grassroots following with millions of people who will buy their records. It doesn't matter if the radio plays it or not---the fact is they probably aren't---people will come to it. For a band like ours, it's so different as our music is so radio developed that if radio doesn't pick it up, we won't develop, especially this late. I think our genre makes radio paramount. It is probably the most important thing.

antiMusic: What are some of the bands that have influenced or inspired Course of Nature?

Mark: Over the course of my life I was a big fan of 1990s rock like Pearl Jam and Soundgarden. Lately, I've not had a lot of success with music and hearing stuff. Right now I think everything is in a copycat phase---everyone's trying to come up with the next big thing instead of writing good songs. Everybody sounds like somebody else, and music has been around so long it's hard not to. I don't like comparing us to bands today even though the general public might do it. We're definitely not following anybody or trying to be like somebody else. Everyone has gotten away from the songs in trying to making interesting music instead of good music I guess.

antiMusic: Your earlier songs were featured in the Need for Speed racing series of video games and the television show Smallville. How did all that come about?

Mark: That's something that's just out there and that networks just pick up. We don't really have a lot to do with it, but it is really cool when say Smallville plays three or four of your songs off our record. It was great. I've gotten a lot of my music from video games in the past so that's cool too. It is pretty cool turning a video game on and hearing one of your songs right there!

antiMusic: You're married to actress Melissa Joan Hart. How did the two of you meet and how has your relationship impacted your music?

Mark: We met at the Kentucky Derby back in 2001. We've basically been together ever since. Since we met that night we've traveled the road to see each other. We've been married now almost five years!

antiMusic: I saw somewhere that you've done several benefit concerts in/and around your home of Alabama. What have you been trying to accomplish with those?

Mark: Back in March a tornado just ripped through my old high school and destroyed it. I was home for Thanksgiving and it's totally gone now, all the debris has been removed. At the time, a bunch of kids died. I lived in that town for 22 years and my parents went to that high school, all my sisters went there, I went there. It was devastating going back to a place where you spent so much time and had so much fun being destroyed like that. They were trying to put on a concert down there and sold some 8,000 tickets. I really wanted to do it and I felt we really NEEDED to do it. It was to raise money for the new high school and though we made only a small dent in that it was really cool to go down there and give something to the kids.

antiMusic: Do you think it is a good thing to remain down-to-earth in a band like yours that has had a considerable amount of success?

Mark: I think if nothing else, after all we've been through; you almost kinda have to be. You're only as good today as you were yesterday. Everybody is pretty much the same---just because you hear us on the radio or see pictures of us in the magazine doesn't mean anything. Sure, it's great, but you've gotta enjoy it while it lasts as it can go away really, really quickly. At that point, if you're not ok with whom you are, you're going to wind up pretty miserable (laughs).

antiMusic: Your band probably hasn't played many shows recently. Do you have any upcoming touring plans for Course of Nature?

Mark: We plan on touring a hell of a lot! As far as touring now, nothing is nailed down yet. There is a lot of speculation we'll be with Flyleaf and Seether. In January and February we're going to mail a lot of press and do some radio shows. I have a baby due in March so I'm off in March, but we plan to start touring after that on April 1st.

antiMusic: As the principle songwriter of the band, how do you approach writing your lyrics?