INTERVIEW BY ZOE ZAG: BRAD LANER / MEDICINE - Give me a brief history of Medicine! Medicine started in '91 as a home recording project, with a completely different singer at the time. We did these really harsh early recordings that sort of got people interested and we ended up making some demos. We sort of went straight to the record deal, we didn't have to do too many shows. The music industry was rabidly consuming every sort of punk rock, noisey, alternative band. Something was in the water in the early 90's, it was like the 1960's- all the coolest business people were throwing money at the wall. It was pretty glorious actually, you could really make a living playing weird music at that time. So we jumped on that and made a bunch of uncommercial records and rode that wave until it dried up. Overlooking the fact that we were constantly compared to that band that I wont mention. How did you guys get back in contact? We were crammed in a van for 3 years touring constantly because the label thought that was how we would sell records. That just pretty much made us hate each other- severely. We broke up in '95 and literally did not speak until last year. Beth and Jim and I. Because you know, when you're crammed in a van with people for that long, you're not necessarily having a great time. It takes its toll. So we really needed this time. Now its all peace and love and flowersand puppy dogs. After all of these years how did you keep your sound? I think it's just us. Im shocked when people say that the new album sounds like we just picked up where we left off. I think it's totally different but I guess I'm not a good judge of that. I just think that each of us is a freak in a way, anything we do just sounds like us no matter what. And kind of with intention, being aware that it is Medicine. Like I said, I'm shocked that people think it sounds like the 90's Medicine.