We’re counting down to the big huge wonderful Imaginary Winter Holiday Spectacular at Chop Suey on December 23rd {at which we’d be sincerely honored tol see your fine booty at}!

We are so delighted to have Seattle band Skeletons with Flesh on Them on the evening’s bill with The Special Places, The Nightgowns, Wallpaper, and The Redwood Plan. On their 2009 album, All the other Animals, they’ve combined straightforward sweet pop guitar and songs vultures and lust that keep us on our toes and giddy.

I recently chatted with Scott of SwFoT about where that graphic band name came from and find out if they really are as nice as their songs suggest…

TIG: I thought I read somewhere that the band name was inspired by a Radiohead lyric. Is that true or did I dream that?

Scott / Skeletons with Flesh on Them: It was mostly inspired by a hangover. But who knows, I was listening to a lot of Radiohead at the time…

TIG: Hmmm… interesting… Scott, you lived in Madison, Wisconsin for a while? Madison has long been whispered about in indie circles as a super-indie-friendly community – how did it compare with Seattle?

Scott: I grew up about a half-hour away from Madison, in a super tiny town. So our “big city” was Madison, and that’s where we’d go to shows, got to the mall, etc. I really honestly don’t know much about the music scene there…I didn’t start playing music until I moved out to Seattle. I think Madison is neat, but it’s so small, and it’s culture is dominated by the University, it felt like a place to be 22 forever.

TIG: One of the things I love most about SwFoT songs is that paradoxical Smiths’ talent of melding cheerful melodies with vivid, sometimes gloomy lyrics. Is that intentional?

Scott: I wouldn’t say it’s intentional on my part, but it’s an accurate observation about the songwriting. For whatever reason, all I want to write about is dark and gloomy stuff, although for the music, I like it to be energetic and upbeat. It just makes sense to me that you would be tapping your toe and humming along to a song that is about human extinction.

TIG: What or who influences the band and your music?

Scott: I can’t speak for the guys, but for me, I was inspired early on by Jade Tree bands like Promise Ring, Jets to Brazil and Pedro the Lion. Another huge band for me was Sunny Day Real Estate, I was actually pretty obsessed with them. If I hadn’t listened to Jeremy Enigk in those formulative years I don’t even know if I would have picked up a guitar later on

TIG: From reading Andrew’s imaginary interview, it sounds like your album All The Other Animals came out exactly as you had hoped. Are you working on a follow up release?

Scott: Well, to say it was exactly like we hoped would be far from the truth. I like it, and I think it’s an improvement from our 2007 EP, and I think it’s a fine reflection of our sound from that time period, spring 2008 or so. But when I listen to it, I am thinking about what we can do to get better, both from a songwriting and a production point of view. We are planning on a 2010 release and are determined to make a better album

TIG: What would you consider the most amazing honor, a sign that you’ve accomplished something really sweet? For example at Three Imaginary Girls, we’ve always dreamed of playing scrabble with Stephin Merritt or having Thanksgiving dinner with Peter Buck would be so choice.

Scott: Bumper cars with the dude from Blues Traveler.

TIG: If we could spread one rumor about SwFoT, what would it be?

Scott: That we invented the printing press.

TIG: If you were to cover one holiday song, what would it be?

Scott: “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” by Dr. Seuss.

TIG: If you could ask one of the other bands on the bill an interview question, what would it be and to whom?

Scott: I would ask the Redwood Plan what their Redwood Plan is.