The goals that we set for ourselves were really short term and relatively achievable, and we'd hit them and then we'd have more short term, relatively achievable goals. ' Maybe 2007, maybe our fourth album as a band like, 'Oh, I guess I'm doing this.' Jim Adkins: As a kid, it was just fun. Jim Adkins: I think I had the moment where I said to myself, 'Yeah, I guess I could do this. That's my style is I overthink everything. it should probably finish this way.' I guess I just like I overthink everything. I've got to kind of see it out in my head of like, 'Okay, I'm doing this, and then it'd be interesting to do this, and then it'd be interesting to do this, and then it'd. If I pick up a guitar and someone says, 'Play something,' I'm like, 'Okay, I've got to think about this for a minute.' Like I've been playing guitar since I was like eight years old and I still like I just don't think that way. Even when I was a kid, like we would get together and we would play like other people's music. I don't come from a background where jamming happens. Jim Adkins: It's really methodical, how I want to hear something. If you look like at solo from from The Middle, it's state something, say it again with a slight variation, then it changes, but it repeats that variation. It's really back to a very basic elementary school level of like theme variation, theme. Jim Adkins: I do have a really structured way of looking at songwriting and about guitar playing, especially when guitar playing is like featured in anything. The reward you get from hearing your idea exist is like what keeps it going, for me anyway. It's just trying to keep things different. That could look like trying to like attempt something really complex, or it could look like trying to give yourself a lot of restraint. And trying to find new ways to challenge ourselves, new ways you can kind of put yourself in a slightly uncomfortable position to achieve growth. I think what's kept us going is just the sense of trying to keep things fun. Jim Adkins: We've been a band for maybe 23, 24 years now. It's 13 with a wound 26 G string, 13 to 56. Like if this is medium, I'd hate to see heavy. I borrowed a buddy's Telecaster, and it had twelves on it, and I was like, 'Oh man, this is amazing!' As I got more comfortable with playing, I moved up to the Power Slinky's to 11, and now I play the medium gauge. I've always thought the heavier strings just feel better, not for only the sake that they'll stay in tune better if you're pushing harder, but just like sonically I feel like it feels better. Jim Adkins: I was probably playing like tens to start out with. I've tried them all and it was the best, so that's what I play. I went through every string, and Ernie Ball felt like the best. like any gear or any advertisement back then, like I would get around to checking it out. Somewhere in my parents' house, I have like a box of like all guitar. That was kind of like bumping up against how do I make an identity for myself? Jim Adkins: I have like every Guitar Player magazine, every Guitar for the Practicing Musician issue from like '88 to '92. I didn't feel like I would ever be that kind of technical shredder of a person, as much as I wanted to practice. I went from like the more technical virtuoso players to the more like no rules, punk rock kind of vibe people.

You just get older and are interested in different things. Jim Adkins: You start out playing guitar and then it's like, 'How do I make sound?' And then then it's like, 'How do I make the sound that I'm supposed to?' Then it's like, 'How do I make the sound I want to hear it?' When I was crossing over into that phase of how do I make the sound I want to hear, I was starting to get into like punk rock. I want to play guitar instead of piano,' so I started taking guitar lessons. But what really got me into guitar was probably like the birth of MTV era music videos, like being a little kid and seeing like the Rock You Like a Hurricane video, Rock Of Ages and Foolin'. I just want to say, mom and dad, thanks a lot for forcing me to take piano lessons. Jim Adkins: My parents made me take piano lessons when I was really little, and I'm forever grateful for that.

It's how I think, just over time and playing and just like playing so much, it's like when I have an idea for something, I'll pick up a guitar.

Jim Adkins: Guitar playing is the conduit for the idea.

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