QRD – How do you turn music mode on & off in your relationship with each other?  Or do you find yourself pretty constantly collaborating on music even if it’s songs about cooking?

Fuzz – We can turn off music mode by exploring our other interests like cave diving & being pirates.

Carrie – Right. 

QRD – How has your music changed by having someone you’re romantically involved with working with you?

Carrie – It has changed to some extent, as it is a collaboration & some of the music is about our lives & relationship experiences.

QRD – How do you keep things professional rather than getting personal in the band?  Like not letting being upset that someone’s not doing their house chores spill into band practice?

Fuzz – We never fight so….

Carrie – Believe it or not…. It’s true… maybe a little disagreement now & then, but we’re pretty good at separating both tiffs & mushy stuff from band practice.

QRD – Do you think working musically together increases the strength of your relationship?

Fuzz – Sure does.  We have a very cool thing in common.  Some couples don’t have anything in common.

Carrie – Definitely.  I never looked to date another musician, but now wouldn’t have it any other way.  It’s really awesome to be able to share our passion.  We both still have plenty of different interests of our own too.

QRD – Do you think the music ever suffers because of your relationship?

Fuzz – Keeping a balance between the music & the relationship is a tricky thing.  Either can suffer.

Carrie – I don’t think so.  If anything it suffers from all the other stuff in our lives… like having to pay bills.

QRD – Being in a romantic couple, do you try to curb lyrical content to or away from things in your relationship?

Fuzz – Our first album was titled “La La Land” so needless to say it was certainly influenced by our initial meeting.  Now that we are not so much the newlyweds, we write stuff about snakes & bugs.

Carrie – Well, when you’re in a healthy relationship there may not always be so much to write about, no breakups or heartache anyway, so I guess we use our imaginations more.

QRD – A lot of families kind of look down on musicians as immature, do you find that going out with another musician has eased relationships with your parents or in-laws?

Fuzz – My dad has always been a big music supporter, so it doesn’t matter either way.

Carrie – I come from a very musical family, so they were psyched!

QRD – Which came first the musical collaboration or the relationship & do you feel that at this point that you could have one without the other?

Fuzz – The relationship came first.

Carrie – Well, a bit of both.  The first night we met we had an instant connection & attraction, but also traded the guitar back & forth a few times.  It wasn’t until a couple months of dating that we actually played a show together though.  It turned out that our connection on stage was just as strong as it was off, so we went with it.

QRD – How do things work with band members besides the two of you to get the same level of connectivity while playing your music?

Fuzz – Well there’ll never be the same level of connectivity, but we have a positive effect on people around us usually so the band never feels left out.

Carrie – We seem to have a rare situation… all of us really get along; we also all have a very positive outlook for the band, so that translates on stage.  We have fun.

QRD – Do you find music related gifts to be romantic or more like giving someone an appliance?

Fuzz – If we give music related gifts, they are usually in addition to diamonds & pearls & flowers & chocolates.

Carrie – Ha Ha… right.  There is almost always a musical gift among the piles of presents we bestow on one another, but they’re certainly always appreciated & thoughtful.

QRD – The musician life style has an inherent lack of financial security & healthcare.  Do you find yourself thinking “how can we start a family & continue our musical careers?”

Fuzz – Oh yes.  A family would be tough right now.

Carrie – Yes.  It wouldn’t work like this.  I don’t think our tour manager is up for babysitting either.

QRD – Do you ever switch off instruments to give each other ideas?

Fuzz – We both play guitar & sing so... I do jump on the drums sometimes though when I am allowed!

QRD – A lot of people say they feel most spiritually connected to another person is when they’re on stage & the set is working.  Is this what you find & how does this energy flow into your romantic relationship?

Fuzz – We can certainly bring our emotions onto the stage & from the stage back home…. 

Carrie – That’s where we’ll stop… kids might be reading.

QRD – Some couples start to get seen as a unit with one member as dominant.  Do you ever want to get one of you more recognition?

Fuzz – No.  We both sing lead & play guitar & often do it just as a duo.

Carrie – It’s a collaboration, from the writing to the performing & we want it to be viewed that way because this project couldn’t happen without one or the other.

QRD – Do you feel a need to have separate projects where you just work on your own?

Fuzz – I do play in a few other bands, but they only play a handful of shows so… no… this takes up enough of our time as it is!

Carrie – If I wasn’t working on this all the time I would probably have something else going on as well.

QRD – Musicians often run into fans with crushes, is their a secret to recognizing when something is getting inappropriate instead of being band promoting?

Fuzz – Here’s a secret: no physical contact. 

QRD – Any advice for other musician couples?

Fuzz – Don’t do it!!  Just kidding.  My advice would be make sure the relationship is good first.  If that’s not happening, the band will never work.

Carrie – Well said. 

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