OMC: Is it challenging, from that standpoint, to be in a band at this point? Presumably it's not the same as when you were 20 or 22. And you don't all live in the same city, do you?

DF: It's definitely a challenge to keep this group going since our lives pull us in so many directions. I'm in Chicago and the rest of the guys are in Milwaukee. We usually have one "full" band practice on the weekend and a smaller-group practice during the week, but it's a rare occasion when all of us are together at either one. Plus there are other musical commitments; for example, four of our guys play in De La Buena, Andy's in The Chain and Dan Flynn's in Codebreaker.

And several members have family commitments on top of that. Just coordinating the schedule of 10 people takes a lot of focus and hard work. What helps is that this is the most talented and experienced group I've been in, so it's a lot easier to talk about what we're trying to do in a particular song, and to actually make it happen.

We also get along well, which doesn't hurt! Finally, we use technology to a great extent to make things easier -- for example, we share practice recordings via the Internet so we can all work on songs during the week. Our unsung hero right now is Jeremy, whose expertise with recording engineering saves us countless hours in the studio.

If we could go back in time and do this band at 20 or 22, we'd have a lot less responsibilities than we do now, but I don't think we would have the knowledge, patience or experience to pull off this type of group. And with that experience comes a greater appreciation for what we've accomplished so far, and a greater willingness to look past a lot of the inconveniences.

OMC: I love the Curtis Mayfield inspiration in the band; do you think you're part of a renaissance of classic soul and R&B, with Sharon Jones, the Dap Kings and others?

DF: First of all, it's heartening to be talked about in the same circles as accomplished performers like Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings -- we were amped when our first show was an opening slot for that very group! And there are a lot of great soul and funk groups out there.

But we think we bring something unique to the table, not only because of our three lead singers, but also because we're not confined to any specific type of music. We just want to keep writing good songs, whatever genre works for us. Notwithstanding our recordings thus far, we've also played reggae, rock steady, ska and rock in addition to the soul stuff.

As to whether we're part of a soul or R&B renaissance, I can't say, but it definitely seems like a good time to be doing what we're doing, as this undercurrent of appreciation for soul and funk is spilling over into the mainstream. There are more major-label artists now going back to a more classic soul sound, people like Amy Winehouse, Raphael Saadiq and the like. That means there is a greater group of people right now who are open to giving our music a chance, which is great.

But the mainstream tastes will change at some point and so we try not to worry too much about trends. Our thinking is that good music, especially music with harmonies, will always find some sort of audience. It may not always be the biggest or most popular thing out there, but there will be people who enjoy it.

OMC: Any plans for a full-length CD soon?

DF: Yes, we're working on it now and hope to have a CD/LP ready by July. Actually, I guess we no longer have a choice about that, since we set a date of July 24 for our release show!

OMC: What else is the band doing these days?

DF: We're not gigging much lately, since we are trying to finish that LP/CD. Almost all of our time is being spent writing, refining and recording tunes. We really have our work cut out for us, so wish us luck!

OMC: When is the next Milwaukee show?

DF: April 18 at The Mad Planet. After that, we probably won't be playing again in Milwaukee until the record release, so we hope people can make it to the Planet! One can always check our page at www.myspace.com/kingsgoforth for updates on shows, etc.