Obviously the group is named Darla Farmer, but your group has a lot of members. Who does what on the technical side?

No one in the band is actually named Darla Farmer. Darla Farmer is the name of a banker lady who works at a Fifth Third Bank in Nashville. The name was chosen after she helped make a few nasty overdraft charges disappear.

Having many members can prove difficult, but it definitely has its advantages when it comes to work delegation. As far as technical, in the studio stuff, our drummer Ben Klise mostly handles it. He is our liaison between band and engineer in the studio. That is not exclusive though, everyone basically knows their way around the studio, especially when it comes to tracking their specific instruments.

What are some of the technical challenges of performing in a band this big?

Coming up with a consistent practice schedule that works for everyone. Also, trying to record at least seven different instruments while the studio time clock is ticking. We recorded the 12 song album in one week, so you can imagine what that was like.

When you tour, what type of gear do you take with you?

Nothing special, just our line up: drums, bass, guitar, violin, two keyboards, trumpet, trombone, light sabers -- maybe some Charlton Heston films (RIP).

In the studio, is there anything you do differently? Any vintage microphones or amps you might pull out?

When we recorded at ARC studios in Omaha, NE they had a slew of vintage everything, it was great. On the record, we used some classic vintage remake ribbon mics (RCA 44 and RCA 77), especially with the horns. The record was tracked on a custom Neve 1081 console and mixed on an API. We also used a bunch of different amps, everything from a cheap Sears Silvertone to a 1976 Vox amp.

How do you approach recording an album like this? Is it all tracked separately, or is everything done live in a studio?

We tracked in batches -– bass and drums together followed by horns and violin, then the rest was overdubbed separately -- except BGV’s, which we find is easier and morally uplifting if you get a good, synchronized group sway going.

What are some of the challenges of writing and recording an album with so much brass in it?

Usually when we write, we get the rhythm section down first and then the violin and horns are added. Once the violin and horns get involved we adapt the rhythm section to them (if necessary) and take it from there. The horns never really impose too much trouble, unless we are talking punctuality.

On the road, do you carry any of your own mics to enhance your sound, or do you usually rely on venue mics?

So far we have just been relying on venue mics, but it would be nice to have something unique to bring along in the future.

Do you have any gear horror stories from being on the road or working in the studio?

We had our van towed in the middle of Brooklyn on our first day in New York City. We arrived to the venue with basically nothing and hoped to God we could get the car out of impound. $400 of towing fees later, we opened for Talib Kweli. He smokes the bubonic chronic.