The Daughters of Bristol are a Seattle post-punk outfit whose influences range from Bowie to Sisters of Mercy -- and anything dark and from the 80s.

"Over time, we evolved from working on music on the front steps of Dulany Auditorium during late night escapes from their University studies into The Daughters of Bristol," says guitarist, Edward Nicholas." We just want to continue moving forward under our influences, in addition evolving into our own."

The piece of gear the band prizes the most is an Apple Powerbook.

"This is something that is very much self explanatory just by mentioning Apple, but having this has really empowered us as a band. Our first release, Voyage was done in the studio, producer/engineer in the driver seat. Let’s just say we had very little control and there was little to no sense of urgency on the studios part to assist us with moving the release in a timely manner," says Nicholas. "Having the Apple Powerbook allowed us to record and release Jones Hall on our own terms. Further more, it has allowed us to put together ideas, brainstorm, and have full control with our music."

When it comes to the most useful gear Nicholas is a fan of Line 6.

"Our most useful and at times can be our most prized, is our POD by Line 6. I have used this equipment since the band started 6 years ago. My brother had bought one a year before and I was very much impressed. The first reason is that it gave me the sound I was looking for, a very British Rock sound with a lot of delay and chorus effects available," he says. "Secondly, it’s perfect when playing shows, because you don’t have to drag around a lot of equipment. There have been some shows I have left my Marshall amp at home and just run my POD Line 6 direct. It still sounded amazing, but more importantly it allowed us not to have to worry about additional equipment."

Nicholas says he is very happy with the gear he plays -- especially his Les Pauls and his most recent acquisition -- a Fender.

"For almost 10 years I have played exclusively Les Paul in this band and previous bands, and in recording sessions. But most recently I picked up a Stratocaster and just was so amazed by this guitar."

"Yes, it’s not as full sounding, but I felt I was actually in control of the guitar and a handicap was removed. I still enjoy my Les Paul, but it’s so big, so heavy, and the fret action limits me."

It is possible for Gibsons and Fenders to just get along.

The band's recording technique is "throw it up against the wall and see if it sticks" style.

"When we record or work on a new idea, we more or less just let it fly. But of course if it is something good that myself or Joseph has in mind, we power up the Apple and record it on GarageBand. Many times this just happens at the spur of the moment, but it allows us to really capture an idea before it’s gone," he says "In the past before we used Mac’s and released Voyage, we would run Acid Planet on my Dell computer. I occasionally use it and its still a good software, but from what I have seen and the control given to the user, nothing beats a Mac at this point. We try to just let things happen and flow in the moment."

The Daughters of Bristol released their second CD, Jones Hall this past winter and are hoping to have a third release ready by next winter. They plan shows in the Pacific Northwest and other parts of the West Coast soon.