First of all, what’s in the name? Why did you choose the name The Daughters of Bristol?

Joseph - The Daughters of Bristol name was born from a fusion of post punk band influences from across the pond. The name "Daughters" represents the band as an offspring of these influences. Additionally, Edward has heritage in Bristol, England, so naturally the name took shape.

How have the music loving public reacted to your latest EP Holts Summit, or what’s been made available so far?

Joseph - Those who wonder what the beginning years of the band were like, and those who have an appreciation for raw unpolished material, have accepted Holts Summit surprisingly well.

Edward - Yes, so far the reaction has been quite positive. We we were somewhat surprised because those weren't at all studio recordings, but ideas we had put together with Acid Planet on my old Dell desktop computer. Holts Summit is a collection of songs written during the bands early years when you were based in Holts Summit, Missouri. Was there any reason you didn’t publish your music in that time? Listening to it it’s not for the lack of quality in your songs.

Joseph - At the time we were still developing into our vision of the band. We chose other music in our catalog that we felt would represent our first release well. For some reason or another the other songs fell to the waste side and didn't gain as much traction at the time. Perhaps they weren't given the time they deserved. In 2010 we started talking about past times and we decided to release a B-Side version so fans could get a timeline of the band. I wasn't all that excited about the idea because the tracks on "Holts Summit" never made it into final production. The release was really Edward's brain child. He convinced me to resurrect some of our earlier work in an honest original and unpolished way,and we are definitely better off for it. Now that the release is out I'm reminded of all these little enigmas. For example, the track "What Will I Become" was an improv that Dave Dale and I performed live during a radio interview in Columbia, MO. The song was never actually written down and recorded. We never played it again.

How’s the new album The Ave. shaping up so far? You don’t seem to be slackers in the long term planning department with it being slated for release next year.

Joseph - This record is shaping up to be a retro-fitted novelty circa 1980- 1983, and I am happy with what we have so far. As for the planning ahead - there are a lot of moving parts when completing a record, so having timelines are very useful. Besides, it gives me something to look forward to all year!

What can we expect from the new album, or is it too early to tell?

Joseph - Expect a nostalgic atmosphere embodied with danceable drum beats, deep anguished vocals and primal melodic guitar riffs reminiscent of "Velvet Curtains". We look to bring more companionship with the songs on this record, which will create a spectral resonance of 80's dark rock put throughout the full length release.

All past and planned releases are scheduled for the 13th of December, St. Lucia’s day. St. Lucia is also the opening track for your album Jones Hall. Why is St. Lucia so significant to the band and to you?

Joseph - Saint Lucia was a christian during the Diocletion Persecution era whose faith is admired and celebrated throughout the world. Though I am not Catholic nor do I worship saints, I find Saint Lucia's testimony of faith and love extraordinary. In one light, The Daughters try to stay faithful to the music we enjoy. In a personal light, it humbles me and reminds me that I live my life for more important things than just a band.

Edward - Yes, the story of Saint Lucia is quite amazing - especially when considering that she tore out her eyes and served them to her admire so he would leave her in peace.

You also look after the record label and merchandising yourselves via Magnolia Recordings. Were you ever tempted to try work with an established record label?

Joseph - We have worked with other recording studios. In fact, our debut release "Voyage" was produced by a studio back in the Heartland region. Even today we are talking of a distribution deal with an established record company in Germany. In the end we enjoy the ability to fully control our music and our image how we want and when we want, but it's beneficial to have relationships with established record labels.

Looking at the videos of your recording sessions, it looks like it’s all done at home on a Macbook. Do you prefer recording at your homes then you would in a studio?

Joseph - I wouldn't say I prefer one over the other, but I do enjoy the hands on experience I get when being a large part of the production process, which is easy to loose when manufacturing a record in a studio. That said, studios do open up avenues for new input and it helps produce a slick and clean cut, which is great depending on the goal, but sometimes a message can get lost if the right people aren't overseeing the music in the right atmosphere.

You’ve been hailed quite a few times as the modern saviours of gothic rock. Do you welcome the title, are does the whole thing leave you bemused as you just make music that goths happen to like, just like a lot of other bands? ;-)

Joseph - I welcome the label of being a goth rock band. Though I am flattered to be hailed at times as a modern saviour of gothic rock, I hardly see us in that light. We see ourselves as fans first and a band second. We just continue to create music we enjoy, but we certainly aren't confused about our sound or by who we are received by.

Edward - I would have to agree with Joseph in that it's hard to see ourselves on such a pedestal, but at the same time I wonder more if this is because we having been afraid of association or support of the "gothic" subculture. It seems many run from such a label or have to over compensate to achieve such status. What I do know is that shoe fits us quite well.

How supportive have DJs been of your music? I know that a lot of new rock bands have trouble getting slots on setlists as some DJs say “you can’t dance to it” (And it’s not Dance Industrial or an 80’s classic ;-) Having said that, it seems that your local DJ Coldheart is very happy to slap your sounds on the turntable.

Joseph - In our genre DJs are detrimental to reaching potential fans. Coldheart has been a great supporter of TDOB because of his interest and diversity in music. In fact, he has been a flagship for goth music in Seattle, and a lot of our traction in Seattle is attributed to his support.

Edward - Yes, it's hard enough to find support, but especially by DJ's that actually play music other than industrial in the Pacific Northwest. DJ Coldheart as been a great support in the Seattle and might I add DJ Rock City has been quite helpful in the Portland scene.

What’s next after The Ave? Any big tours planned?

Joseph - Depending on how these current talks with international record companies go, we could have the support we need to tour Europe within the year.

Edward - Yes, this is a very exciting time with the band. Many things are currently in the works. Also, since many of our fans are across the pond, we are really wanting to ensure we are creating a window for those tuning are able to enjoy new songs, interviews, photos, as well as things taken shape in the Pacific Northwest music scene. To do this, we have moved our band website www.thedaughtersofbristol.com over to Tumblr.com. They have created such a great platform to connect with our audience.