interview by Billy Jones, top photo by Michael Lavine

TV on the Radio guitarist, multi-instrumentalist and producer David Andrew Sitek has announced his new project Maximum Balloon. Not surprisingly, the TVOTR / Yeah Yeah Yeahs / Liars / Dragons of Zynth / Holly Miranda / Scarlett Johansson producer worked with a host of guest artists on the project, which will see the light of day in the form of a self-titled album on August 24th via DGC/Interscope Records.

"...Then Aku (Dragons of Zynth) called and said he was in town and asked what I was up to and I said, "Making a song that you have to come and fix!" So he came by the studio and he laid the vocals down. We pretty much started Maximum Balloon on that day."

Other guest artists on the album will include Tunde Adebimpe and Kyp Malone from TVOTR, Karen O from Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Yukimi Nagano from Little Dragon, Holly Miranda, Theophilus London and more. David Byrne is rumored. Aku from Dragons of Zynth is featured on "Tiger," the first track to be released off the album. "Tiger" will be available on iTunes and all digital partners on June 15th, but you can also hear it in a video below, or today at www.MaximumBalloon.com. In addition to "Tiger", Maximum Balloon will be regularly releasing a series of digital singles in the weeks leading up to the release of the album.

Billy Jones of new musical project New Moods, who last conducted an interview for this site in 2006, called up Dave on Friday to discuss the making of Maximum Balloon, barbershop quartets, Cyndi Lauper, the future of TVOTR and more. Their chat starts here....

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Billy: Hey Dave, Can you hear me?

Dave: Yeah...

Billy: I rigged this to be on the speakerphone of my Blackberry to be recording through GarageBand, a slightly complicated setup...

Dave: Awesome, put me through The Crystalizer...

Billy: I actually have you through Long Panning Ping Pong Delay right now...

Dave: I can't wait for Soundtoys to come out with an iPhone app.

continued below....

Continue reading "an interview w/ Dave Sitek of Maximum Balloon (the TVOTR guitarist/producer's new project w/ many guest vocalists)"