“That’s not really as simple as it seems. It’s not necessarily about smoking, per se. It’s about obsessive behavior.” This brings me to another track on the disc, “Spin.” This is about more obsessive behavior, isn’t it? I mentioned that it reminded me of an XTC song, “Another Satellite,” off of the Todd-produced Skylarking.

“It’s amazing that you say that. That is probably my all time favorite album...it’s the shit! I would have to say that my major grassroots influences were R&B bands, but around fifth grade a friend introduced me to the world of rock and roll. The first rock song I ever heard was ‘The Chain,’ by Fleetwood Mac. They were probably one of my main influences once I got into rock.”

It’s apparent why there was interest in Rundgren as a producer, considering Waymon’s influences. What better man to produce a radio-friendly, hit-filled, disc than the man who was at the helm during the recording of Meatloaf’s Bat Out of Hell. Rundgren has worked by himself in the studio for years, overdubbing every instrument and vocal, layering track upon track; but it’s been reported that he’s aiming more towards a “live in the studio” sound as of late.

“Most of the rhythm tracks, the bass and drums were recorded live, then we painted over things and added little touches,” threw in Waymon. “But it was amazing working with him. We were all so nervous walking into the studio for the first time. We came into the sessions like kids in a candy store. We were loaded with equipment, guitars and amps, and the first thing Todd said was, ‘OK, let’s put all this stuff in the corner.’ We had tons of demos we gave them all to Todd and let him choose. He came back and told us what songs were going to be on the CD, whether we liked it or not! But that’s what we needed in the studio, someone with focus. I mean, there’s no drug problems or anything like that in the band, so we didn't need a babysitter. We just needed focus. Todd gave that to us.”

Waymon’s lyrics, unlike those of most others, are rather intense.

“I went though a real dark period and a lot of the lyrics are about that.” One song in particular, “I Think God Can Explain,” caught my attention. Waymon spoke on it:

“That was about a specific situation. A girl that I know was telling me about an obsessive lover, someone that was almost taking things to the point of danger, and I was trying to put myself into his position and see his side of things.” Like I said, not your typical schlock.

Earlier, I mentioned the cynical lyrics throughout. On “Yeah, Whatever,” there is a line said to someone else: “...you’re cynical to me.” I told Waymon that I found that ironic, since he is more cynical than anyone in his lyrics!

“Yeah, that's one of the things that Todd picked up on too. He liked the two-fold meanings to some things. I usually like there to be another meaning to something. A lot of the disc is about relationships gone bad. Like I said, I was going through a really dark period through a lot of the disc. And it’s strange, but I think the rest of the band likes seeing someone go through hard times, because it always increases their creative output.”

I had to ask the obvious question: why the misspelling in the band’s name?

“We showed the CD to some people and the first person who saw it, spelled correctly, said ‘splen-door’. It sounded way too gothic, so we changed the spelling. It’s phonetic now, so no one will get it wrong!”

That shouldn’t be a problem, since everyone will know the name Splender soon enough. Waymon and crew appear destined for big things.

“Like I said, I spent a good portion of my life on the road with my mom, who was a singer and musician doing the hotel and bar thing. As a result, I spent lots of time sneaking in and out of shows. It’s no surprise that I ended up doing this. I'm used to it already.”