Taken from an interview with new-noise.net...

February saw the UK release of A Million Billion's 'Volcano Season' EP. The title track featured a stirring blend of keyboard and strings that built with barely controlled energy, like a bloke trying to stop himself from running. The band, who are loosely formed around Jack of all trades Ryan Smith, are signed to the UK's Exercise1 label, though they are based in New York, where they borrow firepower from the likes of the Silent League. Their style varies considerably from laptop-driven bleep-fests to more conventional guitar-based indie. We breach the limits of our technical savvy (and avoided breaching the limits of our not-so-deep pockets) by hooking up with Smith for a chat over Skype, covering, amongst other things, the mysterious absence of the Silent League's Jon Natchez from their latest recording...

New Noise: Introduce AMB and explain how it came to be...

Ryan Smith: AMB originally began as a solo-laptop project, with most of the music originating from modern dance scores. Some of the first record had been written while I was still living in Wisconsin, more than four years ago now. I'd say the earliest song that I'd consider an AMB song was written around 2001-ish. I started using other people while recording the 'Filthy Schoolgirls' EP, since it was meant to be very string-heavy.

Gene Park, my engineer and mixer for that record, was getting more and more serious about the ins and outs of the studio just as I started working on it, so he really took the reins, helped to shape it into what it is. He's also a fantastic guitar player who I've played with before, so it made sense for him to continue into the band version of AMB. Most of the guitar tracks, if not played by him, were recorded by him in his home studio.

Kevin Thaxton played upright bass on that EP, and he too stuck around to play more upright and electric, both live and in the studio. Jon Natchez was supposed to record on it, but he disappeared into a fissure deep below the ocean. He has recently returned, although now sports gils and webbed toes.

New Noise: Poor bastard. Do you find that the style has changed with the introduction of more peoples' influences? 'Volcano Season' has a very different vibe to say 'Squid' or 'Home Wisconsin'.

Ryan Smith: Having more people involved definitely made an impact. 'Volcano Season' is a direct response to Exercise1 asking for a single.

New Noise: Really? Was it difficult having to write to order?

Ryan Smith: It wasn't necessarily to order, but I thought it an interesting idea to try and make a single, whatever that might mean... I don't know... putting my head in a place where I'm not just thinking about what works for me, but thinking about what works for the band and what might work for Jon's underwater fissure fans.

New Noise: OK, you've got to shed a little light on the underwater fissure.

Ryan Smith: [laughs] Honestly, I don't know why Jon wasn't on that EP. He's the busiest guy I know, haven't seen him in months, but be assured, he'll be on everything else we ever do. Maybe he was on tour with another band... cheater.

New Noise: Tell me a bit about the Bloc Party remix on your myspace. On the likes of 'Volcano Season' and 'Planes' they sound like they've been quite an influence?

Ryan Smith: The Bloc Party remix happened thanks to [Silent League label] Something In Construction's David Laurie who happened to have the split tracks to 'Positive Tension' for another band to remix. I just asked if I could have them and blam! I think that the remix had more of an influence on 'Volcano Season' than the other way around.

New Noise: Have you ever had the opportunity to see them live or meet them?

Ryan Smith: I've seen them a few times at various festivals, and opened for them once in London while playing with the Silent League. I doubt they've ever heard the remix. [laughs]

New Noise: How did that come about? Opening for them I mean?

Ryan Smith: Again, through David

New Noise: What's the response to your stuff been like over here?

Ryan Smith: I have no idea! AMB hasn't been able to make the trip yet. We hope to soon, possibly on the coat tails of the new record... Have you ever drunk kale juice?

New Noise: Kale juice?

Ryan Smith: Awful, but supposedly very good for your health. I'm drinking a huge mug of it now.

New Noise: You do all the vocals, right?

Ryan Smith: Yes, except on planes land, afraid of ghosts, and volcano season, holly miranda does backing vocals.

New Noise: Who's the best band/artist on your radar at the moment?

Ryan Smith: Don's Mobile Barbers.

New Noise: How did you come across them? Was that when you were over here?

Ryan Smith: Yes, they setup a show for the Silent League. The Don's and I traded CD's, hung out at some other shows... good guys all around. They were my backing band the last time I went to the UK.

New Noise: So what are you doing when you're not playing with A Million Billion? Or does that pay the way?

Ryan Smith: My day job is mastering ringtones for cell phones. I also play with several other bands, and more often than not have a few of my own projects in the works.

New Noise: Is mastering ring tones for cell phones as horrendous as it sounds? You must get exposed to a lot of bad music...

Ryan Smith: Bad is an understatement.

New Noise: Do you consider AMB your main project then or is your heart elsewhere?

Ryan Smith: AMB has been my main project for the last few years. However, I'm currently finishing the tracking for a new project that's garnered more of my attention than AMB for the last 6 months or so.

New Noise: Oh, tell us more...

Ryan Smith: Firstly, the name of the band is Twin Thousands. The sound of it is more along the lines of the 'Volcano Season' EP songs, but a little more grandiose.

New Noise: Can we get a sneak preview anywhere or do we have to wait?

Ryan Smith: I wish I had something to play you. The goal is to have the record finished in the next couple months... It's so close, so damned close! This isn't to say that AMB is dead in the water... just on vacation... in an underwater fissure.