Hopewell is a five piece hailing from New York City perhaps best known by the company they keep. Lead singer Jason Russo formerly played bass for space-rock pioneers Mercury Rev. Hopewell's acclaimed album "Hopewell & the Birds of Appetite" was produced by Dave Fridmann (The Flaming Lips, Mercury Rev and Sleater-Kinney) and Bill Racine (Rouge Wave, Phantom Planet). They've played shows all over the world with tour mates like the Brian Jonestown Massacre, British Sea Power and former RIDE frontman Mark Gardener, and even recorded their own Peel Session. Russo and drummer Jay Green took time out of their busy tour schedule to answer some of DCist's questions via email before their gig Friday at the Rock n' Roll Hotel with Falcons, Longwave and Travis Morrison as part of the DAM!fest. We don't really know why Jay Green felt the need to yell all of his answers ... maybe he's just a loud talker.

You don't hide the fact that you have ties to Mercury Rev. How do you walk the line between dropping their name and making your own?

Jason Russo: Generally we let the people who's job it is to sell us mention Mercury Rev. It gets fairly annoying when it is in every review, every interview etc. But, I have made some peace with it. It was a formative time for me and it was a pretty life changing thing so it's worth mentioning...

Your sound doesn't fit in with the traditional New York Scene (as the press describes and/or labels it). Has this worked for you or against you. Are you part of the New York Scene? Is there a scene in New York anymore?

JR: New York is huge. There are many many scenes. If we spent time trying to fit into one or the other we would inevitably lose our minds and start flinging feces at each other in the rehearsal space. One thing we are that I am proud of is dramatic. Somewhere along the line it became cool to act uninvolved and unaffected, this is not our working model, we are desperate men with troubled lives and onstage it's a battle. A joyful battle, one we involve the audience in.

How do you feel about CBGB's closing?

JR: It was a shit hole tourist trap by the time we came of age.

Jay Green: TO BE HONEST, I'M MUCH SADDER ABOUT ALL MY OLD FAVORITE BARS AND GREASY SPOONS IN THE LOWER EAST SIDE CLOSING....THOSE PLACES WERE AS MUCH CULTURAL ICONS TO LOWER MANHATTAN THAN CB'S, AND A LOT MORE RELEVANT NOWADAYS.

You're releasing a new EP in November. Why an EP and not an album?

JR: Because the label put the album release off until 2007. Blame Christmas.

JG: WE HAD SOME STUFF THAT WE RECORDED WHILE MAKING THE NEW RECORD THAT MAYBE DIDN'T FIT WITH THE REST OF THE SONGS...BUT WE STILL LIKED THEM AND WANTED TO PUT THEM OUT SOMEHOW...SO IT'S COOL TO BE ABLE TO RELEASE THEM AND STILL LOOK FORWARD TO THE NEW RECORD, KIND OF LIKE GETTING AN UNEXPECTED HANUKKAH PRESENT ON THE 9TH NIGHT.

I'm a huge RIDE fan. What was it like touring with Mark Gardener? I can think of worse things than having to hear "Vapour Trail" live every night.

JR: It was a pleasure. Mark is a sweet man. It was pretty spine tingling to hear "Vapor Trail" live. Brought back a lot of memories. His backing band at the time, our dear pals Goldrush, are like brothers to us. The more I think about it the more misty eyed I get...

JG: YEAH, HE'S A GREAT GUY AND A TRUE MUSIC LIFER...HIS NEW SONGS ARE REALLY BEAUTIFUL TOO AND I WOULD ADD THAT HE EATS JUST AS MUCH CRAPPY FOOD ON THE ROAD AS US.

You, like every other band on the planet, have a MySpace page. Currently you have over 16,000 MySpace friends. How important a tool is your MySpace page?

JR: Myspace is really just a cesspool of spam at this point. After you get a certain amount of friends you become a target for spiders and robots that just mechanically add you. We actually get tired of bulk adding all the friend requests. It's not a valid thing anymore.

JG: I DON'T USE IT AT ALL...IF IT BRINGS MORE PEOPLE TO SHOWS OR HELPS GET OUR MUSIC OUT THERE THAN THAT'S COOL.

KEXP has taken quite a liking to you guys. What's more important in the long run, getting KEXP love or having 16,000 MySpace friends?

JR: KEXP is human and myspace is a machine. Anyone reading this should support that station by donating money to them. This is their pledge week. Go to kexp.org.

JG: THERE ARE FEW THINGS MORE IMPORTANT THAN GETTING KEXP LOVE, AND FEW THINGS LESS IMPORTANT THAN MYSPACE.

You guys have played DC a few times in the last year or so. What are your impressions of our fair city. How have the crowds at your shows been?

JG: I LIKE THE PEOPLE. I LIKE THE ETHIOPIAN FOOD. I DON'T LIKE THE BELTWAY, I DON'T LIKE THE PRESIDENT.

What do you know about DAM!fest? How did you get involved in playing the Festival?

JR: Tyson, our piano player spent a long night with someone involved with the festival, undoubtedly filling him with lies and half truths, deals were made, hands were shook...also, we talked with our friends Longwave and decided it would be lots of fun to play with them...

I imagine your DAM!fest gig will be full of Travis Morrison devotees. What can they expect from seeing Hopewell live?

JG: A LOT OF GREENERY. WHITE PANTS. LOUD GUITARS. BIG DRUMS. FIVE GUYS WHO REALLY AREN'T ALL THAT GOOD AT ANYTHING OTHER THAN DESPERATELY PLAYING CRAZY SONGS FOR LITTLE TO NO MONEY TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS WANT TO LISTEN.