There is nothing slow and steady about Middle Distance Runner. The local pop rockers have had quite an accelerated year of achievement and attention with the release of their debut album Plane In Flames back in June. It was a very promising record from a group of guys who have been playing together for a while but just recently started taking their work more seriously. And as a result, they have produced a collection of extremely catchy quality tracks that they perform live with a captivating energy and warped sense of humor (which they treated us to at our last Unbuckled show in September).

Just a few weeks ago, MDR opened for Forward Russia and Snowden at the Black Cat’s mainstage. It was a busy weekend of parties, but they drew in the crowds and held their own. Although dressed in the finest of tacky holiday attire, they didn’t play their new downloadable-only song “Xmas Party,” but kicked off the show with their usual addictive head nodding hand clapping set. “Naturally” got us singing along and when “Man of the People” blared through the speakers we couldn’t help but move. They added a comfortable local flare to an evening of much more bizarre experimental indie rock requiring plenty of upside down and right side up exclamation marks.

To sum it up, MDR is some super sweet candy that we just can’t get enough of. One bite and we were hooked. This is a band that we never get tired of, and judging by the turnout for their shows, you don't either. In our humble opinion, these guys have a serious shot at success far beyond the reaches of our fair city.

Visit them at: www.middledistancerunner.com

Buy their album at: CD Baby

See them next: Jan 20th at the Black Cat with Exit Clov and De Novo Dahl

Questions for Middle Distance Runner:

Why the name? Belle and Sebastian or just not physically built for sprints and marathons?

There was some crappy band in northern Virginia that had the name first. We beat them up and stole their name and their equipment. We hear they regrouped recently… something about "marooning five" or something… whatever.

How did you guys meet and what were you all doing musically before MDR?

A majority of us met up in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade and played pretty much nothing but Zeppelin covers (and the occasional original). Steve, Erik and Allan. That's how it all started.

At that point, the "band" had 2 guitar players, and we really needed bassist, but instead we decided to add another guitarist. In comes Jay – he had all kinds of crazy effects and we were like "Neato. Welcome to the band. Know any bass players?" Somewhere along the course of it all, Ian started showing up at practices and playing the bass. He was actually another guitar player, but we told him bass is really a guitar, just bigger … and cooler. He totally bought it. What a dickhead.

When did you record "Xmas Party" and do you have any plans yet for a second album?

We recorded XMAS PARTY on December 9th and 10th in Jay's kitchen. Steve had written the song a while back, but the arrangement and instrumentation itself was pretty much created on the spot. We've never played it together live. We're really glad nobody requested it at our recent Black Cat show, because we seriously don't know how to play it!!

Recording the song in Jay's kitchen was a particularly unique experience because whenever Jay's dog would come in to eat or drink, we had to stop recording until it was done. There's nothing more disgusting than the recorded, amplified sound of a dog drinking from its water bowl. That and the sound of a beard scraping against a microphone. It so disgusting it gives you the pee shivers.

Anyway, it was neat to test ourselves and see if we would be able to arrange and record a song in just one weekend. We were a little skeptical at first, but it really came together. We can only hope that recording of the next album goes that well!

And speaking of which… as of this time, we don't have any solid timelines for the next album. We're still focusing on getting our debut release "Plane in Flames" out to the masses. Recording another album would seem like we were abandoning the first one. We're not quite ready to do that yet.

We can, however, pretty much guarantee that it will be released before Chinese Democracy.

What was your reaction to all the positive press this year about the band and Plane in Flames?

Smiles all around.

Good reviews are very encouraging, and they've really helped to keep us going when we got tired and wanted to slow down or take a break. There is a healthy symbiotic relationship between getting good reviews and the desire to push the extra mile. If we send our CD out to 50 places, and we get five good reviews… we're gonna be kind of thinking "Shit. What about the other 45?" … but at the same time, we're gonna think "Damn … those five guys who reviewed it REALLY liked it! Maybe the other 45 were too busy or didn't get to it yet. Let's send out a hundred more! That way we'll get 10 more reviews and then maybe some of the initial 45 will notice the buzz and jump on…"

We figure if we can get the music into enough people's hands, eventually, people will read something online or in a magazine and go "hey, wait a minute … don't I have one of those CDs?"

Essentially, our goal is to just harass the hell out of everyone on the planet until someone with millions of dollars notices and takes us in and buys us our own private islands with personalized jet skis and mandatory party hour ordinances and stuff.

Who does all of your album artwork?

Steve did the drawings (inside cover of CD) and craft work (i.e., the plane with the flames), and Erik made it all look nice with a camera and a computer.

Bonus MDR trivia: the sketches behind the plastic CD tray are drawings Steve did in high-school Algebra class instead of paying attention.

Bonus Life Tip for Kids: Kids, if you want to grow up and start a band called Middle Distance Runner, don't pay attention in Algebra class. Draw cartoons and pick your nose!! In fact, drop out of school RIGHT NOW! Do drugs!

What was the inspiration behind "Naturally?" Bad break-up? Masochism?

The way we see it… Steve was in college and probably looking for something to do besides go to class when it just sort of popped into his head. You could call his inspiration… laziness? Or maybe ADD. And a little Oedipus? Either way, we're proud of his lack of drive. We ended up with some decent songs out of it!

Honestly... it's really actually about guilt and girls and blah blah blah... Actually, you know what? It's a pop song! Clap your hands and shut up!

How do you define your genre?

The opposite of Mudvayne. The inverse of Mudvayne. Mudvayne divided by Mudvayne to the negative first power times zero divided by Staind.

Seriously, though... this is actually a really hard question to answer... at least for us... because we're idiots. Most people in bands know a lot about music and genres and stuff … but we're just kind of really stupid when it comes to that sort of thing. We're still telling people we sound like U2 and Radiohead. You'd think we could do better than that… maybe throw in someone on an indie label every once in a while or something. When we feel particularly smart, we will sometimes mention Arcade Fire or Wilco ... but we really have no clue.

Help us with this one, people! What do we sound like?? Email us at hi@middledistancerunner.com and tell us what the fuck we sound like! Please! Thanks!

What has been your most effective means of self-promotion thus far?

We took a this picture of all of us walking across this street in England somewhere with zig zaggy lines on the road. People love it! We see it everywhere!

Well, either that or handing out free CDs everywhere. Seriously… everywhere. Check under your couch. Creepy, yeah?

We have been passing out these sampler CDs out such intensity that we've pretty much worn out the usuals at the 9:30 Club. We'll stand out there after shows handing them to people, and half the people tell us they "already have like 4 of them." That's both a good and bad thing for several business/strategy reasons with which we won't bore the world right now…

Aside from someday being immortalized as underwear clad ice sculptures (as you mention in your blog), what other successes do you hope to achieve in the near future?

Immortalized in real life. We want to be shepherds in Wales, or Japanese businessmen who go into space! Technology will make this possible!!

Also, we would like for David Geffen to come along and pay for all of that. David – if you're reading … we love you, baby!

What are a few of your favorite local bands?

In alpha order because there's no fair way to sort these guys: Cedars, Death by Sexy, Deleted Scenes, Exit Clov, Greenland, The Hard Tomorrows, Let's French!, Monopoli, The Nunchucks, The Run-In (or whatever they're calling themselves), The Sketches, Soft Complex, Telograph, These United States, The Vita Ruins ... and a dozen more we're forgetting.

What's your opinion of the D.C. music scene?

It's home base and we like it. There are some really good things going on right now… a lot of newer acts are developing, and with every good song written, D.C. is one step closer to snagging at least some of the spotlight.

Between the bands mentioned above, DC has what it would take to really get noticed on a more widespread level. For example... it is really exciting to hear the tunes Soft Complex are laying down in the studio, and albums like The Hard Tomorrows' "Lights Out" are the kind of building blocks this city can use to garner some more attention. These United States also have some new songs that absolutely kill.

It's so cliche to say this, but it truly feels like a good time to be involved right now. If one of us can really make it happen, I think all of us are in for a good year.

Photo from myspace.com/middledistancerunner