'Ant'

LESS THAN A YEAR after performing at the now-defunct Kapono's, Southern California rockers Alien Ant Farm return for a pair of shows on Oahu.

Following tomorrow's all-ages gig at Pipeline Cafe, they'll play a slightly more intimate venue on Friday, at Kemoo Farms. Local bands Analog and Missing Dave open the first night, with The Crud helping out in Wahiawa.

The Star-Bulletin spoke with lead singer Dryden Mitchell on Monday, when he discussed the band's album delays, his health (his neck was broken in a bus crash in 2002) and his recent marriage on Kauai.

PHOTO AND GRAPHIC COURTESY ALIEN ANT FARM Dryden Mitchell, center, frontman of Alien Ant Farm, is set for twogigs in Hawaii.

ANSWER: Yeah, it's just that stupid waiting game. It sucks to kind of have the wind stop blowing in your sails when you're all hyped about the record, and you're excited about the songs because they're new to you. In all honesty, I'm not listening to any of our music that we did, because I don't want to get burned out on it.

Q: So now it's coming out in July? What's the title?

A: July 25, or the week after, whatever that Tuesday is. It's called "Up in the Attic."

Q: Tell me about the first single, "Forgive and Forget."

A: The album is defintely more punchy rock, and this song is kind of what we thought to be ... the most straight-forward and identifiable. A lot of the time, I'll write a lot of cryptic stuff, you know, more deep, meaningful things. To me, that's easier than writing a typical quote, or something you hear in everyday life. It's harder to do the simple things than the difficult-sounding things, I think.

Q: Is that track indicative of the rest of the album?

A: I think so. I think it's just a great, kind of quasi-aggressive, witty song. You're going to find elements of that within a lot of the record. But it does get a lot deeper and more solemn. It talks about, you know, my broken neck accident a little bit. It's like a diary.

Q: How's your health?

A: The touring is tiring, but honestly, the more activities I do that give me that adrenaline rush are the things that keep me from thinking about how (messed) up my neck is. So when I'm touring and playing shows and stuff, that's when I'm the most tired, but also the most pain-free. It's kind of a Catch-22.

Q: It's been less than a year since you guys were here. Do you look forward to returning?

A: Actually, I was just out there again to get married. We went to Kauai and rented this house in Anahola, and just stayed there, had the wedding on the beach, and then spent the next week just roaming around the island. It was a good time.

Q: Too bad you couldn't stay until your gigs on Oahu.

A: I know! I was seriously thinking about it, and the other guys were like, "Dude, we gotta practice! You gotta be kidding me!" And I was like, "You guys can jam without me."