The Starting Line = Most Eligible Bachelors

Well, sort of: AP has confirmed that, as the rumor mill has been hinting, The Starting Line are officially off Geffen Records and have been meeting with various record labels to negotiate a new deal. The band hope to have the follow-up to this year's Based On A True Story in stores by spring 2006. In a recent interview with singer/bassist Kenny Vasoli, we learned that TSL have written at least eight of a possible 12 to 15 new songs for the album and will be demoing material in the coming months.

"When we were finished with Based On A True Story, Vasoli tells AP, "I felt like we did a good job, but [there was] something we didn't really hit on the head; I felt like I wanted to give songwriting another shot. The new stuff is based on grooves and just solid songwriting, instead of trying to incorporate, like, a fancy time signature or having really technical, complicated parts — just trying to do what's best for the song; what makes the body move."

Vasoli adds that his lyrical approach is also changing this time around. "I haven't gotten real far into lyrics yet, but I've been trying to make it super-uplifting," he says. "A band like the Flaming Lips, I've noticed that their lyrics are so positive and so uplifting; there's something about it that makes the music so much happier. There's been a lot of [writing] about love — like, finding and deserving love; even love for music." He laughs, adding, "It sounds a little bit hippie, but it's pretty intense."