The key word is “hints.” Wipe away the drool, please.
But Cedric Bixler-Zavala told Frederick Blood-Royale (via a feature from Drowned in Sound) that a reunion was possible, which didn’t seem so likely a few years back. Their indefinite hiatus was spurred on by crushing hype, certain "extracurricular" habits inflated during long touring schedules and, most obviously, creative differences. But how many bands that willingly disband at their peaks ever get a chance to answer all those questions of coulda-beens and what-ifs (not counting tour-only reunions)? Hell, I don’t even care. Whatever form it comes in, more At the Drive-In has to be a good thing.
When At the Drive-In parted ways in 2001, the blow was softened by two extraordinary new bands being born from the rubble, which really did sound like the band’s personality split between two extremes. On one side, Bixler-Zavala and Omar Rodriguez-Lopez (the two guys with the 'fros) went on to the Mars Volta, a hyper-progressive rock band melding space rock and acid jazz and any other style they felt like flirting with. They specialized in elephantine epics and multi-part suites, ambition that usually yields either brilliance or catastrophe (take your pick). Meanwhile, Jim Ward, Tony Hajjar and Paul Hinojos formed Sparta, which specialized in more straightforward rock n’ roll, stabbed with screamo or emo-core or whatever you want to call it. One was freebasing while the other offered a controlled hit, but both delivered great highs, especially on each of their debuts after the split.
But now, Cedric (the one who admits to orchestrating the split) is suggesting that there might be more At the Drive-In in him. When asked about an ATDI reformation, he told Blood-Royale, “I don't know what to say about that, really. We've been making amends with a lot of the members and having some really good talks with them. And we've been trying to get our financial business in order because a lot of people have been ripping off that band really badly...as far as the business side goes. I wouldn't mind it. You know, it might happen, we just have to iron out a lot of personal things. A lot of it we've dealt with already and I've apologized for a lot of things I've said and the way it ended...we'll see what happens.” Not quite enough to set aside money right now so you can buy tickets when they roll through your town, but it’s something.
In the meantime, the Mars Volta has finished their fifth studio album, Octahedron, which is set to be released on June 23rd. There seem to be no signs of the band slowing down either. Bixler-Zavala describes the freedom and comfort he has with MV, saying, “I love it and I’ll always love it. It’s the one outlet I have that won’t get me arrested or get me in trouble. I can get away with it. I don’t know if I could collaborate with many other people.” Meanwhile, Sparta went on hiatus in 2008; Ward now focuses his energy on his alt-country project, Sleepercar.
So where would an At the Drive-In reunion rank on the likeliness scale? Probably only about a three-and-a-half as of right now, which isn’t good, but far crazier things have happened. Remember when they said the Police would never do another show together? And that was another band that hung it up at the top of their game. Parallels? Or am I just really reaching? Probably the latter, but who can help it?
Read the full interview here.
And if for some reason you forget how intense they are live, watch them perform in the typically staid atmosphere of Letterman shortly before their breakup:
