"I think we're ready to come back, so here we are." 

The last time I saw Taproot, it was a cool night in State College, PA. I had just sprained my ankle at a rugby game and one of my buddies wanted to go see Taproot. I was totally stoked to go see one of my favorite bands and man did they deliver. Despite the fact that I couldn't join the pit that was going on in the small and stuffy Crowbar, the only Venue in the center of Penn State University, Taproot put on a damn good show. I distinctly remember Stephen Richards (lead singer) preaching about getting drunk and stupid instead of studying. He then proceeded to jump into the crowd and continued singing with that distinct wail. He made me want to be a rock star.  

Our Long Road Home is Taproot's first release off of Velvet Hammer, which manages Artists such as System of a Down, The Deftones and Alice in Chains. Everyone remembers the hits like "Poem" and "Mine," which helped them climb the charts and eventually earned Welcome (2002) gold status. The follow-up album to Welcome, Blue Sky Research (2005) achieved mediocre success while on Atlantic. So where has Taproot been since then? Having left Atlantic Records and going the Indie route, Taproot's new release makes everything else they've done pale in comparison.  

I sat down in a nearby Starbucks and conducted my phone interview with guitarist Mike DeWolf, where I proceeded to ask an awkward first question about where they've been all these years and he asked me if I played the drums. Moving past what they've been up to and the fact that I was definitely not the drummer for the White Stripes (a joke that went completely over my head), "A whole lot of things have changed."  

On leaving Atlantic, guitarist Mike DeWolf comments, "I think it was a choice on both sides. They were ready to let us go and we were ready to get gone." 

"It's absolutely our best option. It gives us far more power, we make the choices, it's our money, it's our everything. This is better for everyone involved."  

Taproot really has something to show in terms of moving forward. It is not as if Taproot has lost their flavor as a rock/metal band, but what they have done is taken what they know, what they feel, and have turned it into a mature album that will please fans.  

Turning a barn into a studio in Silene, MI, Our Long Road Home was put to work. When thinking about what to name the album, Mike had an idea of creating something and found that John Fogerty used The Long Road Home and decided to put his own twist on it, making it Our Long Road Home. He interpreted it as, the "story of someone trying to go out in search of finding themselves, but coming back to realize what they were looking for was always there inside of them."

_________________________________ “I think it was a choice on both sides. They were ready to let us go and we were ready to get gone.” - Guitarist Mike DeWolf on their split with Atlantic Records. _________________________________

Taproot, having changed producers from Toby Wright who has worked with Alice in Chains, Korn, Sevendust, Slayer, and on Taproot's past two albums, to Tim Patalan, who has worked with Sponge, Birdbrain and helped produced the Freddie vs. Jason soundtrack, found a great balance.  

"It's definitely a collaborative effort. He [Tim] is a genius," said DeWolf. "He knows more musically than I will ever know. Tim knows what we're going for and can help us where we're lacking musical knowledge." 

The change in producers has brought about a more mature side of Taproot. As Mike described it, this album really goes through the motions of what someone feels when they're trying to find themself, yet in the end, what they were looking for was there all along.  

"I was a completely different person on Blue Sky Research than who I am now." This is indeed a fact because of the changes in the maturity in not only Taproot's sound, but also in their lyrics.  

The first track entitled "Path Less Taken," is a Taproot song through and through. Taproot fans will be very proud of this song because although these guys are getting older, they can still do the hard stuff, something Mike was very proud of. "This one we wrote specifically for live stuff and for all the fans who want the 'heavy, heavy, man!' After we were done with it, I felt like, hey, we still got it!" 

"Wherever I Stand" is the most traditional Taproot song, having the great melodies and breakdowns that us "heavy, heavy" people really like." DeWolf added, "This has a lot of deep meaning and is all around a cool kind of song." It explores the drums, guitar solos and breakdowns that are similar to past songs, but stands out against the rest as a definite hit radio single.  

The first for the band on this record was the appearance of a female voice, Kristen Von Burthal on "It's Natural." "It's natural/The fear of growing older/It's natural/The mirror's getting meaner/Until you realize/It's natural." There is a sense of acceptance as this band is growing and still together after more than ten years together. Life experiences play a big part in the inspiration for this band, as it influences the flow and meaning behind the lyrics. "Life experiences mean as much as the music," said DeWolf.  

What may catch fans off guard is "Run To." Currently the best sounding and well-written song on the record, it stands forth as the strong ballad that Taproot always needed. It is a slow song, but is not an acoustic ballad that will make everyone gag. If anyone has ever been in love, they will relate to this song very quickly.  

What Taproot fans will find is that this album is a lot darker, but also more heartfelt. Listening to the album, the emotion-filled songs are very similar to that on Blue-Sky Research, but Our Long Road Home is pretty mellow in comparison. The human element is there and the audience will find a lot to relate to. Our Long Road Home brings the audience through the motions of life – with songs about heartache and growing old.

After being together in a band for over ten years and having left Atlantic Records, "We are friends first and foremost," said DeWolf. It's easy to see this in the quality of their music and lyrics. They are continuing to grow and I am very impressed. Any band that can be together for more than ten years and can still make great music is worthy of my listening time any day.  

Taproot is on the road with Sevendust through the fall. I will definitely be at the Oct. 7 show at Irving Plaza in NYC. Go check them out and go buy Our Long Road Home, it's out in stores on Velvet Hammer.