Is it just us, or does Maritime frontman Davey von Bohlen seem a little bit cranky in some of his responses to our Q&A? Then again, we’d be a little bit cranky too if we had to answer our stupid questions. Crankiness aside, his band’s latest record, “Heresy and the Hotel Choir,” adds another solid effort to the band’s increasingly strong catalog. The Milwaukee-based indie pop band allows their sound to broaden a bit on their third full-length, embracing a bigger, more majestic sound in places, while not ignoring their quieter tendencies as well. Read on to hear Davey’s thoughts on U2, the pricing of the new Radiohead album, and whether he’s had a chance to check out the new “Bionic Woman.”

On the song “For Science Fiction,” you sing, “I want to thank god for the science fiction,” but shouldn’t you be thanking Godzilla instead?
No, I was right the first time.

Have you watched the new “Bionic Woman” TV show?
I’ve been watching “Sesame Street” and “Thomas the Train.”

Where did the idea come from to have the lyrics to “Pearl” and “Peril” be so similar?
I repeat lyrics for demos all the time. When we kept both songs, I looked at the lyrics and realized they were totally different though they shared a huge amount. It makes them interesting.

What comes first for you, the music or the words?
It depends, they both float around books and ideas for awhile. Mostly, lyrics are applied to the finished song though.

A recent review said that Maritime is to the Promise Ring as Jets to Brazil are to Jawbreaker — which we take to mean the under-appreciated newer band from members of a beloved previous band. Is that analogy accurate?
I don’t know. That’s not really for me to decide.

Does the evolving nature of the record business in any way change your approach to making an album? What do you think of Radiohead letting fans determine what price they want to pay for downloads of their new record?
The record business shouldn’t and doesn’t really affect us. I think it’s humorous and cool that Radiohead is doing that, though when you can afford to do things like that, it is easy to be “really cool” about such things as money.

Has it been a conscious decision in your musical career to not sign with a major label, or is it more a case of the right situation just not presenting itself?
Mostly the right situation. Never going to compromise to achieve a status, that as music evolves means less and less.

Do you have a favorite sea?
Sea and Cake.

A couple of the songs on the new album have really big choruses — approaching even U2-esque proportions at times. Are they a band you listen to and are fond of?
Don’t ask me about U2… I might not have anything nice to say. Others in my band don’t share my gloomy opinions on that though.

The Brewers or the Packers?
They play different sports, I love them the same.

Can one be both a yuppie and a punk?
Probably??? I am not an expert on subculture though…

Maritime – “Guns of Navarone”
Maritime – “For Science Fiction”

Maritime’s “Heresy and the Hotel Choir” is out Oct. 16th on Flameshovel.

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