Written By Cary Barnhard

The members of Bond are very busy touring the world, promoting their latest CD "Classified" and changing everyone's notion of what a string quartet looks and sounds like. Heat Beat was lucky enough to spend a few minutes on the phone with Haylie Ecker, First Violin, before sound check.

HB: I know you're busy, so I'll just go real fast.

HE: Okay!

HB: How is it different touring with Bond than with more of a straight up rock band?

HE: I don't think it's different (laughs). I think it's pretty much a match now. Bond is more like a pop group anyway. We have a tour bus; the whole thing.

HB: How do you divide up between First and Second violin? Who plays what?

HE: Well, in a string quartet there's First violin, Second violin, viola and cello. First Violin usually plays way up high in the stratosphere and the cello is the bass, the Second violin and the viola are kind of like the filling in the sound.

HB: So First violin is like Lead guitar?

HE: Maybe a little (laughs).

HB: What is the process like when you're putting material together for Bond?

HE: It's different for every track, but we write individually and when we write together, We usually have someone else in the room because writing by committee is impossible. (Laughs) He's sort of like the mediator between the four of us…..

HB: When you're on tour do you get to do any sightseeing, or is it pretty much all work?

HE: It's pretty much all work. We get days off sometimes and when we do get days off sometimes we're so tired we sleep. (Laughs) But it's nice when you do get out and about; like in New York we love to go shopping. And I guess last time we were in Florida it was way back in Spring Break times, in Panama City, I think, and that was pretty fun. We saw a lot of action there!

HB: Did anything good happen that I should know about?

HE: It was just like…it was a cultural enlightenment for all of us…..(Laughs)

HB: What can people expect when they come to your show?

HE: Like a pop show it's very loud, full of lots of energy. We do most of it on electric, there are times when we use distortion pedals and it's quite rocky. You'll see chill out dance stuff. And then in the middle section we just play on our wooden instruments and get back to basics.

HB: That's the feeling I get when I listen to your CD; it's more like listening to dance music than a string quartet….

HE: Yeah

HB: You're not offended by that I hope…

HE: (Laughs) No, that's great because that's what it is.

HB: I've heard that when you're actually playing the violin that the sound is very Unpleasant, that it doesn't sound good until several feet away. Is that true?

HE: (Uproarious laughter) No you're very wrong! It's a lovely instrument!

HB: I know it's lovely! But that's what I heard; that it's ironic when you're close up when you're playing it you don't get to enjoy it….

HE: Well, I love it close to me and it's closer to me than it is to anyone.