How/when did you guys meet (meaning Angela and Karla)?
We met in high school and became close friends on a class trip to Italy back in ye olden days of 1998. We declared we would form a band called The Corner Laughers years before actually playing an instrument or writing a song. Though we are the singer/ukulele player (Karla) and guitarist (Angela) now, in the early days we both played an old Casio keyboard. I mean literally the same one keyboard. At the same time.

Were you in any bands before the Corner Laughers?
I (Karla) was in a tap-dancing group... does that count? No, OK then. Angela and I were not, but Charlie and Khoi have been in many, including the One-Eyed Jacks and Bigwheel, respectively, and they were both in The Variable Stars as drummers (at separate times). Khoi plays with Chris von Sneidern and John Wesley Harding, which is how we came to be on JWH's record label, Popover Corps.

Did you guys have a specific sound/manifesto in mind when you formed the band?
As mentioned, we made up the name first and were entirely fictional for a while, so there was actually no "sound" to speak of. Once sound became a factor, we pretty much just strove for catchy music and clever-yet-sincere lyrics, regardless of genre or subject matter. I think that's still the case.

Were Charlie and Khoi in the band from the beginning? If not what is their story?
The band was just "the ladies" for a few years, making up songs in our dorm rooms and feebly recording them on a karaoke machine. Khoi is an actual experienced and awesome musician so once he got involved we suddenly became a "real" band. With Khoi as our bassist/multi-instrumentalist we were able to record our first album and start playing shows. Charlie joined a few years later. He was in our friends' band the Variable Stars, whose song "Dark Horse" we cover on the new album. We had our collective eye on his rhythmic stylings for a while and finally snatched him up like the vultures we are.

Tell me about your debut, TOMB OF LEOPARDS. I have not heard it...how do you feel about it now?
You should hear it! It was produced by Aaron Madsen and came out in 2006 on Sandbox Records. Though we made very few copies and spent zero money making it or promoting it, it somehow ended up getting out there in the world to some very nice reviews and attention, and even ended up on a BBC radio show. We had never even played a single show until after we made the record, and we put it together piecemeal, in five studios over three or more years, like a patchwork quilt. We're quite fond of it.

What is the biggest difference between that record and the new one, ULTRAVIOLET GARDEN?
I feel like now we're a cohesive band with a distinctive sound. On Ultraviolet Garden, the recordings have caught up with the visions floating around in our imaginations. On the first album, we didn't have a drummer of our own, just several people who were nice enough to contribute. On UVG, Charlie and Khoi's tight rhythm section is an integral part of the structure. Allen Clapp's epic production, too, makes the new album stand out. We've also grown as performers and songwriters. Charlie says TOL is like high school and UVG is like college. For the next one, maybe we'll skip middle age and go straight to crotchety retirement home.

How has the city of San Francisco taken to the Corner Laughers?
Ah, San Francisco. So cool and reluctant to show its affection. But I'm sure there is love in that foggy, foggy heart for the CL.

How did you get Mr. Allen Clapp to produce the new record?
We happened to be Orange Peels fans already, but A.C. and I (Karla) actually met and became friends at work. One day, he played me a new Orange Peels demo he'd just recorded and it sounded so amazing. It was a revelation -- I knew he was the producer for us. We recorded the song "Stonewords" at his studio as a trial balloon and luckily everyone agreed there was magic happening there.

Tell us something about Allen we might not know.
He is competent at cutting hair. When my bangs get too long, I let him cut them. And by "let" I mean "make."

What is your 5-band dream bill?
The Corner Laughers, KC Bowman, The Orange Peels, Anton Barbeau, Chris von Sneidern and John Wesley Harding. That is technically six, but we'd all be playing in each other's bands and sharing equipment so the efficiency would allow for one extra act.

Top 10 desert island discs?
This question caused a lot of frenzied discussion. Are we all on the island together, each conveniently carrying 2-3 discs? Does our location on a possibly tropical island make us want a higher percentage of ukuleles and the Beach Boys? Would there be coconuts? Deep questions. And apparently we are way too UK-centric. Maybe this island is England?

John Wesley Harding - Here Comes The Groom
Martin Newell and Andy Partridge - The Greatest Living Englishman
Soundtrack - Jesus Christ Superstar (this is cheating because it is two discs)
Elvis Costello - Get Happy!
Kirsty MacColl - Titanic Days
XTC - Skylarking
The Beatles - Rubber Soul
KC Bowman - Fresher Tin Villages
Heavenly - The Decline and Fall of Heavenly
The Kinks - Arthur
(Bonus) The Orange Peels - 2020, but we have not yet received our copies!

Anything you'd like to say that I didn't ask?
We do a marvelous cover of R. Kelly's "Ignition (Remix)."