We are Northern State. Our third album, “Can I Keep This Pen?” which features production by Adrock of the Beastie Boys and Chuck Brody of Shitake Monkey, is currently out on Mike Patton’s label, Ipecac Recordings.

2007 was a pretty awesome year for us –we toured throughout the U.S. and Canada with our friends Tegan and Sara and will be heading to Europe with them in Feb. 2008. Two songs from “Can I Keep This Pen?” were featured on Grey’s Anatomy and a third was featured on the FX series Damages. JD from Le Tigre did a hot remix of our single ‘Better Already’ and we released it on vinyl. We also contributed our take on Radiohead’s ‘No Surprises’ to Stereogum’s 10th anniversary tribute to OK Computer.

Northern State is Spero, Hesta Prynn, and Sprout. We grew up together in deep suburban Long Island and we’ve been friends forever. We have now been a band for seven years. “Can I Keep This Pen?” is our third proper album, following “All City” (Columbia...