Mike Rimmer and Tony Cummings quizzed JON FOREMAN about his recent stripped-down, low-fi EPs

Jon: Sometimes. Most of them - 'Fall' and 'Winter' primarily - were written before the seasons. When the concept for the four seasons came to us we sorted them through and put them in piles. They were recorded before the seasons concept came and afterwards we put them in that particular season.

Mike: The songs on 'Fall' and 'Winter' in particular are quite depressing, aren't they?

Jon: Well, it depends on what you mean by depressing. They are definitely sobering, that's for sure. 'Fall' is about the act of dying and 'Winter' would be the act of death or hibernation, however you want to put it. I think "Learning How To Die" is a good song. It talks about all of this. I used to think that life was kind of accumulating, that you were continually learning more, growing more, understanding more. Then I had a few events in my life that made me realise that life is actually about surrender and losing, in fact maybe giving yourself away. So maybe 'Winter' is the most honest season. So I don't think it's a depressing thought but it certainly is a sobering thought to think that this life that we've been given actually has a purpose of surrender rather than conquest.

Tony: Are you gigging these songs? Are you going out and playing little clubs and singing some of them?

Jon: After shows I'll go out and play a few tunes down at the coffee shop or pub down the street and I've played a few shows in select places, just me and a few friends playing these songs. They're amazing songs and they're very adaptive - you can play them with an acoustic guitar. The last time I played them I had a friend of mine play the cello and the violin so it's really gratifying to just kind of show up and you don't really need a microphone. I've played in Central Park in New York City, just an impromptu gig - that sort of thing is impossible with a drum set.

Mike: There is a song, "Baptise My Mind", which reminds me very much of Sufjan Steven's albums. In fact, Sufjan is playing on it.

Jon: I definitely wanted to give him a nod on 'Spring' because I find his music very sprightly. It was also incredible to get a chance to work with a friend of mine named Karl Denson who's in a band called the Greyboy Allstars, kind of a legendary band around San Diego. So he played this incredible flute solo half way through. It was a really fun thing to be able to work with him.