The Short Cut

True to post-collegiate form, though, the songwriter's quick to point out that the new direction is as organic as the acoustic guitars that make up much of Know By Heart's sound world. "I don't want to overstate our importance in the musical community. I mean, we just sit down and start writing, and that's what comes out. There were times years ago when we'd sit down and write, and it would sound like we were covering ourselves. So maybe we did say, 'Let's do something different. Let's play instruments we know how to play, in the style of the band we're in, but let's not play songs that sound like our songs." We don't feel like we're musical missionaries or anything, but I think we've done a pretty good job of it."