With the announcement that Tim and Mike have been in the studio working on new Axiom material fans have been clamoring to know what happened in their years long absence from the music industry. We caught up with them during a break in the studio to ask them a few questions.

I guess the first question is why reunite now?

Tim Dunn: I, and I can’t speak for Mike, but I really just felt like I was ready to work with him again in a musical sense. I really started realizing that I did my best work when I was able to bounce ideas off of him.

Mike Peck: I really felt like we finally got back to where we were before the break. It took us a while to work through those issues but time has a way of resolving even the deepest feuds.

You mention a “break.” Can you elaborate on that? No one really knows why you suddenly disappeared after your most successful release.

MP: There was a power struggle inside the band that didn’t really get out. When we started there was always a bit of friendly competition in our songwriting. I mean, there was collaboration on every song but most of the time one of us was the primary songwriter. I would bring something in and then Tim would go home and work on trying to outdo it while also making his own notes and changes to what I had. It drove us both to write better and better music but eventually it became about “owning” more of the album than the other guy.

TD: Yeah. It got to a point when we were trying to write and record our follow up to (Tales of a Wasteland) Hero it was less about creating a compelling album and more about who had more tracks on the album. I would reject fantastic tracks Mike was writing just so I could push for mine, even if it was inferior. There wasn’t a band dynamic; we were really two solo artists vying for as much spotlight as we could.

MP: So behind the closed doors of the studio there was this fight to be the “main” guy, the one who did the heavy lifting for the album while in public we tried to play it off like things were fine. Continuing to make appearances as a group and playing shows. We had separate transportation for the most of the Hero tour. We even played a couple festivals where the only time we even spoke in the months leading up to the gig were at rehearsal. I remember one time arguing over the setlist because Tim had like 5 more minutes than me as the lead vocalist. Essentially it was one song and we were at an impasse because of it.

TD: The final straw came in the studio. We were having an argument over the arrangement of a track and our really good friend and producer Phil (Haffner) came in. He looked at both of us and he just asked us point blank: Do you guys really want to be here? The truth was we really didn’t. At that time we were under contract and had a deal for three albums so we had to deal with that. After a little bit of discussion with the label and a hefty buyout we were free to do whatever we wanted and we quietly went our separate ways.

What did you guys do in the time away? We didn’t really see much in terms of musical projects after Axiom disappeared.

TD: I went to work as a producer and talent scout for a label. I wanted to try and help young artists avoid the pitfalls that I experienced as well as help them realize their potential. I also did some session work and spent some time as part of the backing band on a couple tours. Really I just wanted to be in the background. I didn’t have to be one in front of the media. I wasn’t the one responsible if things went good or bad. It was freeing in a way, just being a regular guy earning a paycheck. I thought about recording a solo record but never really got much traction on it. Really I was just like anyone else, just earning a living.

MP: I actually recorded a few classical piano albums. I spent some time touring as a guest musician for different orchestras. I was back to square one. Eventually the royalties from the Axiom stuff started paying less and less and I wasn’t a rock star anymore. I was on the road constantly and really living that life again. It was that garage band mentality, I only get paid when I play a gig so I better play as many as I can.

How did you guys come to the decision to reunite and record as Axiom again?

TD: A mutual friend was getting married and she was insistent that we both be there. It was the first time we saw each other in person in about a year and a half.

MP: At this point we had been apart long enough that a lot of the petty stuff wasn’t a factor anymore. He (Tim) was living in L.A. at the time and I was going to be doing a show there in a couple weeks. He decided he would come out to see it and then we could grab a few drinks afterwards just to catch up. We started small, just trying to become friends again, just hanging out when we were in town. Finally one day I got a call from him asking if I wanted to play a show with him, not as Axiom but just as a cover band in a small club.

TD: I knew the guy who owned the club and he called one afternoon because his scheduled act for that Saturday had to cancel. This was like Thursday afternoon and he was having trouble finding a replacement so he asked if I would do it. I told him I would make some calls but I didn’t have a band so I wasn’t sure what I could get together with only 3 days to rehearse. I called some session guys from the studio I worked in and got Mike to stay a couple days in L.A. just so I could help a friend out.

MP: I agreed as long as there was no Axiom stuff played. When we finished the show there was that feeling, it’s hard to describe. This feeling of being part of something bigger than you and the spark was there for me again. We kept playing more shows; we called ourselves “The Human Condition” or something like that. Eventually we got to the point where we felt like it was time to try this band thing again.

Check back later for part 2 of the interview where the guys discuss the sound and direction of their new album.