The falcon.

AT FIRST GLANCE, The Falcon appears to be another all-star side project band, but in reality it's made up of childhood friends and Chicago natives. Brendan Kelly and Neff Hennessey have been playing as two thirds of The Lawrence Arms for seven years; but before that Brendan played with Dan Andriano as a teenager. Since Brendan and Dan broke their teeth on the vibrant Chicago punk scene of the mid 1990s, Dan went on to co-found the wildly successful horror-punk band, Alkaline Trio. Over the years, The Falcon friends have maintained grueling tour schedules, been blessed with two weddings, and launched a new production career all while participating in "Cubs Fever." Today, they're proud to release their first full-length record, Unicornography, with indie label Red Scare. To the chagrin of his overbearing teacup Chihuahua, Poncho, Brendan Kelly made time for me in order to answer some burning questions.--Gen X

All the members of The Falcon are also players for some heavy hitting bands in the punk scene like Alkaline Trio and The Lawrence Arms. What was the common thread that brought you together, and how has it been to work together thus far?

Well, honestly, boredom and tour was the genesis of The Falcon. Dan and I have been friends for 15 or so years, and we used to play in a band together when we were in high school. I was sitting with him at breakfast one day a few years back, and I mentioned to him that I had just been on tour with Rise Against and their guitar player, Todd, was one of the most amazing performers that I had ever seen, and that seeing him play had inspired me to write some songs in order to start a new band with him. By the time we were ready to do a full length, Todd had moved to LA and said that he wouldn't be able to make it to the studio to do the record, so it was just Dan, Nell, and me. The three of us were very communicative in the studio when we did this record and as a result, I think we were able to tap into what is unique about the three of us. as opposed to, say, the three guys in the Trio, or the three guys in The Lawrence Arms. We were able to find something that was specific to The Falcon. So to answer your question, working with Dan and Neil has been a lot of fun.

You worked with Dan Andriano many years ago when you were a teenager in a ska-punk band called Slapstick. What was it like working with Dan again after all these years? Are you a fan of his stuff with Alkaline Trio?

I hate Dan. His personality, his music. Everything. It's all about the money and tiding his coattails to stardom. Nab, I'm joking. He's one of my best friends and I'm constantly impressed with his songs, voice, and bass playing. It's kind of funny. I remember him being a good singer in the studio, and obviously he's a great bass player but to work together again after 10 years ... I was really like, "Whoa, no wonder you're famous." He's pretty good at that shit. Why he lends his talent to my shitty songs is beyond me, but I'm not complaining.

Unicorn imagery is a prevalent with your band. What do these mythical creatures mean to you and what was the inspiration behind the record title Unicornography?

I'm into the idea of taking the lamest possible things and trying to make them cool. It's a great challenge. That's why there was the satellite -flying over Mars on the cover of the EP. Is there anything lamer than science fiction and space? Probably not. It's hilarious. Punk rock's 'rules' are constantly being dictated by people with no sense of humor, and I'm not interested in those rules. It's funny, because I often get a rep as being part of the 'punker than thou' crowd, but I don't think it's a fair tag. I like making music and making my friends laugh, and if putting a satellite or a unicorn on the cover of my record does that, then I could give two fucks what anyone thinks. Unicorns and their general surroundings--waterfalls and crystal gardens and shit--are arguably part of the lamest iconographic lexicon in the history of pop art. That's why I love it. We were in Canada and Dan suggested that we call the record Unicornography. We both laughed our asses off for a while, then went to find Nell. He also laughed his ass off. Then we called Toby from Red Scare. When he laughed his ass off, it was decided.