Pitchfork

The rumors are true: all three Shipping News guys have decided not to work with each other for a while. Don't worry, though-- it's not their egos getting in the way, and nobody is sleeping with anyone else's wives (that we know of, at least). In actuality, Kyle Crabtree, Jeff Mueller, and Jason Noble have each committed to recording one song apiece for a series of three EPs, to be released under the name RMSN.

The RMSN songs were to be recorded as a solitary affair, with no communication between band members as to what they were like. This songwriting experiment, while it may or may not exactly pan out as expected, will at very least enable the band to cleanse their palate of all those nasty solo artist germs that linger when a group has been around for a few years.

The first EP, entitled Carrier, was released on October 23rd in extremely limited quantities. The packaging features elaborate hand-stitching that you have to tear to open. The next two installments in the series are due on February 23rd, 2002, and June 23rd, 2002. Keep your eyes peeled.