Urge Overkill

Stephen Pedersen is really tall. He’s also been in Cursive and the White Octave, and he now fronts Omaha’s best rock band, Criteria. Oh, and in a move we’re sure gave his student loan office a coronary, he quit his job as a trial lawyer last year to support the band’s stellar Saddle Creek debut, When We Break, full time. We have no objection to that.

What do you think the biggest difference is between your two lines of work?

The biggest difference is probably the hours. When I’m on tour, there’s only about a half-hour of real work a night. As a lawyer, I work between 10 [a.m.] and 12 [midnight].

And you probably have to get up earlier.

[Laughs] I did, but there’s not as much travel time as a lawyer.

Are you still practicing law?

Yes, casually, for a couple of bands.

Hypothetically, if you were disbarred, would you no longer be allowed in bars and have to play only all-ages venues?

[Laughs] Did you really write that down?

Yes.

Uh, precisely.

On your single “Preventing the World,” you talk about “irrational urges.” What’s the difference between that and a rational urge, exactly?

An irrational urge is the desire to do something that makes no rational sense. Like, let’s say you dive into a pool and sink to the bottom. The rational urge would be to swim back up and come for air. The irrational urge would be to stay at the bottom.

OK, so if I tell you some urges, can you tell me if they’re irrational or rational?

Yes.

Going to the bathroom.

Rational.

Bungee jumping.

Hmmm … that’s a tough one. I think for some people it’s rational, for others, not that rational.

Watching a King Of Queens marathon.

Irrational. [Laughs]

OK, that’s all I’ve got.

Can I change my last one to rational?