With singer-guitarist Andrew Lee at the helm, In Medias Res has been a mainstay on the local indie-rock scene for more than a decade. On its long-awaited sophomore LP, It Was Warm and Sunny When We First Set Out, the band (which includes guitarist Ash Poon and a rotating cast of others) shows that it has developed a mature and polished sound that is no less powerful than the foundation of driving emo and twisty math rock upon which it was built.

Best local release other than yours:

“My favourite local release would probably be Destroyer’s Kaputt. I like the sleek and sexy horns on the album.”

The year’s best gig:

“I saw Himalayan Bear with Hard Drugs and E.S.L. at the Waldorf [on February 2]. It was one of those shows where all the bands don’t have that much in common, and that’s what made it interesting for me. But the highlight was Himalayan Bear. I think Ryan Beattie’s singing style and songwriting are pretty captivating.”

We’re road-tripping. Who’s on the stereo?

“I’ll say Bill Callahan’s Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle. It’s really calm and soothing, and if you’re touring on a prairie road it seems very fitting.”

The Straight’s paying, so where’s dinner?

“The Congee Noodle House on East Broadway and Main [141 East Broadway]. I find the quality of their rice to be superior to most Chinese restaurants. Being Asian and all, I notice the finer intricacies of different grains of rice, and rices that were made by different people. If it’s the long-grain type of rice that Chinese restaurants use, I feel like it can be sometimes too dry and sometimes too wet, so to find the correct balance of it being just the right suppleness, as opposed to too dry or too wet, is an art form.”

Vancouver needs a sex-tape scandal. Who’s your co-star?

“Ben Lai of CiTR radio, because I find his round head particularly appealing.”

Jimmy Pattison’s fronting the money. Where are we opening a venue?

“That old Bank of Montreal building on the corner of Main and Prior. Last time I rode my bike by it was called, like, the Denim Café [Denim Gallery Café, 906 Main] or something like that. But I always thought that would be a good-sized venue, because I guess a lot of the mid-sized ones aren’t around anymore. I consider 300-seat venues big venues. I think there’s a lot of good venue spots along Main Street. There’s another spot across the street from the Shell. It’s like a liquidating store on Main and East 2nd.”