As kid growing up in Alaska, singer-songwriter John Roderick of The Long Winters preferred to spend most of his time with his friends knee-deep in Star Wars action figures.

"My friends and I did nothing but play with Star Wars toys," Roderick recalls. "We weren't very well-off, so I wasn't the first one on my block to get the action figures, but I had a couple of rich friends who had everything -- every action figure, the landspeeder, Han Solo's blaster, and even a Death Star playset that folded into a carrying case. My first toy was probably a Han Solo figurine, but my favorite was my Han Solo blaster. It was a hand-me-down from some other kid. The battery cover had fallen off, but it was still the coolest gun ever."

"I still have a couple of stormtrooper figurines, including a TIE fighter pilot," Roderick continues. "The one I wish I still had was my little remote-control R2-D2. I got him for Christmas in 1979."

Check out the full interview here:
The Long Winters Hoth No Fury

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Be sure to check out my interviews with other bands who love the saga like The Decemberists, Death Cab for Cutie, Thee More Shallows, Ween, Kid Koala, Snow Patrol, Ash, Viva Voce, Eisley, The Muffs, Fall Out Boy and more here: Star Wars Rocks