The Shins Get Some Help on the Road

The Shins, currently on the road in support of their latest album, 'Wincing the Night Away,' have some help in recreating the lush and adventuresome sound of the new record, thanks in part to new Shin, Eric Johnson of Fruit Bats.

"He is filling in a lot of spaces live," keyboardist Marty Crandall tells Spinner. "He's a great guitar player, really good piano player and he has a really good voice. So there's a new aspect to the live shows and it's working out great."

For Crandall, part of the thrill of going on the road is seeing the new songs come to life, even if a few have proven to be difficult. "I'll be really excited when 'Sea Legs' is playable," he says. "It's got that synthetic beat to it, which is somewhat of a challenge. And 'Split Needles' as well. That's probably one I'm getting most excited with. So many of them take shape in the studio and, [because] you didn't write them as a band and you never really rehearse them as a band, it's interesting to see which directions they take. Definitely more so on this record."