Drummer Hamish Rosser on tour cancellations, the Beach Boys, genius, and autism.

1 Have you managed to overcome all the drama surrounding Craig Nicholls and his illness?

You could say that. We really had to go through a lot, and it resulted in some really good songs. You can hear in the songs that Craig wrote them during one of the darkest phases of his life. In May 2004, we suddenly had to cancel all further concerts; we sat there and thought, "Shit, maybe we should consider making a new album." Without an album, it would have been over. We wouldn't have been an active band anymore.

2 What did you do after the tour disaster when you were back home?

It was a very strange feeling. We were supposed to go on a huge tour with Incubus. Now we were standing there, not knowing what would happen to The Vines, not knowing what was wrong with Craig. He was feeling miserable, and we had no idea why. Everyone looked at us with pity or reproach and said that we had all these opportunities and weren't taking advantage of them. Then our bassist Patrick also quit. It really couldn't get any worse. But let's put things into perspective: Many bands have experienced one of their members dying and still kept going. Nobody died in our case.

3 What was Craig's vision for the new songs?

He said he wanted to make a harder album. And in my opinion, that's what it is. But he doesn't make real plans beforehand about how an album should be. He just starts, and then whatever comes out, comes out. He doesn't have a pattern, at least not a recognizable one, but it works. Craig has pretty well-formulated, developed songs when he plays them for us. You often wonder where he gets them from. His sense of melody is unique. It's a symptom of Asperger's syndrome that patients are extremely focused on one thing. In the case of the guy in "Rain Man," it was numbers and everything related to mathematics. For Craig, it's music. Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys also has Asperger's. They didn't tour for a long time either. He stayed at home and made Pet Sounds.

4 You've been friends for years. Was it also a relief when his illness was finally recognized, when you knew: Ah, Asperger's syndrome?

Actually, it didn't change as much as outsiders might think. First of all, it's not curable. Craig can't just take three pills and be healthy again. He was born with this illness, and it will stay with him for his whole life. But Asperger's explains a lot about his behavior. The doctor who diagnosed him said that a tour is the worst thing that can happen to a patient with Asperger's. They are constantly exposed to changing environments. People with Asperger's should have fixed routines and stay in one place. If we went on tour, there could be a chance that he would explode again. It makes it difficult for us as a touring band. When we perform, we start in Australia first. Long flights are also a challenge for Craig.

5 Were you surprised to find out that Craig is autistic?

The first time I saw him, we were in a bar. He seemed quite confused, as if he were trying to have five conversations at once. And he never looked at me. I told Patrick, who had just founded The Vines with him, that I had the feeling Craig displayed clear symptoms of autism. But he said, "Nah, nah, he's just a bit crazy." Then I convinced myself that he was okay. After all, sometimes he behaves quite normally and does things that don't seem autistic. In the end, it was our guitar technician who took us aside and said, "Listen, guys, I'm sure your singer is autistic." It's typical that he is unable to recognize other people's feelings. When he talks to you and upsets you, he doesn't realize it. So he constantly made the people around him angry, and everyone thought, "What a stupid jerk is he?" He learned his lessons from that, as he doesn't want to intentionally hurt anyone. Craig is actually a very nice guy at heart. So he always responds kindly, no matter what. That can lead to some strange moments, but it's better than him smashing everything to pieces again.