After winning enough money to buy a pizza at their seventh grade talent show in hometown York, Pennsylvania, the live four -- singer/songwriter/guitarist Ed Kowalcyzk, guitarist Chad Taylor, drummer Chad Gracey and bassist Patrick Dahlheimer -- decided a record deal was next. So rather than going to college, they chose to pursue their destiny. It didn't take long. By the time they were 19, they signed a deal with Radioactive/MCA and hit the road on MTV's "120 Minutes" tour.

The hard work seems to have yielded results as the band's sophomore effort, "Throwing Copper" (Radioactive/MCA), is off to an explosive start, fueled by the initial track, "Selling the Drama." None of the members has ever played in another group -- except for the high school marching band, in which they participated because "all the cute girls were in it" and "we got to go on trips," said guitarist Chad Taylor and bassist Patrick Dahlheimer, later adding, "The same reasons we do this band." Geez, we thought it was the opportunity to be interviewed by drop-dead gorgeous female rock critics, like Hits' own Armenian temptress, Maria "she's in the" Armoudian "for love."

Why did you name the record "Throwing Copper"?

Chad Taylor: We went through millions of names. Some were horrible and pretentious and some were stupid. Everybody thinks it's throwing pennies or something in relation to the song "Waitress." But it's really like throwing lead from a gun, except it's throwing copper from a BB gun. Pat and Ed got those BB guns and they were saying, "I'm throwing coppers at you." We wrote a body of music and didn't want to draw attention to just one song. We write albums, not singles. Just because "Selling The Drama" is the single, it doesn't make "White Discussion" less of a song. They hold equal ground and weight in the record and our minds and hopefully, in our listeners' minds.

Is "White Discussion" about the end of the world?

Taylor: It's hypothetical. For me, it's about, if we knew this was the end, what would you hang on to and what would you let go of? What are these fickle things we've attached ourselves to -- guitars, lovers, houses, whatever you cherish. Do you take it with you? It's probably one of the most serious songs on the record. That's why we followed it up with "Horse," the least serious song. We're four young guys. People get this goony view of our band, like we go around saying, "Oh, God, this is it." That's not the way we are. We're very happy. So we ended with "Horse," a light-hearted, cool country song., It makes the record like having sex. You have a climax and then afterward, you have "smoking the cigarette" music.

Patrick Dahlheimer: I'm big into the country shit.

Most of the band's lyrics are philosophical. Does everyone in the band have the same philosophy?

Taylor: I identify a lot more with this record than "Mental Jewelry," which was very anthem-like. Part of our earlier songs were us trying to get a record deal. We did all those rock band things and it seemed natural for us to play heavy-hitting, anthemlike songs like "Your Are The World" and "Pieces Now." "Throwing Copper" is more intimate, with a more personal perspective -- one-on-one and day-to-day, not me and the world.

Dahlheimer: We're on the same train of thought. I don't think any of us go off on the Krishnamurti kick as much as Ed does. Still, it's stuff that I have realized. I think about the things Ed has brought up through his readings.

Taylor: Pat and I express ourselves through our instruments while Ed does it with words. I would rather let Ed do the exploration and then just read his lyrics. Lyrics get to the point a lot faster than books. Poetry and books are fine, but I'm into songs. I relate much more to guitar players.

What kind of experience was going on your first national tour?

Dahlheimer: We got brain damage from an exhaust leak in the bus. We almost died from carbon monoxide poisoning.

Taylor: We named the bus "Evil," which is Live spelled backward. We scared the living hell out of old ladies. We started getting weird tastes in our mouths and everybody was tired and dizzy. Fortunately, when the bus is moving, there's always some air coming through. Live will never name a bus "Evil" again, though.

What do you like best about the music business?

Taylor: I like to tour and see different cities, but I get homesick. I'm out here with my buddies. We're in cities with parties thrown in our honor; I get to play guitar every night. But there's still something nagging at me that makes me wish we could sell a whole shit load of records and do the REM thing.