Andre Mihsin of ChartAttack.com recently conducted an interview with SLIPKNOT percussionist Chris Fehn. Several excerpts from the chat follow:

ChartAttack.com: When we last spoke in January, you talked about how there was a lot of b.s. surrounding the relationship between band members during the end of the Iowa tour and during the break between albums. How are relations between the band members this time around?
Chris Fehn: "They're killer. Like I probably told you before, it took that break to save this band. Being in this band, being in this music world, it could tear people apart really fast. So we took that break and now we're back stronger than ever. But if you're talking about this leg of the tour, it's rough because it's the last one. It's like waiting for Christmas or some shit. We're holding it together, we're going to make it and then we're going to take some good quality time off."

ChartAttack.com: What did you guys do differently this time to ensure that the band would stick together for so long without getting at each other's throats?

Chris Fehn: "We're just a lot more open with everything that goes on. You grow up every record cycle, you learn a little bit more about what's going on. We always gain a little more respect for each other and more tolerance and we just keep going because we know this band is the one, we're the chosen ones whether we like it or not.

ChartAttack.com: There was very little communication between members during the last break between albums. Do you think you guys will communicate more during this break?

Chris Fehn: "Probably not. We spent so much time together; I've been living with these guys on a 40-foot bus for 20 months now. I get more time with them than I do with my family and everybody understands that. It's not like you feel separated, I mean, we got so many people, wives and children that we need to spend time with. Obviously we'll keep in touch once in a while. The Blackberries help, that invention brought us a little closer because instead of having this weird phone conversation, really quick you're just like, 'What's up dude?!' Sometimes we'll see each other in clubs in Des Moines and there's always SLIPKNOT business going on whether we like it or not. But we pretty much do our own thing until we come back and everyone understands that. There's nothing weird about it. It's family time."

ChartAttack.com: I know Corey [Taylor] and Joey [Jordison] and some of the other guys have side projects away from SLIPKNOT. What do you have going on?

Chris Fehn: "I paint houses man. Yep, I go to work, straight up. SLIPKNOT's enough for me [musically]. I'm going to get my first computer pretty soon, so I might try and put some guitar riffs on it, just screw around with that. I honestly don't have the energy to try to get something started and get a band signed and figure all that out. I'm just not that guy. I'll probably just spend time with the family and work a job and get back into that normal life, as normal as it can be, and go watch Clown and Corey and those guys' bands."

Read the entire interview at ChartAttack.com.