Rhode Island never gets the mythmaking treatment afforded places like New York, Los Angeles or Nashville—and Deer Tick saw that as a golden opportunity. Really, though, the mafia is more of a backdrop to Coin-O-Matic, an album Deer Tick singer/guitarist John McCauley describes as “a country record set in an urban environment.” More recently at Deer Tick central, the band worked with Ben Vaughn on a project that sees the veteran songwriter/producer surrendering to the whims of his collaborators. Magnetic East: The Deer Tick Sessions is due October 30 via Yep Roc. After more than two decades together, how has your understanding of Deer Tick evolved?