When the Belleville, Ill., band Uncle Tupelo broke up in 1994, it was the end of a great band, and the beginning of two new bands - Son Volt and Wilco. Wilco, led by former Tupelo member Jeff Tweedy, has seen success with its album AM, but it is songwriter-guitarist Jay Farrar and Son Volt, who has taken a firm grasp on the national music scene. Trace, Son Volt's debut album, is a presentation of sincere feelings and views of the surroundings of the Mississippi River.

The light shining on Son Volt has been lit through its radio friendly single "Drown," a down-to-earth rock tune. But if you just listen to that song, you are missing the elements which make Son Volt who it is. Trace presents a mixed selection of blues, country, folk and rock influences - a mixture passed on from Uncle Tupelo. Son Volt takes a mature look at life, and is truly the presentation of Farrar's songwriting talents.

For the past seven months Son Volt has been on the road, playing its songs six or seven nights a week and listening to the sounds of the highway. Mutato hitched an interview with Son Volt bassist and vocalist Jim Boquist, spending a few moments talking about the state of Son Volt.

Mutato:How has the tour gone so far?

Jim Boquist: Things are certainly going well. New York, Austin, St. Louis, Minneapolis - the shows are selling out. The airplay is kind of odd.

M:Have you been to the Tucson-area before?

JB: I played Tucson at Club Congress with Joe Henry two years ago. I like Tucson.

M: What style do you classify your music under, given the fact it has a variety of sounds?

JB: By the instruments. Extrapolate from that.

M: How do you feel about the "alternative" label the record has received, especially with "Drown"'s airplay on "alternative" format stations?

JB:I don't think that was the intent or approach. That is not what we were targeting. It was just play the music. We really haven't paid attention to that. It is not paramount. The pat answer is that they (the listener) should listen to the record, it's not like you look at one chapter in a book and find out what it is all about.

M: What were your major influences?

JB: Earlier, it was the road. I traveled a lot by 15. The first time I went through Tucson was when I was 16 and hitchhiking. My family had a lot of kids and it was whatever my older brothers and sisters listened to. Folk music, rock music, blues and music you'd hear on the radio in the '70s. When you get specific with names, you're pigeonholing it. When you listen to music, it affects you. In this band we have a similarity in backgrounds all the way through. We play off each others' influences.

M:Do you think the success of Uncle Tupelo has helped your band?

JB: No question. Uncle Tupelo was a hell of a band. You can't get around the fact that by virtue of Jay's writing it could be seen as an extension of Uncle Tupelo. It has played an important role. Your past precedes you.

M: Do you try to portray the feel of the album on stage?

JB: We play the songs. We don't really think too much about how they sound or how the songs weave together. It is probably one of those things with the record. But when you play a song, you try and keep the writer in mind.

M: Do you play any covers in your sets? What types of covers do you play?

JB: We play a couple, depending on what seems right. There is a truck drivers song we do, but every night it is different.

M: Why did you pick the Ron Wood cover "Mystifies Me" for the album?

JB: We were bumping the song around in the studio. We had that record around and we're familiar with it. It kind of came together, the idea to do it. Jay and I played guitar, Mark Perlman on bass, Dave, slide guitar and Mike on drums. It is an interesting song musically and lyrically.

M: Have you been writing new songs?

JB: We're playing a newer song, but as time goes on there will be new stuff. Playing six or seven days a week, every day is occupied. It is hard to synthesize them, hard to work on stuff.

M: When do you expect to start recording a new album?

JB: More than likely sometime in the summer. A lot depends on how much we stay on the road.

M: You've been on the road for a while, do you like touring?

JB: We record and go and play the songs. I think everybody likes both. It is understood this is what you do and everybody is comfortable.

Son Volt plays an all-ages show tonight at the Rialto Theater, 318 E. Congress St. The Chicago band Blue Mountain opens. Tickets are $6 and are available at the door. Doors open at 8 p.m.