My Morning Jacket frontman Jim James recently told Rolling Stone that 2008's "Evil Urges" was "the hardest record we've ever made."

It's not surprising then that the unclassifiable Louisville band -- embraced in both the jam and indie scenes -- took a little time off in its aftermath to pursue other things. The singer lent his talents to the Monsters of Folk project with Conor Oberst, Mike Mogis and M. Ward. Drummer Patrick Hallahan toured with Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys, and guitarist Carl Broemel worked on a solo album, "All Birds Say," that will be released on Tuesday.

This month, MMJ reassembled for a tour, while in the midst of recording a sixth album that is being produced by Tucker Martine (The Decemberists' "The Crane Wife" and "Hazards of Love") in a Louisville church.

In October, the band will do a special engagement at New York's Terminal 5 in which it will play its five albums straight through on different nights. In an e-mail interview last week, keyboardist Bo Koster brought us up to date.

Why did you guys decide to take a break after "Evil Urges"?

The idea of a hiatus was kicked around right after a full year on the road or in the studio. We had been hitting it hard and I think the cumulative effect of touring and not spending enough time at home and not giving enough time and attention to the other side of life started to take its toll, physically and psychically. We were going to break for a while anyway and didn't have anything scheduled, so it just made sense all around. It was more of a preemptive strike and I think it was really good for everyone. It's good to recharge the batteries once in a while and to maintain a balance between personal life and band life.

Why was that record so difficult to make?

Hmmm, tough to say. It seems like all the records I've worked on have required a lot of effort, patience and concentration, especially when you care so much about the end result. With "Evil Urges" we took ourselves out of our comfort zone and tried a lot of new and different things. There were also a lot of songs to sort through and many different styles. We took some drastically different approaches depending on what song it was, so in that sense it was a bit more intense. That was the goal, though, and I don't think anyone looks back on it as a negative thing, just as something that took a lot of energy. The joy and satisfaction for me comes from the struggle and hard work, and I look back on it as an accomplishment.

What is the progress like on the new album? Do you guys try to shake up the sound a little with each album?

We've done a decent amount of work on it so far, but it's far from finished. We're in a good flow, though, and feeling good. I don't think we purposely try to shake things up just for the sake of it. I think it's more about following inspiration as it comes, starting with Jim's demos and we go from there. We like to experiment and try things for sure. Everyone is open.

Are there any new influences on this record?

There may be -- I'm not sure! It's always hard to describe for me. I think all of our influences are there one way or another, whether it's in a subtle way or overtly.

How broad is your set list on this tour?

We're trying to keep the set lists interesting. They have been more diverse on this tour because we're not touring on a specific album. With five records, multiple EPs and new songs, we have a lot to choose from. Sometimes it's hard to fit everything in and also make a set that flows in a good way.

What made you decide to play the five albums at the terminal and what will that preparation be like?

We wanted to hit NYC on this run of touring, but we weren't quite sure what venue to play. But then we got the offer to play five nights at Terminal 5. Until our manager came up with the idea to dedicate each night to a different album, we weren't sold on it. That sounded like a great way to make each night unique and special in its own way instead of the Groundhog Day approach of just playing the same venue for five nights in a row. We're all really looking forward to it. We love playing in NYC.

That line [from a review] about you being the "American Radiohead" still sticks in my head. How did you react to that?

Personally, I have a lot of admiration for a band like Radiohead and I love their music. To be mentioned alongside them is flattering. They have cultivated a beautiful, unique way of expressing their music and creativity. In every way they have always done things their own way and on their own terms. I think any band could only hope and aspire to have that. It's kind of like when a friend says to you, "You remind me of my friend so and so, you guys are SO alike!" It's a little weird because every person is innately unique in their own way and most bands are no different in that regard. If those comparisons have to be made, it's nice to be mentioned in such good company.

Critics Andrew Druckenbrod and Scott Mervis talk about music on "The Beat," available exclusively at PG+, a members-only web site of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Our introduction to PG+ gives you all the details.