As the charismatic sticks figure for iconic New York band Interpol, the 39-year-old drummer has often been relegated to the back of the stage. Now, with Magnetic Morning, he's ready for the bright lights.

Adam Franklin and Sam Fogarino of Magnetic Morning.

Sam Fogarino doesn’t get much face time as the drummer for Interpol. Easygoing and affable—the “Switzerland” of the group, he's been known to say—the 39-year-old rock icon began drumming while in his teens. By the time he joined Interpol in 2000, his résumé boasted over ten years of experience with bands like the Ton-Ups, the Wahoos, and post-punk South Floridians, the Holy Terrors. His current side project, Magnetic Morning, has him collaborating with Adam Franklin of the British shoe-gazing band Swervedriver. Their new 5-song EP, which hits stores later this week, is at once distinct and dreamy: the sonic marriage of two indie heavyweights. We caught up with Fogarino to talk about the record, Jacques Cousteau, and shoveling horse manure.