I must admit, I was a little apprehensive when I first dialed Rick Miller’s Kudzu Ranch studio line.

Mostly because I figured that his accent would be so strong that even though I had roots in West Virginia, I would not be able to decipher what he would be saying.

However, I found the opposite to be true. Rick Miller, the singer/guitarist for Southern Culture on the Skids and the producer for their new album, “Mojo Box,” was very down to earth and no deciphering methods needed to be taken.

Pulse: What exactly does “Southern Culture on the Skids” mean?

Miller: “Basically it’s to show that the South is so full of character, which made us write lyrics like short stories. It’s kinda like a southern lunch.

“You pile so much on your plate and eventually it all runs together and you don’t know what your last few bites were exactly, but you know that it was good.”

Pulse: As I understand, this is SCOTS’ first album in four years. What did you do during the break?

Miller: “We have really been busy during the break. I built my own studio, Kudzu Ranch, which was an old garage that some guy used to build muscle cars in.

“That’s where we did the recording for “Mojo Box,” which was actually finished in August of last year.

“We also helped a friend out and did a ‘grade d’ horror film soundtrack, which was about an Egyptian caterer who had to get a buffet of human body parts together in order to get his priestess back. Just fun stuff, ya know?

“We also released a box set of 45s which was really cool.”

Pulse note: For those of you who don’t know, a 45 is not a gun in this sense. It is a smaller record that can only hold about one track on each side.

Pulse: What made SCOTS take the plunge into recording a studio album and joining a major record label?

Miller: “We were actually represented by Geffen for a while, but as we all know, the record label industry is in constant debt.

“We formed our own label, Kudzu Record, and I now have my own record studio too, which is pretty cool.

“The good thing about record labels is the fact that they promote.

“It’s kinda a catch-22 for new bands though, because you have to pay them so much money. I actually have had ‘Mojo Box’ floating around in my head and I didn’t know what to do with it until last year.

“You know in the South, you go to all of these little drug stores and in the back they have this miracle cure-all ointments, and you know they don’t work…

“We were actually at this swap meet in Alabama while we were on tour and saw a root doctor and the idea just clicked.

“As part of the merchandising, we are selling mock cure-all products too!”

Pulse: We noticed that you personally have a degree in art from University of North Carolina. Do you think that the degree has helped you in your career of being a musician?

Miller: “Definitely. As you can tell by the cover of our albums, we definitely incorporate art into a lot that we do.

“I think that everyone should study art. It teaches you how to think creatively and that’s really important.”

Pulse: Your band has been genre-typed as everything from “Hillbilly Surf” to “Psychobilly.” Where exactly do you think that SCOTS fit in?

Miller: “You have to find your own identity. So many bands don’t and they have nothing new to offer.

“We really are a mix mash of all kinds of stuff. We get swamp a lot.

“We prefer to call it, ‘Toe-sucking geek rock,’ because it’s weird, but it feels good after you try it.”

Pulse: What do you want people to take away from your performance on Saturday night?

Miller: “Well, we have been rehearsing a lot and we actually had our first leg of the tour for “Mojo Box” During February and June, and then we headed to Europe and Canada for July.

“So we will be playing the hits off of ‘Mojo Box’ and mixing it with our old stuff too.

“We aren’t going to do anything really special for the World Trade Center anniversaries, because it will be all over the news and people will have enough of it and we don’t need to bring it up.

“We just want people to have a good time, man. Have fun, enjoy the music. Go home drunk, relaxed and have a good rest of the night.”

Go see SCOTS as they take the stage at 9:30 p.m. tomorrow at the Black Swamp Arts Festival. Rick Miller said in closing, “The best rock and roll is good time music,” and you are bound to have a good time seeing SCOTS play.