The last 10 or so years have proved challenging for the band Phish, as the group broke up in 2004 and would not reform for five full years. While the years since reforming have been something of a celebration for the band’s loyal fan base, a sense of overcoming the impossible fuels that fire. The impossible is returning to the road, and, in a new interview piece just published on the Rolling Stone website, the band talks at length about a number of behind-the-scenes issues.

The article talks about a few simple ground rules that the band put in place for their reunion. No more than 50 shows per year, only the inner circle can come backstage, no time spent at the bar after shows, and a “No Analyze” rule to prevent band members from feeling uncomfortable after shows. “We’d basically point out the things that we thought weren’t so good,” says Jon Fishman. “And everybody would be a little bit down on themselves, and then we’d spend the first three or four songs of the second set being really self-conscious.” That even means talking about things they liked, as Fishman recalls a particular instance where he wanted to complement Page McConnell. “I was like, ‘But it’s a positive thing!'” Fishman says. “Page said, ‘Yes, but by virtue of you saying something positive, I could imply that there were other things you didn’t like as much.'”

The band members talk about their breakup in 2004. Fishman took it particularly hard, feeling upset at Trey Anastasio for saying he wanted to be off the road and subsequently touring again. “I didn’t know what else to do,” says Anastasio in the interview. “In crisis, you hurt the ones you love the most. We’ve talked about that a lot.”

For Trey, it seems like the breakup was particularly healthy. He started to feel “a layer of shame” that came with partying all night and practicing a lot less, and recalls an instance where the band had a 3,200-person guest list. “It was like Dante’s Inferno,” he says. “It was the outer rings of hell back there.” The pill addiction soon followed. “We had doctors that were writing prescriptions for us,” he says. “It was totally ridiculous.” When he was arrested in 2006, he thanked the officer and served a 14-month drug court session.

One of the nicest stories to come out of the interview was a candid celebration of Anastasio’s 43rd birthday in 2007. Though he was mostly spending time with his family, his band members recorded a 43-song instrumental album, with each song spanning 43 seconds. “They pulled me back into the life raft,” remembers Anastasio. “I’m forever grateful for that.”

Meanwhile, McConnell reveals that he felt like the “new guy” until the band’s break up in 2004, and didn’t talk to Anastasio for an extended period of time. “I wasn’t sure I wanted to fire it up again. I was cautious,” he remembers, but some “heavy conversations” eventually cleared the air. Now he no longer feels like the new guy, fortunately.

Now, Phish is back in full swing, and the fans couldn’t be happier. The band is doing Phish at their own pace, and they talk a lot about Big Boat in the new interview. It seems that producer Bob Ezrin took advantage of the “No Analyze” politeness that Phish had built up, ultimately being the one to make the hard decision of which songs to keep and which to cut. “I was a little sad when [“Let’s Go”] was cut,” says Mike Gordon. “But once Bob said it, I just had to respect it.”

Apparently Trey was pulling for “Let’s Go” too. “It’s a sore spot for me, too,” he says. “I was jumping from the rafters for it.” He grows concerned when he hears that Gordon mentioned the song in our interview. “What did Mike say?” he asks. “I still feel bad for him. But we invited someone in with very strong opinions. Sometimes that’s a good thing, but sometimes you think, ‘Maybe I should have just stood up.'”

There’s also a mention of Phish’s New Year’s Eve performance at Madison Square Garden. According to Trey, “The other guys haven’t even heard what we’re going to do yet… but it’s going to be awesome.”

We’re just thankful that all is right Phish land these days. For the full Rolling Stone story, head here.