Seven and a half years ago, I interviewed My World for this column. Their debut, %All Shapes And Sizes%, had just come out. By then, the indie rock trio had been around for years and had begun touring across the U.S.

      Walking With San Pedro, a 14-song CD, is My World's latest offering. They have also recorded with fellow Long Islanders and iconic rap group Public Enemy.

      My World's founding members, John Montalbano - lead vocals and bass and Chris Munger - guitars, have been friends and bandmates since they were kids growing up on Long Island. Drummer Nick McIntyre, the group's latest addition, replaces longtime drummer Chris Scherer.

      Over the years, My World performed at Woodstock 1994, composed music for the South Park website, appeared on VH1 for a Janis Joplin tribute show, participated in the New York Independent Film Festival and hosted their own event theme parties and summer boat parties.

      In September 2006, they were invited to play for the International Vigil for World Peace in Central Park. According to John, "It was coordinated by some people from the United Nations, so there were performers from all over the world. We basically represented American rock. The energy that surrounded that day for the cause of world peace made it a great experience."

      Flashback to 2002: Key people associated with Public Enemy lead My World to Public Enemy's producer, DJ Johnny "Juice" Rosado. "Juice," in turn, asks the indie rockers to work on recordings of several artists signed to Slam Jamz Records, the label owned by Chuck D. Chuck D ultimately enlists the trio to work on tracks for Public Enemy's 2005 oeuvre, New Whirl Odor, out of which springs "Superman is Black in the Building," featuring My World.

      Fast forward to the present: My World releases Walking With San Pedro, created under the auspices of producer Rosado, on September 9. Fans can also expect to hear them on four tracks on Public Enemy's upcoming CD, How Do You Sell Soul To A Soulless People Who Sold Their Souls.

      Walking With San Pedro differs from All Shapes and Sizes, says Chris, because "All Shapes and Sizes was an extremely experimental CD. It was a snapshot of our influences and where we came from at the time. We had just begun to find our voice as a band. The title refers to the San Pedro cactus, which has psychotropic properties. The ancient Mayan culture would use it when they would travel at night. It would give them the ability to 'see' in the dark to help protect them from predators."

      Adds John, "Walking With San Pedro is a more song-oriented CD. It is a product of our progression and experiences. Walking With San Pedro has some underlying meaning along the lines of 'seeing in the dark.'"

      Rosado elicited results that might not have surfaced otherwise. "A good producer is able to encourage and draw the best performance out of an artist," says John. "'Juice' created the vibe that we needed to capture our live energy. We wanted it concert-style as opposed to the canned studio format with over-compressed drums, guitars with sterile distortion and dry vocals."

      "When we talked about the album, we wanted to go for a more spontaneous air, circa Led Zeppelin II, with very open drums and plenty of reverb. We ended up cutting all of the basic tracks in about three days," says Chris.

      The band initially became involved with the Public Enemy camp through artist/producer Kyle Jason, who was a panelist at the Inside Connection Indie Sessions. "Kyle is on Chuck D's label, Slam Jamz Records," says John. "Kyle and I hit it off, and I ended up cutting bass tracks for his Slam Jamz debut, which was co-produced by 'Juice.' After becoming a studio fixture, they had no choice but to hear My World."

      Chris believes that what drew them to My World might not have been the sound itself, but rather the band's energy, as well as their "ability to vibe and create on the spot. Our sonic diversity is certainly a plus. We have roots in rock, jazz, funk, R&B, punk, metal, you name it."

      According to the trio's bio, Chuck D saw their live show and the rest is history. Says John, "It was kind of funny when the Public Enemy camp first heard us live. Our first experiences with them were just as players working on some of the Slam Jamz-related projects. We were already working with 'Juice' on various tracks and invited him to play a live show with us at the Coral Room in New York City. For the next show at the Coral Room, Chuck had told us that he wanted to come down." My World serenaded him with a few Public Enemy tunes and, according to Chris, "not only did he hear us for the first time, he came up and performed with us! The video is on our website."

      Working on a Public Enemy record was an interesting departure for the group. "The Public Enemy stuff happened in two ways," explains John. "Sometimes it was 'Juice' saying, 'Play something like this,' and it would mold and transform. Other times it was just a spontaneous jam."

      "Superman Is Black In The Building" was produced by CDOC, a Philadelphia-based producer who also works with Public Enemy. "The idea was for it to be an improved blues section of the tune," says Chris. "We jammed for 10 minutes just expecting them to cut it up and splice it in typical hip-hop fashion. When we heard the final mix, they kept the entire jam."

      Working with Chuck D, says John, taught them "how small the music industry is and how fortunate we are to have gained respect from a music icon. We all start playing music because we love music. When the word industry gets involved, it contradicts the concept of an artist and creates an unnatural situation to create music. Our experience is not the norm, and we embrace that feeling that we may have reached more people musically than we would have on our own."

      Visit www.myworldmusic.com.