What they may not have known is that both Hayden, 29, and Hobbs, 30 have spent the better part of this decade playing in bands together and Hayden, who began playing guitar in his Clearwater, Fla. bedroom nearly 12 years ago, probably won't ever stop writing music. In fact, he doesn’t even really attach too much weight to the names of his bands.

“The names don't matter that much,” he said in an email interview, “It's all one long progression.” The statement makes a lot of sense when you listen to his new band’s music. Both Hobbs and Hayden relocated to New York and with the help of Billy Connolly (who happened to be Hobbs’ high-school English student) have managed to recreate a lot of the sweet soulfulness found on some of The Sugar Oaks’ best tracks. Hayden’s distinct vocal is still there and so are the slinking acoustic guitar-based riffs.

They’ve only released a couple of singles on line and Hayden doesn’t have plan a to release an EP or LP right away, but you’ll get a rare chance to see the trio (along with ex-guitarist Phil Sawasey) play more than a few of those tunes at New World Brewery this Thursday. They’re sharing a bill with The Grecian Urns (who say this may be one of their last shows ever), and Preson Phillips. Tickets for the pre-Christmas bash are only $7 and doors are at 9 p.m..

REAX recently caught up with all three members of Grapefruit League and shared an interesting conversation. We hit on topics as diverse as baseball, perfecting the art of the toast, and the death of Big Star’s Alex Chilton and Andy Hummel. Every member of the band is an educator (Hayden and Hobbs have graduate degrees in fiction writing) and they’re penchant for language (and punctuation) is on full display below.

REAX: I know Billy calls Greenwich home. Where exactly do the rest of you hail from and where do you all call home?
Eric Hayden of Grapefruit League: I live in Brooklyn, New York. As for home, well, I guess that's where the heart is.
Steve Hobbs of Grapefruit League: I live in West Greenwich Village. And I spend two nights a week in New Haven, CT. I also feel as if I live on the MTA train (which runs between NYC and New Haven).

REAX: Day jobs?
E. Hayden: Math teacher, writer
S. Hobbs: Literature teacher, "writer", graduate student
Billy Connolly of Grapefruit League: Music/PE teacher, composing children's musicals and hanging out with my grandpa.

REAX: Billy, how cool is it to hang with your old English teacher? Do you like Steven better now that he’s or bandmate, or do you prefer the memory of him as your teacher?
B. Connolly: It is quite cool to hang with my old English teacher, and having said that, yes I prefer the memory of him as a teacher.

REAX: The new songs obviously sound like the Sugar Oaks and the sonic qualities bring back fond memories of No One Can Love You Like Me. Without harping too much on your old band, what’s the overall goal with Grapefruit League?
E. Hayden: I started playing music in my room in Clearwater like twelve years ago as Bear Country, then in Orlando as the Sugar Oaks, and now GF League. The names don't matter that much, it's all one long progression. Although the songwriting now is simpler and more direct – a little woolier, thicker, if that makes sense.

As for an overall goal, if there even is one, it's probably just to keep writing better music, to be comrades, to keep tipping the poison dart with sugar.

REAX: Will it be a weekend/sporadic thing?
E. Hayden: Not if I can help it.

REAX: More importantly, when can we expect an EP or LP?
E. Hayden: We'll probably just post singles online for the foreseeable future. Try to conjure up a little hornet buzz. Then, who knows? Maybe we get honey. It's better to annihilate expectations, anyway.

REAX: How long did Phil play with you guys, and what does his departure for Austin mean for the band sonically?
E. Hayden: He played with us for a few months, and then moved away right after our first show. Fantastic musician. When you're writing for just acoustic guitar, bass, and drums, of course there are less things you can do harmonically, so you try to zero in on the essentials.

There's more emphasis on the acoustic guitar playing and vocals. The sound is more stark and you have to play more sensitively. Billy plays with brushes sometimes. But it's good because there's more tension in the music now. That's been the best result.

REAX: Steve, you recruited Billy to the band and Bryce from the Grecian Urns has talked about how you encouraged him to play music and capture what he called “the Florida mystique” in some of his songs. How important is it to you to encourage younger people to play music, and what are you telling these kids?
S. Hobbs: While I doubt that I said, "Bryce, capture the Florida mystique in your music," I think I just wanted to encourage these already immensely talented and creative kids (from the Gulf Coast) to create interesting music, read interesting books, write interesting stories, and be interesting people. Take the road less traveled – that sort of thing. To my eyes and ears, the Grecian Urns are doing all of that and more.

REAX: Are you guys excited to play with the Grecian Urns next week?
E. Hayden: Yes. Those guys have always seemed to "get" our music, they've been great supporters over the years, and I'm glad they've had some success with their own music.

REAX: They’ve been saying this might be their last show, do you think they should try to keep it together or just live their lives as they happen?
E. Hayden: They should do what they want?
S. Hobbs: I agree with Eric.
B. Connolly: I'm with Steve.

REAX: I take it Eric is the principal songwriter. Is that true?
E. Hayden: It is indeed.

REAX: What is the writing process for you like? Do you pump songs out quickly, slowly, or a mixture of both?
E. Hayden: Of all the things I pump out quickly, a song is not one of them. I usually take my time, wait in the bushes, and let them come to me. Then I jump out and grab them and we elope. I have a harem of songs. For me the writing process is like taking care of a bunch of depressive parrots, blue macaws, toucans and stuff.

REAX: You also mention Big Star as an influence. How were you affected by the deaths of both Alex Chilton and Andy Hummel?
E. Hayden: Bummer. I'm just grateful that they existed. Soul like that doesn't grow on trees. Chris Bell (Big Star guitarist who passed in 1978) died early too.

REAX: Will you be teaching Ybor how to properly toast? I’ve heard you have to look each other in the eyes when you toast, but what else constitutes the perfect toast?
E. Hayden: There are a lot of intangibles. The object of the toast is key. It should be a concise, striking phrase, dark but funny. It should give you the feeling that peace and despair are doing the bump 'n grind.

REAX: The band is called Grapefruit League. Is that just a nod to Florida in general, or are you guys baseball fans?
E. Hayden: I also really like grapefruit for breakfast, especially with sugar. Steve and I always went to spring training games at Al Lang, so I guess there's a historical connection if you like. Andrew Friedman rules.

December 23, 2010 – Grapefruit League, The Grecian Urns, Preson Phillips – New World Brewery (1313 E. 8th Ave, Ybor City, FL) – 9 p.m. – $7 – 21 & Up