From the Dallas Morning News, February 3rd, 1990

A Matter of Course: Band Signs Record Deal

by Tom Maurstad 
 
So, let's say you own a local record label with the intention of signing and 
producing undiscovered local musicians and unleashing their music on the world 
(or at least the world of college radio programmers). All you lack to do this 
is the band. Of course, not just any band will do. You want the right band, 
the band that you think is going to make it into the national market to become 
something more than just another local hero, thereby raising the prestige 
level of your label and, not inconsequentially, making you bunches of money. 
Who would you pick? 
 
A lot of names may come to mind, but if you settled on Course of Empire you 
are echoing the sentiments of more than one producer in town. They were 
approached by two local labels - Allen Restrepo's Carpe Diem and Patrick 
Keel's newly formed Dragon Street.
 
According to the band, Dragon Street wanted them to sign a three album deal 
with Patrick Keel (Shallow Reign and the Tree's debuts) serving as producer, 
while Carpe Diem (Rhett Miller's Mythologies) was offering to record and 
distribute one album with a producer to be chosen later. Dragon Street boasted 
of a distribution network that can deliver promotional copies to every college 
radio station in the country. But Carpe Diem demanded less of a commitment to 
the future, and is coming off the success of Rhett Miller's album, which had 
respectable sales nationally and received notice. 

In the end, according to bassist Paul Semrad, the band chose Carpe Diem 
"because of the three-year commitment Dragon Street wanted. Not knowing what 
might happen next, we didn't want to over-commit ourselves. 
 
"We're looking at starting to record in March, a full album's worth - eight to 
10 songs. We're hoping to get it out by this summer."