Hailed by some as heir apparent to the Grateful Dead, the String Cheese Incident [ tickets ] has made a name for itself with its intricate instrumental noodling and extended live jams. But for its latest album, "Outside Inside," the Colorado-based band concentrated on songcraft.

Taking advice from producer Steve Berlin (Los Lobos, the Tragically Hip), the String Cheese Incident peeled extraneous material from its new songs and focused on its punchy rock melodies.

"Outside Inside," released on the band's own SCI Fidelity Records, debuted at No. 5 on Billboard's Top Independent Album chart.

SCI bassist Keith Moseley talked with liveDaily correspondent Christina Fuoco about the new record, new sound and new-found mainstream success.

LiveDaily: "Outside Inside" sold more than 9,000 copies in its first week. That�s quite a feat.

Keith Moseley: We�re very happy about that. Sell, sell, sell. [laughs]. My little girl wants to go to college.

What do you think it is about this album that evoked such a response?

I think a little bit of it is timing, but we also have a significant following. The record is good. It�s our third studio release, and we worked with Steve Berlin, the producer, on this. It�s pretty easy on the ears. It sounds like us but it�s also kind of trimmed down and a little more accessible.

What goals did you have in mind for "Outside Inside" during the recording process?

With our last record, the object there was to capture some of our favorite cuts from the winter and spring tours that we were on, and package it in a format that was like a set list. It sort of plays like one show. We wanted to capture a live-show feel on that disc.

Here on the new record, we were looking to hone our skills a little bit as players and really try to cut back on some of the extended solos and let the essence of some songs come through in a shorter format. It�s only our third studio album, but we�ve played over 1,200 live shows. We�re still pretty new at the studio game. At this point, we have matured as songwriters and arrangers, and we had a little bit more confidence in the studio.

Did you worry that fans would miss the extended jams?

Everybody knows that they�ll get that at the live show. We�re all fans of well-crafted studio albums, just as much as we�re fans of live, extended jams. I think about some of my favorite and classic albums, things like "Abbey Road." I think that our idea was, "Let�s try and become a better studio band."