Rockband.com interview 2/28/06

[storm]

I just found this great interview with Marty, Bobby, and Dino. Really interesting to learn the origins of some of the songs. Thank you, Cheryl!

<snip>
ROCKBAND.COM: Do any of your songs mean more to you than the others?

DINO KOURELIS: I've got favorites. I like Straight as an Arrow - just because of where it came from and what was going on when we were writing it. We were in our old rehearsal spot and Billy brought it in and I remember working on it with our old guitarist Ben – it brings me back to that time.

It was one of the first songs that I like actually loved and thought was, in my eyes a hit. I remember letting Nikki Six listen to it and he agreed, and that gave me the faith I could pick a good song. It kind of validated that the things we were doing could be accepted in the music world and that people liked them. It was the same with Steve Albini.

Nash Kato from Urge Overkill sold us his van, and Marty and I went to his house and we were talking about the song and he sang the words to Marty. So all these different music people and industry people first started recognizing us for that song. We were getting respect from peers and from people at a much higher level than us, with that song.

Another favorite is our first original, Into the Deep End. I was in college and I came home and these guys told me it was a Foo Fighters song that I had to learn. And they asked "You like this song?" I said, "Yeah it's great" and they said, "Well it's ours, asshole!" And I'm like, "Cool! You guys are pretty good." Those two songs are the ones that stick out in my mind.
</snip>


www.rockband.com/news/2006-03-lovehammers.asp

[shuckra]

Thank you Storm for posting this link - it IS a great interview. Could they be any cooler? So inspiring...

[chitowngirl]

Thanks for posting. Everyone go read the WHOLE article though. Its great!

[oceancat46]

Definitely worth the read - some real insights into how the guys think!!

Favorite quotes:

1)
"ROCKBAND.COM: Is that how you like to write – where it just kind of rolls?

BOBBY: Sometimes it's the best way, because if you over think it… There's probably a different situation for every song."

2)
"MARTY CASEY: For me songs are like babies – you definitely like them all. And even the ones that never got released or never even got completed, you still have like this direct connection with them - you don't want to let them go – you want to see them get finished eventually.

"I don't keep a journal really, I don't take a lot of pictures. So it's a way to take a snapshot of time – because there's a lot of autobiographical stuff in each one of them. It's not necessarily a perfect story, like a Bob Dylan song, but I'm trying to get to the point where there's more and more story and personality in each song."

3)
"MARTY: . . . The older style of songwriting we did was all getting in a room and just hashing it out and trying different stuff. Top of your head – like the inkblot theory of songwriting. Throw some colors on the wall and what do you see? What is that? What are the lyrics? The lyrics aren't necessarily always story-driven; they're very off the cuff. And maybe there's a lot of honesty, because we're not over thinking and it's just whatever comes into your head.

"We don't really stick to a particular methodology for songwriting. Wherever our songs come from, we just try to capture them and eventually make a CD. That's kind of what I like about our CD - there's not one definitive sound and style - it's all over the board. I think we're lucky because we're not afraid to do that.

"Trees is just this ear-worm pop-friendly song and then you've got Eyes Can't See. I didn't know if a person that likes Trees would like Eyes Can't See - but somehow they do. Sometimes I think we're going to freak people out... [because] we're used to all-ages shows in Chicago and a gritty pub or club environment, and these are theatres and show time is 7:30 and everybody is in their seat at 7:30.

"It's fun because there's the same amount of energy and enthusiasm in the thirteen-year-olds as the forty-year-olds. The cool thing is it seems like this show and the Lovehammers have kind of reignited that love of rock."

4)
"DINO: . . . We're trying to promote good times, and enjoying yourself, and having fun."

5)
"DINO: We try to be as visible as possible even on the Internet. You know Marty was saying we had the parties and we'd meet people one on one - now we're still trying to meet them one on one, but it might be via email or Instant Messenger or Video Messenger. We still want to do that – and it's funny because people are like "Oh my God, thank you so much for returning my email," and why wouldn't I? When someone writes you an email you're supposed to respond – my Mom would kill me if I didn't. It's rude."

6)
"MARTY: . . . And you get such a reaction out of everybody – that's why you get in music in the first place – to get a reaction out of people and communicate."

Great stuff!! Storm, Thanks so much for posting this!!

[cjspas]

I love the new information about their songwriting process and all the different ways their songs come about. I'll read any article about the band but it is so cool to get some insight into the different creative ways the songs get written and how they feel about it.

Thanks Storm!

[radioclash]

That is one of the best band interviews I've ever read! Lovehammers or not. Phenomenal


Thank you, storm!

[ChiTownChick]

Excellent interview and very informative.

Thanks for the link, storm!