Wednesday, December 06, 2006

Friday, December 01, 2006

wonkavison

1) The statue on your website and in the NTFP art work kind of freaks
me out. What was the idea behind the statue and what's the symbolism
there?

basically we came to asterick studios and told them the general
premise of the record, we then sent them in a direction stating
clearly that we wanted to the album artwork to look like the concert
guide to an opera or theatrical presentation.

they came up with the statue and the symbolism followed. the meaning
of Never Take Friendship Personal is almost a warning to new bands to
take caution with whom they associate with in the music business. it
seems as though when there is a buzz or money to be made one has
plenty of friends. we wanted to let other up and coming musicians be
shown that there are many pitfalls ahead, one of them being fame and
pride. the interpretation of the statue is that fame & notoriety are
fleeting and hollow, on the surface it make look appealing, but
without substance it is shallow and void.

2) A lot of the issues on your last album seem to deal with loneliness
and/or missed relationships (Paperthin Hymn, A Day Late). And if so,
why is that an important issue to explore?

The first album in literary terms seemed to be the naive 'man vs.
nature' an us against the world feel, so the inevitable next step to
explore was going to be man vs. man. as the tittle of the album
indicates relationships were going to be the primary topic of the CD.
the CD was not just about the stereotypical boy/girl but inter
workings of the band, family ties, and interpersonal communications
across the board.


3) I watched you guys early on in St. Pete as SaGoh playing with
Atomsmashers Named Suzie. Since then quite a few bands have emerged
from the Tampa Bay area---Underoath, Copeland, among others. And
Orlando has always had a strong scene as well. After extensive
traveling, what do you think makes this area into such a strong music
community? How is better or different than some other parts of the
country?

i think its time florida finally caught up, for years we were left
barren in music by the likes of backstreet boys and creed emerging
from our area, and that really set us back. but because of the little
bands we were in we began to spread interest throughout the area. soon
that grew into more and more people picking up instruments and
beginning their own projects.
florida is different because we are so isolated, only one out of the
last 15 major market tours that we have done has come to florida
because it is such an investment of time on a bands part. bands
typically play atlanta and instead of driving 8-10 hours south to play
tampa or orlando they bypass us and head for the southern states or
texas. but as the momentum from small bands began to pick up, and the
likes of new found glory, yellowcard, and dashboard emerged, people
began to see the central florida markets as not only profitable but
worthwhile because of the immense fans.

4 A) Indie rock played by Christians is no longer a novelty, so to
speak, and everyone has now read articles in major media outlets about
the punk rock played by tatooed Chrisitan kids. Basically, indie music
by Christians has gained acceptance on a wide scale, even to major
radio play. With all that, what do you think is "the next step" for
Christian bands? Continue to permeate this scene or something entirely
different? What as a band and as Christians do you feel that you need
to do now with the place and influence that you have?

do what we have been doing.

i am so glad that the novelty has worn off because i have grown weary
of people more interested in knowing if i say prayers before i go to
bed rather than the music that i create. we had one article in a
publication i recently read that talked about our faith and the
"controversy" and not once mentioned our music. don't get me wrong i
want to be clear that i am unashamed of my beliefs and my God but i
don't want my music judged based on the fact i go to church or not.

i don't know the next step for "christian rock", i hope it is
eventually to drop the label all together and just call us musicians.
i hope people are known more by their music & actions than the label
that people thrust upon them.

as christians and musicians, like i said earlier, i want to do what we
have been doing; write music we enjoy, tour year round, and do our
best to make a positive impact on the world around us. a couple of
guys in the band spent some time in foreign countries helping them in
whatever capacity we could. trips like this and charity organizations
we invest in is something that we have been doing and will continue to
do whether we are classified "christian rock" or "emo."

B) Along with that, Stephen, I noticed on your personal blog
(modesty.blogspot.com) that you mentioned trips to Haiti and India.
What types of social justice issues do you think need addressing in
those parts of the world? How as a band do you think it's appropriate
to respond?

there are too many social justice issues to name, and i am just sorry
i have but one life to live. but for me i feel the call to abolish
slavery, as i type this interview there are more slaves in the world
RIGHT NOW than there were during the civil war. just because we as
americans cannot see it in front of our face does not mean that it
does not exist.

in india young girls are being sold into sex slavery from an early
age, we don't want to wait around for someone else to take up the
fight against it. so in january a couple of us are working with an
organization in calcutta, india which helps rehabilitate girls taken
from the captivity of brothels back into the world. it hurts me so bad
to know that a girl my nieces age could be taken from her family and
abused so hideously. i know i am but one person, but i cannot just sit
by. Gandhi said "become the change you wish to see in the world," and
that is exactly what i hope to do.

i think more than just bands, i think every person needs to get
involved someway somehow, and it doesn't have to be fighting slavery.
it could be helping out at a local soup kitchen, or habitat for
humanity. something! anything! i just feel we as humans need to become
less selfish and realize everyone in the world is not going home
tonight to a warm bed with a roof over their heads, and dinner on
their plates.

5) I followed your online studio journal, and know that you guys are
pretty excited about the new release. Why does this album have a
different feel than some of your previous work? Are there any major
themes that you see emerging in this project?

yes, like you said we are completely elated about 'cities'. i can
confidently say that this is going to be the pinnacle of anberlin's
records so far. i am not comparing ourselves to the bands, but this is
our 'london calling' or 'ok computer'. i believe it is what all our
other albums will be judged by.

there is a theme, and i tried to connect all the songs together in
some way. i am not going as far as to say this a concept record by any
means, but the bigger picture is (to follow the literary illustration)
man vs. self. this is the most autobiographical of all the records,
digging into the flesh and finding out what we are really made of.
'cities' is who we are musically, spiritually, and personally.


6) I was reading a recent interview with Eric from The Dark Romantics
in the recent copy of the Tampa Bay magazine, Reax. Eric said he's
been working with J. Martin of Starflyer 59 and described Jason's
philosophy of music this way: "He (Jason) thinks too many bands get
away with calling what they do art. To him it's clearly product."
Do you view your work in the band as art or just an entertainment
product? Or is there room for compromise in that description?

to paraphrase duchamp and the entire dada movement 'what is art'. i
think art, much like beauty, is all in the eye of the beholder. just
because a band sings in a quiet and monotone voice, has a beard, is
signed with an indie, and plays with minimal instruments does that
make it arty? just because a band signs with a major does that negate
them from ever being able to create art?

i think eric & jason are on to something, but i would venture to say
any band out there writing original music would want to believe their
craft that they invest so much time and effort into is art. and so it
is, who is to tell them different?

i do not like realist painters like monet or renoir in the least bit!
but i do not discredit them as artists. in the same way i dislike the
majority of music i am exposed to but do not discredit them as artists
or what they create not to be art.

-stephen christian



Thanks for your time, and I'll follow up w/ any questions.

Josh Spilker
Wonkavision Magazine