rock industry magazine
Rock Industry Magazine Q&A for Stephen
How are things going in the Anberlin camp at the moment? I think moral is at an all time high, we just got off an amazing headline tour in October and are now touring the UK with two exceptional bands (data select party, & furthest drive home). we are heading back to the states to begin some extensive radio shows in the US then off to Canada, a country we are quite fond of as of late.
i am sitting in a café’ here in Manchester, England; the home of the smiths and Morrissey, so honestly i am on cloud 9.
How do you feel the reception from the fans has been to your major label debut New Surrender? And the media?
i think that the fans from never take and cities were content with new surrender, i think after cities a lot of people thought that we were turning into a darker sounding band, but that has never really been anberlin. i am not going to object if we go back in that direction but i never want to be obligated to go into any direction.
this was THE BEST album out of our 4 that could have came out on a major label. i feel it has appeals to more than just indie-rock fans without losing the aspects of anberlin that people have fallen in love with. as far as lyrically i was tired of talking about myself, i was becoming a recluse and saw myself as selfish. on this record i tried my hardest to look outside the little world i had created and find the good in mankind.
How much attention do you pay to what is said about you in the media?
i don’t. the only thing i look at to monitor an albums success is how many people are singing along. and so far this has been an epic record for that.
its funny about reviews though, they only compare this anberlin album to previous ones, i believe critics should begin to compare a bands current album to other albums coming out in the genre, or on the shelves during that cycle. if that were the case i think we would be media darlings and not always trying to overcome this or that album.
We do not agree with this statement at all, but how does being branded 'sell outs' make you feel personally? Do you feel you need to argue this case or just brush it aside?
what is a sell-out? i am not sure who came up with the term but i think it is hilarious especially in this current music market; is it because we signed to a major label? do they think that when a band (now days) signs to a major they get tons of money? well they are gravely mistaken. there is NO money in music. i promise you i did NOT buy a new car or house or anything at all because there was NO MONEY!
but are bands a sell out because they want to advance their career? or get ahead in life?
because i would want to meet these people! i would think that everyone in this world with a job or goes to school is a sell out, because are they not in it to advance their education or career? even if you’re a writer for the most artsy magazine ever written one would think that they would eventually want to move up some day and become editor; if someone was working at a café’ would they not want more hours and more money to take home? if they are going to high school or university and they call us sellouts is that not an oxymoron? because why are you going to school? It’s to get a better job to move up the corporate ladder to MAKE MORE MONEY!
that is a sell out.
we did not do this for the money. we did this for opportunity; our indie label could never have afforded us the OPPORTUNITY of working with an amazing producer like neal avron, or helped us get main stage on warped tour. we are in this for the love of music & opportunity, not greed or gain.
What were the thoughts behind the album title? What were the other potential titles that didn't make it?
something disabilities, like a steady thorn to the side. something
glares us in the face even more intensely than we stare in our mirror;
yet we cannot see the reflection because we are scared of what we
know is there. looming.
we know we must change but were to mesmerized in our mundane. we
accept our own apathy. pretend we enjoy the jejune.
it is time to transform too more than this. begin a revolution that
starts with a surrender.
a surrender of failure's, of your past, of what others told you that
you would become,
of a comatose & anesthetic life.
this is the new surrender.
the new surrender.
new surrender.
the other tittles that could have been were
‘haight street’ or ‘you’re love will do for now’.
What was the key inspiration behind the lyrical content on the album?
life itself, and everyone and everything that surrounds it. my friend deon told me the other day that i am socially awkward because i observe people and events way to much and try to read them instead of enjoy them. maybe he is right, but it makes for some damn good lyrics.
With the new album it is a step into the mainstream and an outstanding collection of songs, how many songs had you written that didn't make the final cut?
we wrote 30 songs before we went into the studio, and 15 got cut, the 3 that did not make it on the record went to itunes and imports around the world. my favorite song that got cut was ‘heavier things remain’ that SHOULD have been on the album.
How was the recording process for you compared to previous efforts? What one song means the most to you?
it was unreal. none of liked LA at all, but we adored our new producer neal avron. i believe that we won’t work in Los Angeles again, were hoping that he doesn’t mind living in Seattle for a spell.
How would you describe your aspirations as a band, almost like a mission statement, what you aspire to?
to inspire. anyone and everyone, to anything and everything this world has to offer.
Decades down the line, what would you hope to be remembered for?
music, friendship, humility, and humanity.
How are things going in the Anberlin camp at the moment? I think moral is at an all time high, we just got off an amazing headline tour in October and are now touring the UK with two exceptional bands (data select party, & furthest drive home). we are heading back to the states to begin some extensive radio shows in the US then off to Canada, a country we are quite fond of as of late.
i am sitting in a café’ here in Manchester, England; the home of the smiths and Morrissey, so honestly i am on cloud 9.
How do you feel the reception from the fans has been to your major label debut New Surrender? And the media?
i think that the fans from never take and cities were content with new surrender, i think after cities a lot of people thought that we were turning into a darker sounding band, but that has never really been anberlin. i am not going to object if we go back in that direction but i never want to be obligated to go into any direction.
this was THE BEST album out of our 4 that could have came out on a major label. i feel it has appeals to more than just indie-rock fans without losing the aspects of anberlin that people have fallen in love with. as far as lyrically i was tired of talking about myself, i was becoming a recluse and saw myself as selfish. on this record i tried my hardest to look outside the little world i had created and find the good in mankind.
How much attention do you pay to what is said about you in the media?
i don’t. the only thing i look at to monitor an albums success is how many people are singing along. and so far this has been an epic record for that.
its funny about reviews though, they only compare this anberlin album to previous ones, i believe critics should begin to compare a bands current album to other albums coming out in the genre, or on the shelves during that cycle. if that were the case i think we would be media darlings and not always trying to overcome this or that album.
We do not agree with this statement at all, but how does being branded 'sell outs' make you feel personally? Do you feel you need to argue this case or just brush it aside?
what is a sell-out? i am not sure who came up with the term but i think it is hilarious especially in this current music market; is it because we signed to a major label? do they think that when a band (now days) signs to a major they get tons of money? well they are gravely mistaken. there is NO money in music. i promise you i did NOT buy a new car or house or anything at all because there was NO MONEY!
but are bands a sell out because they want to advance their career? or get ahead in life?
because i would want to meet these people! i would think that everyone in this world with a job or goes to school is a sell out, because are they not in it to advance their education or career? even if you’re a writer for the most artsy magazine ever written one would think that they would eventually want to move up some day and become editor; if someone was working at a café’ would they not want more hours and more money to take home? if they are going to high school or university and they call us sellouts is that not an oxymoron? because why are you going to school? It’s to get a better job to move up the corporate ladder to MAKE MORE MONEY!
that is a sell out.
we did not do this for the money. we did this for opportunity; our indie label could never have afforded us the OPPORTUNITY of working with an amazing producer like neal avron, or helped us get main stage on warped tour. we are in this for the love of music & opportunity, not greed or gain.
What were the thoughts behind the album title? What were the other potential titles that didn't make it?
something disabilities, like a steady thorn to the side. something
glares us in the face even more intensely than we stare in our mirror;
yet we cannot see the reflection because we are scared of what we
know is there. looming.
we know we must change but were to mesmerized in our mundane. we
accept our own apathy. pretend we enjoy the jejune.
it is time to transform too more than this. begin a revolution that
starts with a surrender.
a surrender of failure's, of your past, of what others told you that
you would become,
of a comatose & anesthetic life.
this is the new surrender.
the new surrender.
new surrender.
the other tittles that could have been were
‘haight street’ or ‘you’re love will do for now’.
What was the key inspiration behind the lyrical content on the album?
life itself, and everyone and everything that surrounds it. my friend deon told me the other day that i am socially awkward because i observe people and events way to much and try to read them instead of enjoy them. maybe he is right, but it makes for some damn good lyrics.
With the new album it is a step into the mainstream and an outstanding collection of songs, how many songs had you written that didn't make the final cut?
we wrote 30 songs before we went into the studio, and 15 got cut, the 3 that did not make it on the record went to itunes and imports around the world. my favorite song that got cut was ‘heavier things remain’ that SHOULD have been on the album.
How was the recording process for you compared to previous efforts? What one song means the most to you?
it was unreal. none of liked LA at all, but we adored our new producer neal avron. i believe that we won’t work in Los Angeles again, were hoping that he doesn’t mind living in Seattle for a spell.
How would you describe your aspirations as a band, almost like a mission statement, what you aspire to?
to inspire. anyone and everyone, to anything and everything this world has to offer.
Decades down the line, what would you hope to be remembered for?
music, friendship, humility, and humanity.
posted by Sven at 8:25 AM
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