Tuesday, October 05, 2010

france.

Hi Stephen, thank you for taking some of your time to answer my questions. How are you, a few weeks after the release of the new album? How has been the reception so far?

so far it has been the best reception that we have ever had. it has been amazing. both critics and fans have seem to be unanimous that this has been our best record. as for me i really enjoyed putting this record together, it was a rather exciting experience.

Let's talk a bit about the making process of the record. First, how different was your situation when writing this one, compared to "New Surrender"?

new producer, new city, and whole different vibe. we walked into this record feeling absolutely confident in the songs that we had written. mentally we are no where near the chaos that new surrender imposed on us. this record was mentally the best record we have ever done.


You seem to regret a few things about "New Surrender", why and how did that happen?

i can't, and i won't regret anything from that record, sure it was difficult and was the most painful process i have ever faced, but i would not be writing this interview for you without that record. new surrender brought us to where we are today and for that i am grateful.

it came down to pressure and the fact that there was so much turbulent change around me that i could not focus or find inspiration. new label, new guitarist, new music, new personal life, new producer, new city... a new surrender and just letting go of the expectations i had set so high for myself. i needed to return to the joy of creating music, something i did not discover till 'dark'.


Tell us about your experience with Brendan O'Brien. What did he bring to the table? Would you say he's the one who made Anberlin's sound "bigger"?

confidence, he brought a sense of confidence to the band. by putting his seal of approval, loving the songs, and standing behind the music we loved it gave us a new found sense of enjoyment for the creative process of writing. brendan has a way of making minimalism EPIC, and that is just what he did on this record.

What did you focus the most on this record: the feeling of the songs, the songwriting, the musicianship?

feeling. we wanted everything from the songs to the artwork to the lyrics to the title of the record to amalgamate to the same feeling, and i think we accomplished our goal.

It sounds like you looked less for immediate catchiness to focus on a more cohesive sound, do you agree?

yes, but i think with a few listens to the record you will find that the songs still stay with you, hopefully for the rest of your life.

"To The Wolves" made me think of the "Never Take Friendship Personal"-era, while some darker tracks like "We Owe This To Ourselves" or "Closer" remind the atmosphere of "Cities", did you intentionally want to go back to those moods?

no, we just found a sense of 'home' there, we all felt like that was the best direction for us, not to return to what we were but to use moments like 'cities' as a launching pad to evolve into something greater.

Did you, as a songwriter and as a singer, try new things on "Dark Is The Way, Light Is A Place"?

yes, i tried to write less stories and more poetry. i tried to use my voice rhythmically and more as an instrument instead of always being the focal point of the song. i tried new 'tactics' on this record that i had learned through neal avron and then really listened to brendan to make sure my new found instincts were correct.

"Depraved" seems to be influenced by your work with Faceless, do you see any link between your work with the organization and your art with Anberlin?

yes, there is always a link between who i am and the songs i write. i cannot detach myself from my family, friends, or experiences i have had in this life, and faceless has given me some of the most epic and heart wrenching experiences of my life.

The album title comes from Dylan Thomas, why did you choose it?

the beautiful contradiction that dylan encases. he had so many struggles in his life that i can't help but believe he was writing some of his poetry for me in a psuedo-foreshadowing of my life in its current form.

You read a lot, which other authors inspired you for the new songs?

on this record the only other authors that really spoke into the project were sun tsu (art of war) and Gabriel Garcia Marquez (El amor en los tiempos del cólera) for the song 'you belong here'.

You started writing a new book. Could you tell us a bit about it?

it is called 'the loneliest patient' its about an older man that is so detached from society that he fulfills his need of human interaction through the purchase of 'Davis’s Comprehensive Handbook of Laboratory and Diagnostic Tests with Nursing Implications, 3rd Edition.

You've been a band for almost a decade now, how do you look at Anberlin's career today?

it was a success the day we got into our van left our family, friends, jobs, and school and hit the road. since then it has just been a life none of us could have ever imagined.

Do you still have any unmet expectations?

yes, i want a normal life someday... but this one isn't too bad.

You're now going on a big headlining tour in the US. Are you excited, nervous?

excited! this looks to be the best tour we have ever gone on. the other bands (civil twilight, and the crash kings) are incredible! i watch them every other night when i want to get excited to play a show. they are unbelievable!

Is Kyle going to play with you again?

yes, he just sold his show to fox which is EPIC, but after he is done filming the first season he going to be back out on the road with us, hopefully no later than january!

I read you were going to be creative on the setlists, playing different songs every night, including some "Blueprints For The Black Market" and some b-sides.

yes, we have been playing a few b-sides, this is for sure a fans tour, if you don't know our bands back catalog this might be a disorienting tour for you to watch anberlin on.

You'll be in the UK this winter, but the rest of Europe is still waiting to see Anberlin. Stephen, don't you dream of playing in Paris?
i do dream of paris, i was actually hanging out in paris less than 3 weeks ago! it was beautiful! my favorite part was the food, the museums, and le prescription.

Is the Anchor & Braille vinyl going to be released soon? I think we all want to hear that "Empires" song.

im ready for it to be released NOW! i am not sure what the hold up is but ill check into it today!


Alright, that's all. Thank you very much Stephen, we hope to see you in France soon!

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