It's been seven years since the last Azure Ray album and you've both worked with a whole slew of new people, (how) have each of your writing and recording processes changed in the interim. Was working on this new album easier/harder?
It’s hard to say how it’s changed because I feel like it’s a long organic process that I don’t know, I think it’s just totally better. But um, I don’t know I’m not sure but I think coming back to work together was just like going home in a way. It was really natural and I think that we brought our strengths from each other’s projects but there was something in our core that is always gonna be the same and I think that’s why we work so well together, because we interact so well.
What brought you two to finally making another album together after a relatively lengthy hiatus?
Maria was living in Los Angeles and I was living in Omaha and I was touring with Rilo Kiley as a live member of their band so I was going to Los Angeles a lot to rehearse and I would just stay with her and we reconnected. We made trips for me to come back out and then she tried to talk me into moving out to LA and then we’re finally like we should just be playing music together since we’re having so much fun hanging out and making all these plans – what if we did that. So we kind of eased into it and it was just a joy every step of the way.
Given all the people you've collaborated with in the past (collectively and individually) is there anyone else out there you're still looking to work with, specifically.
Oh gosh, I don’t know. I mean, yeah, sure. We wanted to work with Dangermouse but he was busy with Broken Bells so that’s somebody we definitely want to work with in the future.
How permanent is this reunion/will you be returning to solo work/your other bands (O+S, Art in Manilla)?
After this record, Maria has a side project with Andy Lemaster and I have a side project with Cedrick Lemoyne which is called O+S so we’re both going to do those records with them and then we’re going to do another Azure Ray record after that. Because we have all these songs that we were producing for this record and some you know ideas for the future . . . .
I keep hearing your songs (Azure Ray, solo work, work with other groups) in movies and on TV. In your opinion what's the weirdest or most awesome project that's approached you about optioning a song? Who have they turned down?
I think probably the most awesome for attributed song was for Short Bus. (laughs) We were kinda skeptical about that one but let’s see what have we turned down, you know I don’t think we’ve ever turned anything down we haven’t had any inappropriate offers. I imagine there would be some kind of commercial for feminie products or something we would definitely turn that.
I’ve read articles in which you’ve spoken of your experiences in Haiti as inspiration and influence in some of your solo material. How has this spiritual experience played into your new material with Maria? Have you picked up musical attributes you didn’t explore previously in your 7 year hiatus that we can pick up on the new record?
Not so much on this record, I think part of our goal is to really come back to a common place between the two of us so I don’t see how bringing something so very specific to me individually would kind of maybe been counterproductive for what we were trying to accomplish so for this record, no. I think we were more thinking of a collective versus any specific outside influences and trying to bring this all in and that would not have maybe worked out so well. But in the future, maybe it will work itself in somehow in a more organic way.
What’s on your bookshelf at the moment?
I just read this book called the Glass Castle by Janette Walsh and it is so good, I need to get some books together for tour, I’ve just been so busy.
On tour yet?
Starts the day after tomorrow we did our first rehearsal show at a club here in Birmingham las night and now we have two days off to get all our shit together and then we take off the day after tomorrow. The tour is six weeks. We’re really looking forward to playing Chicago, we love Schuba’s it’s awesome.
What are you rocking on your ipod? Any new artists we should know about?
I’m so bad about that, I usually just listen to the oldies or my friends’ bands. But my friend Laura’s band the Mynabirds are really great.
What’s your favorite song on the new album?
Oh gosh that’s always a hard one. I like them all the same! Actually Maria and I have both listened to the record a bunch but maybe because we didn’t write it, Silver Sorrow is one of our favorite. Eric Buchman wrote that song.
What’s the last show you went to as a fan?
The last concert? Umm, let’s see, I think that would be. . The Flaming Lips maybe? A year or two ago, I mean I find myself at a lot of concerts but like one that you specifically go to.
What’s your favorite city to tour? Any venues or cities you get really excited about in particular?
In the US, you know we always love to play the bigger cities. We live in LA, La’s really nice we have a lot of friends and the bigger shows usually have a little more excitement. But there are also great – I mean we have friends in almost every town so you know its just a different I get to see this person here, this person here, it takes on a different primitive vibe depending on where we’re leaving to the next day.
Pre-show rituals?
Maria drinks red wine and I drink Heineken and Jameson only. That’s it, those are kind of are really standard pre-show rituals.
No comments:
Post a Comment