The Interview: July 26, 2006
HEB.com: Hey guys, thanks for taking a few minutes to answer a couple of questions about the general state of the band.
Joe: Hey, no problem, we're always happy to talk about the band.
Ray: Sure thing.
HEB.com: So, let's get the big question out of the way first: how are things coming with the new album?
Ray: Originally, we had a concept for the sound we were looking for on the album - combining our diverse influences into a coherent effort, but as Joe and I really started airing out the material and got more comfortable with the recording and production tools, I think the album started taking an even more interesting direction. The side effect is that it is taking a lot longer to get the whole project done, but we think its well worth the effort.
Joe: It's definitely been a much greater undertaking than we imagined it would be. Not only from a songwriting perspective, since we're really trying to push our own personal envelopes and develop a unique and interesting style, but also from a production standpoint as we're self-producing a lot of the album. It's been a baptism by fire, but it has been entirely worth the effort. We're really proud of the material that we've written for this album. Ray and I have developed a very fluid collaborative style while working on this album, and I think - err, I hope anyhow - that the music has really benefited as a result. So far, being a part of Headend has been a really great experience.
HEB.com: Help me to understand how the material gets written. How do you guys approach the general songwriting process?
Ray: We have found a writing style that works. Joe or I will come in with some musical idea, rhythm or shreds of lyrics and we often work through the ideas in a "live jam" type format until the kernel of the idea works itself out. In general, we just know when it sounds right. Often we let the ideas sit for a while and then slowly start bringing them together as we work out the song structures.
Joe: Like on the track called "Meniscus," we didn't actually complete it until almost a year after we first wrote the bulk of the song. The demo version we have playing on the website now is only somewhat similar to the version going down onto the album.
Ray: Yeah, sometimes a whole tune comes together quickly and other times it takes many months to get something we both like. We pretty much know that this album may not appeal to everyone, but we are really trying to make an album that we enjoy listening to...
Joe: I think we work really well together as songwriters. In some rare cases, you'll have that one guy in a band who will write 95% of the material by himself. However, I've always thought that the best scenario is to have a pair of songwriters who can work together very easily. You can bring in a lot of ideas that way without having too many cooks in the kitchen. And since Delerium and I have a real respect for each other as creative individuals, we can bounce a lot of ideas off each other without worrying that the other guy will think a suggestion is stupid. As we often say, it is all about the music.
HEB.com: Okay, I have to ask this, because I think the people out there really want to know: what is your take on Justin Timberlake's proclamation that he will be the one to push the boundaries of pop music?
Joe: (rolling his eyes) Pop music today is analogous to the reprehensible metal hair bands of the late 80s. It's just a parody of itself anymore. It's not bad enough that it is the same song copied over and over and over, but the source material itself is garbage. They're not even copying good stuff. Enough with the bared midriffs and synchronized dance moves already! If Justin thinks he can push pop, I just hope it is over a mountain cliff...
Ray: In general, mainstream popular music today is only about producing a product that makes money - not much different than coming up with the latest flavor of Coke or the newest Nike sneakers. At one time "popular music" was Abbey Road. Now it's Justin Timberlake. I think that the only thing that Justin Timberlake is pushing the boundaries of is the size of his checkbook.
HEB.com: Tell us a little bit about the charity event for the Amur Leopard. How did that go down?
Joe: Ray and I were on an extended backpacking trip through Eastern Asia when we came upon a small communal village. The people there were very friendly and allowed us to spend a couple of weeks with them. That's where Ray got his sanxian.
Ray: One of the village elders taught me to play it, and in the ultimate sign of friendship and acceptance, gave me the sanxian he'd had for decades as a gift. It is a beautiful instrument...
Joe: It really is. So anyhow, the villagers told us about the Amur leopard and its dwindling population. They took us on an expedition to see them one day, out in the wild. We were blown away. Just completely floored.
Ray: They're amazing creatures. To see them in their natural environment was really a privelege for two American outsiders.
Joe: And so we've done everything we can since then to raise support and awareness for those beautiful animals. We jumped at the invitation to attend the charity event in Vladivostok, because we're big believers in the cause, and we know this great little Armenian restaurant there that serves fantastic soujouk!
Ray: Anything that helps the Amur leopard we are 100% behind. We're big Amur leopard fans. I mean, I can't even think about how we could go on as a civilization knowing that the Amur leopard is in distress. It's simply unfathomable!
HEB.com: Okay, last question for you guys: when will the album be available to your fans?
Ray: Well, we always hope we are a month or two away, but sometimes we spend long hours just wrestling the equipment into submission as we have various pieces of gear that sometimes decide to consciously work against us...
Joe: It is hard to get too upset, because the technology today allows us to get down really good recordings in our own private studio. You just couldn't do that 10 or 15 years ago. But as Ray points out, it's such a friggin' battle with the equipment sometimes. The tech support people at MOTU are a bunch of clowns. How about a version of Digital Performer that doesn't go balls-up every 15 minutes?
Ray: So we're still hoping to have recording wrapped up by the end of the summer, and then have the album mixed and mastered shortly thereafter. If all goes well, we could have the album available by November or early December of 2007.
Joe: That could be a nice little present to stuff in the stocking of your favorite Headend fan!
HEB.com: Thanks a lot, guys. I know you're probably pretty tired after another full night in the studio, but I'm sure your fans will enjoy this interview.
Joe: We really do appreciate the support of our fans. The album has taken longer than we'd hoped, but we're trying to deliver our best album possible. So I'd like to thank our fans for their loyalty and for being intelligent people with an appreciation for honest music. And keep sending in those emails!
Ray: We just hope that the efforts in the studio yield an album that we feel good about. Love the emails - especially that one from the Nigerian gentleman looking for us to help get the money out of his country.
Joe: Just another service Headend provides for our fans!