Bullets and Octane

Oh, we’re using a van.

We’re used to it.

Well, when you’re a smaller band such as us, it’s better and safer to not to do that. The label’s basically a bank with connections so it seems. Making a bigger loan and all that thing is a scary situation, so we’re doing it a lot cheaper and safer right now. Plus, we’re taking it really slow with the release of the record. A lot of people think that when a record comes out, they go straight to radio and videos and all of that stuff. We’re taking a slower approach with everything.

Yeah, if you look at a lot of bands that have had longevity in their careers, it’s a little bit safer to do it that way, especially when you’re a band that doesn’t exactly sound like what’s going on right now in music. It’s a lot safer to let it slowly build.

Well on the last tour with Avenged Sevenfold, we knew we had to get the artwork done. We were discussing it and everyone’s always gives us that same old thing where, “Oh, you’re a rock and roll band. Sex, drugs and rock and roll.” That seems like a cliché of the ‘80s to say that. It’s a whole different thing now. So they say, “Well, it’s dangerous.” I’m thinking, “What’s dangerous nowadays?” The reality of life seems more dangerous than the idea of rock and roll and all of that. So the idea of having a tattooed, druggie type of women with a kid is our way of showing how screwed up society is. But this is tongue-in-cheek and fun and it’s always good to have a nice looking woman on the front cover of a record. But it definitely says a lot more than just a basic plain rock cover record.

We went through a bunch of different pictures but on the road it is hard to get things laid out. So our manager sent us some pictures of different girls and we saw her and thought, “Wow. She’s very attractive, but also can fit the role of what we’re trying to do.” We got the picture and we were like, “Wow. There she is. That’s it.”

We have no idea. We really wanted to be there when the picture was taken because it was our idea and our vision but when we got it back we were very pleased. James Minchin took the picture and he’s really good at capturing everything we’re about.

Well obviously you the audience to have a good time. It is rock and roll. But you also want to make them think about things and question their surroundings. A lot of times people become a product of their environment and they feel protected in their bubble of religion if they’re whatever Christian, Catholic and things like that and feel condemned for the natural things and feelings they have as a human being. I just wanted people to listen to the lyrics and really think about what’s going on.

Yes and no. There’s obviously a lot of straight to radio pop-type writing bands when it comes to a major label type of thing. A lot of them just want to go in for the easy kill and the easy hit. The three minute long song with the pop choruses and I understand that. But a lot of bands lack a little bit of depth in their songs and what their songs are about and what they’re doing. It’s easy to write break up songs but I don’t want to sit there and be a political band that’s always like “We’re about this and we’re about this.” That gets washed out too. It still comes down to having a good time, playing good music and being able to enjoy things.

Page was talking to Matt Marshall over at RCA, who we work with and said that he was interested in hearing our music. We really wanted a hands on producer, someone that could be like a fifth member. Helmet changed the music of the 90’s and since then he’s written scores, done commercials, done every element you can think of and working with him was great because we went and just got drunk and partied with him. We’re still friends with him. Working with him is amazing. We’d be working on some songs and in the middle of them, he’d just go, “Hold on a second. Stop.” He’d turn his iPod on and he’d put on like the weirdest shit man, like a Barbara Streisand song would come on. He’d be like, “Listen to this.” Or a Stevie Wonder song. He’d really had a whole different outlook on our songs than we did, which is great. Working with him was a great move.

We respect each others’ vision and one another as musicians. Everything is a democracy type of thing. If everyone agrees what sounds better then that’s the way it will go. That’s the thing about working with mature musicians, they know when you’re right and when they are wrong. There was a lot of butting heads, but that’s how it is with any band, even without a producer.

by Daniel Robert Epstein

SG Username: AndersWolleck