For over five years AFI fans have gathered outside of venues and corralled on message boards and in chat rooms, whispering about whether or not Blaqk Audio, the long rumored side project courtesy of Davey Havok and Jade Puget, would ever come to fruition. Well, it has. And with the recent release of the bands debut CexCells, out August 14th on Interscope Records, fans can finally indulge the mystery that has plagued them for so long.
Borne from late night programming sessions in the back of the AFI tour bus and inspired by such 80s classic bands as Devo, Depeche Mode and Duran Duran, Blaqk Audio is very much the sum of its parts indulgent futurepop heavy on the synth, layered with Havoks signature vocals and catchy as shit.
SuicideGirls caught up with Havok over the phone from his hotel room during a stop in Milwaukee on the recent Blaqk Audio promo tour to talk about sex, electronica and why he loves The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
Erin Broadley: So the concept for Blaqk Audio began around 2001-02 but wasnt revived until recently. How did you guys find the time to work on all this stuff while youre on the road with AFI? Im assuming it is quite the challenge to write while youre on the tour bus.
Davey Havok: It is. Well, it is for me at least. Actually most of the music for this record was written on the tour bus by Jade. He would spend any downtime sitting on the bus.
EB: With a portable studio?
DH: Its electronica so he could do that. I mean he would sit on his laptop and he would write audio tracks. I cant write on the road. I have a hard time writing.
EB: Its pretty distracting.
DH: Yeah, so much going on and usually my voice is not in a condition where I feel comfortable writing. So what we would do is, any downtime that we had at home was spent with Jade at his house programming songs and then sending me files of things that he had completed, and me writing the melodies and lyrics over that. When we had completed enough songs that we felt we could go into the studio, we then converged in Los Angeles and then tracked the vocals over the music and Dave Bascombe mixed it and we had CexCells.
EB: [Laughs] Oh, for a minute there I thought you were going to say you and Dave had sex.
DH: [Laughs] We had sex. Dave and I had sex. It was part of the deal.
EB: Big celebrationalbums done!
DH: Yeah, thats how it goes sometimes.
EB: Once you guys buckled down and got to the studio, what was the time frame for finishing the album?
DH: Well, [as for] studio time, once we got there we were simply tracking vocals. It was one of the quickest vocal tracking experiences Ive had since the days of not caring, I should say.
EB: Well, I figure at this point youve pretty much got your vocal techniques down.
DH: To some extent. Recording an AFI album vocally is a much more daunting task than the Blaqk Audio.
EB: Not as easy to wrap your vocals around a full band?
DH: Yeah, you know, I wrote this record in my range, this time [laughs].
EB: [Laughs] Good for you!
DH: Which made it a joy to perform so I think it was actually eight days total of vocal tracking at most, and that includes backing vocals. So really, I was doing like four leads a day which was good for me. As far as tracking goes, its just a song-by-song basis for me. No matter what Im doing I have exactly what I want to do planned out ahead before I go to the studio. Its just a matter of executing that.
EB: Yeah, dont wait until the studio for the experimentation part of it because time is money.
DH: Yeah, weve never -- believe me weve never worked that way.
EB: In the early press that youve have done for this record, you guys describe yourselves as, Two boys in love with synthesizers and software. Is there a definitive moment you can remember when electronic music really changed your life? Where did that love affair begin?
DH: Its very early for both of us. For me some of the earliest assets that I purchased were synth-based bands. I think within the first five, if not the first three, were Duran Duran self-titled and Devo, Freedom of Choice. You know, that began it right there. At a young age the synth pop really appealed to me.
EB: I know, I remember Duran Duran was it for me too. I was at Girl Scout camp at eight-years-old. All the kids get mail from their parents and my Mom was a really young rock-and-roll Mom. I got a letter from her and it was all about how she got to hang around back stage with Duran Duran and I was like, Fuck Girl Scout camp, I want to be with my Mom. That was it. That for me was a definitive moment.
DH: Yeah. Thats fantastic! And look, our definitive moments both began with Duran Duran.
EB: I know. God bless them.
DH: Thats fantastic. For me it started back then and I fell off a little bit but only briefly when I started getting into rock music but then hard core and punk rock led me to do industrial, so when I discovered Ministry and Skinny Puppy and stuff like that at a really early age. That brought me back and then through that scene I was introduced to the Lords of Acid which actually really opened my doors to a lot of different electronica because they were dark and they were Euro sounding and from there on it went everywhere.
EB: So Blaqk Audio was an entirely separate project from AFI since the beginning, right?
DH: Oh yeah, it was definitely independent of AFI. It was a matter of Jade and I talking and saying we really wanted to do something electronic and dance-y, you know, based in the different genres of music but doing something very vocal oriented at the same time and very vocal structured, which theres not a lot of within the electronic scene. Most electronic music isnt focused on music. And if it is, there isnt much dynamic to that vocal and theres less traditional structure to the song. So we wanted to do something combining those elements.
EB: Well, what is it about electronic music that you still find is worth exploring when it seems like, with all the technology these days, for the past ten years every kid with a computer has been able to give it a shot?
DH: Well, its actually just what I said -- most of the music out there really lacks a focus on vocals and both Jade and I really enjoy strong melodies and strong hooks and so we wanted to combine that element with the electronic dance element that already exists. Again, that structure, even if there are vocals, the dynamic sometimes isnt there and the structure sometimes isnt there. So that was our idea.
EB: Are you guys happy with the record?
DH: Thrilled. Yeah, Im so, so proud of it. Im just so happy with it. I hope people like it but if they dont its okay because I really love it.
EB: Well besides the obvious focus on different instrumentation, what are some of the other characteristics that set this apart from your AFI ventures?
DH: Oh, well, the music clearly. Lyrically its entirely different from anything Ive touched on lyrically with AFI. Visually its different. Its got a different aesthetic stage wise -- when we play there will be two of us instead of four of us. There will be no rock.
EB: What kind of bands are you guys going to pair up with on the road?
DH: Were not going to. Were going to have DJs open for us.
EB: Oh really? Okay, interesting. Thats what I was really wondering about.
DH: Yeah, we want it to have sort of a dance party vibe. In fact, the initial intent was to play dance parties around the country but somehow that just couldnt be put together. So were playing one dance party and thats in San Francisco, California and the rest are in traditional venues.
EB: Right, youll go play a lot of sweet sixteen birthday parties [laughs].
DH: Oh yeah, not those dance parties [laughs]. The ones that end at four [in the morning], the ones that start at two.
EB: Earlier you mentioned the aesthetic of Blaqk Audio so I wanted to talk to you about your interest in musical theater. I read that you were fascinated by the Rocky Horror Picture Show from a very young age.
DH: Oh yeah.
EB: So what was it early about the combination of theatrics and music that made such an impression early on and continued to hold your interest this long?
DH: Its really fun. Its amazing, I mean, the talent that goes into stage performance and writing a musical and performing a musical and singing and dancing at the same time and emoting and acting in this extremely over the top, dramatic way and yet still having a poignancy to it is something that really goes unparalleled when talking about musical theater. So it always appealed to me in that respect. The show tunes typically are great hook-y pieces of work and the characters involved in it and the otherworldliness of it, it all appealed to me. It made an impression on me when I was very young. As a five, six-year-old boy everything made an impression on me. It all appealed to me. I started doing musical theater when I was very young -- I think it was fourth grade. I would still, someday, like to do it again. I mean I started singing on stage in musical theater and certainly that began my career of being comfortable performing in front of an audience. I learned to sing for that arena, so, yeah, I can project.
EB: Right, youve got the showmanship.
DH: Yeah, Im sure it gave me a lot. Its nothing that Ive ever really focused on or thought about but Im sure the musical theater foundation along with the alternative theme foundation led me to where I am now.
EB: Yeah, are theatrics going to be part of the Blaqk Audio tour?
DH: I wouldnt call it theatrics, no, I dont think so. I think visuals will be. Visuals and moods but I wouldnt go so far as to call it theatrics.
EB: Maybe some nice light show stuff.
DH: Yeah, yeah, exactly. Exactly, no dancing girls or anything like that.
EB: Right, right, no girls in cages.
DH: [Laughs] No, no, not on our stage. You know, perhaps somewhere in the room.
EB: With AFI, I know one of the themes as a songwriter you often touch upon in your lyrics and stuff is the misconception of what is good and what is evil. What are some of the more predominant themes in Blaqk Audio, relative to that?
DH: Relative to that? Well, I guess. I mean, most of the record is about sex.
EB: Go figure [laughs].
DH: Yeah, weird, couldnt have guessed it [laughs]. Actually that perception of good or evil and right or wrong ties into a lot of --
EB: A lot of sex?
DH: A lot of sex, exactly, a lot of the different vignettes and viewpoints.
EB: Its kind of the ultimate marriage of the two in day-to-day life.
DH: There you go, thats it. And you can see it in the little vignettes and the little sexual perspectives that are represented within each of the songs on the record. Some songs arent about sex. The majority are.
EB: [Laughs] Well, I have a quote here from an older interview where youre talking about how its really difficult to be in a band and how you break your parents hearts and how, for the most part, your Mom was heartbroken when you dropped out of Berkley.
DH: Yeah.
EB: Why do you think this happens? Why do you think its still so hard for kids to get taken seriously as artists when they break the news that they want to start a band to their parents or whoever?
DH: Well, I think because most parents want a stable, happy life for their children and they are aware that the chance of having that while pursuing exclusively a career in entertainment, be it rock and roll, be it another form of music, be it dancing, be it acting, is very unlikely and its actually the truth. Its very unlikely. So I think the hesitancy of supporting that stems from that basic desire for your childrens fulfillment. Thats it, at least for the most part. Then thats at least what it was for my parents. It wasnt so much, You cant be a rocker.
EB: And also parents dont want to see their kids get heartbroken either.
DH: Oh yeah, they dont want to see them disappointed.
EB: Its like, Oh my God I dont want my kid to get their dreams crushed if it doesnt work out.
DH: Right.
EB: Parents dont want to see their kid cry.
DH: Yeah, and you know, theres a lot of crying in Hollywood.
EB: Oh yeah, for sure. Well, does your Mom like your band now?
DH: She never really disliked the band. My parents were both very supportive. Once she realized music was going to be what I do for the rest of my life, long before I had any sort of success at it, she resigned herself to it. You know, it was like, Okay, this is what you want, Im going to support you and wish you the best of luck. And she, much like my self, prefers what Ive done recently compared to the beginnings of what I did. She and I are in agreement on that.
EB: What are your plans for the rest of the year?
DH: Well, Blaqk Audio will finish this promotional tour and rehearse and well go on an actual tour where we perform and once were done with the Black Audio record well begin working on an AFI record.
EB: Ah, so, you dont get much time for a vacation, do you?
DH: No.
EB: [Laughs]
DH: Id like some. It would be nice, yes, sit in the hot tub
For more information go to www.blaqkaudio.com and www.myspace.com/blaqkaudio
Borne from late night programming sessions in the back of the AFI tour bus and inspired by such 80s classic bands as Devo, Depeche Mode and Duran Duran, Blaqk Audio is very much the sum of its parts indulgent futurepop heavy on the synth, layered with Havoks signature vocals and catchy as shit.
SuicideGirls caught up with Havok over the phone from his hotel room during a stop in Milwaukee on the recent Blaqk Audio promo tour to talk about sex, electronica and why he loves The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
Erin Broadley: So the concept for Blaqk Audio began around 2001-02 but wasnt revived until recently. How did you guys find the time to work on all this stuff while youre on the road with AFI? Im assuming it is quite the challenge to write while youre on the tour bus.
Davey Havok: It is. Well, it is for me at least. Actually most of the music for this record was written on the tour bus by Jade. He would spend any downtime sitting on the bus.
EB: With a portable studio?
DH: Its electronica so he could do that. I mean he would sit on his laptop and he would write audio tracks. I cant write on the road. I have a hard time writing.
EB: Its pretty distracting.
DH: Yeah, so much going on and usually my voice is not in a condition where I feel comfortable writing. So what we would do is, any downtime that we had at home was spent with Jade at his house programming songs and then sending me files of things that he had completed, and me writing the melodies and lyrics over that. When we had completed enough songs that we felt we could go into the studio, we then converged in Los Angeles and then tracked the vocals over the music and Dave Bascombe mixed it and we had CexCells.
EB: [Laughs] Oh, for a minute there I thought you were going to say you and Dave had sex.
DH: [Laughs] We had sex. Dave and I had sex. It was part of the deal.
EB: Big celebrationalbums done!
DH: Yeah, thats how it goes sometimes.
EB: Once you guys buckled down and got to the studio, what was the time frame for finishing the album?
DH: Well, [as for] studio time, once we got there we were simply tracking vocals. It was one of the quickest vocal tracking experiences Ive had since the days of not caring, I should say.
EB: Well, I figure at this point youve pretty much got your vocal techniques down.
DH: To some extent. Recording an AFI album vocally is a much more daunting task than the Blaqk Audio.
EB: Not as easy to wrap your vocals around a full band?
DH: Yeah, you know, I wrote this record in my range, this time [laughs].
EB: [Laughs] Good for you!
DH: Which made it a joy to perform so I think it was actually eight days total of vocal tracking at most, and that includes backing vocals. So really, I was doing like four leads a day which was good for me. As far as tracking goes, its just a song-by-song basis for me. No matter what Im doing I have exactly what I want to do planned out ahead before I go to the studio. Its just a matter of executing that.
EB: Yeah, dont wait until the studio for the experimentation part of it because time is money.
DH: Yeah, weve never -- believe me weve never worked that way.
EB: In the early press that youve have done for this record, you guys describe yourselves as, Two boys in love with synthesizers and software. Is there a definitive moment you can remember when electronic music really changed your life? Where did that love affair begin?
DH: Its very early for both of us. For me some of the earliest assets that I purchased were synth-based bands. I think within the first five, if not the first three, were Duran Duran self-titled and Devo, Freedom of Choice. You know, that began it right there. At a young age the synth pop really appealed to me.
EB: I know, I remember Duran Duran was it for me too. I was at Girl Scout camp at eight-years-old. All the kids get mail from their parents and my Mom was a really young rock-and-roll Mom. I got a letter from her and it was all about how she got to hang around back stage with Duran Duran and I was like, Fuck Girl Scout camp, I want to be with my Mom. That was it. That for me was a definitive moment.
DH: Yeah. Thats fantastic! And look, our definitive moments both began with Duran Duran.
EB: I know. God bless them.
DH: Thats fantastic. For me it started back then and I fell off a little bit but only briefly when I started getting into rock music but then hard core and punk rock led me to do industrial, so when I discovered Ministry and Skinny Puppy and stuff like that at a really early age. That brought me back and then through that scene I was introduced to the Lords of Acid which actually really opened my doors to a lot of different electronica because they were dark and they were Euro sounding and from there on it went everywhere.
EB: So Blaqk Audio was an entirely separate project from AFI since the beginning, right?
DH: Oh yeah, it was definitely independent of AFI. It was a matter of Jade and I talking and saying we really wanted to do something electronic and dance-y, you know, based in the different genres of music but doing something very vocal oriented at the same time and very vocal structured, which theres not a lot of within the electronic scene. Most electronic music isnt focused on music. And if it is, there isnt much dynamic to that vocal and theres less traditional structure to the song. So we wanted to do something combining those elements.
EB: Well, what is it about electronic music that you still find is worth exploring when it seems like, with all the technology these days, for the past ten years every kid with a computer has been able to give it a shot?
DH: Well, its actually just what I said -- most of the music out there really lacks a focus on vocals and both Jade and I really enjoy strong melodies and strong hooks and so we wanted to combine that element with the electronic dance element that already exists. Again, that structure, even if there are vocals, the dynamic sometimes isnt there and the structure sometimes isnt there. So that was our idea.
EB: Are you guys happy with the record?
DH: Thrilled. Yeah, Im so, so proud of it. Im just so happy with it. I hope people like it but if they dont its okay because I really love it.
EB: Well besides the obvious focus on different instrumentation, what are some of the other characteristics that set this apart from your AFI ventures?
DH: Oh, well, the music clearly. Lyrically its entirely different from anything Ive touched on lyrically with AFI. Visually its different. Its got a different aesthetic stage wise -- when we play there will be two of us instead of four of us. There will be no rock.
EB: What kind of bands are you guys going to pair up with on the road?
DH: Were not going to. Were going to have DJs open for us.
EB: Oh really? Okay, interesting. Thats what I was really wondering about.
DH: Yeah, we want it to have sort of a dance party vibe. In fact, the initial intent was to play dance parties around the country but somehow that just couldnt be put together. So were playing one dance party and thats in San Francisco, California and the rest are in traditional venues.
EB: Right, youll go play a lot of sweet sixteen birthday parties [laughs].
DH: Oh yeah, not those dance parties [laughs]. The ones that end at four [in the morning], the ones that start at two.
EB: Earlier you mentioned the aesthetic of Blaqk Audio so I wanted to talk to you about your interest in musical theater. I read that you were fascinated by the Rocky Horror Picture Show from a very young age.
DH: Oh yeah.
EB: So what was it early about the combination of theatrics and music that made such an impression early on and continued to hold your interest this long?
DH: Its really fun. Its amazing, I mean, the talent that goes into stage performance and writing a musical and performing a musical and singing and dancing at the same time and emoting and acting in this extremely over the top, dramatic way and yet still having a poignancy to it is something that really goes unparalleled when talking about musical theater. So it always appealed to me in that respect. The show tunes typically are great hook-y pieces of work and the characters involved in it and the otherworldliness of it, it all appealed to me. It made an impression on me when I was very young. As a five, six-year-old boy everything made an impression on me. It all appealed to me. I started doing musical theater when I was very young -- I think it was fourth grade. I would still, someday, like to do it again. I mean I started singing on stage in musical theater and certainly that began my career of being comfortable performing in front of an audience. I learned to sing for that arena, so, yeah, I can project.
EB: Right, youve got the showmanship.
DH: Yeah, Im sure it gave me a lot. Its nothing that Ive ever really focused on or thought about but Im sure the musical theater foundation along with the alternative theme foundation led me to where I am now.
EB: Yeah, are theatrics going to be part of the Blaqk Audio tour?
DH: I wouldnt call it theatrics, no, I dont think so. I think visuals will be. Visuals and moods but I wouldnt go so far as to call it theatrics.
EB: Maybe some nice light show stuff.
DH: Yeah, yeah, exactly. Exactly, no dancing girls or anything like that.
EB: Right, right, no girls in cages.
DH: [Laughs] No, no, not on our stage. You know, perhaps somewhere in the room.
EB: With AFI, I know one of the themes as a songwriter you often touch upon in your lyrics and stuff is the misconception of what is good and what is evil. What are some of the more predominant themes in Blaqk Audio, relative to that?
DH: Relative to that? Well, I guess. I mean, most of the record is about sex.
EB: Go figure [laughs].
DH: Yeah, weird, couldnt have guessed it [laughs]. Actually that perception of good or evil and right or wrong ties into a lot of --
EB: A lot of sex?
DH: A lot of sex, exactly, a lot of the different vignettes and viewpoints.
EB: Its kind of the ultimate marriage of the two in day-to-day life.
DH: There you go, thats it. And you can see it in the little vignettes and the little sexual perspectives that are represented within each of the songs on the record. Some songs arent about sex. The majority are.
EB: [Laughs] Well, I have a quote here from an older interview where youre talking about how its really difficult to be in a band and how you break your parents hearts and how, for the most part, your Mom was heartbroken when you dropped out of Berkley.
DH: Yeah.
EB: Why do you think this happens? Why do you think its still so hard for kids to get taken seriously as artists when they break the news that they want to start a band to their parents or whoever?
DH: Well, I think because most parents want a stable, happy life for their children and they are aware that the chance of having that while pursuing exclusively a career in entertainment, be it rock and roll, be it another form of music, be it dancing, be it acting, is very unlikely and its actually the truth. Its very unlikely. So I think the hesitancy of supporting that stems from that basic desire for your childrens fulfillment. Thats it, at least for the most part. Then thats at least what it was for my parents. It wasnt so much, You cant be a rocker.
EB: And also parents dont want to see their kids get heartbroken either.
DH: Oh yeah, they dont want to see them disappointed.
EB: Its like, Oh my God I dont want my kid to get their dreams crushed if it doesnt work out.
DH: Right.
EB: Parents dont want to see their kid cry.
DH: Yeah, and you know, theres a lot of crying in Hollywood.
EB: Oh yeah, for sure. Well, does your Mom like your band now?
DH: She never really disliked the band. My parents were both very supportive. Once she realized music was going to be what I do for the rest of my life, long before I had any sort of success at it, she resigned herself to it. You know, it was like, Okay, this is what you want, Im going to support you and wish you the best of luck. And she, much like my self, prefers what Ive done recently compared to the beginnings of what I did. She and I are in agreement on that.
EB: What are your plans for the rest of the year?
DH: Well, Blaqk Audio will finish this promotional tour and rehearse and well go on an actual tour where we perform and once were done with the Black Audio record well begin working on an AFI record.
EB: Ah, so, you dont get much time for a vacation, do you?
DH: No.
EB: [Laughs]
DH: Id like some. It would be nice, yes, sit in the hot tub
For more information go to www.blaqkaudio.com and www.myspace.com/blaqkaudio
VIEW 15 of 15 COMMENTS
nicolai:
blaqk audio with light shows and DJs! i'm so excited!! 
(however i totally think they should have dancing women!.....maybe some SGs! 
)
(however i totally think they should have dancing women!.....maybe some SGs! )
dave947pm:
great interveiw davey is so cool. AFI and blaqk audio both rock. ive been listen to blaqk audio flat out lately. god i hope they tour australia, but i doubt it.