. : interviews
Interview with James Labrie - 16th January 2004
Taken directly from The National Midday Sun - used with permission
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Analog: Your record company have been quite helpful (in setting up this interview).
JLB: Really? Over here in the UK? You’re surprising me! (laughs). Nah, it has gotten better over the years. They’re a little bit more aware of us and are starting to realise they need to take notice of what we’re doing. So, generally around the world they’ve become more on board with us.
Analog: The press for this album (Train of Thought) has helped you...
JLB: I think the press for each album has really helped since “Scenes From A Memory” came out. I think everything started to escalate from there and people realised that we weren’t just something that was going to fizzle out. “Falling Into Infinity” was a very controversial album with the fans, and the crap we were going through as a band... *pauses*. But after we came out with “Scenes” everyone could see we were back and were focused and knew directionally where we wanted to take it. The label realised their position and where they needed to stay to allow us to be the kind of band that we are. So, y’know – that all helped.
CQ: They (the record label) can see with the venue sizes you’re playing now...
JLB: They’re very much aware... There’s no doubt about it... In today’s music industry a lot of bands are not only coming out and not really selling their discs, but they’re also going out and playing half full rooms. It’s a really tough industry right now. Everyone’s feeling it.
I think it has to do with... technology is one of the down sides: people, kids, adults, can access any band in an audio sense or any band visually if you can find them on TV, well certain bands y’know – obviously not a band like us, you’d never see us (on the telly)! And I think that’s what makes people complacent: “well I can stay in my home and enjoy as much as I need before going out and (buying the music), and I don’t necessarily have to go to the record store and buy that – I can just download it”. So…. (laughs)
But there’s laws that are coming into play right now that…… I don’t know if the internet is going to be a vehicle for constant downloading in the future. Just over in Canada, where I’m from, there was a big news item on the fact that they’re trying to push through this bill now, and if they catch people (downloading illegally) they’re planning on starting with a $100,000 fine, and serving with your first offence a year (in prison), then after that three years. So they’re really cracking down, and its obviously the industry – the labels – that have gotten together with the esquires or whatever, right – with their lawyers – and have said “we’ve gotta do something about this, right, or we’re gonna go belly up”. And it’s a big snowball effect, because when it affects them it affects us.
CQ: Do you not think that (the internet) can work in a positive way?
JLB: It definitely works in a positive way with us, with a band like us. Because let’s face it, you’re not going to hear us on the radio, you’re not going to see us on MTV or VH1 or whatever.... Maybe some of the smaller ones, the home grown ones will be supportive and want to play us just because they’re coming from a completely different mindset. But as far as the big national exposure goes – the internet has played a very integral role with us. Putting us in the eyes and ears of much more people I think than would have been possible if we were still pre-computer.
But then again I could say, well, if we went back to the 1970s it’d be a completely different story for us again! Y’know, we’d probably be playing arenas every night because we’d be back to LPs and a whole other stuff. It was a wonderful decade, the 70s, as far as progressive rock music was going – that was the golden era. But, y’know things have just changed so much the whole world over. The transition we’ve just gone through is incredible, just to keep up with it y’know? Like you guys (TNMS) and what you’re doing right now – think about it! I mean, 20 years ago you wouldn’t have been overseeing the kind of thing that you do, it (the internet) just didn’t exist.
Analog: Thinking about the 1970s (and comparing) to the present day, you wouldn’t be releasing such long albums because in those days...
JLB: Yeah, I mean look at Yes’ “Fragile” – how long was that? 49 minutes? That was considered (sounds surprised) “holy shit”, y’know. What an incredible album...
Analog: One thing that perhaps you do have in common with the 70s – we’re from a Rush website, look at Rush between 1974 and 1978: they released 8 albums in four years or something. You guys release an album a year, which is still quite a work rate in the modern age where perhaps an album every four years is the norm. Has that been a deliberate move? Do you get together to write an album when you’ve got songs or because of a timetable?
JLB: There’s two things that work into that. Obviously we’re on a timetable: the label comes into play there to a certain extent. Every 18 months or 24 months they want an album to be coming out. So if you think about when Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence came out in 2001…. What was it? Shit I can’t even remember...
CQ: It was January 2002, James.
JLB: Was in Jan 2002 it came out?
Analog: Yeah, because you toured here just as it came out.
JLB: Oh yeah! Exactly, you’re right. Then this one was released November 2003, so you’re look at 18 to 20 months – no, more than that, 22 months – between albums. The label is on one side of the fence saying “every 18 months we’d like to see an album from you”, and we’re on the other side saying “fine, well we’ll do it when we feel like it makes sense”. And usually the cycle with us is – you release an album, and with this one we wanted to set it up differently – and that’s why we had it come out in November and just now we’re just starting out (on tour). Because we thought, we can’t keep doing that – we’re out touring then a week later the album is coming out, it’s not fair to the fans or to us. So we kinda restructured that a bit, just so it works in everyone’s favour.
But the cycle is – album comes out, then we do a tour to support it. We’re usually out for 10 to 12 months supporting an album. And then we usually go and hibernate for 5 or 6 months just to recharge ourselves, and then it’s a matter of us getting back together. And usually the ideas are coming from individuals and things we might have touched upon at sound checks during the touring cycle. And then just the whole collaboration, all of us being in one room and feeding off whatever it might be – a riff from John Petrucci, John Myung, Jordan – and then building on that and it mushrooming into a full fledged arrangement.
CQ: Was there anything different in the making of this album to previous albums?
JLB: The only difference would be that I was there from the beginning to the end, as far as the writing stages go. And I think the advantage to that was: being in the same room I was able to hear everything coming together as it was being introduced, and just internalizing everything that was going on, really becoming that much closer to the music. So by the time things were fully written and arranged and it came down to constructing melodies, which is what myself and Jon and Mike did for the album…. By the time I was in the studio and recording it I really felt part of it. So that might have been maybe the difference.
As far as how we went about recording this album, it was different too in a sense. The previous two albums, Six Degrees and Scenes, were basically written and recorded in the studio. We were writing and recording the stuff as we went along, which was kinda exciting because a lot of spontaneity was captured. Whereas with this album we went into a rehearsal hall and worked out all the songs before getting into the studio, and then fine tuned them as we were recording the parts. So, kinda getting back to the way we used to do the albums. It was very cool.
Analog: This album is noticeably heavier. That’s what I’ve really got off on.
JLB: Each album kind of tells where a band is and what’s influencing them or where they want to go musically. It tells what we’re feeling as musicians, and what seems to strike a chord with us – no pun intended!
With this album we had been talking previously…… when a tour starts to wind down we start to discuss “what’s the time frame, when do we want it, when do we want to get back together again?” getting into a writing situation, and where do we want to take this musically – what are we thinking. What we were jamming at sound checks starts to dictate where we might go with things, it starts to almost foreshadow where the next album might be heading.
And that definitely was true with Train of Thought. From what we were doing at sound checks and what we were discussing when we were actually in the rehearsal studio, that seemed to be natural for us – that was what was coming out of us, that was what had been put onto discs that we were referencing: y’know: “oh, this is what we did in Germany, this is what we did in Italy. Wow, this is really cool – lets go with this.”
And it was to a certain extent a continuation of Six Degrees, there was a lot of heavy moments on that even though you can see that that was a pretty diverse album. So that kinda set that up. But, yeah – its dark. Its definitely dark musically and I think lyrically its very sombre, we’re getting into very controversial subjects and more personal challenges and things that just seem to affect most of us on a daily basis or at certain stages in our lives.
CQ: The album really grows on you after more listens, its not an immediate album. When the album came out there were a lot of fans who didn’t like the album, then a few weeks or months later those same fans were back and saying its one of the best things you’ve ever done.
JLB: I think what happened is the more progressive fans wanted to hear something that’s more along the lines of what we did with Images & Words, and what we were even touching on with Six Degrees or Scenes. But with this I think what a lot of people had a hard time wrapping themselves around was the heavier elements – its very balls to the wall and very aggressive, and it is almost relentless at times. Its just hittin’ ya!
So I can see a lot of people going home saying “shit, man! When am I gonna get a breath of fresh air here? When are we going to get into something else or some other sonic element?”
I remember reading that on the internet and – y’know – music is very subjective. You’re not going to please everyone. Especially when you put out an album like this – you’re bound to have a lot of controversy within the fan base. That first hit of the heaviness of it and just how hard hitting it is and that’s what people are going to first focus on. And then they’re going to go “OK, this is very different from the band that I’m really into”. But, that’s just it. It’s a matter of coming to it, and realising it for what it is or just saying “uh oh, this isn’t for me”.
Analog: Its self-produced like the last few. Is that it for outside producers now?
JLB: I think at this stage…. Well, I don’t know what the future holds for us. Are we going to go onto the next album or the one after that and think “lets’ bring someone else in that we have a lot of respect for and thinks that they can do something and bring us to another level and be more objective?”.
That’s the only problem when you’re producing yourself, although I think we’ve got a good handle on that, is that you don’t have the objectiveness of somebody else who sits outside of the band saying “that’s not hitting me guys, that’s not cool”.
But we just feel that from our experiences in the past when we had producers there was too much misunderstanding, people not getting where we want to go and trying to direct us down a path that made no sense for us as a band or where we wanted to take it. And we got into that whole kinda snatch when we did Falling into Infinity. We had enough, that was the last straw.
I think at this stage it would be safe to assume we are probably going to continue working this way, and maybe down the road who knows? If we feel “Lets try something completely different” and experience it once again but with the right person…. Hugh Padgham? I mean, when I think of somebody like him there’s somebody who could wrap their head round things, and we might have mutual respect and even sit back and listen to him! They’d have to be at the kind of level before we would even seriously consider it.
CQ: Speaking of outside producers, and bringing in side projects as well, Steven Wilson was due to produce Mullmuzzler II?
JLB: He was going to mix it. The only reason he didn’t is because our schedules conflicted. It was a real drag, I was staying in touch with him and saying “oh, I can only get you stuff at this point”, and he was going “ah, shit, I’m going out on the road in a week”…. And I was thinking “we can’t do this in a week, that’s impossible”. So it was really unfortunate. I love Steven; he’s an amazingly talented person first and foremost as a musician. The sounds this guy get when he mixes! He’s worked with bands like Opeth – he’s just amazing. I’d still like to entertain that it might happen in the future, but I don’t know. He’s busy, I’m busy, when are we going to have the next moment… probably not til next summer, and I have this Frameshift thing that’s out right now…. So I’m pretty busy what with that and doing this!
I myself, I’m not going to speak for the rest of the band here; I could even see bringing in Steve to mix a Dream Theater album. Not necessarily coming in as a producer. But as far as him and his sonic sense and sense of music on its own, I think there’s a guy who would really understand what Dream Theater is trying to attain as a band.
CQ: It’s the first night of the tour. How have preparations gone?
JLB: Pretty good!
Analog: You’ve been here all week, haven’t you! You kept that quiet!
JLB: (laughs) yeah! Its always the case with us – the nature of the music is.... SO MUCH! There’s so much to take in, for everyone to prepare themselves and realize that you still have to do a show. You can’t just sit there and think “YOU’RE ON! I’M ON! GO!” It is very challenging, so I always feel the first few shows are really just swiping at the cobwebs and just saying “OK guys, we’re gonna get it back!”. Get ourselves back in shape, feel good about it, and get to a point where you’re feeling relaxed and really in the groove. We’ve been working hard. I mean, shit – we’ve been here since last Sunday and we’ve been going at it pretty much every day...
Analog: What is it about Manchester and starting tours?
JLB: Just seems to work that way! I’ll guess you’ll have to talk to our agent over here! He seems to start them off here – that’s how we did the last one. *pauses*. Wow, that’s just reminded me... When we started the last tour…. Mick (Burnett) was here….. y’know…. Jeez. That’s hard to believe...
Analog: He was a massive fan.
JLB: I know, absolutely.
*Analog and JLB talk about Mick for a few minutes*
Analog: Linking this interview in with Rush, they’re just about to go out on their 30th anniversary tour, subject to Alex Lifeson’s legal situation...
JLB: Well, he’s trying to get into the boxing scene right now (laughs)...
*JLB comments on the Alex situation, not included here for legal reasons!*
Analog:... anyway, what we were going to ask was: there is a rumour out there that you guys are very interesting in supporting Rush on the 30th anniversary tour.
JLB: Hey, listen. We’d be there in a second if they said “hey guys, will you come out and support us on this your?” Absolutely! We all love the band, we’ve all been huge fans of Rush ever since the beginning. So without a doubt, no question – we would be there. If they asked us, we would take that up and feel honoured. But at this stage its still up in the are what they’re doing, whether its going to be “An Evening With” or whether they’re going to go with someone else, so who knows...
Analog: 30 years... Dream Theater in recording terms is 15 years in...
JLB: I don’t see why not. At this stage I’ll say yes, because we all feel really good about what we’re doing and where we are and how the band is continuing to move in an upward motion. I think if it ever got to the point where it started to do the spiral thing we’d know we’ve taken it as far as we can. But at this point, I don’t think I can say 15... I dunno. Maybe you’ll be talking to me in 15 years!
There’s definitely more albums in us. This definitely isn’t our last, neither would the next one, or the one following that be. I guess it all comes down to the health of the band mentally, physically, in terms of camaraderie and how that continues. I mean, this is like being married to people. You have 5 different personalities here and there’s moments where it gets tense, and there’s other moments where its beautiful – a beautiful thing! And its just like any relationship. So as long as we stay where we’re at right now then, yes – definitely longevity is a reality with us.
CQ: You’re only doing 2 shows here in the UK at the moment. Generally you come back later in the year. Are you going to do that again?
JLB: Yeah I think so. At this point we’re just kicking the tour off, and the amount of places we can hit in one leg always dictates that... there are just so many more places in Europe: the Eastern Block, and even in the Western part of Europe we’re not hitting all the places. So, yeah – we’ll be coming back and hitting upon the UK again.
I mean, we haven’t been up to Scotland... jeez... what has it been? Two tours since we’ve been up there? And we went to Ireland on the last tour which was cool. So I would like to think when we come back to this area again we get back into Ireland, because that was a great experience. Its almost like it works itself out that we come to Europe three times on each tour, because we get asked to do the festivals and all that stuff as well...
Analog: You might want to be around here in September because there’s another Canadian band coming here then!
JLB: Yeah, right! Wouldn’t that be a beautiful thing? We’ll see, who knows. But, yes, we’ll definitely be back.
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