Interview & photo by Rachel Jablonski
I was in agony when I interviewed the very nice Alan Robert, bassist of Life of Agony. I had come home from work sick. Ya know, sinus infection, ear ache, throat burning, fever, absolutely no energy, body aches, and all that good stuff. But luckily I was able to make it to the phone to discuss the current state of Life of Agony, which is as healthy as ever.
Rachel: Hi Alan, how are you?
Alan: I’m good. How are you?
Rachel: Well actually, I apologize if I sound unenthusiastic or sickly because I am. I came home from work sick today.
Alan: Oh, I’m sorry. Well we’ll try to keep this short then.
Rachel: No, it’s cool. Where are you at right now?
Alan: I’m in Canada.
Rachel: Oh really? How is it?
Alan: Um, so far so good. The show’s tonight so we’re just setting stuff up.
Rachel: All right, so you guys are back together and making new music. How does it feel?
Alan: It feels great, ya know. It definitely felt like something was missing from all our lives when weren’t together, so being back together is like being home again.
Rachel:The new album is Broken Valley and it’s in stores June 14th correct?
Alan: Yep.
Rachel: How would you describe it and what can fans expect?
Alan: It’s definitely a record that tells a story. It definitely picks up where we left off with the second record, being that all the original guys are back in the band. It is melodic vocals and heavy down tuned guitar driven rock. All of the lyrics are very versatile, very introspective.
Rachel: You said it tells a story. What kind of story does it tell?
Alan: It’s all based on real situations that we’ve gone through and people we’ve known have gone through. Kind of like an open diary of real situations.
Rachel: So what direction were you trying to go with this album? Did you just sit down and write or did you have something in mind in the process?
Alan: I think it came pretty naturally. We locked ourselves away in a house in the woods in Woodstock and putting our ideas together just happened real, real fluidly. This is the first record that the singer and I have collaborated on songs going line for line with the lyrics. Usually in the past we’ve presented pretty much finished songs before the lyrics were added. Now we’re working hand in hand on all the stuff which makes things that much more special.
Rachel: How much effort was it to have all of you guys there together writing? Did it feel like you just picked up where you left off or did you have to make some adjustments?
Alan: Since getting back together in January 2003, everything that we’ve done has been either by unanimous decision or we don’t do it. That’s one thing that has been very different in the way that we operate as a band and as musicians and as song writers. So, like in the past with records like Ugly for instance, there are songs on there that not all of us are crazy about but meanwhile they ended up on the album. That wouldn’t be the case now. Either everyone’s into it or we don’t move forward with something. It’s a good system because then you know that everyone is 100 percent and that everyone believes in what we’re doing. And if there is one hint of doubt it’s probably for a good reason. It’s good to evaluate that and hear what that member of the band has to say about a certain song or part or situation or decision whether it is business or music or just in general.
Rachel: That’s cool. Did you have to scrap very many songs then with that philosophy?
Alan: We did scrap a bunch of songs. Ya know, maybe like five or six songs that we just didn’t all feel collectively and I think it was for the best because now we have a record that all of can’t stop listening to.
Rachel: What’s the significance of the title Broken Valley?
Alan: We wanted the title to accomplish something not exactly like a concept record, but sorta along that train of thinking. “Broken Valley” is the Dutch translation of the word "Brooklyn." When the Dutch settlers came to what’s now America that’s what they named that part of New York. And being that’s all it was, a broken valley or broken marshes, there are many different translations of the word, but that’s the area that we grew up in and our families grew up in and where basically all of these stories derive from. It’s something that is home for us and is really where all these situations and lyrics have come from.
Rachel: Well I learned something. Why did you choose “Love to Let You Down” as the first single?
Alan: Funny enough it was the first song that we wrote together for this record. I think it just seemed like the right track to go with. It’s driving and has a really catchy chorus and I think lyrically it’s really about coming back into the scene together. Willing to start again, willing to give it another try, really just a… I don’t even know how to explain it. It’s pretty direct in how we were feeling when we first decided to write again and to be back as the band Life of Agony.
Rachel: Well I’ve seen the “Love to Let You Down” video and it’s pretty wild. Where did you film it? And how many people were in that audience because it’s huge.
Alan: (laugh) You know it’s something that we just put together for the website. It’s not actually the video that’s going to be released for the single, but those professionals were shot last summer when we played with the Red Hot Chili Peppers and David Bowie and Metallica. It ranges from 25,000 to 70,000 people. It was a pretty amazing tour. But we did shoot the video for “Love to Let You Down” and we’re looking at rough edits now. We shot it in L.A. with a director named Zach Merck and we had a great time.
Rachel: What can we see in the video?
Alan: Well it’s mostly performance, but there is a portion that is conceptual. It tells the story of basically… it’s similar like to a 28 Days Later scenario where people start getting infected, but instead of being affected like zombies they are being affected by the music. You see the band playing inside their heads. So, I’m anxious to see the final cut.
Rachel: When will that be released?
Alan: Within the next few weeks, probably by the end of April.
Rachel: So you’re on tour with Mudvayne. How’s that going?
Alan: Excellent. Everyone’s been great. It’s a very, very great tour. Everyone involved has been awesome, super cool.
Rachel: I’ve heard that that you’ve been given somewhat of a hard time by Mudvayne fans. Is that true and how do you handle it if it is?
Alan: You know it sure seemed that way the first couple dates of the tour. It seemed to be a younger audience that wasn’t really accepting of us. But as the dates have gone on I think Mudvayne fans have started to open up and be more open-minded and the shows have been great since then.
Rachel: Well good, I’m glad to hear it. I remember when I saw Static-X open for some headliner a long time ago and the crowd booed them hardcore. A few years later now it seems like a similar crowd, probably the same kids in fact, are wearing Static-X shirts and going to every show. You already have a good number of hardcore fans, but do you think you will have a similar affect in gaining younger fans?
Alan: Yeah, I mean we saw a kid the other night that was probably about 14 or 15, ya know, buy one of our new shirts. We thought that was the coolest thing. We went up to him and gave him some guitar picks and a signed poster and he was just like wow ya know. It’s pretty funny because these kids probably weren’t even around when our first record came out.
Rachel: Isn’t that crazy? Wow. Well that’s cool, good. What’s the set list like on this tour?
Alan: A lot of old songs, a lot of new. We’re trying to cover all the albums a little bit, but definitely heavy on River Runs Red and we’re playing a good four or five new Broken Valley songs.
Rachel: What do you have planned next? Keep touring and touring? Looks like you have a ton of dates coming up.
Alan: Yeah, it’s just beginning.
Rachel: That’s about all I have. Is there anything else you want to add?
Alan: We’re very hands on with everything involved in LOA and people should definitely check out the website http://www.lifeofagony.com and join the message board. The band’s on there all the time interacting with people, so it’s a nice community that we’ve been building for the last couple of years since we’ve been back. So people should definitely check out the message board and say hello to all the cool people on there.
Rachel: All right cool, well thank you very much. Have a good time tonight and good luck.
Alan: Thanks. Feel better ok?
Rachel: Thank you! See ya later.