August 13, 2006

by Tim Nydell

 

It's coming out September 19th.

 

Besides the four years it took to make it? (laughs) I think it's much more me.  We kind of went at it thinking, 'you know what - we're just going to make the best record that we can' and to be proud and we're not going to try to set a certain kind of format... not every song is going to sound the same.  Just going to make a good album.

 

I'm on my own label. 

 

Well, right now everything is so screwed up in this business... I mean everyone gets fired every other week.  I mean, we've talked to labels... then the person you're talking to gets fired.  It's kind of scary.  So right now we're just doing it ourselves, the right opportunity came with the right people... who I felt comfortable working with. 

 

A song called 'Down The Line', but it's actually always been my favorite song that I've ever written.

 

I don't know, something lyrically about it... I've always been proud of it lyrically.

 

I was allowed to get out of it.  The problem was... Arista was a great Pop label - a great R&B label, but they were not a Rock label.  They tried it with three bands, and they had a little bit of success with Adema, but not really much.  So I left the company, and went on my own way.  We left in good faith - they basically said, "You want out?".  They needed some budget cuts, and I was like "you can cut me".  So I left them and started working with other people, and of course that's when the industry started imploding on itself and everyone started getting fired.  So we've just been doing it ourselves the past five years.

 

Well, there's no staff... which sucks, because two people can only do so much before they decide to kill each other.  But now we actually have a good amount of people working on the record - including myself... I get to call radio stations eight hours a day... which I absolutely hate, but at least I know it's getting done.

 

What do I enjoy about playing live?  The only time that no one can really criticize you or touch you... well, once you get off stage you're fair game.  But when you're on stage for that thirty minutes or twenty minutes... or even fifteen minutes... you're doing something that most people don't even have the courage to do... let alone ever get the chance to do.  And you get to be yourself.  I am probably the most, I don't even know how to say it... really me when I'm on stage... I don't care what anyone thinks.  I can do whatever the fuck I want, and most of the time get away with it.  (laughs)

 

A lot of energy - a lot of energy.  Basically you try to embody your songs, you know, not really act them out... but certain movements... trying to be part of the songs as one instead of just singing some songs.  Trying to put on a show where people actually want to watch and not be going... "are these guys ever going to do anything - or are they going to stare at their feet some more... or what?".  You know?  The first time I saw Staind they were fucking incredible, it was one of the best live rock I've ever seen... and now when you see them Aaron just stares at his fucking feet.  And I'm going, "what they hell are you looking at?".  When you go to a show you want to be entertained, I know when I go to the show... it can be the best band and one of my favorite albums in the world, but if the show doesn't capture me... I'm not that impressed with the band.  So me and the guys on stage try to put on a really high energy show... I have come on stage with my knees completely busted open from jumping and landing on one of the concrete stage.  It looks good.

 

Yeah.  Then you do it again.  (laughs) After about the second or third time you don't feel it anymore.  Unless you get a day off then you're fucked... and starts all over again. 

 

... ... fuck, I don't know.  My family I guess. 

 

Right now she's in school -  she started high school.  I don't really want to start teaching her high school.  (laughs) Because I don't remember anything from high school.  So she tours with me when she's not in school. 

 

I'm not sure if you'll call it writers block, because I don't sit down and write... I don't sit down and say, "hey, I'm going to write a song".  It's kind of like, I'm bored... I've got nothing to do... and I'll fuck around at the piano for a little bit.  Maybe figure out this little classical piece that I've been trying to figure out for the past six years.  (laughs)  And then finally start writing.  So I guess majority of my time is probably writers block... (laughs)

 

Money.  (laughs)  Money and basically we were spending so much time on the record and people were getting a little bit frustrated and they wanted something.  So I have done a quick acoustic tour - and it was interesting to me that a lot of people came out expecting a Rock show, but they really enjoyed the acoustic stuff... because that's how all of the songs are written.  So it gives an inside look on what it was like and got drunk and destroyed them all.  (laughs)  So my manager said, "what the fuck, we'll go in the studio and spend five hours... cut these songs... maybe it'll keep people happy".

 

I was in them.  (laughs)  I really just wanted to take myself out of the situation, especially with "My Beautiful"... because we have re-done that song so many times and it gets to the point where you get too involved in it... I just wanted someone else's perspective on it.  It was great, they're not performance videos... they have a storyline.  I like videos that actually tell you something, some of the greatest videos ever made... they enact the song... I don't really want to watch someone else performing.  Every video there's someone performing.

 

Hell no.  (laughs)  I'm the laziest mother fucker in the world.  (laughs)  I am not a perfectionist - I hear it a certain way, and I I'm trying to make a rock... I have to find a way to make it rock... it's not the easiest thing to make a sweet piano song into a heavy rock song.  And you really have to decide what you're going to do to the song - and just have to follow the song. 

 

I don't whine.  (laughs)  I don't want respect because I'm a female singer that's why I actually don't care for too many female singers - I think an artist should be judged by their songs... if they put on a good show and they write good songs... whether or not they're female... that's what they should be judged on.  A lot of women go out there going, "it's harder for me... they don't like me."  You know, it is hard... but you just have to keep going at it.  There's tons of guy bands out there that are all competing against each other... it's just as hard.  The business sucks, you just have to figure out a way to make it work.  And I will do anything to get people's attention - if I have to look really sexy and show a lot of cleavage... you know what, if it catches a person's eye for one song and then two or three songs later they stick around because of the song... I've done the same job that any other guy would have done... they're catching the audience.

 

Free time?  I don't even remember what free time is.  Today's a day off and we can't figure out what the fuck to do today.  Go to the beach, go to Disney World... do you want to go to the water park?  I don't know!  I'm still sitting around in my fucking pajamas.

 

Watch TV. 

 

'House'.  Watch TV, spend time with my son...

 

How old is he?
He's fifteen months old.  I love spending time with him.

 

Yeah, this will be his third tour coming up.  We were on tour when he was three months, then when he was six months... and this will be his third tour. 

 

Actually not as difficult as people would think.  We have a really good support system - this guy who's been with me, he's always been a help to me on the road.  He enables me to get my job done... and I don't have to worry.  He's a really good kid - so it makes it really simple and it's nice... get done with a show, spend time with the fans... it's nice... you don't get home sick. 

 

Oh, the stories... the creepiness of it all.  I think it's one of the most top haunted buildings in America.  It's a cool vibe, although playing it in the summer time really sucks (laughs) ... I remember when we played there with The Cult it was so hot that the guitar player actually got sick on stage and he had to run off and throw up.  But you have shows like that, and you just have to deal with it.

 

I am going out with Aerosmith and Mötley Crüe.  Starting in about three and a half weeks.

 

Yep, going all across the country... from September 5th to November 24th.  Then between dates with them we have our own headlining stuff - basically trying to play every night like usual.