songwriting of "New Lexicon"? Did the new members bring in new ideas or even wrote complete songs?
The line-up changes had a profound effect on the songwriting. It left us with a group of people that had an incredible work ethic. We spent hundreds of hours preparing for “New Lexicon”, as compared to the last record, “Paradise” which we were still figuring out when we got to the studio. I still write the outlines for all the songs, but the current lineup of PAINT IT BLACK contributes so much to the arrangements that I consider everything to be 100% collaboration.
How does the songwriting process usually work at your band?
I write the songs on my own, on either guitar, bass, or piano, depending on the song. I make demos at home on the computer, with drum machine, bass, and guitar. I email the demos to everyone in the band and let them re-work everything while I try to figure out the lyrics, which is a dangerously obsessive pastime for me.
Did you make sort of a mindmap before you began the work on the songs of „New Lexicon“? Or r do you write songs in a more spontenous way?
I had an idea of how I wanted the album to impact people sonically and emotionally, but the songs are written one at a time, whenever the inspiration comes. There were many times when I thought the record was completed, but then I would realize that there was something important missing, and some statement that had not yet been made, and I would go back to the basement and start over again.
You employed a different producer for the studio sessions. How did
he influence or change the PAINT IT BLACK-sound? How important is a producer
for you at all?
We used our old friend J. Robbins to record all the instruments, and then we brought everything to Oktopus, and he tore everything apart and pasted it back together again. He built soundscapes and backgrounds for each song, most of which were constructed from samples and transpositions of our source tracks, along with some tape loops and field recordings. Then we really dug into the low-end frequencies and started mixing. We really learned a lot from each other.
The music is really influenced by the classics: Black Flag, Minor Threat, Bad Brains, Born Against, EconoChrist, Swans, Joy Division. But, production-wise we were referencing Jesus & Mary Chain, Spacemen 3, and Public Enemy, the Cure’s “Pornography” and Silver Apples more than any HC stuff. The wonderful thing is that the songs can stand on their own as brutal punk songs, but when I listen to the album, especially on headphones, I hear something new every time...
The album's artwork includes many interesting and well-thought photos.
who shot them? They're probably linked to the lyrics, aren't they?
The photos were created by Sean Dack, an excellent photographer in New York City. They don’t have any direct connection to the content of the lyrics, but they do relate directly to the themes of the record: alienation, trauma, faith, hope. They also represent the mood of the record really well: bleak, isolated, but still beautiful.
Speaking of the lyrics: what are they about? How much time do you need to finish the lyrics of a song? Has it become easier for you over the years?
Writing lyrics has always been more difficult for me than writing music. I am constantly reworking them until the last minute before the record cover goes to the printer. These songs are about loss, redemption, faith and faithlessness, the transcendence of making art & music, the challenges of staying punk as you get older, and all the political wrong-doing of the united states government.
Do you think that today's hardcore-kids are reached by lyrics of a band,
like the kids 20 years ago had been?
Yes. There’s a lot of bullshit superficial fashion that distracts people from the real content, but when you really think about it, that’s been a problem since the beginning, even with the Sex Pistols. The kids who really mean it develop a very strong personal relationship with the lyrics, and with the band through our lyrics. There are literally dozens of people with our lyrics tattooed on their bodies. That’s real commitment..
Do you still feel a link between you as a musician and the average
hc-kid, who's like 10 or even 20 years younger?
Definitely. We’re bonded together by common experiences. Universal experiences.
When attending a PAINT IT BLACK-show, one can see you making the most
lasting impression of the whole band. you seem to have a lot of anger and
rage that has to get out during a show...
Reading the news makes me angry. It should make everyone angry. If it doesn’t than we’ve been anesthetized. If that’s the case the bad guys have already won.
People have compared you with Henry Rollinss, Ian Mackaye and Ray of
Today. Are you honored by that? Do you see those comparions as "valid"?
I am flattered, and am pretty sure that I’m not worthy of those comparisons. Intense frontmen, incredible lyricists, all of whom were skilled at making intimate connections with an audience.
You're active in the hc-scene for quite some time now. How did it change
during that time?
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
What are your touring plans for this year? Do you enjoy touring?
Love it. We will travel as much as possible this year and next year.
Final words?
Thank you for paying attention to what we’re doing. Thank you for your support.
