 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| ::Interviews:: |
 |
|
| review & interview content, as well as web site graphics & design, copywrite 2003-2004 Euphonia Online. use of materials granted only with reasonable purposes. |
 |
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
| interviewed by robby sumner |
|
 |
|
| Interview with John July 26th, 2005 |
Marc Paffi - Vocals, Guitar, Keyboards John Gaviglio - Guitar, Bass, Vocals Derek Keisgen - Guitar, Bass Mike Muldoon - Guitar, Bass, Keyboards Ashley Horak - Drums |
| E: Bear Vs. Shark released its new album Terrorhawk a little over a month ago, and there was a lot of anticipation for the release from longtime fans of the band. Was it easy to relax and take the time you needed to produce a record you liked when you knew there were a lot of people anxious to get their hands on it?
John: I don't know if we ever really thought that people would like it at all... I think we kind of view ourselves as a very small band with a very small fanbase. I think we actually felt a whole lot of pressure to do it--to make it a better album than the last one, and it was actually pretty hard to relax. *Laughs* We went up to the upper peninsula of Michigan and wrote up there just so we could be away from everybody and just relax a little bit more, but I think everybody was kind of feeling that if we failed on this, it might be a bad thing. So a lot of pressure for us, I think. E: Was the production process or outcome significantly different in the recording of this album compared to your 2003 Equal Vision release? John: Yeah, actually, it was. It was a lot more relaxed this time--we had a little more time to work with it. And we actually had a producer this time, so he really directed us the right way, as opposed to the last time, [where] we kind of directed ourselves with the help of our engineers--and it was our first time in the studio, so it probably wasn't the greatest idea. So this was the first time we kind of had the captain of the ship to help us out with stuff all the time. E: You guys have a sound that's very experimental, and contains a medley of elements that blend to form a really complex sound that isn't really comparable to anything. When you have this raw, unheard of vibe you put off, do you think it's harder for some music fans to see the beauty and inspiration behind the music? John: Yeah, I think so. I think the casual listener isn't going to be into it, you know? I think we dabble in a lot of different genres, so I think that can put off the casual listener also. If you're not really into music that much and you're just going to shows to show off your pink belt, you might not like it at all. But I think we do get those people who do know their music history and kind of know where we're coming from. I think for us, it takes a little longer for a person to get into us. I've heard from a lot from people that once they heard our album two or three times, they finally understood it and they started loving it after that. E: With your sound so different from a lot of other bands, is it difficult to find good artists to share the stage with whose fans will appreciate you as much as your own fans? John: Yeah, it is, but I think that since we do kind of get cross-billed in different genres... we can go on tour with, like... now we're on tour with Curl Up And Die and Fear Before The March Of Flames, and we're obviously not as hard as they are, but we're still getting a really good response from the crowd. Whereas if we go out with a quieter band, we do pretty well. There's always going to be a certain element of people in the audience who are into different types of music. E: You guys are playing a show in New York tonight, and then more New York shows surrounding a few other Northeastern states. You guys have at least six NY dates on this tour from what I can see... is the crowd or show experience there different from some of the less prominent states you can play shows in, like Connecticut or Kentucky? John: No, not really. It's not like we planned on doing it this way. We just jumped on the tour and that's how it was. New York doesn't stand out as something super awesome--New York City does, but it's just a big state with a lot of cities in it. So, playing in somewhere in Connecticut, which only has a couple cities in it... it's still cool playing there, too. E: Does your label, Equal Vision Records, accommodate your style of making and playing music in a way that you wouldn't expect other labels to do as well? John: Yeah, I do. They let us do whatever we want, and they have from the beginning. If that's not accommodation, I don't know what is, you know? We can do whatever we want. I've heard a lot of horror stories from other bands and their labels who had gotten screwed, where they're always telling them what to do and stuff. It's really cool working with Equal Vision. They're really cool people. E: According to the band's bio, you actually have three members playing bass and four on guitar. How does this work out when you're recording and performing? John: We actually switch off during the set, between bass and guitar duty. And also when we're recording--usually everybody does the same thing they'd do live, but in the studio. If somebody plays bass in the studio, they play it live on stage. Our sets are usually planned so we'll have three songs where one person plays bass, and the next three songs will be a group or someone else on bass, and things like that. We try to mix it up--it ends up diversifying our sound a little bit. We all have different perspectives on how to play the instrument, so we have different approaches to how we play a different song. E: You guys aren't restricted to your one instrument? That's definitely interesting. John: No, not really. From the beginning we've been doing it this way, because Derek--one of the guitar/bass players... he was originally a bass player, and when we were first growing up, he really didn't want to be limited to that, and I actually really enjoy playing bass now, so it was kind of cool that we decided to do that. E: So for now you'll just be playing as many shows as you can and hoping you stir up a strong listenership for the new album? John: Yeah, that's the plan. We're going to keep touring as much as possible... we don't want to really burn ourselves out, but it sounds like we're touring probably seven or eight months out of this next year. Just trying to spread the word as much as possible, get on as many tours as we can... get on our own headlining tour probably next year sometime. I'll hopefully be able to quit my job as a waiter eventually. E: *Laughs* Where do you work as a waiter? John: In Ann Arbor, Michigan. I'm just a waiter at a brewery. I'm also a construction worker... I'm also a painter. So if anybody needs any help, have them get in contact with me through the website! E: Will do. Thanks a lot. John: No problem, dude. |