E: So Copeland has been a band for a while, but your big breakout came with 2003's Beneath the Medicine Tree. Your most recent album, out last year, was In Motion... when you guys put out that album, were you giving a lot of thought to how fans would view it in comparison to ...Medicine Tree?
Bryan: The thought definitely crossed our minds. We knew In Motion was going to be different. Some of the songs on Beneath Medicine Tree were 6 years old by the time we started writing In Motion. We had all matured a lot, both musically and personally. We knew some people were going to like the first record more.. we knew some people would like the new one. But when it comes down to it, you have to just let things happen naturally and not worry about who will and won't like what you are doing.
E: Do you think it's possible for a band to be prouder of an release they've recorded--or at least aspects of it--more than their newest? Or is it the natural state of bands to always like their new material the best?
Bryan: I'd say it's pretty natural for a band to be more proud of newer material. It's usually more of a reflection of where they are presently.
E: When you guys play a show as diverse as this one, do you usually prepare your set with your own fans in the audience in mind? Or do you treat it like an exhibition for all those fans of your showmates who haven't really gotten into you yet?
Bryan: When you are supporting, you don't get as long as a set, so you have to choose your songs carefully. We usually try to think of both types of audiences, but with more of an emphasis on the people who haven't heard us yet.
E: Playing shows night after night on a big tour like the one you're on now with Cartel and Gatsby's American Dream, do you think you're able to give as good a performance as you do when you've had more time to rest beforehand?
Bryan: I think it's possible, as long as we can try to stay rested and healthy. The hardest part of a tour this long is staying healthy. Once you get sick, it can knock you out for a good week.
E: Because playing in a big touring band like this gives you such great travel opportunities, do you feel like you really take the opportunity to enjoy the scenery while you're playing shows across the country?
Bryan: That is one of the great parts of touring... getting to see different parts of the world. There are definitely places where I wish I could spend more time in, but for the most part we try to take advantage of our travel opportunities.
E: Do you think a lot about your next album while you're on the road? Or do you wait until you're back home to really get into the next writing process?
Bryan: We think about our next album all the time. Usually we don't write much on the road, but with this next album we are taking a different approach and have already begun the demoing process.
E: Is it in your opinion that bands have a certain responsibility to their older fans to continue certain styles or habits that their fanbase has grown accustomed to? Or is your greatest service simply going through whatever musical growth you're inspired to go through?
Bryan: I think it's important for a band to stay true to themselves, and write music that comes naturally. You're never going to please everyone, so just do what feels right, and hopefully the fans you already have will be progressing with you.
E: Has the popularity of Copeland prevented you from branching out into other aspects of music you might have been interested in if it weren't so full-time?
Bryan: Not so much. In our time off, both Aaron and I are pretty active in other aspects of music. He has been doing a lot of producing. I've been doing a good amount of mixing.
E: Do you plan on releasing another full-length next? Or were you hoping to release another split, like you did on vinyl with the Pale--or maybe another EP, like your cover album Know Nothing Stays The Same?
Bryan: We are currently writing for the next full length, which we will record this summer.
E: Do you feel as though any part of the band experience is starting to slow down for you as you get bigger and don't have to work as hard at maintaining a fanbase? Or is it an always-active job with little rest?
Bryan: I used to think that the bigger you got, the easier it would be. There are aspects where that is true.. but it definitely takes just as much work, if not more, the bigger you get.
E: Thanks so much. |
