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| ::Interviews:: |
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| review & interview content, as well as web site graphics & design, copywrite 2003-2004 Euphonia Online. use of materials granted only with reasonable purposes. |
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| interviewed by robby sumner |
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Forrest Kline - Vocals, Guitar Jesse Kurvink - Keyboards Marcus Cole - Bass Aaron Flora - Drums |
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| Interview with Forrest and Marcus February 19th, 2004 |
| E: Armed with an irresistibly unique style of rock and roll, HelloGoodbye has been exploding into the scene as of late. How would you compare where the band is right now to where you may have predicted it being a year ago? Forrest: Well, a year ago I had hoped to have released our full-length by this time, but I was definitely living paycheck-to-paycheck, and I knew I couldn't do it without some support. When HelloGoodbye came together, I'd have never predicted it to go this far. It began so casually...I never even expected more than a handful of people to ever hear these songs. This has already far exceeded my expectations! Marcus: I came into the band about a year ago, and when I came in, HelloGoodbye was doing far better as far as collecting fans, playing shows, etc. compared to other bands I was in at the time. So I came into the band with the expectations of getting signed at some point soon... but I didn't really expect to make the jump from no labels really looking at us to Drive-Thru Records. E: So signing to a label as celebrated as Drive-Thru was something of a shock? Marcus: Yeah, I would have never pictured myself being on such an awesome label. Forrest: I have known those guys forever and they are notoriously cool. Plus "shocking" is a word [DTR co-owner] Stephanie [Reines] uses a lot, so I'll back it and use it here to describe my feeling when signing to Drive-Thru Records. E: What do you expect to change with the backing of a semi-major label? Will many things become easier? Will any freedoms be gained or lost? Forrest: Well, so far Drive-Thru has been really good about creative freedom and such. Not only will everything become easier, but things will finally become possible. We'll finally really release a record, get a van, hit the road, do all those things we've dreamt about. I think this situation really doesn't close many doors, if any, but opens a bajillion and 1/8th. E: Once the album is completed and you continue your career as a band on a more professional scale, do you expect your lifestyle to change? Forrest: I pretty much dedicate my whole schedule to HelloGoodbye right now... and I'm real big on doing everything band-related myself as much as possible. I imagine as things progress to a more and more professional level I will be forced to distribute out some of the less interesting or creatively fulfilling tasks to others... for example, I've been printing all our t-shirts by myself, and I'm sure I won't be able to keep doing that if enough kids are buying them, which will be a good thing. But I'll always do everything I can myself. We've never toured, and I can't wait to spend some time doing that! But other than that, I think everything will stay pretty much the same. Marcus: I don't really expect my life to change a whole lot other than that I will be traveling a lot more, because even on tour I still expect to swim, eat avocados, drink smoothies, and generally mess around. E: How naturally does songwriting come? How much work goes into shaping a song to be just as the band wants it, down to the shortest measure? Forrest: Well, writing songs is just something I've always done since I learned to play the guitar. When I write, I record as I write, jamming along with myself, piecing things together... that process makes for a very specific experience. I sit there and tweak every little sound; every second of music is very intentional when you write that way. But writing is never really work... it's terribly exciting to make something new. E: When writing or recording a song, what elements do you try to focus on? Do you work to make a song catchier, or more energetic? Forrest: The goal changes from song to song. Usually I'll come up with one element of a song, which isn't always even the hook or the focus, and then write everything from that starting point. Sometimes the key element is all about energy, sometimes it's more casual. As a general rule I just love sweet vocal melodies, and I try to do different things with the music than I've done before. It's usually not conceptualized until it's done. I'll just make something, and then listen to it and either say "that's cool!" or not. Kind of... backwards-writing it. E: As a band, do you feel as though there is still something of an experimentation process going on in the songwriting? Or do you follow the same style each time, knowing what works? Forrest: Oh, I certainly never stick to any style. All the HelloGoodbye songs do have a clear style to them, certainly, but it was never really intended that way. When HelloGoodbye began, I didn't say, "I'm starting a ______ genre band." I just made some songs, and they were what they were. I try to explore new areas, musically... that just happens naturally, you know? I write something that excites me, whether it's one genre or another. E: What do you think places HelloGoodbye apart from other bands that are around today? Forrest: Hopefully it's some uncategorized bit of charm, or something intangible like that... it's probably just the electric drums, though. Marcus: Yeah, I agree with Forrest. I think a bit part of what sets us apart is the fact that our music is uncategorizable. Also, the fact that we're all attractive probably has to do something for us. E: Do you truly enjoy every aspect of making music? Or are there parts that tend to wear on you? Forrest: I enjoy everything about making music. I can't think of anything that wears on me... except technical difficulties. *Laughs* But that's probably only on my mind because we had some at our show the other night. Marcus: Yeah, I think it's fair to say that we enjoy making music, because if we didn't, obviously we wouldn't be where we're at. There's nothing that really wears on me in particular--we of course have wrestling matches, boxing matches, and ninja fights to settle small disputes... but overall, I think we get along pretty well. Forrest: I love playing shows and seeing and talking to all these random people... I love sitting at home, writing and recording. I love doing all the other stuff that comes along with promoting a band, like making merch and our website, because it's all creative and engaging. Right now I want to focus on getting ultra-mega tight live, because when you aren't... that wears on you. *Laughs* E: If you were asked to name just one thing that being in a band gives you... what would you say? Forrest: Definitely the creative outlet. And like I said--not only musically. There are many facets for creativity within the band scope. It's so great. Marcus: It allows me to do what I love while traveling and getting paid for it, so it is the best job in the world. E: What do you think it is about music that can draw so many people in and take control emotionally? Marcus: That's hard to say. I can't really explain it, but for me are just certain parts of certain songs where you can just tell that whoever is singing or playing is giving it all they have, and for me that creates some type of raw emotion I can relate to. Forrest: It's an old age media that's been around long before words like "media" that has conscious and subconscious elements. It's like the way a smell can indefinably bring you back to a certain feeling or time and you may not understand why or how... music does that too. But it also has the very conscious elements of lyrics and the idea behind the music, and the sound that people can directly relate to. E: Well, you guys are obviously going to be doing a lot of great things in the future, and it was a privilege to get to talk to you at this stage of your career. Thanks a lot for offering your time. Marcus: No problem. Thanks for talking to us. Forrest: Thanks buddy! Not a problem. |