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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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| Interview with Ryen, Daniel, and Star July 16th, 2004 |
Ryen Slegr - Vocals, Guitar Jose Galvez - Guitar, Vocals Daniel Brummel - Vocals, Bass Star Wick - Keyboard, Flute Patrick Edwards - Drums |
| E: So Ozma has been together for some time, and has written a large amount of great songs within the lifetime of the band. Has the process of writing a song gotten easier for you with experience--faster, even, as you develop more of a format? Daniel: Not at all. Of course we learn to recognize our tendencies as songwriters... but then we tire of repeating ourselves and search for new and exciting musical ideas. I think songwriting gets harder as you practice it. It's very easy to psyche yourself out. Ryen: The songwriting process seems to be getting more difficult, because we're not sure what direction to take the material. Our individual preferences are continually being broadened and at the same time becoming more specific. E: Does the band only songwrite during certain periods of time? Or does it drip down into other parts of the band? Ryen: The individual songwriting process is ongoing and independent of band activities for the most part. The actual songwriting the band does happens when we all decide to put what we have on the table and talk about how it might work as material for the band. Daniel: We don't try to force songwriting... we prefer to let them come as they will, usually when you least expect them. Or often, one way we'll work is to show individual parts or melodies or phrases to each other, then pair them up and write the song around them. E: Is there any one aspect that songs generally revolve around--for example, is the general direction of the song focused around the keyboards? Ryen: Sometimes all we have is a keyboard line and we start building around that. Other times we have a verse and no chorus. In general, we don't base our songs around one thing consistently, though there were times--like when we wrote "Rock n' Roll Part Three"--songs that the keyboard/guitar leads were central to the song structures. Star: Well, I think the keyboard line in "Battlescars" sets the tone for the entire song--it starts off with an echo bell sound, and then as the song progresses, it is doubled by bass and guitars. Daniel: I agree--the whole song kind of builds from that line. E: How much time do you usually spend on a single song before it can be considered finished? Daniel: Sometimes more than a year. Sometimes we finish the structure pretty quickly... but any song is never really "finished." Maybe the structure is, but parts always evolve as long as you're playing the song. Star: Yes, I've seen songwriting go from one day to a year. Ryen: Usually we finish a song in under two months, though I think there were times when songs weren't finished until we started recording them, like on the last album. We try to finish songs before going into the studio. Once you're in the studio, you tend to make rash decisions and get caught up in the thrill of trying something new just for fun. That can be a little risky. We like to test material out live before we record it. E: One song in particular, "Gameover," went through a series of versions before its final release. Is it often that a song will take different forms as it is being written that seem entirely independent from one another? Daniel: No, there's usually just one definitive version of the song that we work towards and try to perfect. You probably just heard bedroom demos from early in the evolution of the song. Ryen: I don't know if "Gameover" is a good example of that, because it actually changed very little from its first version to last. But sometimes that does happen. E: As will all bands, Ozma has been compared closely to other bands in the same genre, most often Weezer... is this something you'd consider positive, or would you rather not be compared to anyone else? Ryen: I don't think any band wants to be compared to any band to the extent that it becomes that band's definition. I don't mind being compared to Weezer because they're such a good band--it wouldn't hurt to be compared to some other bands, though. Daniel: It's an honor to be compared to a band who has inspired us... but of course we don't feel we are repeating anything they've done, and as artists we strive to develop an original style. E: Singing for the band, do you think that the musical style of Ozma is what your voice is best suited for? Or would it work just as well elsewhere? Daniel: I love singing in Ozma, but it is usually pretty forceful singing. Lately I've been playing a lot of acoustic folk music where the voice is more of the focal point, and I enjoy that as well. E: How deeply do you think the vocalwork affects the instrumental direction of a song? Ryen: I think vocals are key--they make or break a song, I think. Really, I don't know if I've ever been that happy with any of our vocals. I think Bright Eyes is a good example of how vocals shape the instrumental directions a song takes... I'm pretty impressed with Conor's style. I thought it was too emotional, almost to an embarrassing extent, but I realized it was at least done well--unlike a lot of crap emo these days. E: You've toured with a number of other groups--do the bands you perform with usually have a style close to yours? Is it better this way? Daniel: Our philosophy is to only tour with bands we love... that way we get to hear great music every night, and we get to know people we admire as musicians. E: Well thanks a whole lot for doing this interview... you guys are great. Daniel: You too. |