E: Brooks, you're in the band Sullivan, who were just recently added to the Tooth and Nail Records roster... would you say you've handled a pretty hefty career by yourselves, prior to label support?
Brooks: I totally believe so. We completely are obsessed with this band--everything we do is somehow in support of Sullivan. That's what a label wants to see--a band being successful already. It makes their job easier.
E: T&N has earned a fairly Christian-oriented reputation... do you feel like taking on that title will work for the group?
Brooks: No. Being a Christian band is very similar to being in the ministry. It's a calling. We are all believers, and that is a definite part of our lives... but we are just trying to be good dudes, playing good music.
E: So what kind of themes do you try to express through what you play?
Brooks: Everything, really. Life! Its ups and downs and all its crazy directions. When I sit down and start playing guitar I kind of just let my mind go and see what happens. Many times I look back and see that what I wrote was something very personal that I couldn't have expressed if I had planned on it
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E: Does the band work to get a lot of material produced in a relatively short amount of time?
Brooks: *Laughs* Well, we are realists. A good song can't be forced, so you have to rely on good planning. Example: we go into the studio in May, and we have spent nearly every day since March 1st in rehearsal. The album is almost completely written, but we will break the songs down again, rework them, make them better, and repeat the process right until the day we go into the studio.
E: How do you feel about releasing early versions of a song to the public before the album version is finalized?
Brooks: Well as for the songs that are up now, they are pretty much versions of the songs that will be on the record. I'm sure Matt Goldman will polish them up. Regardless, it gives people a taste of what we are doing.
E: So just how much will a song change when you take it to the studio?
Brooks: Well this time it could be huge, because Matt Goldman is a real good producer. In the past it has just been us trying to put on tape what was in our heads. So there were no surprises. This record will probably totally shock us
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E: Do you feel compelled to get a record released sooner than later?
Brooks: Timing is key! This record will probably come out in the fall. The exact date isn't determined, but Tooth and Nail knows the best time. It's easy to get impatient, but you have to wait for the right moment
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E: And what sort of impact do you hope to make once the music is released?
Brooks: Great question! I won't shy away from saying that I want it all! If every kid in America got a chance to hear us, my life would be complete. As far as message goes, it's all about love and caring. Truthfully there are a lot of tough love messages in the songs. It's not all roses and stars. Life isn't always fantastical... we don't always find love like the movies say we do, and that's a big deal to me.
E: Well thanks a whole lot... looking forward to seeing and hearing a lot of great stuff from you guys.
Brooks: Thank you! We hope that we don't disappoint. All I can say is that we are giving it everything that we have to offer. |
