JON OLIVA'S PAIN
Questions asked by Jon Wilde, added to Rock Realms 19th February 2010.
Jon Oliva, co-founder of Savatage, is also one of the names behind Trans-Siberian Orchestra. His main work these days though is on his 'solo band', Jon Oliva's Pain - presently featuring Jon on vocals, Christopher Kinder on drums, Kevin Rothney on bass, John Zahner on keys, plus Matt LaPorte and Tom McDyne on guitars.
Their excellent new album Festival follows 2008's Global Warning.
Drummer Chris answers questions on behalf of the band.
Hi Chris, and thanks for taking a moment to answer these questions. Hope you are well?
Chris: Hello to you as well, Jon. Everything is going crazy here in JOP land, right this second...so all is indeed well!
First of all, congratulations on the new record Festival!
Chris: Thank you very much for that! We worked really hard on this one (as we always do), but, somehow, we just knew, early on, that we had something special, so it seemed to spur everyone on to greater things! Hopefully, our efforts will be well received by the fans? It's a real privilege to do what you love, and to know that it touches so many people!
Is it a good feeling to have it completed and ready for release...or is it always a comedown when the music creation has reached its fruition?
Chris: Kind of both really. The process of writing and recording this record took nearly a year. Oliva (Jon Oliva) wrote a good portion of it on the road last Summer during our festival tour. something very different from the previous albums, so it kinda fell into place later than some of our records, but we still had an incredibly good feeling about it!
Now, it's time to change gears though and deal with the flood of other stuff that goes with a recording; promotion and interviews, which we love doing. In the end, one massive undertaking is replaced with yet another! The cycle just seems never ending, and then there's the tours...busy, busy, busy!
But, I really can't complain. It's so wonderful when a record like this emerges!
Talk us through the time Festival took to put together from first discussions to the finished article...
Chris: As I said, it took about a year, with many, many pre-production sessions, demos, revisions, etc. And, then we probably changed 20% of that again during the actual recording. Recording is key in this band! It's always a great experience and we often come up with so many fresh ideas at the last minute. It's what I really enjoy about the recording process...not knowing what you really have until it's done!
Obviously, this band was and is Jon's baby. How much input do the rest of the players, you included, have in the song writing, construction and production?
Chris: Actually, quite a lot. As producer, I have and, indeed had, a lot to do with the record, and so did everyone else for that matter, especially Matt LaPorte, who's always incredibly creative in the studio. It always starts with pieces of Jon's musical inventory (which is endless), and from there, we try to formulate some basic structure and then pass it on to everyone else for ideas. If your idea works it gets put right into the mix. Oliva is very open to change. He wants the very best for every song. So, if someone has a better riff or idea, then so be it.
There's a hell of a lot of variety on the record. Is crossing genres and experimenting with styles something that's important to the band?
Chris: Sure! I mean, who wants to make the same record twice? We approach every song on every album with the same drive. There's no set recipe. Think out of the box, and give the listener the most bang for their buck. We are certainly not afraid to try anything and we believe that there should be no boundaries that we cannot cross. Ultimately, we want to have fun with this music as well as giving the fans a few 'head-turners', wondering just how we come up with some of these ideas. It's expressing Jon's ideas in whatever form they may take that is the key. Music should take you on a journey...only this 'FESTIVAL' journey won't let you return home this time, ha! ha!
Is the variety a deliberate decision to avoid being typecast as one thing or another, or is it more a combination of the styles you guys are into?
Chris: Probably the styles...but in the end it just comes down to trying to write a bunch of timeless, classic songs that are so interesting that you'll still pull out that JOP. CD and whack it on ten years from now and enjoy those feelings all over again. There is so much instrumentation and texture to many of these songs, that you have to listen to them a dozen times or more to fully grasp it. We like to think we're burying hidden treasures for the fans to find. It's all about creating the best possible song and forcing the listener to think about both the music and the lyrics.
Stupid question, but is it actually Jon doing both the soft and shouting vocals? There's such a contrast between the two different vocal styles?
Chris: Absolutely the same guy! His ability to change characters at will is really quite amazing. We've really been experimenting with his voice a lot more these past 2 albums and I trust that will continue.
How do you think Festival compares to the previous releases in terms of overall quality, heaviness, catchiness etc.?
Chris: Better than all of the above, personally, I think! I think JOP has really got into its stride with this release. We're so relaxed with the process now that it allows us to just have fun and try anything that comes to mind. There are so many great 'mistakes' on this CD and so many emotions. It feels like a more cohesive 60 minutes of music than some of the others. And that title, 'FESTIVAL', is a perfect way to describe it.
There are plenty of unexpected noises and effects throughout the album. Was it hard work achieving that atmospheric vibe?
Chris: With the help of Howard Helms' keyboard mastery, complimenting Jon's, we were able to come up with some pretty cool stuff. Building that ear-candy is so much fun...it's just a mad science experiment that we all hope works in the end...
Was the time in the studio a blast, or did you have to work late nights and weekends to get the record finished?
Chris: You always need to be disciplined! This time, it was pretty much 10hr days, 5 days a week, either in our studio or at Morrisound, and it's really hard work which often leaves you leaving the studio completely brain-dead! The real feeling of accomplishment each and every day makes it worthwhile. I would not trade those experiences for anything, seriously!
Did the band use any special instruments or techniques?
Chris: Yes, Matt played the hammered dulcimer on 'Afterglow' and got loads of really good, strange guitar sounds. Effects were used, yes!
What kit do you use, or do you mix it up?
Chris: I am now proudly endorsed by Ddrum, so that's the kit of choice! My new, black Dominion Ash kit was a dream to play on and the solid bamboo snare was just awesome... Thanks, Ddrum!
How did the Scarlet Pumpernickel Choir come about, and where did the name come from?
Chris: It was really just all of us in the studio, singing along with some friends... and you know that Oliva is one of the funniest people on the planet? He came up with that name one afternoon whilst we were all having lunch. Corned beef on pumpernickel bread...hehehe!
Jon has said his favourite song on Festival is the title track. Where do your affections lie?
Chris: Me? With that one and 'Afterglow'. It's such an amazing piece of music. Another one of Jon's true genius moments!
Who did the artwork for the album?
Chris: Jon and I came up with the design and Thomas Ewehard brought our vision to life again. He kicks ass totally, and has done the past 3 JOP covers!
Are there any plans to expand the 'Festival' universe? There's enough scope in there for an entire series of albums based around that otherworldly carnival... maybe even a Tim Burton film...
Chris: You know, movie scores are something that Oliva could do very well...and I am surprised no one has asked him yet. No doubt, that this CD has opened up a few more avenues for us to explore, though...and I am sure we will. You never know what can happen!
Along those lines, are there plans for any videos? The title track would really lend itself!
Chris: Would be nice, but we don't have a budget for one specific song right now. The live DVD in October, that was originally planned to happen earlier in the year, will have to satisfy those looking for some footage...that's going to be an awesome show! It's going to be filmed in Tilburg in Holland.
I see you have a few festival dates already lined up...
Chris: Yes, festival dates are already booked for South America, there are some US shows and European festivals such as Bang Your Head, then we're back to Europe in the fall for a good long tour. We can't wait to bring this album to the stage! It will happen soon enough, but we're itching to get on with it.
What is a J.O.P. live gig like? Do you alter the music for the stage, or do you stay faithful to the originals?
Chris: Well, we pretty much stick to the original songs...there's quite a bit of Savatage music for sure, and with 4 albums now for JOP, we have plenty of our own material to choose from. We prefer to play things the way they were recorded, really. It's very nice to play long solos and stuff, but, Oliva gets distracted quite easily if we don't stick to the originals, ha! hah!
Any particular gig you are looking forward to? Perhaps the DVD shoot?
Chris: Yes. All the gigs will be wonderful, for sure, but that one, the DVD shoot at the 013 in Tilburg, Holland on October 15th will be one of the highlights of our career to date, not just a great night. We hope to spend a good 4 weeks overseas on this tour and to get that DVD out before the end of 2010.
What can we expect from that night, then?
Chris: Basically a 2hr, crazy ass, rock show with plenty of classics and lots of JOP stuff! It's gonna be wild and we're gonna give the fans what they want with plenty of surprises.
How did you become a member of Jon Oliva's Pain in the first place? You've been behind the kit for some time now, no?
Chris: Yep, 6 years and getting stronger every year, thank you Fate! All of us were playing with Circle II Circle back then and Jon basically just asked us to play with him at Criss Oliva's Memorial show, where he was debuting some of his new solo stuff. Soon after that, we quit CIIC and Oliva called us up and asked if we wanted to join him and make a record! How's that for fate?
Do you play in any other groups, do session work with other artists, or get up to anything else of interest in the music field?
Chris: No, nothing outside of JOP at the moment, but I have been producing some guest appearances for Oliva, and I mixed Chris Caffery's last album. Jon's been asked to do some stuff on the new Avantasia record and the new Kamelot CD. Casey Grillo, the drummer for Kamelot, was kind enough to play a great drum-chore marching sequence for us on 'Death Rides A Black Horse' on here, so when Thomas and Khan asked Jon to sing on their record, he was more than honoured.
Do you have any cool hobbies?
Chris: God, I wish I had time for hobbies! My life here, in Florida, is very busy - with JOP, the production company we are setting up and the family. But I do certainly want to look for more studio drumming projects in the future, so hopefully, that will be cool?
Any question you love being asked that I've missed? If so, what's the answer?
Chris: What's my favourite food? ...Answer: Good food!
What are you up to once you've finished answering these questions?
Chris: I'm back working on the set-list for the upcoming JOP tours right after this, and working on new demos with Oliva...which is more fun than I could ever describe! It never stops!
Anything else you would like to mention?
Chris: Just a big Thank You to you and the fans for the great support and enthusiasm. We know that you could spend your time and money somewhere else and we strive to give you your money and ears worth on every CD and every show. Hope to see you all again in the U.K. very soon! Cheers and good beers to all!
Thanks for your time Chris!!
Chris: I thank you, Jon!
Thanks again to Chris for his time. You can check out the Rock Realms review of the new album by Jon Oliva's Pain, Festival here.
http://www.myspace.com/jonoliva
