LIVESAY
Questions asked by Jon Wilde, added to Rock Realms 11th October 2010.
Livesay is a New York based rock band built around guitarist Gregg Livesay. With a new album "Awaken The Giant" out, we thought it time to find out more.
We caught up with Gregg, plus bassist Alan to do just that...
How and when did Livesay originally get together, and how does today’s line-up compare to the first?
Gregg: I formed the band in February of 1991. Three of the guys (singer, drummer, keyboards) that I had at that time were with me in another original band that had just broken up. I recruited a new bass player and went from there. In comparing the musicians I'm playing with now to the ones from the original lineup I'd have to say the present guys are just more talented. Their abilities and song writing skills are way more advanced.
Alan: The only thing I can comment on is the lineup. While all the members of this band were good musicians, I think it was the chemistry amongst this lineup and the influences we all had that made the band more powerful. Everyone gave their opinions on the songs being written and threw in ideas that made the music more well rounded, and taking a departure from clichéd song topics also helped us grow as a band instead of resting on one formula.
Did you know what sort of music the band was going to play from the start, or has the Livesay sound developed organically over the years?
Gregg: I knew what I wanted to do from the beginning. . Personally I was always a very driven guy and I spent thousands of hours just practicing and playing over the years. My dream was to start something that would create the music I always wanted to play as a guitarist. This bands sound has absolutely evolved over the years. I believe that's a must for any band to stay relevant. If you listen to our first CD and compare it to our new release you'll hear a drastic difference in the writing. I think we have a much heavier sound since the bands inception.
Who have been the band’s inspirations, both musical and otherwise?
Alan: I think we're inspired by a wide variety of things. Musically, everyone has different influences. I know I've been heavily influenced by the NWOBHM bands and Iron Maiden in particular, and Tony's influenced by everything from the Beatles to Porcupine Tree, while Gregg combines influences from such a vast variety of guitarists that it's mind boggling. I think that's why he's such an amazing player. You'll hear the speed and technique of someone like Yngwie in his playing but at the same time hear the feel of a player like Frank Marino. As for non musical, we're pretty much influenced by everything around us, as long as it's interesting.
How would you actually describe your sound to someone who hadn’t heard you before?
Gregg: I would describe us as a melodic/progressive band mostly. We all love the prog sound but i don't think we want to go to heavy on that. It's there on this CD for sure and I think the last song "The Agonist" represents where we are now and where we're headed as song writers.
Alan: When I really stop to think about it, I can't really describe what we sound like. Everyone seems to hear something different in our music. I've heard people say Dream Theater or Symphony X, but honestly I don't hear that. Personally I'd say we have a Savatage/Dio/Yngwie sound with some progressive trappings, but that's probably not totally accurate either. There's bits and pieces of everything, but in the end we sound like us.
How has the scene in New York influenced and affected the way you approach your music? Has it helped or hindered your progress?
Gregg: New York has not really affected us in my estimation. For a brief period New York had a great Metal scene with a lot of big places to play. Today that is all gone so for me it's been useless. I concentrate on what people would like overseas and I believe the guys feel the same way. Living here can be a hindrance because you literally have to travel out of the area to play any place decent. New York has been a dead scene for Metal for a long time now. It's sad.
Alan: Unfortunately Gregg is right. When it comes to playing live you either have to land a gig opening for a national act at a larger hall or you're stuck playing small bars. The days of the big rock clubs (L'Amour, The Soap Factory, etc) are long gone.
When did you start work on your latest album, and how long did it take to complete?
Gregg: We started laying down basic tracks for this album in November of 2006. Recording officially ended in September of 2009 when I did the last solos for "The Agonist". We had a major problem with the singer we had hired at the time. He was an absolute disaster in the studio and we wasted a lot of time and money because of him. I'm still angry about it. Dean Sternberg agreed to help out on vocals and redo every vocal track on the album. He was amazing and the greatest guy to work with. A very talented singer, guitarist, lyricist and song writer.
Alan: When that singer was finally ousted from the band, there was a period where we really had nowhere to turn. Unfortunately a lot of singers in the area are content with singing in cover or tribute bands and making money, and not interested in the time and expense being in an original band entails. We were lucky that Dean was able to come in and save the day. LOL
Was the creation of the album hard work, pleasure, or a bit of both?
Gregg: Out of the three CDs this band has done I'd have to say this one was the most gut wrenching and the hardest. Every time we'd take a step forward we'd get knocked back 10. Honestly there was a point where I thought it would never get completed and the whole process took a toll on everyone in this band. Between the singer issue and the financial cost it was very very tough. I owe these guys a lot for sticking with me and seeing it through. During the recording we had a great time though. We love Millbrook studios and Paul Orofino who is the engineer/owner is one of the best guys in the business. His resume is very impressive so on that end we had fun.
Alan: I've never been involved with something as frustrating as the recording of the album. There was a time we were going to call the album "Unsinkable" because it seemed like everywhere we went someone was firing torpedoes at us. Ultimately it was all worth it, I think this is our best album by far.
How do you typically create a song? What sort of processes do you go through?
Gregg: I listen to everything. I try to stay away from listening to the type of music I'm trying to write. I'll listen to classical, fusion, jazz anything to get ideas. I've even gotten melody lines from vocalists. The point is I'll use anything that triggers an idea in my own head. I have a digital eight track at home, a drum machine and a keyboard. I'll just lay down some simple tracks and flesh it out from there. Once it has a basic structure I'll email it to the guys and bring it down to the next rehearsal.
Alan: Lyrically I wait until I hear what Gregg or Tony comes up with musically and try to get a feel for what mood the music creates, whether it's something dark or something angry or upbeat, and then create around that. The two of them make it easy because they write music that's very atmospheric.
Is there a story behind the songs, or are they all standalone tracks?
Gregg: Well there isn't a single central theme to this record like a concept album or anything. Each song has a specific story to tell and that's evident in the lyrics. The song topics relate to the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Salem Witch trials, ancient religion etc. I am blessed with having a fantastic lyricist in Alan. He is a voracious reader and his interests run the gamut of subjects from the macabre to world history. He is a gifted writer and was the principle lyricist for the album. Dean Sternberg wrote the lyrics for "The Agonist" which are amazing as well.
Alan: Gregg you flatter me! LOL! Seriously, when I look for something to write about I try not to tread on worn ground, so to speak. I'm not going to write about love, heartbreak, mental illness, partying, or any of the other tired premises that seemed to be the prerequisites in the 80s.
How does the new one compare in terms of sound and quality with your previous two releases?
Gregg: This is definitely our heaviest sounding CD out of the three. There's no comparison. The songs have a more progressive influence to them plus we did two instrumentals on this one. I made a conscious effort to play more on this one as well. Tony, Alan, Tim and Dean poured their hearts and souls into this record and I think you can hear that when you play it. I am extremely proud of this record.
Alan: I'm happier with this album than I was with the first one I played on with the band. Our last drummer, while very talented, didn't have a style I meshed with well. Tim's a more traditional power drummer, and from years of knowing and playing with him in other bands, we were rock solid together. I think that shows on this CD as the bottom end is killer. Also, I was thrilled that Tony played keyboard leads on this album. He's immensely talented and we'd been pushing for him to let fly and finally he did!
Do you have a favourite song on the album, and is it the sound or the memories behind it that really make it stick in the mind?
Gregg: I love all the songs but my personal favourite has to be "The Agonist". I say this because everyone contributed to the writing of this one. I think Tony's keyboard performances are brilliant. Alan's bass line and Tim's drumming are so heavy and tight. Dean wrote incredible lyrics for this song as well. It turned out to be a beautiful piece of music.
Alan: Like Gregg I love all the songs, but my favourite would have to be "Flesh & Blood". I think it's the most powerful song on the album and I loved it ever since I heard the first riff when it was brought to us.
Do you do anything special or unusual in the studio to get your sound?
Gregg: No not really. We record very traditionally in a real studio. I like the sound of a real room, high ceilings for drums, isolation booths for guitars and vocals. What you hear on this record is all real performances. No Pro Tools or anything like that. We don't create something in the studio that we cant reproduce live. There are so many bands out there doing this now and it catches up to them live. Nothing you hear on the radio is real anymore but what we did at MillBrook is really us. No tricks.
Are there any pieces of kit you couldn’t live without?
Gregg: If you're speaking of gear, no, I need everything I've got. Most of what I have can't be replaced because it's all vintage gear so my answer to that one is definitely not.
Do you enjoy the whole studio/creative experience, or do you prefer getting up on the live stage?
Gregg: Both actually. I've had great experiences in the studio and nightmares in the studio. The same goes for playing live. We've had incredible shows with legendary musicians but we also have our share of horror stories. There isn't enough room here to even start but I wouldn't trade a thing for what we have been through good or bad. It's made us stronger I think. We have done things in our area that no other band around us has done and I'm very proud of that.
Alan: I see the studio as a necessary evil. You obviously have to record, but it's a tedious and frustrating mistress that makes you have to wait in order to get a reaction. Live is where I'm happiest, because the feedback is immediate. You know right off the bat whether or not the people are liking what you're doing. There's no substitute for that.
Thanks again to Gregg and Alan for their time.
http://www.myspace.com/livesayrox
