TuneLab Music: For those
who aren't familiar with the band, could you
give us some background?
Darroh Sudderth:
It started with our guitarist Clifford and
myself, and the current lineup was later solidified
with; Jon Dicken (bass), Brett Stowers (drums),
and Matthew Langley (keyboards). It was really
out of necessity more than anything. We are
all from small towns within a 30 mile radius
of one another and were among the only musicians
within the area.
TL: How would you describe
the bands sound?
DS: Well, I'm
not the best salesman and even worse at knowing
how to describe our sound. There's always
someone whose said it better, so I'll offer
up one of my favorite descriptions of our
sound: "It was as though I was listening
to the mutant offspring of Rush, Pink Floyd,
Dream Theater, The Mars Volta, Gary Numan,
and Pantera; grown up and having run off to
start their own volcano-worshiping doomsday
cult in the desert" - Rob Gary
TL: Who has been your
biggest musical influence?
DS: I'm not
quite sure. I can find something influential
in almost every genre of music and find something
I admire and appreciate in almost everything
I hear. To pick just one though...I may have
to get back to you on that one.
TL: The band has been
around since 1998, but only recently signed
a record deal. What kept you guys pushing
toward that goal?
DS: Hope. That
and the fact that when you put everything
on the line, you put yourself in a position
where failure is not an option. If we wouldn't
have inked a deal, I would be filing for bankruptcy.
TL: How did the deal
with Serjical Strike come about?
DS: Well, during
one of our independently funded tours of the
west coast we became good friends with Mike
Haitayan, who just so happened to be an acquaintance
of Serj's. Mike coaxed Serj into coming out
to a couple of shows; and it was at our second
show in Malibu that Serj was kind enough to
offer his help. We've been extremely fortunate
and have nothing but good things to say about
Mike, Serj, and Serjical Strike.
TL: A lot of bands get
signed only to be dropped a short time later.
What kind of feelings did the band have leading
up to signing with Serjical Strike?
DS: We were
extremely nervous, cautious, and scared; but
Serj let us know from the get-go that he wanted
us to have a fair shelf-life. He knows we're
not exactly a 'pop act,' and I don't expect
bells and whistles to go off as soon as this
album is released. It's still a very scary
place to be though. Not so much in terms of
if we'll have a label, but as to whether or
not the general public will give our subsequent
albums a fair shot if our debut doesn't quite
carve a name for us. Like they always say,
you only have one shot at a first impression.
TL: What has it been
like working with Serj Tankian?
DS: He's been
great! Serj has made himself available throughout
this whole process and has definitely earned
the title of executive producer for this album.
He's been extremely supportive and helpful.
I have nothing but good things to say about
Serj.
TL: You've been recording
your full-length debut with producer David
Bottrill. How would you describe the album?
DS: That's a
tough one, it varies from one song to the
next. As a whole, I would say it sounds like
a very dense and epic album. I've been told
it's very progressive without being too winded,
which I hope is the case.
TL: Is there an estimated
release date?
DS: I am being
told it will most likely be sometime in April
of '07.
TL: How does the new
album compare to your two independent releases?
DS: It's obviously
more solid and polished than the previous
two. Sonically, it's easier to pick out what's
going on. It has much more scope than the
previous two as well.
TL: You hit the road
with Dir en Grey on February 1st. It's kind
of an odd pairing, why did you choose this
tour?
DS: They contacted
our booking agent (whom had sent Dir en Grey
a copy of our last independently released
LP) and asked if we would consider doing this
tour with them. They seem to be doing very
well for themselves and we were honored to
be asked. It is an odd pairing, but we've
always tried to play with acts we don't necessarily
mesh with musically; whether they are heavier,
softer or a different genre altogether. For
bands who can pull it off, it significantly
broadens their audience; which is what we
are hoping for.
TL: Do you have any tours
lined-up following this one?
DS: Nothing
set in stone as of yet, but a few in the works.
TL: What kind of impact
has MySpace had on the band?
DS: It has definitely
helped. In the long run, though, it hasn't
been anything more than an aide. It all still
comes down to the product and performance,
MySpace is only a means of advertising both.
TL: That's all I have.
Any final words of wisdom?
DS: Nothing
other than a 'thank you.'
