|
By Max Michaels
Thirteenth Step, the sophomore album by A Perfect Circle binges and
purges the boundaries of rock. Sweet melodic harmonies smothered in
twisted guitar rifts, and untouchable vocals. An indefinable merging
of style and sound. A Perfect Circle stands quite alone in their own
new genre of rock. Shedding the skin of being considered just a 'side
project' of one or more of the bands more recognizable members (the
band consisting of members of TOOL, Marilyn Manson, The Vandals and
Smashing Pumpkins), A Perfect Circle triumphantly rises a step above
the lofty heights their first album reached and emerge, seemingly
effortlessly, as an undeniable power house all their own.
Though a little jet-lagged after just getting back from Japan,
founding member Billy Howerdel was kind enough to take the time to
talk to me about the new album, new members, the current tour, and his
feelings on the media's insatiable need to categorize the band as a 'supergroup.'
Thanks for speaking with me. How was Japan?
"It was great. The shows were really good. Really small. 650 the first
night. 1000 the second night. It's definitely a different place. When
you go to Europe you can kind of make some stuff out on signs
everywhere, but when you're in Japan you definitely are humbled. Even
just trying to find out where to go."
How did the small pre-tour club tour here go?
"That was really fun. Just having the new band and being in clubs is
fun anyway. You don't make a lot of money, or you lose a ton of money.
But, it was a blast."
How are you feeling about this new record?
"I feel really good. It will be the first time we're in the states, we
haven't toured in the states since it's been released, so I'm kind of
excited about that you know? People just have a chance to get familiar
with it for a second."
So you're happy with the progression of this
album from the last?
"Yeah, yeah, I think so. It feels good to me. I'm still even excited
about the next record and the next one. But it feels like the next
step for us for sure. No pun intended."
A few new members have joined the group. Tell
me about that.
"I had known Jeordie from touring with NIN when I used to work for
them. He was just on his first tour with Manson. And then Josh bumped
into him at a New Years Eve party this year. He needed a band, we
needed a bass player and it kind of just fit.
James, you know, I had known from a long time ago, and we had toured
with Smashing Pumpkins in Canada in 2000. And you know, everyone
became friends with him and when we needed a guitar player his name
just seemed to click with everyone. He came on just right after we got
done with the record so he's been on every show so far. Every show on
the new tour."
How has this tour been going in comparison
from the last?
"Good. Just whole different thing. For the most part in the States
we've been doing a bunch of club shows, and we did Lollapalooza. Then
Europe, and Japan. So it's been really good. We're using a different
stage setup, so it feels different to boot. But then you know, having
two new members has a new, kind of unidentifiable dynamic."
How did you get started in music?
"I started doing lighting, before I did anything I did stage lighting
for some stuff. I lived in New Jersey so I worked on plays and
corporate shows and rock shows around that area. From there, I started
working for bands and at the same time, well right before that I got a
guitar and just started playing. A good friend of mine, one of my best
friends knew how to play guitar and I had just always been envious or
just would hear him play and thought it was cool. Just started slow
and just picked up a guitar and then uh, actually once I got a real
guitar just that's all I did was play guitar and just wanted to focus
on it. From there I started working for bands doing lighting for them
more concentrated. And just got frustrated not being around a guitar
all the time because that's all I wanted to do was play guitar and be
around it so I just wound up starting guitar teching. It's kind of
like the next step up the food chain in the crew scenario. And from
there just got more involved. It gave me more time to write. I went on
tour with a band and brought a little portable studio with me. So you
know, a lot of the songs I've written have been all over the world. A
little piece here, a little piece there. They all kind of have this
personal history to them, that I guess no one will really know, you
know? So it makes it a little bit more special to me if I get to
really reflect back and go that part was written in Sydney, Australia,
this one was in Birmingham, Alabama, this one was…."
So the music is almost a virtual tour of your
life.
"Yeah, it's like a traveling diary. And you know, from there I didn't
really think I wanted to be in a band for a long time, or I wasn't
pushing for it, and as of like '96… last time I was a guitar tech was
in '96 and that was with David Bowie, and I saved up some money to
just go get an apartment and write some songs for a while and just
take a stab at solidifying them. And from there I got kind of, I don't
know, I started working for Guns and Roses which was supposed to be
very part time and it wound up being two and a half years. But it was
really good, I learned a lot about being in the studio, I had never
concentrated on studio work until that gig. I was mostly doing live
stuff and learned a lot about engineering. And I wound up just being a
Pro Tools engineer for them and saved up enough money to really
finance this whole band, to do Perfect Circle. You know, buy gear for
people, rent rehearsal places, buy them lunch, wind up getting a
T-shirt line together, mix the record, and present Virgin with a
finished product. And I ran out of money right at the end and Maynard
chipped in and between he and I we just kind of financed it
ourselves."
Tell me if I'm wrong on this, you had
actually written most of it on your laptop I guess and you just kind
of let him listen to it at one point.
"Well, back then it was just on a four track. A four track cassette."
And that's when Maynard got involved right?
"Yeah, and then I got a computer like right around the time I started
working with Tool."
So on the first record, as I understand it,
you wrote the majority of the music. On the second one was it more of
an overall band contribution, or was it primarily one or two of you?
"Well, Maynard and I wrote the songs again for the most part. But you
know, there was more, the guys were around for more of it. Like the
last time, Paz played on one of the songs. But as far as parts, I
guess I wrote all the parts except for Troy's two solos on that
record. And this time there was more elaborating by other people.
There was parts written but they definitely put their feel into it
more. Then you know there's some songs that we really all wrote
together. I think the next record will be even more of a collaborative
effort. I like the way it felt just getting all into a room and just
all writing together."
How do you feel about your brainchild being
branded as a 'supergroup.'
"I guess it could be called worse, or better. I guess you could say
that it's like the word 'fuck', you know, you could say it in the
worst way or in the best way. So it's like being called a bunch of
fucks."
What has been the most exciting thing of
being in Perfect Circle so far?
"You know, just the whole thing. I feel really fortunate to be able to
write music and make it a career. I think we've had a great amount of
success, I guess in the style of music we play is surprising."
How would you categorize your music? I've
heard it called Goth, or Industrial, or Rock, or all of this. People
use a million different ways to categorize it. What style would you
say it is?
"Well, I don't know, I just think… Rock band, you know? I just went
through passport control, and it was like this:
'You're in a band?'
'Yeah.'
'What kind?'
'Rock Band.'
'All right.'
It can mean so many things but… I don't know. You know, just, it's a
Rock band. Kind of ethereal at times, but.. I don't know about
Industrial…"
Being an American band do you get any
negative reactions touring overseas? Because of the political climate
in the world?
"No. You know, Maynard has his own personal views that he expresses on
stage whenever we're outside of America that probably expresses how he
feels about it so people get an idea. I've never, I don't think people
like to talk about politics too much which I'm glad, as far as a rock
thing. I just don't think they mix well. This isn't a political band,
and I guess people respect that."
I've interviewed a few bands that have had
negative reactions even though they're not political, just because of
where they're from.
"No, I kind of walk around, if I'm not with the band let's say I'm
just walking around wherever, say Germany, or France or something. It
definitely feels that you could be scrutinized, I wouldn't want to
parade around as an American, you never know who's out there. But no,
I didn't feel it this time."
I saw you in San Francisco and you played the
Cure's 'Love Song.' I wouldn't mind hearing again. Any plans for that
on this tour and are you guys planning on doing the majority of the
stuff from the new album?
"It's kind of, I'd say split in half pretty well. I just played [Love
Song} for James and Jeordie the other day. They were like, 'What the
hell is that?'"
Yeah, it is good. You guys should definitely
do that again, and as often as possible.
Thirteenth Step is
available now on Virgin Records
Click here for A Perfect Circle tour dates
www.ticketmaster.com
|
