Alesana Interview
A Conversation with frontman Shawn Milke
(via
E-Mail in 2011) So what are your thoughts on the new record now that is has been released?
Shawn: IT IS DEFINITELY A RELIEF TO HAVE THE RECORD BE RELEASED.
AFTER MONTHS OF WORK IT IS A SORT OF CELEBRATION TO RELEASE THE
ART TO THE PUBLIC.
How did you write the new songs, what were your personal goals for
them? And when did you write the tracks, because you've been on tour
constantly.
WE WROTE THE NEW SONGS WITH THE SAME APPROACH WE HAVE ALWAYS PUT FORTH.
PATRICK AND WRITE THE MUSIC WHILE DENNIS AND I CONSTRUCT THE
STORY. WE WROTE THE TRACKS AT HOME IN EARLY 2011 BEFORE WE HEADED
TO RALEIGH FOR PREPRODUCTION.
Did you feel any pressure because "The Emptiness" was like a break-through record?
I GUESS MAYBE THERE WAS A LITTLE BIT OF PRESSURE BUT AT THE SAME TIME,
WE'VE ALWAYS WRITTEN WITH THE SAME APPROACH AND GOALS IN MIND: TO
BE BIIGER AND BETTER AND MORE DIVERSE WITH EACH RECORD AND WE WILL FEEL
AS THOUGH WE ACHIEVED THAT WITH THE NEW RELEASE.
Just like "The Emptiness" your new record is a concept record. It's
based on "Dante's Inferno". How did the idea come to your mind to use
this drama? Did you change anything to make it more like your "own"
storyline?
DENNIS AND I ARE BOTH HUGE FANS OF LITERATURE AND WE WANTED TO USE A
STORY THIS TIME THAT SPENT TIME DEALING WITH MAN'S FLAWS AND THE IDEA
OF THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS. THERE WAS NO BETTER OPTION THAT THE
BEAUTIFUL AND HAUNTING INFERNO OF DANTE. IT IS IMPORTANT TO
STRESS THAT WE USE THESE STORIES AS INFLUENCE BUT THEY ARE NOT DIRECT
INTERPRETATIONS. OUR STORY AND OUR CHARACTERS AND A COMPLETE WORK
OF ORIGINAL FICTION.
For those who don't know the story: What's it about?
IT IS ABOUT TEMPTATION AND DOUBT LEADING A MAN TO DESCEND INTO HIS OWN OBSESESSION.
Did you feel any kind of fear to lose some fans because you're still
moving away from what was tagged "screamo" by adding a lot of new
elements to your sound?
HONESTLY, NO. OUR TRUE FANS WILL REMAIN AND THE FANS THAT DO
LEAVE WERE CLEARLY JUST FANS OF A GENRE OR TREND INSTEAD OF BEING FANS
OF ALESANA. ANYONE WHO HAS FOLLOWED OUR CAREER CLOSELY WAS LIKELY
NOT CAUGHT OFF GUARD BY OUR PROGRESSION.
Are there any plan so add musicians for the tours, so you don't have to use samples?
A DREAM AND A GOAL OF MINE IS TO DO SEVERAL DATES WHERE WE PLAY THE
RECORD ALL THE WAY THROUGH WITH A STRING QUARTET, HORN SECTION, CHOIR,
AND ACTORS. WE ARE HOPING TO MAKE IT HAPPEN SOME TIME IN 2012.
"A Place Where The Sun Is Silent" is over 60 minutes long, which is far
more than many other bands put on their records nowadays. Did you talk
about this, questioning if many listeneres even have the will to spend
that much time listening to a record?
MANY OF MY FAVORITE RECORDS OVER THE YEARS HAVE BEEN QUITE LONG, MOST
RECENTLY COLORS BY BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME. A RECORD SHOULD BE
AN EXPERIENCE, NOT JUST A COLLECTION OF SONGS, AND IF IT TAKES THE
ARTIST AN HOUR TO FINISH HIS STORY THEN HE SHOULD ALLOWED THAT LIBERTY.
I TELL YOU ONE THING, I'VE CERTAINLY NEVER COMPLAINED WHEN A BAND
THAT I LIKE PUTS OUT TOO MUCH MUSIC, SO AS A FAN WHAT IS THERE NOT TO
LIKE ABOUT A GOOD, LONG RECORD?
Let's talk about your history. How did you guys meet and how did you start the band?
PATRICK AND I MET IN BALTIMORE, MARYLAND WHILE I WAS STILL PLAYING IN
ANOTHER BAND CALLED "THE LEGITIMATE EXCUSE". HE JOINED THAT BAND
TOWARDS THE END AND HE AND I STARTED WRITING TOGETHER. WE MOVED
TO NORTH CAROLINA, FOUND THE REMAINING MEMBERS, NAMED THE BAND ALESANA,
AND THE REST IS HISTORY, SO TO SPEAK.
Which bands did influence you? And which ones influence you today? Was there a shift?
MY NUMBER ONE INFLUENCE HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE BEATLES. HOWEVER,
MAE, SPITALFIELD, BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME, MEW, AND SILVERCHAIR ARE
ALL HUGE INFLUENCES AS WELL. IN FACT, THE PROGRESSION THAT TOOK
PLACE OVER THE COURSE OF THE FIRST FOUR SILVERCHAIR RECORDS HAS PLAYED
A HUGE ROLE IN THE PROGRESSION OF ALESANA RECORDS. SILVERCHAIR
BEGAN AS A HEAVY GRUNGE BAND AND GRADUATED INTO SCHOOLED SONGWRITERS
WITH STRING ARRANGEMENTS, PIANO COMPOSITIONS, AND CHOIR INVOLVEMENT.
IF YOU PAY ATTENTION YOU CAN CERTAINLY SEE THE SIMILARITY IN OUR
GROWTH.
A Conversation with frontman Shawn Milke of ALESANA
What
are your thoughts about your records? It would be great if you could
tell me something about each, starting with "Try This With Your Eyes
Closed" and ending with "The Emptiness". And can you mention one or two
good and bad memories about that period?
TRY THIS WITH YOUR EYES CLOSED WAS OUR FIRST EFFORT. IT HAD A LOT
OF HONESTY, DOUBT, AND HOPE. I STILL HAVE THE BOTTLE OF CHAMPAGNE
THAT WE CRACKED WHEN WE FINISHED IT.
ON FRAIL WINGS OF VANITY AND WAX WAS OUR FIRST TRUE RECORD. WE
HAD A PLAN GOING IN AND WANTED IT TO LAUNCH US INTO THE INDUSTRY, WHICH
IN MANY WAYS IT DID. WE RECORDED IT IN 17 DAYS AND I TRACKED
VOCALS IN A BATHROOM. SO MANY GREAT MEMORIES FROM THAT EXPERIENCE.
WHERE MYTH FADES TO LEGEND WAS A HUGE CHALLENGE CONSIDERING IT WAS OUR
FIRST "FOLLOW UP". WE DID EVERYTHING VERY ORGANICALLY AND
CONTINUED OUR LITERARY THEMES, THIS TIME FAMOUS FAIRY TALES. WE
LIVED IN CALIFORNIA FOR 6 WEEKS AND RECORDED WITH STEVE EVETTS WHO ALSO
RECORDED "THROUGH BEING COOL" BY SAVES THE DAY, ONE OF MY FAVORITE
RECORDS OF ALL TIME.
THE EMPTINESS WAS OUR OPUS. WE WERE FINALLY WITH A PRODUCER WHO
FELT LIKE A TEAMMATE AND WERE AFFORDED OPPORTUNITIES TO EXPERIMENT WITH
OUR SOUND BY BRINGING A LIVE STRING QUARTET ON BOARD, WHICH WAS A DREAM
SINCE DAY ONE. I WORKED AROUND THE CLOCK EVERY SINGLE DAY AND
ENDED UP WITH A STOMACH INFECTION ON THE FLIGHT HOME FROM ALL OF THE
STRESS AND PRESSURE TO FINISH THE RECORD THE RIGHT WAY.
For the "Punk Goes Pop" Series you've covered a song by Justin
Timberlake. Why did you chose him and why exactly 'What Goes Around
Comes Around'?
JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE IS ONE OF THE FINEST ALL AROUND ENTERTAINERS OF OUR
GENERATION SO I COULDN'T FIND A REASON NOT TO CHOOSE HIM? THAT
SONG IS MY FAVORITE OF HIS AND FELT LIKE THE MOST ENERGETIC CHOICE.
Are there any goals you still want to reach in the future? Like getting
a platinium record or any musician you want to be part of a song?
I HAVE ALWAYS HAVE GOALS, I THINK THAT IS WHAT KEEPS AN ARTIST MOVING.
A LOT OF MY GOALS INVOLVE NEW MUSIC PROJECTS AND HOPEFULLY A
CHANCE TO MAKE A FILM. MY NUMBER ONE GOAL WITH ALESANA IS TO
FINISH THE TRILOGY THAT WE HAVE STARTED WITH THE EMPTINESS AND A PLACE
WHERE THE SUN IS SILENT.
What does a normal day look like when you're not on tour?
I SPEND A LOT OF TIME WITH MY WIFE, MY DOG, AND MY FAMILY. I AM
VERY INTO VIDEO EDITING AND STORY WRITING SO I DO QUITE A BIT OF THAT.
RIGHT NOW, I AM PLAYING THE NEWEST ZELDA GAME, "SKYWARD SWORD".
I AM DEFINITELY A HUGE ZELDA NERD.