9:30 INTERVIEW: Eric Axelson, The Dismemberment Plan
[9:30]How are you doing? How has it been since literally getting the band back together?
[Eric] It’s been good, it’s been busy, you know? [interviewers note: that's a lyric from 'The Jitters' and I geeked a bit] I mean, I guess it kind of happened gradually with those shows in 2011 you know? So we would get together about once a month to practice for the show, and from there we started having little bits and ideas of songs that kind of turned into songs, so you know, it’s kind of a slow process over a couple years that just tractioned. But uh, it’s been good, you know? It’s been fun to be busy again.
[9:30] Yeah, I can imagine. I know you guys did a one-off show at the Black Cat a few years ago too?
[Eric] In 2007 we did two benefit shows at Black Cat to raise some money for a friend.
[9:30] Yeah, and I think there was also a show at Mary Washington?
[Eric] Umm... not since we broke up. In 2011 we did maybe a dozen shows and went to Japan, then we got quiet and started writing new songs. And then last year in December 2012, we did a show in Fredericksburg where Mary Washington is, and a show in Baltimore. And that was kind of to test out the new songs live and see how they were. So that was after all the reunion shows. But yeah, we played down there. It was fun.
[9:30] Yeah. What’s it like getting back into the swing of full-time touring?
[Eric] Well it’s not really full-time, we still have our jobs. I mean everyone in the band at this point has a career, so no one’s really in a place to quit their job. So when people are like, “Oh hey, when are you going on tour?”, in my mind, a tour goes on for like, two weeks or more at a time. This will be like, just a jaunt. These are all weekends, you know? Like we’re going, like in September we’re going to fly out and we do two festivals in Detroit and Chicago, and the weekend after that we fly out and do a festival in Denver. Even the club shows are mainly Friday, Saturday, Sunday kind of things. And then when we go to the west coast we do a straight week. I guess in my mind, that’s kind of a tour there. So it’s different, cause you know, we work with our friends, you go play three shows and come back Monday morning to team meetings with the hand stamp.
[9:30] Do you miss what you would qualify as full-time touring then? Like what you guys were doing back in the 90s?
[Eric] Yeah! I mean I feel like, at this point, I do miss playing that much, I do miss getting to all those different towns. And like at this point in our lives there’s not time to hit all the cities we used to hit. I miss getting to those places and playing, seeing old friends there, playing the clubs we used to play. But I think that’s how it is. At the age now it would be harder to be away from home, you know? Back in our 20s and 30s it was easier to be gone. I mean, we toured a lot. We were gone anywhere from four to six months out of the year. You miss a lot of fun events and things, and your family and friends. So, you know, not like it never works but it’s kind of a niche working.
[9:30] Right. Well something I’ve noticed in your new single ‘Waiting’ is that it’s definitely a lot more melodic than your first few albums were. I think it’s more in line with ‘Emergency & I’, that kind of stuff. Where would you say the new album falls on the melodic vs. atonal spectrum?
[Eric] It’s definitely a lot more melodic than previous records. There’s a lot less dissonance. I mean, with ‘Emergency’ and all, either there’s a lot of very poppy songs, and there are total rock songs, and there’s some real dissonant shit going on. I mean, things like ‘Girl O’Clock’ and ‘Memory Machine’, they’re all filled with chords with, you know, a lot of notes that shouldn’t have been in there.
[9:30] Well they sounded good anyways! I mean, it’s one of my favorite records.
[Eric] Oh no, I loved it! I think we’re maybe at the point now where we’re just drawn less to those parts. Looking at ‘Change’ and ‘Emergency’ now maybe, half of those records, maybe by ‘Change’... eh, I’ll say 2/3 of the records is more melodic. The new record is probably 9/10ths melodic. And there’s still some dissonance and kinda angular parts to it, but less kind of, like, “poke-you-in-the-eye.”
[9:30] Well either way, I’m sure it’s gonna be great. I know a lot of people are excited to hear it since it’s been so long since we’ve heard anything new from you guys.
[Eric] I’m really happy with it! I mean it’s something we’re proud of. I feel like all the songs are really strong. Like in the past, I think you kind of fool yourself into thinking certain songs are strong enough for a record, and we’ve done that. I think this one, it seems like ever track is strong.
[9:30] Yeah. Are you like, surprised by the response at all from your fanbase? Like, about how excited people are after all these years?
[Eric] I’m definitely excited, definitely a little surprised. I mean, when we did the shows in 2011, we weren’t really sure what to expect. We’ve all gone to see bands who’ve gotten back together after a long time, and some of the bands still drew crowds to big venues. So when we put the shows up there it was kind of hard to... expect what would happen. I mean, same thing with the record. Like, we thought people would sort of, be beyond it now, but it hasn’t, so. But yeah, it’s very exciting. I’m glad that people are into the newer stuff.
[9:30] Right. I’ve noticed something in your music which is like, because you guys are from D.C. – maybe it’s a conscious bias in my brain, but – it sounds like I can hear D.C. in the music, you know?
[9:30] And it’s nothing I can put my finger on, but do you know why that could possibly be? I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s said it before.
[Eric] Yeah, I’ve heard that from a lot of other people too. I think – my guess would be that we all grew up around D.C. punk, you know. Like Fugazi, Jawbox, Shudder, and all the great Dischord bands. As well as the more tuneful stuff like Tsunami or Chisel. But at the same time we’re also a Go-go band. I mean, we listened to abunch of James Brown and WKYS and WPGC back in the day. I mean you know, even now, I think that’s kind of what it is. In some ways you can pick up the punk and rap and it has that D.C. thing about it. But at the same time, like, there are still elements of, I don’t know, R&B from the soul that we do, in our own kind of twisted version of that. Maybe that’s it – I don’t know.
[9:30] Another thing I really like about you guys is all the different time signatures you do and the really interesting rhythm you guys have in a lot of your music. Where do you get the inspiration for that kind of stuff?
[Eric] I think a lot of the bands we grew up listening to, like Shudder To Think – there were crazy time changes and shifts. Like a lot of the bands that we listened to growing up had kind of more challenging time signatures, and I think we kind of took that notion and tried to make it work in our songs. It’s like ‘The City’ chorus is in 6 and the rest is in 4. And it’s technically every other measure that the beat is cut off for half a... at the end of 4. Yeah. It’s kind of erratic. But I think that’s where we get it from. And I mean the newer stuff has no strange time changes, I don’t think. And we discussed it at the end, like “Do we need to write something with a weird time signature?” But we also – I mean, the one thing with this record is that we didn’t want to force anything. We didn’t want to force songs and spend all night if it wasn’t totally natural. So, like, nothing weird came out, so we didn’t play it. So it’s pretty much 4/4.
[9:30] That’s interesting. I guess kind of part of the maturing process, cause you guys are all in very different places in your life.
[Eric] Yeah, maybe. I mean we still listen to music in strange times, you know? I think it’s just part of the reason we just play things a lot more natural, more straight.
[9:30] What are some songs off the new record that you’re really excited to play live?
[Eric] Am I copping out if I say all of them?
[9:30] Haha, a little! But I mean, are you really excited to play all of them?
[Eric] I think – ah, shoot. There’s some that are more, classic rock? I mean there are times where we think our songs sound one way, and then our friends hear it and go “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” But there are some with big choruses which I think will be really fun. There’s a song called ‘Let’s Just Go To The Dogs Tonight’, kind of a dancier song, you know? There’s another one, ‘No One’s Saying Nothing’, I think it’s probably because of the keyboard and bass is just this REALLY big super deep sound and we played it for a festival crowd in PA, just this massive chorus with the keyboard. I think, I mean, the songs we did last year, I think we’ve played all of them, and they’re all good live.
[9:30] Awesome, I can’t wait to hear them. What are some bands playing now that you’ve been really into lately?
[Eric] Lately... hmm. I’ve been listening to the new Queens Of The Stone Age record. I got that new Disclosure record, from London. Um, shoot, what else? Either last year or earlier this year I got the new Bruno Mars, I love that single. It’s catchy. I’m trying to think what else... I guess those three. Queens Of The Stone Age, Disclosure, Bruno Mars.
[9:30] That’s all good, varied choices, you know? Different stuff going on.
[Eric] Oh yeah. Kinda all over the place.
[9:30] Yeah. I guess that’s kind of what matches up with the Dismemberment Plan’s style though, there’s a lot of different influences on there.
[Eric] Yeah, definitely. I think that’s one of our hallmarks, is there’s a lot of different styles in the songs. We’re a little bit ADD about what we do.
[9:30] Alright, this might take you a minute to think about, but if you could have written any record that’s ever existed by any other artist, what would it be? From any time period, anything.
[Eric] Oh man. Oh gee. That’s hard. Um. Uhhh. Ah, shit.
[9:30] You can name a couple if you want!
[Eric] Well I would have loved to have been involved in making the ‘White Album’ by the Beatles. Let’s say, ‘London Calling’ by the Clash. Um... I mean I’m trying to think, do I want to be on a record that has badass bass parts? Do I do it like that? Or a great record because it’s a great record? I mean one would be ‘Kind Of Blue’ by Miles Davis cause you play with Miles Davis and John Coltrane and you have a, you know, a great lineup. Or do you wanna be on a great bass record. God I would want to be on ‘Natural Mystic’ by Bob Marley, if I could play all those bass parts. Oh no, geez... I have to think on that one for a bit. I’m trying to think of records I’ve listened to a bunch that I would want to be a part of. I mean, how many records can I list?
[9:30] As many as you want I guess!
[Eric] Well some records though, I mean like uh, there are lots of great bass parts but a lot of them are samples. What else, what else. Like with Springsteen, not that great bass parts but great songs. I don’t know... can I think on this one and get back to you?
[9:30] One last question – if you have a message for all the fans that are coming out to your shows, what would it be?
[Eric] Message... I don’t know. I guess I’m just really excited to play D.C. again. D.C.’s always been one of the nicest places to play, because it’s our hometown. The shows always have over-the-top energy. I mean we have good shows most places we play, but in D.C., it’s like things are ratcheted up a bit, the tone of it. And I think part of that is cause people have seen us and there’s extra energy from the history of playing, but it’s also I think we play a bit more, you know – a step up, because it’s your home city show. So we’re just really excited to play D.C. again. And we always love playing the 9:30 Club, I mean, it’s a great club. It’s always fun getting back there and being on stage.
[9:30] Well we can’t wait to have you.
Photo Credit: Shervin Lainez
