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- Hy
Johnny!!!First of all. Congratulations for your first beautiful
full-length, an album made after three year since the first demo with
"Blue
Obsession", that is the name with whom your band begun to play
(for all our
readers).
What is changed in these
three years?
Thank
you . So many things changed in these three years. Only me and Sean
remain from Blue Obsession. We evolved a lot as a band and with the new
input from Sebastian, Mike and Adam we are a completely different band. We
went through some bad times together (mainly me, Sean, Sebastian and Mike
because Adam joined in quite recently) which made us stronger. Personally
I
changed a lot. In my life in order to get something I lost another... I
got
a lot but lost a lot as well.
- The
deep atmosphere of your songs discovers the hidden part of your soul;
What do you need in order to compose songs like those included in your
cd?
Which are the main influences .(not only musical)?
I
usually write about issues that I really can't talk about with anyone. I
became a really reserved person and music is a way of letting it all out.
I
often write more songs when I'm not thinking of music (like when I'm on
hollidays) and when I don't have anyone around. When I was a kid I
believed
I could move people to my own feelings, making them feel what I actually
felt. As I grew up this feeling kind of vanished but I think that I
achieve
this naturally, so my songs are me, what I feel and like it or not, they
are
in your face and sincere (which somehow frightens me, they show too
much of
myself). I'm heavily influenced by everything that is provocative, that is
the common point. I used to listen only to melancholic music. Right now it
kinda changed, I still prefer melancholic stuff but also like bands that
have an attitude. Naming main influences : Depeche
mode, HIM, Paradise Lost,
Iron Maiden, Placebo, Hedwig, Guns N Roses, etc etc.
- It's
impossible not to think that bands like Him, Paradise lost , Depeche
Mode are part of your musical influences. even if you get a personal
style. What do you appreciate of these bands?
Well
those three bands are without any doubt amongst our main influences. I
listen to Depeche Mode a lot (I'm a bit angry because they take too much
time to release new albums). I love Martin's songwriting. In my opinion he
is maybe the best living songwriter. HIM's Ville Valo is also an
incredible
songwriter and managed to create a style that really attracts me, I love
their earlier stuff. Paradise Lost, well , since a kid that I listen to
their stuff, I was a big fan of Paradise Lost and got to know Depeche Mode
because they were always mentioning them in interviews.
- Ok.
Let's talk about your
wonderful cd! Good songs, but also an excellent
arrangement and production.
This
is very important, considering that this is
the first release. Youve worked with two different producers,
what's
happened?
Before
we recorded this album we worked with Tommy Newton and ended up
working with Michael Gerlach for the final production. It was a choice
made
by everyone regarding this production. Our label wasn't satisfied with the
results of the pre production and we also thought it could go another
direction. This producer stuff is always complicated, you have to be
really
careful to find the right person to work with you. This doesn't mean that
if something didn't worked out it was the producer's fault, sometimes it's
the band's fault or they are both right but not right for each other. In
the
end we learned a lot with both.
- "Running
up the Hill"
is a cover included in your album.
A
great song
re-arranged in a perfect way. How
much 80's have been important in your
musical approach? And about that time which are your favorite bands?
Well
the 80's is my favourite musical period. I love the bad hair, excessive
make up, the glamorous attitude. I think that we kinda lost the magic
going
on in those times. All bands are much more careful so that they wont look
too defying or shocking. Marylin Manson is an exception. I love bands like
Depeche Mode, Dead or Alive, Kiss, Bon Jovi (the earlier stuff), Sisters
of
Mercy and The Mission amongst others.
- The
lyrics get sadness, and often relate about love. When Love
becomes
sadness, and I think that most people have felt
the "Sweetest
Emptiness
of
Love"
for once in the life! A realist and deep way to see
this
feeling
very far from 80's classic
hard-rock ballad ; What can you tell me
about your way to write lyrics?
Whos
the inspiration?
I
am the inspiration for my own lyrics. Narcissistically hun? Well I cant
think
of anyone else so I'd better just admit it. Most of times people
might
think I'm referring to someone else, but its just me talking to myself. I
like to assume control of my inner voice and make it say whatever I want
to
myself, that way we get total control over our own intellect. As for the
Sweetest Emptiness of Love, that song is about a big loss had
some years
ago. I wish that she is listening to this wherever she is.
- In
the
"Sweetest
Emptiness
of Love"
I notice a shadow of Depeche Mode in
your way to sing.
But
I appreciate your style and your way to use metrics. a
very important quality for a singer in order to give emphasis and
melody to
the lyrics .is it true? In your opinion which are the main
characteristics
for a good singer?
Yes
its true, for me the main skills in a singer are tuning (this is
fundamental), rhythm (this is the way you make your sentences groove and
how
you give the right movement to the lyrics your are singing) and expression
(this is where you can see if one singer is actually good or not, one can
be
in tune and sound bad still, and sometimes if you have a really good
expression you can be off key and still sound good). If a singer has these
three factors working for him, it's really likely that he/she will be a
damn
good singer.
- Is
there a tournče project?
We
have talked about that with our label. We still don't know, everything is
kind of unknown in our future as we are such a young band.
- If
you'd choose a band to go around the world for a tournče....
Give me one
name!?
The
Darkness (we can't be too serious all the time)
- Ok..the
final question is the game of the tower!!!There are 3 bands on a
big high tower! You must kick down two of them, saving the third
one!!!And
for you there are..:
HIM
DEPECHE MODE
PARADISE LOST
Hey
this is a really complicated question, ok let me do it like this, I
would kick out all Depeche Mode albuns until the "Black
Celebration" and
would kick all HIM albums after "Razorblade Romance". From
Paradise Lost I
would kick out the last album. Now seriously, I love Depeche Mode a lot in
this phases of my life but I can't just throw away my past that is
strongly
linked with Paradise Lost and the first two HIM cd's.
Thank you , Johnny!
Cheers!
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17/05/2004
ICON AND THE BLACK ROSES : interview with Joćo Silva
Niederrohrdorf
- Switzerland