Daniel Kessler of INTERPOL - March 18, 2015

Photo by: Jelle Wagenaar

There were no guarantees that Interpol would make another record. Following the departure of bassist Carlos Dengler at the end of their 2010 self-titled LP + more than 200 shows in support of it, the band’s remaining members—guitarist & backing vocalist Daniel Kessler, singer/guitarist Paul Banks + drummer Sam Fogarino took a break for most of 2012. For the first time, they all lived in different cities, providing both geographic + mental distance from all things Interpol.

Technically speaking, all things Interpol began at NYU in 1997, when Kessler recruited Dengler + Banks to form a band.

"I didn’t care so much about talented musicians or having similar tastes in music as finding people with a certain sensibility," he remembers.

In 2002, with Fogarino on drums, the band signed to Matador + released Turn On The Bright Lights, which Pitchfork named the year’s number one album. Over the next decade, they would go on to release a trio of records that found them cracking the Top 5 on the Billboard 200; earning rave reviews from Rolling Stone to TIME; headlining major festivals like Lollapalooza + touring with iconic bands including U2 + the Cure. They explored side + solo projects during their time apart, but ultimately found themselves drawn back together again, not by any expectations of returning to the studio, but rather by that same unshakable urge that brought them together in the first place, to let the music lead them where it may.

“Paul and I got together for a short spell in August 2012, which was the first foray into seeing if we should do something,” remembers Kessler.

“We had no plans whatsoever. I certainly didn’t have anything in my brain saying we had to do this. It was just us playing music to see if there was something there.”

It quickly became apparent that there was indeed something there, something urgent + compelling, something revitalized + re-energized by their time apart.

“Paul started singing in that first day or two, which is great, because it doesn’t always happen like that,” remembers Kessler, who composes much of the music.

“I think he had the chorus melody for ‘My Desire’ right off the bat, so there was this good energy. It felt very exciting, like this was the beginning of something.”

Those hot August days spent sweltering in an AC-less rehearsal space belonging to fellow NYC band Battles proved to be the birthing ground for El Pintor, Interpol’s fifth + most exhilarating studio album. It’s a driving, relentless record, taut + epic in equal measure. It’s also an album of firsts.

“Carlos was a gigantic part of our band and he contributed greatly to our records,” Kessler explains.

“So recording without Carlos was definitely a change. But we didn’t spend much time thinking about it, we just closed our circle and dealt with what was on the table.”

That meant Banks stepping in to write + perform the bass parts for the first time. With Banks on bass, “the songs started growing in identity,” explains Kessler, who frequently found exciting + unexpected counterparts to his guitar riffs in Banks’ bass lines during those early writing sessions. “It was sort of like a new band in that sense.”

Recorded at the legendary Electric Lady Studios + the brand new Atomic Sound in NYC, ‘El Pintor’ kicks off with “All The Rage Back Home,” a song that was actually born on the final day of the band’s last tour, as Kessler stood on a balcony overlooking Buenos Aires. It’s likely no coincidence, then, that the song signals a return to what Interpol does best, layering pulsing bass, bursts of guitar + driving drums beneath Banks’ instantly recognizable voice.

“My Desire” fell into place almost instantly during rehearsals with a throbbing beat + insistent guitar riffs that shoot off like flares into the night, while “Same Town, New Story” took on an entirely new identity in the studio, as Banks crafted up an unexpected melodic context for Kessler’s laser-sharp guitar lines.

Lyrically, there’s an air of darkness that weaves its way throughout the record. “This kind of shit don’t heal in a week,” Banks sings on “My Blue Supreme,” + titles like “Twice As Hard” + “Everything Is Wrong” hint at a struggle for acceptance during difficult times, to not be “beaten by the weight of it,” as he laments on “Ancient Ways.”

In contrast with previous records, Interpol took a step back on El Pintor + “let the songs happen,” as Fogarino explains, embracing the patience it took to see where the music would lead them in its own due time. There may not have been any guarantees that they would record again, but the result is as accomplished + thrilling a collection as the band has ever released.

ALL ACCESS MUSIC writer, NICOLE DEROSA had the pleasure of chatting with INTERPOL'S guitarist and backing vocalist, DANIEL KESSLER before the band jet off to South America.

Enjoy their chat below...

Hi Daniel! Where does this interview find you? What’s on the agenda today besides our interview?

Hi Nicole! Today I’m just getting ready before Monday when we leave for South America – we’ll be travelling to Chile, Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and then in April and May, we come back around to tour the States including playing at Coachella.

For those not as familiar with Interpol and your music, how did you get your start in music Daniel? How did you know you wanted to form the band with one another?

I started playing guitar when I was about 14 years old or something like that, pretty loosely. It was right around the time I stopped skateboarding, I remember. (laughs) I never took too well to lessons so I just started writing my own songs and I really enjoyed it & it became really important to me.

When I was in college I started realizing more that if I don’t try to play music & achieve forming a band I would be pretty miserable or not trying at least.  So, I just started approaching everyone in the band, individually and somehow we had a band for about 4 or 5 years making demos and not having many records labels too interested in us & then we finally had the chance to make our first record in 2001.

We were definitely a part of the old way of doing things back then. We were in the minor leagues and it was tough. Sometimes you may think you want to quit before you might have had a chance to make a record and then you don’t and you decide to persevere and hopefully it makes you a better band. It made us a better band.

You guys released your fifth studio album, El Pintor this past September. What did you guys learn between albums that you felt you wanted to infuse into El Pintor?

Ya know, I never really think too much about what would be cool to do next. I never really sort of make a conscientious effort. We tour pretty hard after we release a record and with that, I find touring to be more about touring and less about writing, which is great. I love playing live and I love being able to play our catalogue now to people all over the world. It’s a real privilege.

What is your writing process like?

The good thing I discovered when I’m on the road is that even though I write more when I’m at home, I can also write when I’m on the road too. But the good thing about being on the road is that it gives you time to enjoy new experiences & grow as a person so when you finally get back from touring and take a little break, you have a new approach to writing music and writing songs. Something gets planted from that & it kinda grows from there.

I don’t really know what I’m trying to do when I start writing songs. They just kinda come out. I never really knew I was trying to write the songs that I wanted to be on El Pintor, but I think I was kinda in the mood to do it and some of it kinda came out of left field. Some of the parts of the album are kind of conceptual in parts, which is great where you can challenge yourself. It’s a very organic process, for lack of a better word.

Interpol is one of those bands that are unique in the sense that your songwriting methods include all of the band members, rather than relying on any given chief songwriter. How does that all come to fruition to create a cohesive song?

The songs tend to begin with me and then I’ll take them to Sam and Paul and then we start dressing them up as an Interpol piece. It works out really nicely especially as Paul has now assumed bass and bass guitar duties. It works really well and no one gears one person to one direction and that’s what is important to us. I might bring something to the table but then Sam might start playing a beat but Paul might start being more influenced more by Sam’s beat then my guitar part and start going in that direction. We don’t know what it’s going to sound like at the end and that’s what makes it so exciting.

What was the first album you purchased for yourself?

I grew up in a small town in England and France with my family and it was the early ‘80s when my brothers were all punk rock kids and that was their religion, so I was always around incredible underground music.

I think the first album that I bought for myself was probably U2’s Unforgettable Fire. I was maybe like 10 years old, I think? I was really young and for me to go buy an album for myself was a mission. The closest shopping mall was about 45 minutes away from where we lived.

There was like three music channels in France and there was one music channel that would come on at like midnight and we would record the show overnight and watch it the next day and I remember hearing about that record on that show and getting excited because I knew I wanted it when I heard when it just had come out.

Photo by: Jonathan Baker

Do you remember the first song you fell in love with?

I think the first song I fell in love with was “Come On Eileen”. I was really young…I was like five around that time and living in England. And I thought anytime that song was playing on the radio, it was for me! I would hold up an invisible microphone and sing it!

Who would your dream collaboration be with?

That’s too hard! I can’t….(laughs) that’s not fair, come on! I mean, Hendrix is one of my favorite guitarists. I would love to sit around with Hendrix for sure. I mean he is my favorite guitarists. He was a virtuoso guitarist and if not just a league of his own, he was on a planet of his own! He was so fresh. His singing delivery and his melodies and his guitar playing were just incredible. He was one of a kind.

Who has been your favorite band to tour with?

There are so many bands...that too hard! I can’t pick…that’s impossible. I think one of the best parts of when you do festivals is that you don’t really get to see a lot of your friends back home ironically because they are always touring. At festivals though, our lines luckily do cross.

Who is in your current playlist?

I’m excited about the new Mogwai record. I’ve know those guys forever, like since their first record. Also, I dig the new TV on The Radio record.

What’s on tap next for you Daniel? What are you most excited about in 2015?

Well, I’m definitely excited for the Interpol South America tour and going to Europe and then back to the States.

For me personally, I have this other record that I just put out. It’s my debut album called, First Light with my side project, Big Noble with my collaborator, sound designer, Joseph Fraioli which came out on February 2nd. It’s probably the opposite end of the spectrum from Interpol in that it’s all instrumental and almost like music for film. That was fun to do. And also, making videos for each one of those songs was fun too and those are now online for you to check out. I think doing something with your friends fuels your fire for things and with Interpol too. I think it's healthy and fun.

It’s a very different project and a little more left of center, if you will. I would love to do soundtracks, but so far it's really just music for music sake with my collaborator and friend and not really having a specific plan for it, but rather just working with someone else and seeing what happens when you work with someone for the fun of it.

Nicole DeRosa for All Access Music, March 18, 2015

https://music.allaccess.com/exclusive-qa-with-guitarist-daniel-kessler-of-indie-rock-band-interpol/

TAYLOR MOMSEN: THE PRETTY RECKLESS + GOSSIP GIRL - August 22, 2014

Taylor Michel Momsen is an American singer, songwriter, musician, model + actress. Prior to her retirement from acting, she portrayed the character of Cindy Lou Who in the film, How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000) + as Jenny Humphrey on The CW's teen drama series Gossip Girl (2007–2012). Momsen has been the frontwoman of the American rock band The Pretty Reckless since their inception in 2009.

Hell remains a source of inspiration for all kinds of art. It’s impossible to even catalog how many books, movies, plays + records have been written on the subject. However, the world’s fascination with the big ‘ole inferno never dwindles or dissipates.

The Pretty Reckless‘ second full-length album Going to Hell flirts with those themes, most notably on the raucous + roaring title track. Over a twisting + turning riff + bombastic rhythm, frontwoman Taylor Momsen 

confidently announces, “I’m going to Hell.”

“We had so many insane things happening in our lives, we wanted to sum everything up in one phrase,” she recalls.

“Going to Hell felt really appropriate.  I grew up Catholic and did the whole Catholic school thing, so it’s in my vernacular. We used religion as a metaphor, but the track relates to problems everyone faces.  I think this is the perfect time for us to be doing what we’re doing.”

Even if the making of Going to Hell often felt like some kind of divine prank, one senses this is their moment. After two years on the road The Pretty Reckless -Momsen, Ben Phillips (guitar), Mark Damon (bass) + Jamie Perkins (drums) had risen through rock ‘n’ roll’s ranks to become a profound + often polarizing, presence.  The quartet sold over 350,000 albums + over 1 million digital tracks performing as headliners all around the globe + supporting acts such as Guns N’ Roses + Marilyn Manson.

Ultimately Going To Hell is rock ‘n’ roll in its purest form.  The Pretty Reckless holds nothing back.

“We did this album with the mindset of having no boundaries,” Momsen concludes. “We didn’t follow any formulas or trends. We said anything we wanted to say.  This is us.”

Read more about The Pretty Reckless in my interview with the well spoken songstress, Taylor Momsen below.

Where does this interview find you today? What’s on the agenda today besides this interview?

We’re in the middle of rehearsals for our Fall tour of North America and the UK. We’ll be out for three months and we’re adding a bunch of songs off of our new record ‘Going to Hell’ and maybe some new songs so we’re playing all day every day for the next couple weeks. Then we start the tour in Florida on September 5th.

When did you start putting the band together? How did you guys all meet?

I started looking to put a band together six or seven years ago. I met our producer Kato who introduced me to our guitarist Ben, through him I met Mark and Jamie. Ben and I started writing songs together and after the first time the four of us played together it just clicked. We’re like a family now.

For your second studio album, Going To Hell, (Razor & Tie) you worked with rock producer Kato Khandwala (Blondie, Paramore, Papa Roach) How was that experience?

Kato is also like a family member at this point. We have been working together since the beginning. Communication is key when trying to get your ideas recorded and Kato understands us musically and personally. It’s a great experience, we’re always having a good time.

Okay, here is a fun one: If you had the opportunity to work with any act/artist from the past, present or future, who would it be and why? If you could spend the day with them, where would you go…and what would you do?

I’ve had the opportunity to meet a few of my idols and most of the time it has the reverse effect so I like to keep my heroes exactly where I created them, in my head.

What was the inspiration for your monster first single, “Heaven Knows” ? Did you come up with the treatment for the video as well or was that a collaboration with the director?

‘Heaven Knows’ started as a simple hymn where I would sing a line and a class of kids would sing it back to me. It was just going to be a short piece of music connecting two of the other songs. Then these characters came out and eventually a story formed making it a full song. I wrote the video treatment and co directed it with Jon J in Miami, it was a lot of work but we finally succeeded.

Lyrically, you delve into what some might consider “dark” topics. As you once said: Sex. Drugs. Death. Religion. What is your approach to songwriting? How do you capture the inspiration when it comes?

Inspiration is a gift and a curse because you have no control over it. If the idea is good enough it will do whatever it takes to come out. When it’s real inspiration it feels like the artist is just a conduit for this creative force called an idea. It’s making something out of nothing, it’s intimidating and cathartic at the same time. I don’t consider it dark, I consider it honest. All these things exist, I’m just talking about them.

What’s your take on Rock Radio today? Do you have any favorite on-air radio moments you can share with us?

I love rock radio. I know it has suffered in the last decade or two with the model of the modern music business, but eventually people will need it again and the labels and corporations won’t be able to hold it back. We just finished doing the radio festivals in America, that was a great experience to see hundreds of thousands of people rocking in the free world.

What was the first song you fell in love with growing up and why?

Strawberry Fields by the Beatles, it’s just magical sounding, as is all their work. They are the kings of what we do.

Who are some of the new artists who inspire you? Who is in your current playlist?

I don’t listen a lot to modern music. I’m a big fan of the 60’s renaissance period of music, Beatles, Zeppelin, The Who, Pink Floyd. The newest record I’ve become absolutely obsessed with is Soundgarden ‘King Animal’, they just don’t give a fuck about anything but the music so they end up making the most simple yet complex music out there right now, it’s stunning.

The Pretty Reckless has toured with Marilyn Manson and Evanescence. What was that experience like touring with those guys? Can you share any memorable stories from the road?

It’s always good to watch more established artists perform. You learn a lot about performing and communicating with the audience watching how other people have accomplished it. Road stories stay on the road, but Amy (Lee) just had a baby so congrats to her!

What’s on tap next for The Pretty Reckless?

We’re doing a North American and UK tour starting in September through November. Lots of work and travel. It’s a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.

For the latest updates, visit Taylor Momsen on her Instagram here.

Originally posted in partnership with All Access Music Group, Malibu, CA: https://music.allaccess.com/qa-with-taylor-momsen-the-pretty-reckless

BRANDON BOYD of INCUBUS - February 13, 2014

Photo credit: Sara Clarken

INCUBUS is an American rock band from Calabasas, California. The band was formed in 1991 by vocalist Brandon Boyd, lead guitarist Mike Einziger + drummer Jose Pasillas while enrolled in Calabasas High School + later expanded to include bassist Ben Kenney + DJ Kilmore.

Incubus has received commercial success, reaching multi-platinum  sales, as well as releasing several successful singles. The band earned mainstream recognition with the release of their 1999 album Make Yourself. In 2001, Incubus became even more successful with the single “Drive” + their follow-up album Morning View. Their sixth studio album, Light Grenades , debuted at No. 1 in 2006 + has received Gold certification in the U.S. Incubus released their first greatest hits album Monuments and Melodies in June 2009, accompanied by a tour of the United States, Japan + Canada. The band released the album, If Not Now, When? on July 12, 2011.

Singer, Brandon Boyd + the rest of the band took some time out between albums. Boyd released an album + toured with his solo band Sons of the Sea + Mike Einziger continued producing + making music with artists such as Hans Zimmer, Avicii + many others during that time. Enziger played acoustic guitar on Avicii’s 2013 worldwide hit “Wake Me Up“. Alongside this, Einziger also recently co-wrote + played guitar on David Guetta‘s song “Lovers on the Sun“. Enziger also recently played at the 2016 Grammy Awards alongside Diplo, Skrillex + Justin Bieber for their Jack U music collaboration.

Incubus released two EP’s in 2015: Trust Fall (Side A) and Trust Fall (Side B). The first single, “Absolution Calling“, was released February 5th, followed by the second single, “Trust Fall“, on March 10th. Incubus’ first show of 2016 will be at snowboarder and musician, Shaun White’s AIR + STYLE music festival on Sunday, February 21st.

I had a chance to catch up with Brandon Boyd during some down time at home, after seeing him perform live at The Belasco in downtown Los Angeles, during the release of his self titled debut album, Sons of The Sea a collaboration with producer Brendan O'Brien. Enjoy our chat below!

Hi Brandon! Where does this interview find you today? What’s on the agenda today besides our interview?

Hey Nicole! I am at home after being on tour through Australia, Japan, Asia, SXSW and Mexico. I have a steaming cup of joe in front of me and a little old bulldog slowly scratching himself in the corner. Today, I will go for a surf then continue writing songs.

Let’s take a walk down memory lane, how did you get your start in music? Who or what was the catalyst for you?

My interest in music coincided with my interests in art and creativity as forms of expression. My parents held creative expression in very high regard and encouraged my brothers and I to draw our feelings, our aches, our pains, our wins and our losses.

My Mom played the piano often and sang to us, as did her Dad (our Grandfather). He would play my brothers and I to sleep with quiet Spanish songs on his acoustic guitar. I feel like being surrounded by music and art greased the gears for me to express myself similarly.

Incubus was the first band I ever started with Michael and Jose. As far as I know, it was their first band too. We’d been messing around a little here and there with other people's songs until Mike and I had an English class project wherein we had to compose an original poem or song. That’s when we started and named the band.

 

Incubus received commercial success and mainstream recognition since coming onto the music scene in 1995. Earlier this year, you guys debuted a new song called, “Trust Fall” and the new single, “Absolution Calling,” and will be releasing two EPs this year. What did you learn between albums and solo projects that you felt you wanted to infuse into the Trust Fall EPs?

I’ve learned so much it would bore your readers to tears for me to elaborate too much here. I will say that creating something away from Incubus for the first time in my life was sort of an amazing experience for me though. It was terrifying and liberating all at once.

I am actually really thrilled with the way that the Sons of the Sea album turned out and the small tour we did for it kind of helped reinvigorate me creatively. The album only reached a small audience but a passionate one and that occasion reminded me as to why I love making music again. Then, when the dust cleared from all of that, for the first time in what felt like so long, I could see what Incubus meant to me and how blessed I am to make music with these guys I love so much!

We started jamming a few months back and everything started to click again like it had when we had no responsibilities and everyone truly wanted to be present. I am certain that everyone’s experiences aside from our band in that time period helped to reinvigorate them, but when all is said and done, I find that it doesn’t really matter how one finds their way back home. As long as one finds their way back home.

 

Can you share with me what your inspiration was for the single, “Absolution Calling”?

There is a broad spectrum of potential experience in what could be termed ‘Spirituality’ or ‘Connectedness’. Prevailing gospel would tell you, no demand of you, that there is but one route or pathway to that connectedness and potential experience.

“I’ve always been more an ‘off the beaten path’ kind of guy and in some of those spiritual footsloggings I’ve learned a few things about our latent potential and the curiously omnipresent keys to that potential that are readily available to any would be explorers.”

So, to answer your question, I guess you could say that “Absolution Calling” is a song about a beautifully revealing experience. And an experience that I find is not some secret to be guarded over by a middleman or institution of some kind, but one that is accessible to any and everyone, should they so choose.

 

Who are your musical influences?

There are two trucks backing up outside of my window at the moment, both with their reverse ‘beeps’…beeping. They are not quite in sync and not exactly in the same key but close enough that it’s creating a funny dissonance and strange rhythm. It’s stolen my attention so thoroughly that I am imagining other musical accompaniments to it. So, I guess you could say that right now, a trash truck and a moving truck are my biggest musical influences.

 

Do you remember the first album you bought for yourself?

Yes! The Cure. Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss me.

 

What was the first song you fell in love with and why?

“It was either Neil Diamond’s ‘America’ or the Beatles’ ‘Lucy in the Sky…’ Both songs I was exposed to in the snuggly safety of my car seat and both made me think of magical things as I stared out the window into the muddled melange that was the San Fernando Valley in the late 70’s and early 80’s.” 

Who would your dream collaboration be with, living or dead?

I wish to be painted by Egon Schiele. My smile in said painting would reflect my quiet knowing that I had time traveled to be there and that smile would be my contribution to the project, therefore making it a “collaboration”. Haha

 

Who is in your current playlist? Any artists, musicians or genres we might be surprised to find in there?

Maybe not so surprised, no. Warpaint, Big Black Delta, Eno & Hyde, Neil Young, Jeff Buckley, Jonathan Wilson, Anna Calvi, Bosnian Rainbows. I’m sort of all over the map with my musical intake.

 

What’s on tap next for you guys? What are you most excited about for this year?

Touring the world! 

 

To stay connected, visit Brandon Boyd + Incubus via their links below:

Brandon Boyd

Incubus

This interview was in partnership with All Access Music Group, Malibu, CA:

https://music.allaccess.com/qa-with-brandon-boyd-of-incubus