Q.  Now that you have completed the AutoViolet début CD, what is your favorite song?

A.  Amy:  I would have to say my top two songs are Pearl and Confession.  I was in a really dark place when Chris Dang and I wrote Pearl.  I think it’s just such an honest representation of the chaos going on in my mind at the time.  Confession was the polar opposite.  It's one of the only songs on the album that didn't tear my heart out to write and I love that it turned into a track I would want to dance to at a club!

A.  Chris B.:  They have all become favorites of mine which makes it hard to single out only a few.  "No Tomorrow" and "Pearl" are always the most enjoyable for me to play.  On “No Tomorrow” we have rhythmically created such a cool, technical pocket groove that explodes into a wide, rock chorus.  The dynamics of these two forces drive this “stadium friendly” track with the presence of Amy’s powerful, layered vocals.  With “Pearl” I find the perfect blend of using the electric and acoustic drum kit that again develops with a heavy rock feel.  The track just continues to build, gaining energy with every phrase.  I would say “Pearl” has the potential to be one of the bigger singles for AutoViolet’s début CD.

A.  Chris D.:  Foot In Mouth.  I think this song encapsulates what is the AutoViolet sound.  It’s a very poppy upbeat dance song, but breaks out fiercely in the choruses and pushes further with a crushing halftime breakdown in the bridge.  It explores and includes the high energy of pop, electronic dance with a heavy rock feel.  This balance is a blend of the past, present and future of AutoViolet.

A.  Brent David:  Isn't that like picking a favorite child?  I love them all, but my favorite track on the album has to be "No Tomorrow".  "Why?" is a tricky question to answer.  Musically, it's this perfect synthesis between hard rock, pop, and electronic, and it feels like all three styles are in perfect balance - none of them outweigh the others.  The tone of the song is dark, but has moments where it gets bright and lifts up, and those contrasting feelings never feel improperly thrown together.  From a songwriting perspective, the arrangement isn't a typical pop song at all.  It plays out more like an orchestral piece.  Lyrically, the subject matter is fantastic; it's about the destruction of the environment, but the way Chris Dang and Amy delivers that message is cryptic and interpretive.  Lastly, as a bassist, it's just a really interesting and fun song to play.  All the parts support the song perfectly.  I always get extra psyched up when I'm about to play “No Tomorrow.”

 

Do you have any anecdotes or stories about recording the tracks to the début CD?

A.  Amy:  I recorded most of the vocals in the studio myself, so the experience was very isolating and intense at times.  I generally recorded at night so I could light some candles and really tap into getting the emotions across on the recordings.  On the night I recorded “Pearl” I had the gain of the pre-amp set way up, the intro started playing and all I could hear was this low rumbling.  Suddenly, a clap of thunder erupted and lightning flashed outside the window and it ended just in time for me to start the vocals.  It was really creepy and yet very fitting for the song.  We ended up going with that take!

A.  Chris B.:  For the first time, I have embraced the combination of acoustic drums with the electric kit on this entire recording.  Chris Dang and I were able to track out the drums together in the recording studio, after which I edited the drum tracks in my own studio.  We experimented with a number of kits, cymbals, and effects.  We researched the exact skins to use on what type, size and composite of drum.  We selected what alloy of cymbal, its size, manufacturer, etc.  We worked on determining what type of stick or mallet was to be played.  We worked hard developing certain drum kit sounds we heard dating back into the 1980’s.  It was fun!  In the end, I think Chris Dang and I came up with a very dynamic sounding electric kit that compliments the acoustic drum’s sonics perfectly.

This is the first album I have recorded where EVERY member of the band was completely hands-on during the entire recording process.  Amy was able to record her own vocals while Brent David was in Studio B laying down bass lines and editing bass parts.  Chris Dang worked tirelessly on the production of this album while tracking his own guitars.  This was definitely a fantastic and interesting, new working environment for me.

A.  Chris D.:  This album was all about getting the best recording possible.  It's hard to slot so many samples, keys and sounds into songs with an entire band playing throughout most of the tracks.  You have to get tones just right in order to do this.  Originally after Brent David had recorded his bass we felt it didn’t sound right.  We decided that we should re-track the entire album’s bass again.  We re-eq’d the bass to get a brighter and fuller tone, we spent the next three weeks re-tracking all his bass, but upon completion it still didn't sit right.  Out of desperation we went to our local music shop and purchased a fender Jazz Bass.  We re-recorded the bass for "Fade Away" and we both liked the tone so much we then proceeded to record the entire album bass tracks for a third time.  It took us nearly several months to get that raw bass tone just right.

A.  Brent David:  Just before we were about to start our recording process we decided it would be much better to build up a repertoire of tracks; adding 10 new tracks to our current 12.  The idea was we could then pick and choose which songs we wanted to have on the album.  However, after a few months of grinding at it, we learned you can't just pump out songs like a factory.  The newer songs were still young, underdeveloped, and less refined than their older 12 siblings.  It became clear that they wouldn't be ready anytime soon.  I believe great songs take time to create, and when you rush art the sloppiness shows.  The 12 tracks on this first album have been developed and polished to perfection.  "Made By One" has undergone eight revisions since its inception.  In the end, the time we spent writing new material wasn't a waste, maybe a little delay, but not a waste. 

 

Knowing you will tour extensively in support of the first CD, what are your expectations of what that experience will be like?

A.  Amy:  I've always had the urge to travel but never have because I've been in one musical project or another all my adult life.  I would tell myself to spend money on music and gear instead of a trip to Europe because some day I'll be traveling the world with a band on tour.  My expectations for touring are as follows:  “Books us a gig every night and we will be the happiest band in the world”!

A.  Chris B.:  I always like to start a tour with an open mind and not compare it to any other experiences with other projects, good or bad.  I know it will be hard work in order to deliver the caliber of performance that our audiences appreciate, show after show.  I am curious and excited to see how our music is received by different audiences, in different places!

A.  Chris D.:  I think this is a band that needs and loves to play live.  We are a band meant to be on the road and to bring our music to the people.  Our CD is only a fraction of the energy and sound of an AutoViolet live performance, and I believe our songs are best experienced in person.  I hope to be touring for as long as possible with as many shows as possible.  I know that we will benefit a great deal from the focus of being immersed in the music we have created.

A.  Brent David:  The words "mobile" and "nomad" come to mind, but in a very good way.  We are prepared to play live and tour.  When you commit to developing a band it usually keeps you rooted in one place for a while.  But to be a “musician” to me means travel is a mandatory part of the job, and I can say all four members of this band have a great desire to get out there and tour.  Myself, I feel that this is going to be a grand adventure and we’re ready!