Dead
Soul Tribe
Dead Soul Tribe are up
to another album, called “The January Tree” and Behind The Veil had the
chance to interview one more time the mastermind of the band, Devon Graves.
1.It’s almost been a month since your latest
release, the third album of Dead Soul Tribe called “The January Tree”.
What has changed in the band and you as a person since the last year I
had interviewed you for “Murder Of Crows”?
DG: I have been through a lot of changes.
Firstly I live in a bigger apparntment, that is closer to the center of
fhe city and costs me cheaper. I can spend more time with my family and
now I have a son. Last year when I had to take busses to get to the center
of the city, I was very tired I had to relax before doing everything but
now it's easier.
2.Musically speaking tell me with your own
words which are the musical changes on this album? Which are there any
new elements the fans must take notice of?
DG: Well actually I don't do a lot of changes
in my albums. I try to focus on a personal sound and add new elements around
it. That is also a meaning of the title of this album.
3. Is "January Tree" a concept album or not?
Can you tell me something about the cover artwork?
DG: Concept albums are albums like “The Wall”
Of Pink Floyd, “Operation Mindcrime” from Queensryche and even the majority
of King Diamond albums. “January Tree” is not a concept album from that
perpsective, I don’t tell you a story but it’s a result of the music from
Dead Soul Tribe. I see music as a seed that grows into a tree and that
tree has a lot of branches. It grows more and becomes bigger and bigger.
I am trying to find a formula to make music for Dead Soul Tribe and add
more elements to this formula. In Dead Soul Tribe I put my feelings
into songs, and I try to create the appropriate atmosphere for the listener.
Actually the concept of this album is on the cover. In the front you can
see a tree with dead leaves falling into the ground, each tree is a person
that is being held into something that is dying. You know, it’s very sad
when people have to grow up with some standards that you must be happy
if you have money to live, and we miss the meaning of life. You are forced
to feel happy only when you have money to buy a house, graduate from university
or when you get a promotion from you job. But the truth is that our feelings
are somewhere in the corner and we must learn to get them easier in the
surface be happy and feel happy. Then the tree will come alive.
4.How long did it take you for the songwriting
of January Tree and how much time did you spend in the studio?
DG: Usually it takes one year and a half to
complete an album, but this time I was very stressed, because I had to
be on Tour with the band and I didn’t have much time to make more experiments
with the sound. It all sounds fine on the studio but I was always behind
the schedule and I had to do the mixing three days before the beginning
of the “Murder Of Crows” tour. If I had more time, I would fix some rough
edges at the songs, maybe in a re-release of this album in the future.
5.Devon you were very busy during the last
year. Two double packs with the original albums from Psychotic Waltz, two
Dead Soul Tribe albums in less than a year... Do you think that you have
awakened the fans of Psychotic Waltz, Dead Soul tribe and Yours for good?
DG: Unfortunately, the re-releases of the
Psychotic Waltz albums were made from Metal Blade Records without asking
me. I don't forget my past as a member of Psychotic Waltz but I don't want
to be associated with Psychotic Waltz in whatever I make.
6.Did you enjoy playing here in Greece the
last time you visited us?
DG: Yes, it was really cool, although the
first time the place was not so good, and the sound was awful. I also played
awfully but people enjoyed it, except for one guy that did’t like the sound.
I played so terribly that night that I cannot blame him. The next year
was much better but people said that there was not the magic like the first
time, I don't have an answer for that. Maybe because the first Dead Soul
Tribe album was more closer to Psychotic Waltz and after the changes I
did on "The Murder Of Crows" maybe they were dissapointed.
7. Are you planning any live appearances? Will
we see you playing here?
DG: Certainly, we have scheduled two shows
for January or February 2005. It is not fixed yet but we will surely come
and play in Greece. It’’s one of my favorite audiences.
8.Which are your future plans after this release?
Are you working on the next Buddy Luckey album or the next Dead Soul Tribe
album?
DG: I don’t have something on mind for the
time but I am not going to do another Buddy Luckey album in the distant
future. When I was with Psychotic Waltz I wanted to advance as a solo carrier
as Buddy Luckey. Dead Soul Tribe is the next step for me, the next step
after my solo carrier. Making another Buddy Luckey album will be only for
the close people that like my sound on Psychotic Waltz, it’s a much smaller
audience and I don’t think that this will happen as long as I am with Dead
Soul Tribe.
9.Do you have some spare songs on the “chest”.
Some material that you haven't used in “January Tree”?
DG: Of course, but not whole songs, just some
melodies and ideas that I decide if they fit on each album that I make.
There were two songs in the January Tree, actually two melodies that later
on became songs that I didn’t want to include on this album but finally
I made them fit into “The January Tree”.
10.Finally, I have kept the psychological question
for dessert. Imagine you have a crystal ball that you could see the your
future and Dead Soul Tribe's in Colors. What colors are you seeing for
Devon Graves and Dead Soul Tribe?
DG: (laughs) well, Blue, Purple and Green.
Blue will be the sky Blue, the color, is so brightful that wakes up all
your happiness and Purple with Green because they were the first colors
that came up to my mind.
11.Devon, thank you very much for the interview,
I hope to see you playing here.
DG: We will be there, thank you too.
Costas “C.O.B.” Meidanis
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