================================================ Subject: [ Creed Discuss ] Q&A from Alter Bridge From: "Lee Reed" To: discuss@creedlisters.com Date: Sun 06 Jun 2004 01:21:46 -0400 ================================================ I'm sure you've all read this by now, but i found it interesting... Lee >Question and Answer w/ Alter Bridge > >1) Question: >Was there a definitive moment in time when you knew Creed was over? > >Flip: >There were many definitive moments, but our tour of 2002 was a very long >year and ended on a low point for us. It just felt like it was time to move >on. After some time off we really just felt that it wasn’t working out. > >2) Question: >What were the circumstances? > >Mark and Flip: >We were just going different directions, he had a lot going on his life >personally and professionally and we just wanted to play music. After >taking a break it was apparent that Scott wanted to make a studio record >but not tour as much and we wanted to tour and get back to work. When we >got together to do the next record, it just wasn’t happening musically. >There was no progress being made so we just decided to part ways. There’s >no animosity there. We talked on the phone and wished each other good luck. > >3) Question: >Is there still a compilation album coming out? > >Flip: >We’ve been so busy, we haven’t thought about it but it’s supposedly in the >label’s plans to be out later this year. > >4) Question: >Being that it’s three of the founding members of Creed, what’s the >difference between this and it just being Creed with a new singer? > >Flip: >Although it’s still melodic rock, we’re more mature, and we’re better >musicians. It’s been 3 or 4 years since we worked on anything and we’ve >evolved as people as well so regardless of what happened, it would have >turned out different no matter what. > >5) Question: >When and how did you first meet Myles? > >Mark: >We toured with Myles when we were with Creed. Rick Krim from VH1 and our >manager Jeff Hanson are great friends. Rick suggested Myles to Jeff and >gave him the number. Jeff let us know Myles wasn’t with Mayfield Four >anymore so we called him. Hopefully the rest will be history! > >6) Question: >How did you come to the decision of getting back with Brian? > >Mark: >When Brian was with Creed there was always a groove he had that was perfect >for us. Brett is an amazing singer / songwriter and we still love him, so >that was tough, but Brian was so excited about playing bass that we had to >have him back. Brian hadn’t played with us in 4 years and when we jammed >with him he was so reinvigorated and that inspired us. When Brian left >Creed, we really missed him; he had always been a good friend. > >7) Question: >Describe the music. > >Mark: >It’s melody driven, 70’s style, rock. We feel like we have evolved a lot as >musicians so this album will be musically stronger than anything we’ve ever >done. The songs range from very heavy to very emotive. Although our overall >sound started as a little bit of a throwback to the seventies, it seems to >now be considered, by most of those who have heard it, as very >contemporary. > >8) Question: >Are the band and album spiritual? Did you try to go in a more secular >direction? How different will it be lyrically? The album is entitled ONE >DAY REMAINS – that seems spiritual. > >Flip: >It’s not super spiritual, but the band members are all spiritual. >Spirituality will always be a part of who we are but the album’s more about >life experiences. You can take from it what you will but it’s not an agenda >of ours. There was no difference in opinion between Tremonti and Stapp when >it came to the direction of Creed’s message. We’re not trying to be secular >or spiritual; we just want to express positivity in our lives. > >9) Question: >Doesn’t Myles have pretty big shoes to fill? > >Mark: >We’re not looking backwards, we’re looking forwards. We couldn’t have been >any happier to find someone that didn’t sound like just Stapp. Myles wrote >songs for Mayfield Four and those albums were great, they just didn’t get >the big push. Myles is a tenor and has an old school rock sound. He is an >amazing live performer and also adds the element of having a second guitar >player live. > >10) Question: >Was singing an option for Mark? > >Mark: >I tried; I just didn’t have the chops. I’ve never really wanted to be a >singer or a front man anyway. I don’t like to be the center of attention. >It’s great to have someone like Myles that can sing these songs with so >much emotion and he’ll be a perfect front man. He’s great live, he has an >amazing range, and he can high hit high notes like no one else. His low >register is amazing as well. > >11) Question: >What are some of Myles’ influences? > >Myles: >Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Bowie, Page and Plant, Jeff Buckley, Chris >Whitley. > >12) Question: >Are you shooting a video? > >Mark: >We’re supposed to shoot the video at the end of this month. The radio add >date is June 29, we’ll be shooting the video around the same time. The >album comes out August 10th. > >13) Question: >Where did you get the name of the band and the album? > >Mark: >Alter Bridge is a bridge in my hometown of Detroit. The locals look it at >as a dividing line between two very different areas. As a kid, I was told >not to go over the bridge. It symbolizes the unknown to me, not knowing >what’s on the other side. I feel like that’s where we are now in this band. > >14) Question: >What was Brian doing while he was gone? > >Brian: >I took some time to get my head straight. Leaving was a low point for me. >It had gotten to a point where Stapp and my personal differences created a >situation where we just couldn’t be on the same stage anymore. It got to a >point where it was unhealthy for the band and for me and I was >unceremoniously dismissed. Following that, there was a point where I didn’t >want to do music at all. After some time I built a studio, started another >band, and started some producing. Then I got the call from Mark and I was >just so excited to hear from him. We got together and jammed and just >hearing him play again was amazing. I’m so glad to be back, it’s like a >rebirth. > >15) Question: >Myles, what did you think when you got the music and is it like Creed? > >Myles: >Mark is just so talented. When I heard a demo of “Down To My Last”, I got >goose bumps. I could definitely hear myself singing the songs. It’s obvious >that there would be elements of Creed with Mark, Brian, and Flip simply >from being in the same band but it definitely has it’s own sound. > >16) Question: >How was it recorded? How was the process different? > >Mark and Flip: >We did the drums in an actual studio in Atlanta, which was the first time >we’ve ever done that, but we did the rest of the tracking the same way as >the three Creed albums, in a house. The main difference is that we are >working 24 hours a day. > >17) Question: >What’s the plan? Is Alter Bridge starting like a new band? > >Mark: >We’re obviously not touring arenas but we want to start out in places like >the House of Blues. We want to do it grass roots style again. We are going >out late in July to over 50 radio stations to play acoustically because we >aren’t taking anything for granted. The main objective is to just have fun >this time. If it doesn’t work out, we’ll move to the Keys and play in cover >bands. Hopefully we don’t have to worry about that because we have so many >loyal fans and we’re still surrounded by the loyal believers that were >there from Creed’s beginning. We are still represented by the original team >of Wind Up Records, JHMP, The Agency Group, and Whitfield & Johnson, and we >still plan on working with the same crew from the Weathered tour. > >18) Question: >Myles, are you ready for negative criticism if it comes from the Scott >Stapp fans? > >Myles: >Of course there will be comparisons, criticism, and people taking sides. >All I can do is be honest and do my best. They created a great legacy with >Creed, but I’m in Alter Bridge, and I hope the fans appreciate what we do >as well. > >19) Question: >Myles, is it difficult to sing when, the majority of the lyrics were >written by someone else? > >Myles: >It is, I guess it’s like being an actor. You have to try to become that >character. I often ask Mark where his head was at when he was writing so I >could get a sense of where he was coming from but most of the themes are >universal themes of loss and other life experiences that I can identify >with. > >20) Question: >Is anyone else contributing to the writing? > >Mark: >In this band, everyone is open to anything. There’s no writing behind >closed doors. Everyone in the band has contributed to this album, no one >was bossy, and in the end the songs became so much better because of it. > _________________________________________________________________ FREE pop-up blocking with the new MSN Toolbar – get it now! http://toolbar.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200415ave/direct/01/ _______________________________________________ Discuss mailing list Discuss@creedlisters.com http://lists.creedlisters.com/mailman/listinfo/discuss