Our Lady Peace – Interview[2000]

Our lady peace
Interview
Jeremy – drums

Heard the schedule is pretty hectic.

It’s been crazy man, but we’re getting through it.

How have the shows been going?

They’ve been amazing.

Have the crowds been more than you ever expected?

Yeah, they’re getting bigger and they are singing along to every song. It’s awesome.

Being originally from Buffalo and knowing about most Canadian bands and of course Our Lady Peace since your first record, I take it for granted, but I know some people never even heard of you guys. How weird is that feeling five records later?

That kind of happens with every record. Gravity is getting a lot more success so it’s turning a lot more people onto us and there are those who never heard of us before. So its all part of it.

The record before, Spiritual Machines, seemed to have you guys going into a new direction, this record seems to go the complete opposite. Was there a reason, or did you just go with what worked and Gravity is the final result?

Well being with Bob [Rock, Producer] we were really writing the songs while we were in the studio. The songs or skeletal ideas were there and then we could also build on that in the studio and then we’d really just record it live off the floor.

I read some fans on the ClumsyCongress.com message board complaining that the album was too straightforward. I find it silly, what do you think of the complaining of so-called diehard fans?

The album is really a result of us playing in a room together. You can’t expect everyone to love it, but I think more people who love and that is amazing. For those who think it’s too simple then I guess that is their problem.

I can’t shake the songs still to this day. I mean “Innocent” is one of those songs that sticks with you.

Thanks, and I think we really made a strong record and that is what really matters in the end. We can’t really worry about what other people think, that goes for the people who never liked us or who don’t like Gravity.

How long did it take to record Gravity?

Ten weeks, which is really quick for us.

At the end of ten weeks were you like ‘wow, we’re done?’

Actually we were all surprised.

Was it live recording?

A lot of the songs we were, like “Bring Back The Sun” was recorded live on the floor with vocals and everything. We finished that in like two hours.

I know in Canada you have major diehard fans, as well as the bordering cities like Buffalo and Rochester, is the diehard fan base growing and can you see it happening?

I think it’s growing and has been growing. Everyday, every time we play there are more people and that has been happening for the last seven years.

You have this sort of exposure, especially now, that a lot of bands back home would die for, do they ever call you up from friends who would say ‘hey, can we get together and tour?’ or something like that so they can absorb some of the exposure?

Yeah, but its hard for us to take a band. If there is a band that we like we can take them on tour, its happened before.

Is being on TRL on MTV a weird thing for you?

Are we on there?

Okay, maybe I’m jumping the gun. (We both laugh) But I know the video is getting played a lot more on MTV.

Yeah, and we’ve never been played much on MTV before. It’s always been a big thing in Canada so we’ve been used to that. There is a reason why we spend a lot of money on videos (Laughs); I mean we really want people to see them. To this point they haven’t really seen them on MTV.

Have you figured out what the next single will be?

People are saying “Innocent” a lot.

What are you bringing to tour with?

No videos, no real lights, just us and our gear. It’s a solid, but real basic show.

What do you bring on the bus to keep busy?

Xbox and movies. We also record.

Did any songs carry over from the previous tour to Gravity?

Raine is always recording. But I think it’s just the birthplace of a lot of ideas, just like soundcheck.

What is the preferred game on Xbox right now?

NFL Fever and FIFA.

What do you listen to?

I listen to a lot of hip-hop personally. Right now I’m really into the Eminem record to the Trail of Dead.

The last track on the Eminem record cracks me up every time I hear it.

I know, its great.

Is Summersault still open to continuing?

It didn’t end; we just didn’t really have the time this year. The only reason we did it in the past was because we got the right bands. Some day when we have the right bands again we’ll do it again.

+ charlie craine