BAND: Silverchair
INTERVIEWER: Chris Hazel (chrish@bandvibe.com)
INTERVIEWEE: Chris Joannou of Silverchair
DATE OF INTERVIEW: 11.16.07
BAND MEMBERS:
Daniel Johns - Guitar/Vocals
Ben Gillies - Drums
Chris Joannou - Bass
Chris H: What is you name and what is your role in the band?
Chris J: My name is Chris and my role in the band is bass player.
Chris H: How has the US tour been going?
Chris J: It’s been awesome! We were out here earlier this year, we went back to do some shows in Europe, then some shows in Australia, and then we just got back and this is the third show of the tour. Well, I guess it’s just one continuing long tour.
Chris H: It has been nine years since you last played in San Diego, what’s it like to be back?
Chris J: We’ve all been looking forward to this tour, especially early on when we first came over. We are all happy that no one has forgotten us to be honest and people are coming to the shows. Even seeing some regular face we use to see at old show is really cool.
Chris H: How is every one treating you and every one in the States?
Chris J: Really cool and we travel with the same crew every where, but the fans have been have been awesome and we did a little radio show this after noon and met some people after that. Every one seams really happy that we are playing some shows again.
Chris H: What radio ration did you do the interview with?
Chris J: It was 91X.
Chris H: This is a reschedule show because Daniel lost his voice earlier in the US tour. Is every thing okay with his voice now?
Chris J: He had a bad case of laryngitis actually and it was just one of those things where you can’t pick when you are going to get sick. It just happened to be right at the start of that last run here in the States. We were going to come back to do those shows of course; it was just a matter of when and how? It turned out better because we were only coming back to do those four shows we blew out, but we’re coming back now and we’re doing five weeks worth of concerts so we added more shows.
Chris H: Have things been pretty successful here in the States?
Chris J: Yeah the response has been really good and we’re going to a lot of place we haven’t been to in I don’t know for how long? Playing in places like Salt Lake City, Phoenix, and Texas we just haven’t played in years so it will be great going back there.
Chris H: Silverchair just swept the ARIA (Australian Record Industry Association ) with 5 awards including one for best album of the year for your album Young Modern. What it’s like to win so many awards?
Chris J: It’s great to be recognized for the work we’ve done and we didn’t expect any thing like that it was pretty insane.
Chris H: How is the new album doing here on the charts?
Chris J: To be perfectly honest I don’t know. I think it’s doing okay (looks over to the tour manager) Jake?
Jake: Straight Lines is a top 20 on the rock and number two on VH.
Chris J: Straight Lines was doing well on iTunes for a while so I guess you can call it a hit.
Chris H: How are the fans reacting to the new album?
Chris J: It’s been a little mix up. Some people especially here in the States because our last album, Diorama didn’t really see the light of day as much as past records. I think some people missed the piece of that puzzle and see Young Modern as a dramatic leap. Then there are a lot of people that haven’t even been listening to the band before and all of a sudden like Silverchair. Overall, I think it’s a pretty good response.
Chris H: Do you ever get any back lash from some of the older fans?
Chris J: Some times but it’s like you can’t make music to please every one. You got to please your self first and make the music you really enjoy playing and hope people like. Silverchair is one of those bands where every record has been different from the last and in being that was you are always going to alienate some people but there’s not much that can be done about that.
Chris H: Do you see that as the progression of Silverchair and you are going to continue to change the sound?
Chris J: Yeah I think we’ve always made a conscience effort each record to try and do some thing different and pushing the boundaries in our song writing each time.
Chris H: What are the influences on Young Modern?
Chris J: Daniel was listening to a lot of T. Rex, David Bowie, and the Beatles and it’s pretty mix as you can hear from the record. We started in Australia and it was about a two year process all up. We hired a couple of little old houses out side of New Castle where we live in Hunter Valley. We just set up in the lounge room of these houses and just play music all day. It was a real organic way of doing things. Daniel had a pretty strong vision for the direction of the album. We even have a title before the album was done.
Chris H: Do feel that every one gets enough out put in the creative process of making an album?
Chris J: Yeah we are all very open in the studio or the houses or where ever we are. When some one has an idea we talk about and if it’s good, it’s good, and if it’s not, then it’s not.
Chris H: I had a fan tell me when they listen to Young Modern, it’s like watching a movie. Do you feel this to be true?
Chris J: Definitely I think through the string arrangements that Van Dyke Park does it adds some thing to what we are after and that helps gives the feeling of a movie.
Chris H: Will we see any of the orchestral parts of the album in the show tonight?
Chris J: Yeah we actually tour with two other key board players, Paul Mac and Adam Sofo. We’ve managed to take all the strings off the album and they play them on the key boards.
Chris H: What is it like touring and what do you do to kill time?
Chris J: There is a lot time to kill some times. Some times, there is either no time or heaps of time. A normal day is getting woken up to get off the bus, get into to the day rooms of the hotel, have a shower, have a little bit of promo, sound check, dinner, gig, and then back on the bus sleeping until the next day.
Chris H: What is the most negative thing about touring?
Chris J: Just the traveling bit is the most trying part. All the flying, driving, driving, and probably your liver just gets a little bit more of a beating. (laughs)
Chris H: What would you say is the most rewarding part of touring each day?
Chris J: The hour and half at the end of each day where you get to get up and perform and do what you’re actually on the road for, it’s cool. Yeah that’s definitely the most rewarding part.
Chris H: How important are the fans to Silverchair?
Chris J: They are very important and Silverchair has been very lucky in a sense. I think we’ve got some really loyal fans and we’ve had some pretty long breaks between records. It’s been great that they’ve hung in there with us and come on the journey.
Chris H: Do you ever try to meet or interact with the fans?
Chris J: If we do things at radio stations there is always a crowd there so we get out to say good day, or after the show if there are people in front of the bus we stop and have a chat. It’s amazing how many faces you recognize after a while.
Chris H: What is the biggest difference touring in the States vs. touring in Australia?
Chris J: The biggest one is probably that people are a little bit more familiar with us at home obviously, but other than that we are playing exactly the same show that we would back there and we not altering any thing just because we are here in the States. In terms of crowd wise, it’s been so unreal so we can’t complain about that.
Chris H: Are there any bands that that you are listening to right now that you would like your fans to get into?
Chris J: I can’t think of any thing at the moment. We were actually just talking the other day that we need to get some new music. We’ve just been listening to same stuff over and over. It’s kind of a bit of every thing.
Chris H: Any plans after the US tour?
Chris J: Yes we wrap up here about December 18th and head home then we have a bit of time off for Christmas. We have another small run of shows through January and February in Australia and then I think we are possibly coming out here in March or some thing, which is cool. I don’t think any thing has been confirmed as of yet but its all pencil at the moment so hopefully it turns to ink.
Chris H: Where do you see Silverchair in the future say ten years from now?
Chris J: I don’t, I guess hopefully making music together, touring, and enjoying it still.
Chris H: Can we expect to see Silverchair in San Diego sooner than nine years?
Chris J: Yeah, I would like to think that we won’t take that long to play places like that any more. That break was just some thing we all needed to do to step back from it all for a bit, do some thing different, and experience other things. I don’t think it will be another nine years.
Chris H: I heard Silverchair on the Love Line a couple of months ago. What was that whole experience like?
Chris J: We really enjoy it a lot and we’ve done Love Line a couple of times now and I think we are doing it again in a week or so. It’s probably one of the funnest radio interviews to do and it’s pretty random. There is just no level and it’s a different way of doing an interview.
Chris H: What’s it like giving all these strangers on the phone love advice on the air?
Chris J: I guess you can only give advice to a certain extent and then the Doc has to take over and give them the real truth. (big laughs all around)
Chris H: Is there one solid word of wisdom you could give to a band just getting started?
Chris J: The one thing I always say if you are into music and playing in a band, always make sure you are doing it for the right reason which is because you enjoy. Other wise if you are in it just for the successes and what not, if it comes well great, that’s awesome, but if it doesn’t at least you still have your music you enjoy playing. Other wise, you are just going to be disappointed.
Chris H: Is there any thing you would like to tell the fans of Bandvibe?
Chris J: Come down to some shows and get your self an album.
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http://chairpage.com
http://www.myspace.com/silverchair
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