Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Decoder Interview with Jack Burns (Guitarist)

Right now I am really hooked on this Rise Records artist, Decoder. After a little bit of reading, I found out that the group is practically a supergroup with drummer Brent Guistwite, formerly of Of Machines, guitarist Jack Burns, formerly of Oceana, Keith Jones, formerly of Oceana, Spencer Pearson, formerly of VersaEmerge, bassist Bryce Sipes and guitarist, Anthony Sepe, formerly of Chasing Thrill. I have been completely blown away by Decoder's unique sound, especially the perfect combination of Pearson's haunting vocals, Jones' perfect screams, and Burns' floating guitar riffs. You must check these guys out!
I had a chance to speak Decoder guitarist, Jack Burns, while on tour with Chiodos, Emarosa and Go Radio about their full-length record and future plans... 

Can you give a short summary of how the band came together, and the idea for the project came together?

Shortly after me and oceana ended ties it was around the same time as label mates of machines were coming to an end so I ask their drummer at the time Brent to jam and see if we could get something going. Shortly after we found keith (my original frontman, and spencer from versaemerge to do vocals ) then bryce and anthony came later on down the road.
Can you explain the process on how you guys arrived on your sound as a band, being guys that all can from fairly different bands/backgrounds?
I had a bunch of songs written and after jamming them and demoing them with our friend Drew Fulk we all had a pretty good idea of what parts of our band we wanted to emphasize on. And aside from that we were trying to not sound any thing like our previous bands.
How did you guys arrive on Rise Records? What attracted you guys to them?
Rise is simply the best. More then half the band has been signed by rise in the past and it is a great label to be on and they really believe in what we do.
What was the song writing process like for you guys? I heard that you basically had a two-three month window to get everything together....
Rough for sure. We had several songs written before we were set to record but most of which we were all unsure of. So we pretty much had a month to buckle down and write 8/9 songs for the record. and then we had a good deal of time in the studio which helped us work out the kinks.
How has the reaction of the album been so far?
Amazing, everything i've hoped for and more. The best thing ive heard is that it has touched people the way we intended it to.
What did you experience in writing together, that you hadn't experienced before in previous projects?
A vibe and flow like no other. We all can branch off each other so well and we always somehow maintain a positive working energy.
How was the overall recording process, how did it differ from previous experiences?
It was amazing, we were rushed but in a productive manner.We were pressured to do good and i feel the pressure helped. Brent killed it on drums which allowed a good time to sit and experiment with the guitars and still left a ton of time at the end to work on vocals. I would say overall a lot smoother, especially since we were so new as a band.
Recently you stated that people who come to you show can expect "a set that will really put a vibe in the room and make you feel a little un-easy, but completely satisfied after." Can you expand on that?
Our band is very Erie/drone-y and we play off that live, its very emotional and powerful and I feel the parts almost hit harder and have more of a soulful impact live making you want more and truly feel where we are coming from.
Who are some guys that you have looked up to in the past as far as stage presence goes?
Tim from underoath, Daniel from norma jean now underoath, Old as cities burn always hit heavy in the heart, Everytime I die. People that go out on the stage and give them self 100% to the music and enjoy it the whole way through.
Touring plans after this current tour? In March/April?
Short run to The Jamboree in Ohio, then waiting until May for a full us with some close friends of ours.
Perfect day, windows down, driving in your car what are you listening to?
Either, Kid Cudi, The Chariot, or the Chill/Downtempo Pandora station.

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