Acid Rain Entertainment Interview
Interview with Chris Conley
SAVES THE DAY
Interview date: October 30, 2003
Acid Rain Entertainment: Where do you see Saves the Day going in the next year or so?
Chris: We're going to continue to tour and try to get back to Japan, and get to Aus. and do another European tour. Do a few more tours in the US, and just see how many more fans we can win over with our music.
ARE: Are there any obstacles that you can see now that you feel might get in the way of the band becoming extremely successful?
Chris: We play music that, at this point in time, is a little bit different from everything else that's popular. I would say that our sound might hender our ability to blend in with all the other bands that are popular because we're more relaxed, and music right now is aggressive. We don't really have a place, but that's ok! (laughs)
ARE: How far do you want the commercial success to go?
Chris: I would love to be able to play music for every single person on the planet, but we wouldn't ever compromise our ideals to get there. We want to continue to play music as long as we're having fun with it, and if people naturally gravitate towards us, then that'd be great.
ARE: What do you hope to accomplish with the new album?
Chris: Before we recorded it, we wanted to capture the songs that we have as best as we could. Now that we've made a record that we're proud of, we want to continue playing, and try to gain more momentum, and pick up more fans.
ARE: What would you say is the greatest musical change, or difference, between your previous album, and your new album?
Chris: I would say is that this album is more harmonically intricate. It's more complicated melodically. The chords are a lot more complex.
ARE: Where do you feel your musical style as a band is headed?
Chris: I don't really know. We more follow the music, than we make it happen. We'll have to wait and see where the music takes us.
ARE: Which song on the new album stands out the most to you, or has the most significant meaning to you, and why?
Chris: I really love to play the last song on the album, Tomorrow's Too Late, there's something about the melody that really makes me feel the emotion of the song intensely when I sing it. I like the words, I love the chorus.
ARE: Since gaining success, do you ever find yourself trying to live up to the expectations of others instead of yourself?
Chris: No, I have never been able to let myself dwell on what other people are expecting from us because it winds up hendering our evolution. We have to play music that we love.
ARE: What's been your greatest musical accomplishment thus far?
Chris: I would say managing to be in a band that has fans and is able to tour constantly, and make albums.
ARE: What??s one misconception that people make about the band?
Chris: I think people read into the lyrics a lot, and the lyrics are entirely metaphorical. You can't take the lyrics literally. On the surface, the song seems like it could be about something else, but if you dig deeper into the song, you'll see it's really not about what you thought it was.
ARE: What unique quality or qualities do you feel you bring to the band?
Chris: I'm a pretty humble and shy fellow, and when I talk to kids at the shows every night, it's very easy to see that I'm no different than they are. I think when there's that kind of connection, I think that's pretty special. It's rare. There are a lot of bands out there that really believe they are something more special than their audience. I see it as the band and the audience are both part of the same energy. The band is making the music, but the audience is their connection to the music.
ARE: What??s one thing about yourself that everybody would be surprised to learn?
Chris: I think people would think it was interesting to know that I'm a homebody. I never ever go out, I'm very shy, and extremely socially awkward. I have social phobias.
ARE: If there was one song that you wish you had written, what song would it be, and why?
Chris: I really like the Beatles song, "I Will". It's really beautiful, I love that song.
ARE: If you could have only one off the wall item on your tour rider, what would it be?
Chris: A monkey (laughs) We desperatly want a monkey!
ARE: If you could ask anyone in the world one question, whom would you ask and what would you ask?
Chris: I would ask my father's mother what my dad was like as a little boy.
ARE: Who are some artists and/or bands that you hope to collaborate with in the future?
Chris: I really love the guys in AFI, they're really fun to hang out with, they're just great people. I also really like the guys in Hot Rod Circuit. There's so many bands that we've fallen in love with from tournig that it's hard to pick, but it'd be Bob from Hey Mercedes.
ARE: Who are some new bands that you're really getting in to and recommend checking out?
Chris: I really like Thrice. I think Thrice is one of the best out there right now, in terms of the newer music. They're not new, they're a very established band, but I also think that Hot Rod Circuit is an undiscovered pot of gold.