It’s true… from time to time we get tired of writing all this stuff, so once in a great while, we might offer up someone else’s blather…

Baroness Intervew:

Editor’s note: On the verge of releasing their sophomore effort on Relapse Records and embarking on US Headlining Tour (with number of guests along the way including EARTHLESS, TORCHE, PIG DESTROYER, US CHRISTMAS, IRON AGE, and more), Baroness guitarist/vocalist/artist/jack-of-all trades John Baizley took some time out to speak with us about the Blue Record, touring, and the role of the artist in today’s ever-changing musical environment.

Describe Baroness’ songwriting style… is there a specific process you adhere to, or is it more organic?

We’ve always tried to allow the songs to come together as naturally as possible. We start with a direction, concept, or theme. We slowly add and develop instrumentation as the song takes shape; and we try to distance ourselves from too much high-falutin analysis until the song is close to being done. We need to get a gut level reaction before anything else. We are reactive players and limited musicians; we’ve been playing music together for so long now words are becoming less necessary, we try to keep the chit-chat to a minimum. Our best songs were written this way: less talk, more rock so-to-speak.

How and when do you approach vocals throughout the songs’ development?

As our band has gotten older, and we’ve spent more time considering composition, we have increasingly tried to accommodate more room for vocals. Since I am playing an instrument and I am not an especially gifted singer, there are strictures we’re faced with in terms of vocals and lyrics. Early in our career, we used vocals as the nasty instrument in our band, to add intensity accents to moments within the song. More recently, I have tried to to find the vocal middle ground between where I was 6-7 years ago and something more flexible and expressive. I am always working with my voice right at the edge of its capabilities.

Where do you pull your musical influences from, and do they inspire Baroness’ non-traditional song-structure?

More recently, my musical inspiration has been drawn most directly form the non-musical arts: literature, fine art, cinema, etc. Without sounding like I’m careening into pretense, we have been trying to sequence and approach our records like cinematic scores. This has more to do with flow and tenor than actual structure. I don’t think our song-structure is all that out there, at least not in my perspective. I both detest and admire remedial pop structure; so I’ve always resisted submitting to those rules. I think our songwriting is more classic in it format, perhaps a format that has been glazed over in recent years.

As a musician and visual artist, do you find any similarities between your approach to creating physical artwork and songwriting?

The visual and sonic arts are really the same at their core. Both are a type of communication, though different mediums. I apply much the same methodology when creating in both formats. Expression of ideas, themes or atmospheres start from the same place. I tend to start generally, and then refine and develop along a natural path until my message is defined. Creation is creation.

The Blue Record seems to incorporate reoccurring themes more so than your previous albums, was this a conscious decision, or just something that came about throughout the songwriting process?

As i mentioned earlier, I like to let themes develop at their own rate in their own way. Sometimes our albums have disparate themes and occasionally they become more focused, as with Blue Record. We aimed at writing something personal, and the most poignant and obvious themes in our lives ended up repeating themselves. As it turns out, we all had some very common experiences happening at similar times, with similar implications.

Describe how you feel the band has progressed stylistically or sonically since The Red Album…

Since Red Album’s release, we have toured extensively and we’ve all remained active listeners and students of music. We have progressed technically. We have grown sonically. I think the real development has been that we’ve been able to define ourselves more accurately within our music. We have tried to slough off some of the more external trappings of genre, style and influence in favor of a more private and idiosynchratic means of delivery. Whether or not we have achieved any of this has yet to be seen. Process is the most important focus of the band, not resolution.

You’ve just announced a headlining tour with a variety of bands… explain the prospect of playing alongside such diverse musical company.

We have diverse musical tastes. Simple as that. It is restricting for us and our audience to play with the same type of band over and over again. There are so many powerful bands playing unique music out there; its a treat for us to share the stage with all of them. If nothing else, the diverse talent of those bands will keep us on our toes.

Any particular bands you’d love to tour with, or are you open to playing alongside anyone/anyplace/anytime? (ie: Clutch’s mindset throughout their career)

We’ll continue tour with bands that exemplify strong musicianship, forward-thinking attitudes and boundary-pushing ideas. Ostensibly, we are open to anything, it just has to illustrate one of the aforementioned qualities. I am a lifelong music fan, and outwardly, I am stoked to see these bands every night.

Explain the amp configuration you guys utilize for live performances. Does it largely differ from your in-studio setup?

I use two amps onstage for my rig now. One is a 50-watt Bad Cat head attached to a 4 x 12 cabinet, which I use for my high gain sounds. The other is a 30-watt Bad Cat 2 x 12 combo amp. This is more for the clean sounds and boosts on stage. Its not too complicated, and using two heads allows for a little more onstage diversity. In the studio, all bets are off. I’ll make anything work. Recording Blue Record, we used everything form our typical rigs, to tiny, super-crappy amps with horribly unique sounds. everything but the kitchen sink so to speak. It would take all day to explain the gear we record with. Then there’s a massive pedal board filled with inexplicable effects. The whole system is constantly changing.

In the age of digital media overtaking the music industry, what role do you feel artwork plays? Do you think it will continue to be as important as in the past?

Artwork will always be important to bands visual identity. But those rules and standards are changing. I am not liable to be some old codger rattling on endlessly about the way things used to be. We have to be aware of changes in aesthetic the shift from physical to digital artwork. With that in mind, I will still be making art the same way I always have, painstakingly slowly and traditionally. There are still people out there who appreciate that. My job is to find a way to make what I do relevant in the face of change.

Do you have a preference as far as format goes (digital/cd/vinyl)? In addition, what do you think of Apple’s recent announcement of iTunes LP… is that something you could get behind?

I believe in the LP as the ultimate (if outdated) album art form. That is how I initially design everything I make for bands. I think most album artists would agree with me there. There is a certain beauty in the LPs physical size. I have no idea what the itunes LP is. it sounds like a gross misrepresentation of something beautiful.

At this point, you’ve done artwork for a number of bands outside of your own. Will this trend continue on into the foreseeable future? If so, (I’m going to assume the demand greatly exceeds the supply) what factors determine who you will or won’t do work for?

I have always had a policy of working with bands I respect, admire, love or have friendships with. Anyone I work with exemplifies one of these qualities. I love making album art, and I am not likely to abandon it soon.

Describe what the ultimate visual+musical package for Baroness would be…

It’s already in the works. We’ll all just have to wait and see.