Alesana Interview

SUBSTREAM INTERVIEW
1. Because the guitar and vocal duties are shared between three members, how does it affect the songwriting process?

The main vocal duties are shared by Dennis and myself, that has always been the primary vocal dynamic of our band. Jake and Shane offer options as far as harmonies and additional screams are concerned, specially in a live setting. They allow us the ability to pull of vocal overlaps, harmonies, and layered screaming. As far as songwriting goes, Patrick and I are the primary songwriters. We build the skeletons, take the songs through several drafts and then bring them to the group for additional instrumentation. I am excited to say that Jake co-wrote two of the songs on The Emptiness. Patrick and I then write the vocal melodies and scream patterns followed by Dennis and I writing the lyrics cooperatively. I must say that our writing style is part of the reasons I love playing in Alesana.

2. How are you guys handling the pressure of doing headline tours like the one you just did with From First To Last?

I don't ever look at touring as involving any pressure. All you can do is write your songs, build your records, and put them out there for people to hear. The reward is seeing the people at shows who are there to support the music. We always put every ounce of ourselves into our live show whether there are five people or five thousand people. If we get caught up in the pressure of headlining then we will lose focus on the reasons we play music and play shows.

3. You guys just finished recording and the new album is set out to be released in January. What was this process like compared to your other albums? The production?

This was by far the most rewarding record-making process of our career. We were extremely focused and had been building this story for over a year. It was always our dream to turn a record into a story, much like a movie or play. The songs are built to stand alone and also to play as pieces of the entire story. Each song is accompanied by a piece of sketch art representing the vision of our main character, The Artist, and the events he is seeing and experiencing. The record is accompanied by a short story written and edited by myself and co-written by Dennis and each song is a musical accompaniment to the eleven chapters of the story. We used two guest vocalists (my sister, Melissa Milke, who has sang on our previous records, and Adam Fisher of Fear Before The March of Flames) and also showcased a live string quartet featuring members of a local symphony in Portland, Oregon. Our entire heart and soul is on this record and we can not wait to share our adventure with our fans.

4. You have special guest vocals from Fear Before and even Shawn's sister. What's it like having a sibling involved in the creative process of your work?

It is very rewarding and exciting for me. I have been singing with my sister since we were little kids. She has always been a great performer of dance and honestly, she was the ham when we were growing up. I was always the shy one. She has supported me through every phase of my music, including back in the day when my songs were basically very sad attempts at Dave Matthews. I am very proud to say that her and I, along with our friend and Alesana bass player Shane Crump, have started a project called Tempting Paris. There should be some music online in the coming weeks and we would love if you would check it out.

5. You revealed that you guys were going to do Spanish versions of two songs off your new album. Which two songs are you going to use for your Spanish release?

We have actually decided to do only one song in Spanish and it will be "To Be Scared By An Owl." The ultimate reason for choosing this song is that our translator said this was the best choice for maintaining the integrity of the melody hooks and also for establishing the closest translation in terms of accuracy to the English lyrics.

6. What made you choose those songs?

(see above)

7. Who did the cover art for your new album?

An artist by the name of Patrick Perry. He is an amazing genius and we are blessed to have found him. He completely understood our vision and really helped bring our words to life through his sketches.

8. Shortly after releasing your new album, you have an upcoming US and European tour in the spring with A Skylit Drive. How did the tour come together?

We knew we wanted to do a full US and European headline tour in support of The Emptiness and having toured with them a good bit in the past, it seemed like the right fit. They are friends of ours and we are looking forward to traveling the world with them.

9. Boxers or briefs?

Boxer briefs, best of both worlds.