TAI INTERVIEW: part 1.
First part of the TAI/Mike interview I have typed up. The part in parenthesis is for all of the TAI Livejournal people... ;)
Click here--->
(( Danielle: I am covering a couple of bands on the Honda Civic Tour, and I happen to be a big fan of The Academy Is... and I am a part of the livejournal community, so what I did is ask the people on there to send me questions that they wanted to see asked. I had a ton of replies so I am going to try an ask as many as possible.
Mike: Oh cool! ))
Danielle: The first album 'Almost Here' was written by you and William alone, how was the writing process different for you writing 'Santi' seeing as the whole band was a part of the process?
Mike: The first album was written while William and I were living together, and the band was sort of secondary to our writing. On Santi, we were so used to touring together... The bond that myself, William and Butcher developed was so important and then I knew Michael for about a year before, and we always sort of had a good understanding of music. So once Michael came to Chicago and we all started writing together... It was just a different way of doing it. For me, it's a lot more enjoyable, because you're living the songs, and now we're touring and we can go "Oh remember when we wrote this song together?" so it makes it a bit more of a comradery. I prefer it this way.
Danielle: Some people have mentioned that the lyrics on the new record are a little less relatable than they were on Almost Here. Are the lyrics more personal for you guys and/or William on Santi? Whats your take on that?
Mike: Obviously I am going to answer the question in a roundabout because its not exactly "my bag" you know what I mean? But what I can tell you is that a lot of the lyrics are really personal to him. And when I read through them for the first time, I knew exactly what he was talking about, or the situations in his life. So that being said, they mean a lot to me because I know him so well. But...
Danielle: For someone who doesn't know him, and they read these lyrics and are thinking "Man I really wonder what this is about?"....
Mike: Yeah, I am sure there are specific examples too... Do you have examples?
Danielle: No, not really. I just think some fans tend to think the lyrics are a lot more personal this time around.
Mike: Yeah, definitely. I think just as we progress and mature as people, your desires and needs are sort of different. For me, its all very relative and natural. It's hard because I remember writing Almost Here and being in that state of mind. Then touring and getting into Santi writing. It was like baby steps because I was there for every second of it. So, its hard for to "A and B" both records with a listener ear.
Danielle: Right.
Mike: I mean, I am on the same boat when I am listening to bands I love.. You know how they change. I will tell you one thought, the thing we're not afraid of... We didn't want to repeat Almost Here again. And that wasn't very talked about, but I know everyone was thinking it.
Danielle: What is your favorite song off of Santi?
Mike: (with no hesitation at all) Seed.
Danielle: You had that answer before I even finished asking.. Why is that your favorite?
.....more to come. Tomorrow afternoon. Stay tuned.
And now for some photos.
--DanielleHeffron@musiqtone.com
xthemusiclivesx on aim
Click here--->
(( Danielle: I am covering a couple of bands on the Honda Civic Tour, and I happen to be a big fan of The Academy Is... and I am a part of the livejournal community, so what I did is ask the people on there to send me questions that they wanted to see asked. I had a ton of replies so I am going to try an ask as many as possible.
Mike: Oh cool! ))
Danielle: The first album 'Almost Here' was written by you and William alone, how was the writing process different for you writing 'Santi' seeing as the whole band was a part of the process?
Mike: The first album was written while William and I were living together, and the band was sort of secondary to our writing. On Santi, we were so used to touring together... The bond that myself, William and Butcher developed was so important and then I knew Michael for about a year before, and we always sort of had a good understanding of music. So once Michael came to Chicago and we all started writing together... It was just a different way of doing it. For me, it's a lot more enjoyable, because you're living the songs, and now we're touring and we can go "Oh remember when we wrote this song together?" so it makes it a bit more of a comradery. I prefer it this way.
Danielle: Some people have mentioned that the lyrics on the new record are a little less relatable than they were on Almost Here. Are the lyrics more personal for you guys and/or William on Santi? Whats your take on that?
Mike: Obviously I am going to answer the question in a roundabout because its not exactly "my bag" you know what I mean? But what I can tell you is that a lot of the lyrics are really personal to him. And when I read through them for the first time, I knew exactly what he was talking about, or the situations in his life. So that being said, they mean a lot to me because I know him so well. But...
Danielle: For someone who doesn't know him, and they read these lyrics and are thinking "Man I really wonder what this is about?"....
Mike: Yeah, I am sure there are specific examples too... Do you have examples?
Danielle: No, not really. I just think some fans tend to think the lyrics are a lot more personal this time around.
Mike: Yeah, definitely. I think just as we progress and mature as people, your desires and needs are sort of different. For me, its all very relative and natural. It's hard because I remember writing Almost Here and being in that state of mind. Then touring and getting into Santi writing. It was like baby steps because I was there for every second of it. So, its hard for to "A and B" both records with a listener ear.
Danielle: Right.
Mike: I mean, I am on the same boat when I am listening to bands I love.. You know how they change. I will tell you one thought, the thing we're not afraid of... We didn't want to repeat Almost Here again. And that wasn't very talked about, but I know everyone was thinking it.
Danielle: What is your favorite song off of Santi?
Mike: (with no hesitation at all) Seed.
Danielle: You had that answer before I even finished asking.. Why is that your favorite?
.....more to come. Tomorrow afternoon. Stay tuned.
And now for some photos.
--DanielleHeffron@musiqtone.com
xthemusiclivesx on aim