The Still Interviews part 3
Part three of our interview was taken from transcripts and conversations over the phone in 2009. the Still had just begun laying down the first tracks of a conceptual project called "Hiding in the Eye".
This Interview was conducted with Dlas Scott for MX3 Magazine®, in person, Sept 11th, near Lake Calhoun in uptown Minneapolis,MN.-(jason stuart)
JS - So before this interview, I was doing some research and wound up on kind of a E-bender connecting all the dots from your early career to becoming "the Stillist".
Dlas - Becoming who you are, becoming who you want to see in yourself is a matter of choice but, without my cohorts and counterparts to see me, I sometimes have to stay here all day and work on other projects I've involved myself with.
JS - I was surprised by the range of musical styles and players of note that have been involved.
Dlas - I'm fortunate to have had the opportunities I've had and to be surrounded by such good friends and talented players.
JS - How has your music evolved since you first began songwriting up until now?
Dlas - Since the beginning almost all of the music that I've written I see visually and it's there that the story is told. There I see lyrics as sign posts or guides to points of view, in this way it keeps me invisible to the story unfolding from the vision. In my favorite stories as a reader, or as a listener, I'm made to believe I have a choice on which way to go. If theres an evolution it's in how to choose.
JS - It's been just over a year since we last spoke. The band had a few "wet ink" mixes but was still writing material. How has the project progressed since then?
Dlas - We've always had a blueprint or story arc to follow. From the beginning we knew we were going to record in several studio environments, using a number of different engineers. So we just let the sound dictate which songs to record and where.
JS - Why so many sessions?
Dlas - I wanted to keep the project moving. We've always been more productive when were on the move. It forces us to make decisions as a band, but the Still is in its own nature an unmoving timepiece, to glimpse this world I have to be an anti-time traveller.
JS - Are you looking for a time machine?
Dlas - I'm not looking for a time machine, I'm looking for a machine without time to take its place.
JS - How does this differ from previous Baron Lesh projects?
Dlas - I was younger for sure and our projects didn't have such a hinge on movement.
JS - How So?
Dlas - Lesh has always been a collaborated effort, having a producing or engineering partner in the studio keeps the creative process in focus and keeps the distractions out . In the Still the process takes much longer, I'm always forcing myself into separate spaces.
JS - How do you know where to draw to line?
Dlas - Not sure I do... part of me can't leave and part of me doesn't know I've arrived.
JS - I can see why you'd want to leave that to someone else. How did you choose the studio's?
Dlas - Lesh has always had label resources and studio interest, but the idea of losing any type of control, lead us to build our own production studio and kept us from signing with anyone. On the "Hiding in the Eye" project I wanted to completely hand off all responsibilities other than creative control. It seemed the perfect time to call in a few favors. To keep the project moving we would rehearse in different locations and we recorded the foundation tracks in three different studios. But the end result seemed to be a loss of continuity, loss of a bassist, and Watt's and my opinion differing greatly on the overall sound. Jeff wanting more of a echo type texture and myself wanting a cleaner sound. Once again we were overwhelmed with choices.
JS - So where does that leave the project?
Dlas - With the base tracks completed "Hiding in the Eye" has become a solitary venture. I knew from the beginning it could only be this way. Still in the end I'm running around wondering what happens now? I have to take a passive approach, otherwise, I can burn out here in the sticks.
Part three of our interview was taken from transcripts and conversations over the phone in 2009. the Still had just begun laying down the first tracks of a conceptual project called "Hiding in the Eye".
This Interview was conducted with Dlas Scott for MX3 Magazine®, in person, Sept 11th, near Lake Calhoun in uptown Minneapolis,MN.-(jason stuart)
JS - So before this interview, I was doing some research and wound up on kind of a E-bender connecting all the dots from your early career to becoming "the Stillist".
Dlas - Becoming who you are, becoming who you want to see in yourself is a matter of choice but, without my cohorts and counterparts to see me, I sometimes have to stay here all day and work on other projects I've involved myself with.
JS - I was surprised by the range of musical styles and players of note that have been involved.
Dlas - I'm fortunate to have had the opportunities I've had and to be surrounded by such good friends and talented players.
JS - How has your music evolved since you first began songwriting up until now?
Dlas - Since the beginning almost all of the music that I've written I see visually and it's there that the story is told. There I see lyrics as sign posts or guides to points of view, in this way it keeps me invisible to the story unfolding from the vision. In my favorite stories as a reader, or as a listener, I'm made to believe I have a choice on which way to go. If theres an evolution it's in how to choose.
JS - It's been just over a year since we last spoke. The band had a few "wet ink" mixes but was still writing material. How has the project progressed since then?
Dlas - We've always had a blueprint or story arc to follow. From the beginning we knew we were going to record in several studio environments, using a number of different engineers. So we just let the sound dictate which songs to record and where.
JS - Why so many sessions?
Dlas - I wanted to keep the project moving. We've always been more productive when were on the move. It forces us to make decisions as a band, but the Still is in its own nature an unmoving timepiece, to glimpse this world I have to be an anti-time traveller.
JS - Are you looking for a time machine?
Dlas - I'm not looking for a time machine, I'm looking for a machine without time to take its place.
JS - How does this differ from previous Baron Lesh projects?
Dlas - I was younger for sure and our projects didn't have such a hinge on movement.
JS - How So?
Dlas - Lesh has always been a collaborated effort, having a producing or engineering partner in the studio keeps the creative process in focus and keeps the distractions out . In the Still the process takes much longer, I'm always forcing myself into separate spaces.
JS - How do you know where to draw to line?
Dlas - Not sure I do... part of me can't leave and part of me doesn't know I've arrived.
JS - I can see why you'd want to leave that to someone else. How did you choose the studio's?
Dlas - Lesh has always had label resources and studio interest, but the idea of losing any type of control, lead us to build our own production studio and kept us from signing with anyone. On the "Hiding in the Eye" project I wanted to completely hand off all responsibilities other than creative control. It seemed the perfect time to call in a few favors. To keep the project moving we would rehearse in different locations and we recorded the foundation tracks in three different studios. But the end result seemed to be a loss of continuity, loss of a bassist, and Watt's and my opinion differing greatly on the overall sound. Jeff wanting more of a echo type texture and myself wanting a cleaner sound. Once again we were overwhelmed with choices.
JS - So where does that leave the project?
Dlas - With the base tracks completed "Hiding in the Eye" has become a solitary venture. I knew from the beginning it could only be this way. Still in the end I'm running around wondering what happens now? I have to take a passive approach, otherwise, I can burn out here in the sticks.
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