E: Ash... your band, A Burning Water, has just recently come out with their newest release. How was the recording process different this time around?
Ash: In short, we were a lot more dedicated this time around. The previous EPs, we settled in a lot of ways, due to time and money constraints, mainly. For the album, we spent two months recording it with only Christmas and New Year's Eve off. Matt R., who produced the album, was also flying up about a month before the actual recording to work on the songs themselves. We basically sat down with a pen and paper, plotting out making corrections to the songs, and [we] recorded countless demos. The overall main difference was that we literally pushed ourselves to get everything the best it could be--no settling.
E: Did you have any goals in mind while you wrote and recorded for the album?
Ash: We wanted to make an album different from what a lot of bands are doing. Not just make a copy of other albums, but stray away in some sense. Basically, an album where each track is as solid as the previous track.
E: Would you say that the new album is more an evolution of your original style, or something entirely new?
Ash: I would say, definitely an evolution of our old style... some may argue, something new. I think we got better at what we were trying to do in the previous EPs, and [we] found ourselves, musically.
E: How have you worked to get your name out onto the scene?
Ash: To us, it is important to sound good, but also, having a good live show represents our sound. We have been playing, on average, two to three shows a week, and [we] still have full time jobs and/or school. When we play bigger shows, we flyer literally everywhere to spread the name. I think our development in the scene has come from playing lots of shows, big or small, and helping out other bands.
E: How much of your life is dominated by the band?
Ash: I literally get up at 10:30AM to go to the post office and mail out albums to press and what not. If I'm lucky I get to bed by 2 to 3AM. I spend the majority of my day with booking, interviews, and decision making. Either playing a show, booking, practicing, or helping out with a show... somewhere in there I go to college.
E: How far into the future do you see yourself doing this?
Ash: I don't feel that there will be a time in my life when I am not doing something musically related. It's pretty much what I want to be doing. Same with the others. We don't want to work a
nine-to-five job we hate.
E: What do you think music truly is to you?
Ash: Music is everything, whether you know it or not. It's a part of everyone's life... we just hear it in different forms sometimes.
E: Well, thanks so much for sharing your thoughts.
Ash: Thank you. |
