Je commence cette news par quelques informations concernant les concerts européens.
Pour ceux qui vont au concert de Cologne : vous êtes apparemment plusieurs. Je vous propose donc de remplir un formulaire qui me permettra de réunir quelques infos pour permettre l’organisation d’une rencontre de fans français. Je transmettrai ensuite les infos recueillies à l’un d’entre vous ^^
REMPLIR LE FORMULAIRE : Cologne | Amsterdam
Ensuite, pour ceux qui, comme Clément et moi, vont au concert à Amsterdam, voici une info d’ordre financier. Le sujet a déjà été abordé dans les commentaires, mais je le précise ici. Ceux qui ont commandé leurs billets ont du remarqué qu’il était nécessaire de payer une adhésion de 3€50. Cependant, ce n’est pas très bien expliqué et certains (comme moi) n’ont pas payer cette adhésion. Mais il se trouve qu’elle est indispensable pour pouvoir entrer au Melkweg. Votre billet seul ne suffira pas. Donc, pour ceux qui n’ont pas acheter cette adhésion (Lidmaatschap Melkweg sur le site ticketmaster.nl), voici comment faire:
- Dans la barre de recherche, tapez « Lidmaatschap Melkweg ».
- Cherchez celle qui correspond au 24.02
- Suivez les instructions pour payer (encore !!)
Par contre, j’ignore s’il faut une adhésion par billet de concert. Par précaution, Clément et moi en avons pris une chacun…
Ensuite, j’ai ajouté 2 photos à la galerie du site. En effet, les garçons étaient hier au 2e jour des Grammys Awards, pour une interview. Les photos proviennent de WireImages et ont donc un énorme tag moche…
[ x02 ] 29.01.10 – The 52nd Annual GRAMMY Awards
J’ai également remplacer les photos promo de Smoke & Mirrors par des images de bien meilleure qualité ^^
Et pour finir, voici une nouvelle interview de Rick, parue sur le site CWG Magazine. Merci au forum BSides pour cet article ^^
Lifehouse – Rick Woolstenhulme, Jr.
January 28, 2010
Written By: Jim Markunas (Editor-In-Chief)Lifehouse has been one of my favorite bands since I was in high school. As a youngster, I heard “Hanging By A Moment” on Q101, and fell in love. As a grown-up, I realized that any Lifehouse album, in addition to being great to rock out to, is also great to mess around with girls to. Seriously, if you’ve never made out with a girl (or guy, if that’s your thing) to a Lifehouse album, you haven’t lived! Kind of like the bad-ass, motorcycle-riding outlaw that also sings and plays guitar for his ‘old lady,’ what makes Lifehouse great is their hard rock roots that are sweetly, candy-coated with pop softness. Also, Jason Wade has one of the best voices in rock music.
Jim: I’ll give you a million dollars if you can guess what my favorite Lifehouse album is.Rick: A million dollars? Let me guess.. You’re a rock guy, so… is it “Stanley Climbfall?”
Jim: Dammit! Now I owe you a million dollars. Do you take checks?
Rick: I didn’t think I would guess correctly!
Jim: I’m impressed. No one ever guesses “Stanley Climbfall.”
Rick: Yeah, It’s seen as the ’stepchild’ album of all our albums. We love that album, we were young and in a rock mindset.
Jim: That’s why I love it; it had the soft edge that you’re known for, but still ballsy at the same time.
Rick: Wow, thank you.
Jim: Speaking of albums, tell us about the new album coming out.
Rick: It’s called “Smoke & Mirrors,” we basically went from a two-and-a-half year touring cycle into the studio. We went right into studio with the energy from the road. We pride ourselves on being a band who plays their own instruments, and we wanted to bring the live energy into the album. The first track, “Smoke & Mirrors,” we came in live in the studio – it’s a “Petty-esq,” Americana track; perfect for driving. Crank it up and enjoy! We wanted to be in the ‘live vein’ on the album, and we’ve been lucky to have songs that have been big and have connected with fans and radio. We love the studio world and crafting songs; it’s an open canvas. We wanted to capture four guys playing, and make you feel you are with the band (when you listen to the record).
Jim: That’s what people forget – At eh end of the day, Lifehouse is a rock band!
Rick: True. I think we had to reel it back in; there is a track called “Nerve Damage” and you, being a “Stanley Climbfall” fan, I think will appreciate the track. It was cut live in a room; it’s a journey, it has a lot of nuts and bolts, and people are going to think, “Whoa, that’s crazy.”
Jim: I’m a purist and I refuse to listen to an album until it comes out and I can hear the whole thing. I haven’t heard the singles on the internet, or anything new because I want to hear the whole album in its entirety. I know it’s nerdy!
Rick: I like that style.
Jim: On “Who We Are,” what I loved is that you guys began to experiment. “No Name Face,” “Stanley Climbfall,” and “Self-titled” were pretty much straigh-forward, which isn’t a bad thing, but… your first three albums left me wondering, ‘How are they going to top that?’ “Who We Are” was a great surprise in that you guys started to experiment and explore new ideas… Like on the track 6, what was the name of that song?
Rick: Jeez… I don’t remember.
Jim: Hold on, let me Wikipedia it! Anyhow, will there be anything experimental on “Smoke & Mirrors?”
Rick: Definitely, there is more experimentation. Sonically, there are a few tracks, like “It Is What It Is,” and it’s different because the band comes in at the bridge, which is not normal. On a few tracks, I made loops by hand organically and chopped them up; it’s a different soundscape for the band. We didn’t want to cut an album in three months and put it out. We wanted to make something sonically that would be ear-candy; something where there are no skipable tracks.
Jim: “The Joke!” That was the song.
Rick: Wow! Yeah! “The Joke,” I remember that one. We did get a little experimental on that song.
Jim: That album (“Who We Are,”) the first five tracks were standard Lifehouse and then you took the rest of the record in a completely opposite direction.
Rick: Wow, yeah. “The Joke” came late in the process. It was a late night, and there it was – It had a circusy feel. Lyrically, it has a dark path, and musically it’s happy. The contrast between the two is cool.
Jim: You’re famous for the last minute songs, like “Hanging By A Moment.” I remember the story was that Jason came up with it at the last minute, and it became huge. “The hit that almost didn’t happen,” was what the press called it.
Rick: Actually, with this album, the track “Half Way Gone” was probably more towards the rear end of the album making process, kind of like “Hanging By A Moment.” Some tracks come out and have a driving energy, and it’s got all of the things that make everyone’s hair stand up. If we don’t get that feeling when we’re playing, then we know the audience will not get it. Sometimes, tracks come in the ninth inning and they become ‘the’ track.
Jim: Do you have a normal songwriting process? For instance, does Jason, or someone write a riff and bring it to the band, or is it more of a collaborative effort?
Rick: We do all of the above. Jason will write a song, and show up and play it, and we get to throw everything in the pot and sometimes. For example, there’s a track called “Wrecking Ball” – we starting jamming for a few days and we went to lunch, came back, and built the track and beats. On that track, Bryce sings the lead vocals and Jason sings harmony and background vocals. We also collaborated with our producer Jude Cole, and he’s a super-talented lyricist and songwriter. Chris Daughtry was a collaborator. It’s been good; collaborating leads you down different roads you would not go down otherwise. This record, and seeing everyone’s talent come together is great.
Jim: So, how does Lifehouse manage to keep it fresh after all these years?
Rick: I have no idea to be honest. I think the room doesn’t lie, and that’s always been a good test. If we’re playing and it’s not working, it’s obvious. We keep it fresh by not doing the same thing, we don’t think, ‘Let’s write something like the last song.’ There’s a lot of magic to keep it fresh, but I really don’t know the answer and excuses, and how I think it should be answered. We’re like pro-athletes; we want to win this thing. We spent too many years crafting and getting our game together. It’s fresh because we love what we do – getting in the room and performing. To be on stage, that’s the magic.
Jim: Now that the record industry is changing and becoming more democratic, how do you feel your relationship with the label is? It is still like that famous story, where they want another “Hanging By A Moment,” or do you feel you have creative freedom?
Rick: Our record label has been great! Our style is tight-knit family with our management, the band, producers – our record label listens to what we do and they are excited. We don’t feel pressure; we write honest music and our label is aware of that… and luckily we have been able to create our own thing.
Jim: Lifehouse has been a three-piece band for a long time. On Smoke & Mirrors, you guys picked up guitarist, Ben Carrey. Can you tell us a little bit about that?
Rick: Ben has been playing with us as long as Bryce, and we’ve gone through guitar players. Jason plays most of the guitars on the record and live , but we have to play with the idea that he cannot play every part all the time, and that he might want to run around on stage every once-in-a-while and just sing. To have all the parts, we needed another player, and it’s been great. Ben has put in his time, and it’s working out. Now, we’re a four piece band and it’s cool!
Jim: What I like about all Lifehouse records are that they’re guitar driven, and the parts are intricate. When you listen to them through headphones, you can hear different parts on either side.
Rick: Wow, you are a listener!
Jim: Oh yeah! With “Stanley Climbfall,” I used to listen to the album with headphones, and the guitar parts were insane. There was all sorts of things going on in both speakers. Jason really busted it out on that album, stylistically.
Rick: I love when you can’t tell if something is the guitar or another instrument. It’s like ear candy to me.
Jim: What are your tour plans for “Smoke & Mirrors?”
Rick: The tour plans start in March, and because there hasn’t been a press release yet, I can’t say much, but the tour will go for about 3-4 months and everything will be on the website.
Jim: How do you all balance having a family and touring?
Rick: It’s tough balancing everything and touring, but it’s not different how other people are balancing work and life- it’s not the same 9-5 as others, but you make it work and to do what you love, and to perform for the fans is great.
Jim: Anything else you want to add?
Rick: I’m good. I think we pretty much covered everything.
Jim: Well, thank you for the interview.
Rick: Thank you for the interview. Enjoy the rest of the day.
Note: February is “Love Month” on CWG Magazine, so look for reviews of all 5 Lifehouse albums in our “Top 101 Albums to Get Laid to” list, a live show review, and maybe an autographed CD giveaway, depending on how much Geffen still loves us after all these years.
