A lot has happened in the SLIDE camp since we last interviewed them in Issue #3. Not only do they now have an album out, but also new band members and some live shows to top it all off. Oh, and maybe a bit of that controversy they are known to have from time to time. So let’s catch up with what has been going on and what the future holds…
So, first off – what are you feelings on the CD? How does it feel to get it out in the wild?
We are very proud of Auto Tune Massacre. We feel like it was worth the amount of time & effort we put into it. Whenever you set out to write and record an album you aren’t always guaranteed you will be happy with the end result. We feel we got the packaging, arrangements and tracking done right and that our mix engineer, Billy Stevens, was able to put the final touches on the album in a way that gave us the edge we were looking for. We feel the music is current and the message is relevant to what is going on in the world today. In our minds that is a winning combination. It feels great to finally have the product out there and in the hands of the public.
There was a long period of time between the initial announcement of the new album and the actual release date. Was that due to busy lives or was there another reason behind it?
First, SLIDE went through some lineup changes. Halfway through recording the album James Preston and Mike Baker decided to bring a new guitar player on board to help re-write the songs to be more guitar driven and then decided to add an actual bass player (instead of using synth driven bass). They wanted to bring someone in who could not only play their instrument well, but also had the right temperament and could work well in the context of a four piece band. Chris Berry was the first to come on board to help with guitar and then later Jeff Lantry was added on bass. The other reason there was such a gap between the announcement and the release date was that we wanted to give ourselves enough time to make sure we were able to finish recording, mixing, pressing and preparing the CD for distribution before the release date hit. We have seen many artists over the years announce a release date and then have to keep moving it back – we didn’t want to do that to our fans. And last, we wanted to be sure we were ready to support the album by having a great live show ready to go.
Some of the previously released songs had upgraded version on the album. Was that a conscious decision or natural progression?
This was not a pre-planned part of the process. We spent a good deal of time and money recording and mastering those initial versions of the songs fully intending to release them as part of the final album. However, as we moved along in the writing and recording process we found that we wanted to move towards a more organic alternative rock sound and back away from the electronic realm. It was during this period that we brought Chris Berry on board for guitar and began reworking the songs to fit the harder edge model we were looking for. It just felt better to us. We also discovered that after we added Jeff Lantry on bass and began to rehearse the songs as a band that each song evolved and took on a new life of its own. Of course, this lead to re-recording the songs which took more time and so on … a record company’s budget nightmare for sure. Some listeners have asked us if we will ever release the “first versions” of the upgraded tracks in the future and the answer is yes, we will at some point.
Any plans to do another promo video? Any chance we’ll see an actual auto tune machine get massacred?
We did put together a 7½ minute montage video to support the release of ATM. People can check it out on our website at slidemusicgroup.com. And, we just recently connected with a new video production company to film an all new concept video based on our song Political Zombie. Should be a lot of fun so stay tuned! We love your idea of massacring an auto-tune machine in the new video. You don’t happen to have a sledge hammer we can borrow do you?
I identified with Political Zombie, just because I get so tired of people blindly following what their “candidate” says without questioning. Was there a particular issue or event that inspired this song? Being based in California, do you think the “zombie-ism” is worse there than other places?
Political Zombie was inspired by a collective body of events that have unfolded over the years (in the political arena). Our favorite line in the song sums up what this song really is about “Too many people try telling me what to think, If you gave a damn you’d teach me how to think”. It’s really a song that says its more important to become a critical thinker then it is to become a “sell out” to a particular political ideology. It also is a song that takes a stand against “group think” mentality, which is disturbingly becoming more acceptable in the world today. “Group Think” is what Hitler tried to do with Germany and all the terrible things that occurred during the holocaust. Today, we see a modern version of “Group Think” taking place which is chipping away at our American freedoms. California tends to have its fair share of “Zombie-ism”, just because our state is so divided here in terms of liberal and conservative views. But, most would probably agree, the nation as a whole is currently divided. Not a good place to be at all. As Americans, we need to be more united then divided.
How did you connect with people like Mary McDonough and Mdavisto?
In 2009 when we began working on ideas for our first video (Dime Store Queer) the idea came up to include a cameo if possible. James has always been a big fan of the classic TV show The Walton’s so he set out to try and connect with Mary McDonough (who played Erin Walton in the series for all 9 seasons). He discovered that she lived locally to him in Orange County, CA. Mary loved the concept of an anti-bullying video and felt it would be very educational and graciously agreed to do a cameo for us. Since that time, James and Mary have become good friends and continue to stay in contact. Mary even recently attended our release party for Auto Tune Massacre. It was great to have her be a part of both the video and the release party. James connected with Mdavisto after hearing several remixes from his website. Being that he lives in South Africa we felt he would bring a unique, yet authentic, cultural perspective to his remixes for us. Mdavisto agreed to review some of our tracks and consider taking on the project (the first of which was a remix of January). After hearing our music he agreed to take on the project and the rest is history. We are very happy with his work and ended up having him remix three of our songs for the CD. He was wonderful to work with on so many levels. We would definitely work with him again in a heartbeat.
“Dime Store Queer” seemed to come out right before some big stories involving bullying. Have you had any feedback from bullying victims on that song?
The timing was really lucky on that one. The song is based on a true story and it just seemed like the right time to tell it. It also seems to resonate with everyone who hears it. So, naturally we thought it would be the right song for us to feature in a concept video form. We have had comments from LGBT anti-bullying organizations and they have expressed gratitude for tackling this tough issue. We have also sent the video out to people like Ellen to review when she was featuring anti-bullying music videos. We are hoping that many people will get the message of hope and triumph we built into both the song and the video.
Since some people can make knee-jerk reactions based on song titles alone, was there any concern that “Dime Store Queer” might actually be seen as an anti-gay song?
We knew from the very beginning that the title might come across as controversial but that is not why the song title bears that name. The song title actually holds a very special meaning and we felt it would be worth the risk to use it. We also understood that the word “Queer” may seem condescending to some but we hoped people would take time to listen to the song or watch the video and discover the powerful message behind the song title. Lyrically the song is quite clear that it is about someone regaining their strength and letting go of the victim role. It is about someone who has to exorcise the demons of his past, boldly embrace who he is and learn to be okay with it. At some point we must all move on and learn to stand up, be strong and show others what were made of. We are hoping that no mater if someone is gay, Goth or a Jesus freak they will find that they don’t have to wait until later in life to accept that being different from everyone else is okay. Bully’s come in all shapes and sizes. School yard bullies, political bullies, academic bullies, and even religious ones all have one thing in common; they are not comfortable in their own skin either. But the difference is that they have to pick on others they see as venerable to make themselves feel better. Bullies do what they do because they feel powerless themselves, and by degrading others, they begin to feel a false sense of power. We have had more than one person contact us saying that the title did scare them at first, but after listening to it they felt compelled to share their story with us. Further proof that neither SLIDE nor the song is being perceived as anti-gay is that we have just been selected to play the main stage at the 2012 San Diego Gay Pride Festival this July! If one of the biggest pride festivals around doesn’t think the song title is offensive or anti-gay than that really must be saying something.
What are ways that different parts of society – from schools and churches to individuals and parents – can do something about bullying? Sometimes it just seemed so ingrained that it is part of “growing up”.
Well we think that a lot is being done to educate kids and adults right now about the dangers of bullying. From the newly released movie “Bully” to movements like “Itgetsbeter.org” the anti-bully movement is in full swing. Schools are teaching anti-bullying curriculum, holding special assemblies and events, and new anti-bully laws are being passed as this very moment. Effectiveness of all this is really all about educating people about the effects of bullying and the negative consequences of doing nothing about it. We may not be able to change the bully’s mind but we can at least discourage the behavior or stop it all together by showing there are now consequences for such actions. here is no doubt that life is tough and is rarely ‘fare’ and yes, bullying has been a part of growing up in the past. But all that evil needs to succeed is for good people to do nothing about it.
So anyone listening to ATM would soon realize that you are not fans of some of the things that happen on Facebook. Do you think there is any good to modern technology like texting and social media, or is all of it causing more damage than good?
We are certainly not against texting and social media. SLIDE has its own website, Facebook and Twitter accounts. It is all about balance. Like everything else when things go to the extreme, and you depend too much on them, they can lead to unhealthy behaviors. Songs like faceless and ATM are addressing our waning ability as a society to communicate honestly and effectively with each other. Our digital devices are replacing real human relationships and interactions. Tactile stimulation is being replaced by digital manipulation. We are becoming so distracted our ability to pay attention and focus has been diminished. People cowering behind digital walls instead of engaging in healthy discussion and confrontation with one another. The concept of one on one relationship is being chipped away. Things that make us grow are being short circuited. So no, we don’t hate Facebook and SLIDE is not the band version of a modern day Luddite.
What are your thoughts on the current day music industry? Is it killing itself, changing, or just being taken over by the digital world?
Things are changing for sure and anyone that is not willing to change with the times will get left behind in the dust. The music industry may not kill itself but it has been severely crippled. There is no doubt that the digital age has been a double-edged sword for the music business while as a music consumer it has been all on the upside. The challenge the music industry (and we as artists) face in this new business model is two-fold. The first is that almost anyone can record a CD now and put it out there to the world. This causes the market to be oversaturated and cheapens the product as a whole. The second part is because digital music is so easy to copy and redistribute it has sucked the money (and subsequently the life) out of the music business to the point that it is almost impossible to find a label willing to take a chance on new acts. Thus the birth of the Indy movement. Record companies are forced to locate only the acts they know they can market and sell to the masses. This dilemma has even crossed over into radio play where you find only large broadcast companies making deals with labels and limiting air play to prearranged play lists only. On the positive side of the digital age bands can get airplay on streaming radio stations over the internet and hope to get discovered and are able to market their music to anyone in the world who is willing to listen with very little investment of their own.
How are the live shows turning out? How does the crowd react to the material?
So far we are pretty happy with the feedback we are receiving. We are certainly in the process of , learning what works and making adjustments as needed. The crowd reaction has been very supportive so far and we feel we are on the right path. It is always nice to get instant feedback from the crowds as we learn which songs end up resonating with them the most.
Did releasing the singles before the album help in any way (raising funds, growing fan base, etc.)? Would you recommend this route to other bands?
First, releasing the tracks helped us out by being able to get feedback on the direction we were going. This helped us in making our decision to go more organic instead of the electronic route. It also helped us mature our song writing skills. It did help us grow our fan base and helped us to find Chris and Jeff, who both became interested in the band by hearing these early release versions of the tracks. We think that bands should to do whatever works best for them. This just happened to work for us.
Now that the album is out, are there any thoughts of a follow-up? What does the future hold for SLIDE?
Absolutely. We have already begun writing for a 2nd album and even have a tentative title. However, we are keeping that secret for now since things are ever changing and evolving in the world of SLIDE. In the near future we plan on playing shows and festivals to support the release of ATM and to build our fan base. SLIDE is willing to play almost anywhere we are invited. Whether it be a Gay Pride Festival, a Hollywood Club, Cornerstone or Creation Festival, we do not segregate ourselves from anyone. We will be filming the concept video for “Political Zombie” in the very near future. We will also start posting videos of our live shows and special podcasts very soon. Stay Tuned!
You mention not discriminating between different groups, including some different Christian groups like Jesus freaks. I am wondering – have you had any response from Christian fans of your music? I know there is a spiritual dimension to SLIDE’s lyrics, but not as blatantly obvious as some Christians like. Have you had any feedback on that side of your music?
We have had responses from Christian fans. Some think SLIDE are the devils spawn, and others have applauded our current direction. We realize SLIDE isn’t for everyone. We can tell you SLIDE dearly holds a lot of spiritual values and will continue to do so. Just not in the way people expect us too. We believe in playing to the masses, not for just one body of people. Additionally, SLIDE is made up of 4 people, some who are believers, and others who are not. All four of us have a deep respect and love for each other, regardless of where they have been, or where they are headed (aka: unconditional love). However, we realize answering this question may have self-destructed our chances of playing Cornerstone or Creation Festival ever again!! But, we believe honesty is the best policy to live by, so there you have it. Wait,,, did someone just de-friend/de-fan us on our Facebook page because of the way we answered? (There’s a song on our album about that too called “Faceless”)
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