Interview: Showbread
American rock band Showbread released their latest album 'Who Can Know It?' as a free download. As if that wasn't enough, they're also performing free shows on their tour. LTTM spoke to the band's lead singer Josh Dies to find out what it's all about.
For those who haven't heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got involved in making music?
My name is Josh Dies and I was invited to join a band my brother had started in 1997. We had no talent and no prospects at the time and five years later we were a full-time touring act and another two years after that we had signed with a very large record label.
Tell us a little bit about your new album 'Who Can Know It?' and what the inspiration behind it was?
Who Can Know It? was inspired by songwriters more than it was inspired by rock music. We wanted to write personal songs with a lot of experimental instrumentation, not another high-octane, power chord punk record. We hadn't "outgrown" our older approach, we just weren't at all interested in doing another album that way. This is the first record we spent months writing, not because it's incredibly complicated, but because we forced ourselves not to use any of our comfortable songwriting techniques. We always approach each record with the goal to make it our favorite record thus far regardless of what anyone else thinks, and so far we've honored that.
Which is your favorite track on the album and why?
Right now it might be 'The Prison Comes Undone' which is this sort of remorseful reflection on personal imperfection. The final minute and a half of the song gives me goosebumps every time.
Earlier this year you left your longtime home at Tooth And Nail Records and instead decided to partner with non-profit organization Come&Live! to release your new album as a free download. What made you want to do that?
One, there's no longer any reason - even for small bands like us - to depend on record labels. They're terminally ill. Two, We wanted to give this record away for free. We have something to say that we believe is important and had no interest in assigning a price to it.
Whilst a few bands have gone down the route of offering their albums for free, you've gone a step further and offered free entry to the dates on your tour. How are you going to survive financially?
That remains to be seen. This is our chance to "put our money where our mouths are" so to speak. We've been saying that our interest isn't in money and that we want to challenge ourselves to live generously, so we're going out on a limb a bit. We think good things are going to happen.
How would you describe your style of music and what are your influences?
We call ourselves Raw Rock (a genre of our own design) because we don't like sharing a genre with anyone and truth be told I'm not sure anyone wants us in their genre. The bands that have most consistently influenced us have been Refused, Misfits, Aerosmith, Nine Inch Nails, Flaming Lips, Nirvana... Not exactly a standard palette.
What's your song writing process?
I usually 'sketch' out a song and bring it into the group for further development and/or completion. Everyone openly offers ideas and no part or line is off the discussion table. It's a process that's frustrated people who have had brief stints in the band; knowing their part can be 'voted out'.
What advice would you give to any aspiring bands out there?
Write and play exactly what you want to hear. Don't make music or art for an audience, be your own audience and let anyone else love it or hate. We already have millions of people catering to trends and business models, I'm not sure we need anyone.
You're stuck on an island, it's hot, you only have enough battery life left to listen to one song on your mp3 player. What track is it?
I'd cut my hand, put a bloody palm-print on the iPod and call it Wilson. I'd never listen to that last song.
What does the next year hold for Showbread?
Free shows, lots of touring and lots of Chipotle burritos.
Find out more about Showbread at www.showbread.net
