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10 Questions with ... Remedy Drive
September 15, 2008
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NAME:Remedy DriveTITLE:Daylight Is Coming
Line-up:
David Zach (vocals, keys, guitar)
Paul Zach (vocals, guitar)
Daniel Zach (drums)
Phillip Zach (bass, vocals)Label:
Word RecordsDiscography:
Daylight Is Coming (2008)1) Introduce the members of the band using personality traits and musical backgrounds.
Dan: Phil plays the bass and is very personable and artistic so he has a hard time meeting deadlines.
Paul: Phil is also good at any game invented.
Dan: Paul is fun loving, plays the guitar and likes to organize games and challenges in downtime.
Paul: Dan plays the drums and is solid like the kick drum.
David: Dan does not like to speak about hypothetical situations or give his "gut" feeling on a topic. He likes to think it out before he says it.
Dan: David plays the piano and has a tenacious personality.
2) What's the story behind the first radio single "Daylight"?
David: "Daylight" is a song about holding out for hope when it seems like everything is falling apart, when the brightest stars are falling down. I see the world in a mess right now just like so many lives are in a mess at times. I don't have the answer for why things are going wrong -- why there are fires on the West Coast, floods in Iowa or hurricanes and viruses destroying lives. But I know there is going to come a day when everything is made right. It's easy to sound trite in saying so, but I don't know what else to say sometimes other than "hold on." The day is going to break. Lights will make the night burn out. Sometimes when someone brings this message to me it is a source of strength in a hard time. And that's what I hope "Daylight" is to people going through rough times -- a source of strength.
3) What message do you hope is conveyed on the new album "Daylight Is Coming"?
David: I hope the new album brings hope. Not hope in stuff made out of plastic or metal, or hope in rock music or politics, but hope in a kingdom made to last, a kingdom that doesn't run on foreign oil. Hope in the economy of grace that doesn't go into recession. Hopefully this album reminds people that hope is not giving up; hope digs through the rubble of broken dreams. Hopefully it reminds listeners that they are valuable and that no failure can keep us out of what the King has planned for us.
4) Is it really a good idea to work with your brothers? Do you think you have better luck than bands working with friends/strangers?
Paul: It's great in some ways and really hard in other ways. We can be really honest with each other since we've known each other our whole lives.
David: Regardless on any headaches created by being brothers -- the good outweighs the bad. But to answer the question -- it's not a good idea to work with your brothers, but neither is quitting college, high school or potential careers in other fields to play rock music for a living. Nor is it a good idea to attack an army of thousands with only 300 men like Gideon did; nor is it a good idea to try to walk on water like Peter, or to try and kill a giant with a slingshot like my namesake, or lead half a million people across a desert like Moses. I think we're just supposed to do what we're called to do. Good idea or not.
5) As you were in the studio recording, did you have an "ah-ha" moment when you thought, "Now we have a record -- and this is good!"?
Philip: I realized we were making our best record the night before we went into the studio. We played the whole thing through in tobyMac's studio with our producer, and we made some last minute revisions and changes, but it felt like a record instead of a collection of songs.
David: There were a couple times in the studio when Ian [Eskelin, producer] brought a new vocal part to the table, and we'd hear the counter melody when I realized, "We're working with a pro here and this is going to sound great."
Paul: When we heard the mix down for our first song, I couldn't believe how full it sounded.
Daniel: No. I was not in the studio most of the time. I was home waiting for my son to be born.
David: You did play the drums though.
Daniel: Yes. Ben the drum guy was great to work with because he was a drummer and his opinion came from a drummer's perspective. It was easy to take his suggestions for this reason.
David: I learned a lot watching Ian work because he leaned on the people working with him in every stage of the recording -- from Ben in the drum room, Aaron engineering and then JR McNealy as well.
Daniel: When I heard the record mixed for the first time, I remember being excited about the way the drums sounded. My wife loved the tones -- that's always a good indicator for me. Even at times when I disagreed about a drum sound here or there, it was easy to trust Ian and JR because of their reputation.
David: As an indie band we experienced a learning curve and had to begin to trust people who are experts in their field. Ian was a perfect fit for us because he was so flexible and precise at the same time. He was less dialed into turning knobs, so he opened himself up to oversee everything creative from a big picture perspective.
6) What's your favorite song to perform live?
Paul: I love playing "Daylight." It has an energy to it that seems different than a lot of the other ones.
David: "Daylight"
Daniel: "Daylight"
Phil: "Daylight"
7) As you leave the stage, what do you hope the audience takes home with them, other than a CD or t-shirt?
Philip: We work pretty hard to make the show an interactive experience. Hopefully people don't leave feeling like they saw something amazing. I want them to feel like they were part of something amazing that they can't wait to share with those they really care about.
David: I would also like to say that I think a rock concert can act like a defibrillator -- something to jump-start a heart that has lost its inspiration. I would like to generate traction and momentum for the kingdom at a rock show. I feel like we're succeeding if people walk away from a Remedy Drive show with a feeling of excitement about learning what it means to keep watch for the dawn. We hope our show inspires them to begin living for something bigger than rock and roll -- something more real than our plastic paradise, something more permanent then the fabricated pseudo perfection of suburban dreams -- more than a career, success or accomplishment. But if people walk away with the desire to live for something else, the purpose of the universe, then I think we're doing our job right.
8) Have you done many radio visits thus far? Any interesting stories from those visits?
Paul: It was fun hearing our song from the studio live. I've actually only heard our song at studios or on the Internet. I'm waiting for the day that I hear it in my car or something.
David: It's not a very natural thing -- sitting in a studio with headphones and talking to a guy over the air. One guy told us about a guy that actually walked into a station in Colorado to request the song rather than call in. I would like to meet that fan. Very devoted.
9) Do you have much time to check out other artists' music? What are you listening to right now?
Philip: Ratatat, Bloc Party, Muse, Mew, Children 18:3, Death Cab, Jimmy Eat World
Paul: I get a lot of time when I'm driving to check out new and old music. I go to the library before every tour and check out a bunch of CDs. A few of my recent favorites have been Children 18:3, Michael Jackson (Best of) and Death Cab for Cutie ("Narrow Stairs").
David: Needtobreathe, Children 18:3
Daniel: Jimmy Eat World, Pearl Jam
10) I hear that you have a certain liking for the Blue Man Groups; have you ever considered painting yourselves a random color?
David: I like those guys more for their creative ideas on stage.
Bonus Questions
1) Who would be a dream artist to record with?
Philip: Probably the piano player or guitarist for Muse
David: Jon Foreman
Paul: Mozart. Good songwriter.
2) Favorite city to visit
David: Chicago
Daniel: San Diego
Paul: New York City
Philip: Anywhere in CO that I can get out to hike and climb. I'd probably like to go to New York City, though. I've never been.
3) Do you have any musical guilty pleasures?
Daniel: Sarah McLachlan
David: Avril Lavigne
Paul: Sheryl Crow
4) Favorite book that you've read recently?
David: "The Weight of Glory" by C.S. Lewis
Daniel: "Black Coffee" by Agatha Christie
Paul: "Kite Runner"
Philip: "Brief History of Time" by Stephen Hawking
5) If you could join any other band (past or present), which one would you join?
Daniel: The Allman Brothers
David: I'd like to take over for Edge on guitar for U2-- because of the delay pedal.
Paul: Drummer for Red Hot Chili Peppers
Philip: The Beatles from the start. Anyone but Ringo.
6) If you were stranded on a desert island, what three items would you want with you and why?
Daniel: Leatherman, matches, Bible
David: Piano, water purifier, a Kalashnikov rifle
Paul: A Frisbee gold disc, a pop machine, my toothbrush
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