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SoundStageReview Interview:
300 Seconds with: Maynard James Keenan…
By Shane Fenton
©2011 SoundStageReview InterMedia ™®
In this interview, I chat with none other than Maynard James Keenan, the voice and conscious of such bands as Tool, A Perfect Circle and Puscifer. We discuss the pitfalls of touring, the music industry, the long awaited Tool album and ofcourse… the beauty of wine!
SSR:
Greetings good Sir, How is The Perfect Circle tour going concurrently?
MJK:
Serendipitously, though the shows have been tough going I must admit. Musically, Perfect Circle has always been about pushing the envelope, I recollect after the first album and then the tour that followed, musically I might have pushed a little too far because that tour was very mentally exhausting. 10 years later and those songs are even more difficult to master, yeah… it's punishing, my throat is completely wasted!
SSR:
Do you find the pressure of touring has become easier over the years?
MJK:
No. if anything it has become more difficult. For myself, the music I create is a release, a way to work through and hopefully resolve pain or frustration I might be experiencing, having to recreate that emotional release each night can be mentally exhausting. As well is the natural progression of age, physically touring is an obnoxious activity though that 120min on stage eliminates the constant frustration of travel in a bus for hours on end.
SSR:
A question I have always wanted to ask you in particular? How do you deal with the pressure to continuously produce music that allows fans and yourself to evolve?
MJK:
I like to think music should be a journey and an embryonic one at that, the fact other people have travelled this journey in part hopefully reflects on my own growth as well was theirs. I am happy when someone finds a connection to my material but when it comes down to it, I write for myself. Sadly there are too many uneducated artists screaming their way into people's lives, the unfortunate thing is those screaming artists are also being controlled by emotionally underdeveloped individuals with next to little morality, only focused on making money and procuring influence.
SSR:
In one word, describe the new Puscifer Album: Conditions of my Parole?
MJK:
[laughter] EROGENOUS!!! [more laughter]
SSR:
Can you describe what a Puscifer tour will be like for the audience?
MJK:
It's hard to describe without seeing the show. It's more than just 4 guys jumping around on stage presenting songs. There's a lot more going on. I think it's just taken a while for us to have enough focus to put time into it and present what it is in the correct manner. There's a lot more to it and I think now is the time to present it. It makes more sense, because ten years ago, you couldn't possibly do some of the animation we've done for the band for on a decent budget. With the digital age, the costs have come down, you can record yourself really well, good and solid recordings, you can present films and animation that you've recorded and edited on your laptop. You couldn't even come close to doing that ten years ago.
Simply, the technology wasn't there and now with all the record labels and the industry basically failing overall, in the big picture, it's allowed more independent people to kind of sink their teeth into doing things on their own. Really getting back to what matters to them rather than being seduced by the big record deal or the idea of getting famous. Kind of getting back to what's really important, which is creating the art.
SSR:
On a somewhat completely different subject, how are your commodious Caduceus Vineyards progressing at the moment and what has been your greatest challenge with the vines cultivation this season?
MJK:
[laughter] "commodious" I have not heard that word for a long time, it a good word. Yes, the vines are busy constructing their silk complexity for a few more weeks, when I return from this tour I will punch the grapes down, press the skins and into barrels, it's taxing, but equally mesmerising. The worst problem is protecting the vines, the Arizona heat can be cruel, the snow is equally harmful and then there is the issue of animals eating them, everything wants to eat my vines.
SSR:
So what would be your best vine this season?
MJK:
The Sangiovese, it's incredible, it's a deeply complex Sicilian red, the flavours and colours are really kicking butt!
SSR:
With your obsession of fine wine making: Is this your natural progression after your music career comes to an end? Or will you be making wine until your final days?
MJK:
I think just as long as I'm drawing breath, I'll be creating in some way.
SSR:
So after you squeeze out all of this season's fruity nectar what is next?
MJK:
There will be a few meetings with my Tool counterparts in regards to the next 12 months and then I will be continuing the Puscifer project or tour for 5 weeks starting in early November.
SSR:
On that note, I think the question everyone wants to know, in regards to Tool, what is the studio timeline looking like and when is the new Tool Album considering a release date?
MJK:
You know that's two questions? [laughter] The plan currently is to immerse ourselves in the studio sometime in the summer, how long that takes is beyond my understanding currently, when it's done, it's done, such things take on a life of their own. A few months later the album will release worldwide and then a U.S./European tour will follow, though you know how devices can so easily change.
SSR:
Is there anything about the new Tool album you are willing to mention or is this one of my hopeful yet futile questions?
MJK:
I'm quite in favour of these questions actually, they are thought provoking, I can tell you I will be contributing to the album more than in previous recording, a majority of the songs will be shorter in length and there might be a special guest, other than that, nothing to mention.
SSR:
If that is your "nothing" I would be excited about your something.
MJK:
It is what it is!
My thanks to Maynard James Keenan for his time in this interview, below are the (just released) Puscifer "Conditions of my parole" U.S. Tour Dates:
Nov 7 – Seattle
Nov 9 – Salt Lake City
Nov 10 – Denver
Nov 12 – St Louis
Nov 14 – Minneapolis
Nov 15 – Chicago
Nov 17 – Cleveland
Nov 18 – Toronto
Nov 19 – Detroit
Nov 22 – Boston
Nov 23 – Philadelphia
Nov 25 – New York
Nov 26 – Washington DC
Nov 27 – Charlotte
Nov 29 – Knoxville
Nov 30 – Atlanta
Dec 6 – Los Angeles
Dec 9 – Las Vegas
Dec 11 – Phoenix
©2011 SoundStageReview InterMedia ™®
©2011 Eucharist Media Publishing ™®
300 Seconds with: Maynard James Keenan…
By Shane Fenton
©2011 SoundStageReview InterMedia ™®
In this interview, I chat with none other than Maynard James Keenan, the voice and conscious of such bands as Tool, A Perfect Circle and Puscifer. We discuss the pitfalls of touring, the music industry, the long awaited Tool album and ofcourse… the beauty of wine!
SSR:
Greetings good Sir, How is The Perfect Circle tour going concurrently?
MJK:
Serendipitously, though the shows have been tough going I must admit. Musically, Perfect Circle has always been about pushing the envelope, I recollect after the first album and then the tour that followed, musically I might have pushed a little too far because that tour was very mentally exhausting. 10 years later and those songs are even more difficult to master, yeah… it's punishing, my throat is completely wasted!
SSR:
Do you find the pressure of touring has become easier over the years?
MJK:
No. if anything it has become more difficult. For myself, the music I create is a release, a way to work through and hopefully resolve pain or frustration I might be experiencing, having to recreate that emotional release each night can be mentally exhausting. As well is the natural progression of age, physically touring is an obnoxious activity though that 120min on stage eliminates the constant frustration of travel in a bus for hours on end.
SSR:
A question I have always wanted to ask you in particular? How do you deal with the pressure to continuously produce music that allows fans and yourself to evolve?
MJK:
I like to think music should be a journey and an embryonic one at that, the fact other people have travelled this journey in part hopefully reflects on my own growth as well was theirs. I am happy when someone finds a connection to my material but when it comes down to it, I write for myself. Sadly there are too many uneducated artists screaming their way into people's lives, the unfortunate thing is those screaming artists are also being controlled by emotionally underdeveloped individuals with next to little morality, only focused on making money and procuring influence.
SSR:
In one word, describe the new Puscifer Album: Conditions of my Parole?
MJK:
[laughter] EROGENOUS!!! [more laughter]
SSR:
Can you describe what a Puscifer tour will be like for the audience?
MJK:
It's hard to describe without seeing the show. It's more than just 4 guys jumping around on stage presenting songs. There's a lot more going on. I think it's just taken a while for us to have enough focus to put time into it and present what it is in the correct manner. There's a lot more to it and I think now is the time to present it. It makes more sense, because ten years ago, you couldn't possibly do some of the animation we've done for the band for on a decent budget. With the digital age, the costs have come down, you can record yourself really well, good and solid recordings, you can present films and animation that you've recorded and edited on your laptop. You couldn't even come close to doing that ten years ago.
Simply, the technology wasn't there and now with all the record labels and the industry basically failing overall, in the big picture, it's allowed more independent people to kind of sink their teeth into doing things on their own. Really getting back to what matters to them rather than being seduced by the big record deal or the idea of getting famous. Kind of getting back to what's really important, which is creating the art.
SSR:
On a somewhat completely different subject, how are your commodious Caduceus Vineyards progressing at the moment and what has been your greatest challenge with the vines cultivation this season?
MJK:
[laughter] "commodious" I have not heard that word for a long time, it a good word. Yes, the vines are busy constructing their silk complexity for a few more weeks, when I return from this tour I will punch the grapes down, press the skins and into barrels, it's taxing, but equally mesmerising. The worst problem is protecting the vines, the Arizona heat can be cruel, the snow is equally harmful and then there is the issue of animals eating them, everything wants to eat my vines.
SSR:
So what would be your best vine this season?
MJK:
The Sangiovese, it's incredible, it's a deeply complex Sicilian red, the flavours and colours are really kicking butt!
SSR:
With your obsession of fine wine making: Is this your natural progression after your music career comes to an end? Or will you be making wine until your final days?
MJK:
I think just as long as I'm drawing breath, I'll be creating in some way.
SSR:
So after you squeeze out all of this season's fruity nectar what is next?
MJK:
There will be a few meetings with my Tool counterparts in regards to the next 12 months and then I will be continuing the Puscifer project or tour for 5 weeks starting in early November.
SSR:
On that note, I think the question everyone wants to know, in regards to Tool, what is the studio timeline looking like and when is the new Tool Album considering a release date?
MJK:
You know that's two questions? [laughter] The plan currently is to immerse ourselves in the studio sometime in the summer, how long that takes is beyond my understanding currently, when it's done, it's done, such things take on a life of their own. A few months later the album will release worldwide and then a U.S./European tour will follow, though you know how devices can so easily change.
SSR:
Is there anything about the new Tool album you are willing to mention or is this one of my hopeful yet futile questions?
MJK:
I'm quite in favour of these questions actually, they are thought provoking, I can tell you I will be contributing to the album more than in previous recording, a majority of the songs will be shorter in length and there might be a special guest, other than that, nothing to mention.
SSR:
If that is your "nothing" I would be excited about your something.
MJK:
It is what it is!
My thanks to Maynard James Keenan for his time in this interview, below are the (just released) Puscifer "Conditions of my parole" U.S. Tour Dates:
Nov 7 – Seattle
Nov 9 – Salt Lake City
Nov 10 – Denver
Nov 12 – St Louis
Nov 14 – Minneapolis
Nov 15 – Chicago
Nov 17 – Cleveland
Nov 18 – Toronto
Nov 19 – Detroit
Nov 22 – Boston
Nov 23 – Philadelphia
Nov 25 – New York
Nov 26 – Washington DC
Nov 27 – Charlotte
Nov 29 – Knoxville
Nov 30 – Atlanta
Dec 6 – Los Angeles
Dec 9 – Las Vegas
Dec 11 – Phoenix
©2011 SoundStageReview InterMedia ™®
©2011 Eucharist Media Publishing ™®
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This interview was fun to read 