Saves the Day Interview
1.16.2008
(Published in Rag Magazine's April 2007 issue)
No matter what happens to them, Saves the Day always seems to make the most of it. After being bounced around from label to label and losing a beloved band member to cancer (just to name a few), the band always seems to make the most out of their misfortunes. With a new album entitled Under the Boards slated for a release in the fall, band members Chris Conley, David Soloway, Manuel Carrero, and the newly recruited Durijah Lang appear to be doing better than ever. After speaking with the band’s singer/songwriter, Chris Conley, it is obvious that they possess much different values and objectives than many other groups in the industry.
RAG: In your own words, how would you describe Saves the Day’s music?
Conley: We’re an upbeat band from
You are slated to release a new album called Under the Boards in fall. What can your fans expect from the album?
Conley: It’s somewhat of a departure from Sound the Alarm, but it’s still Saves the Day. It’s going to be the record that we want to make. We have about thirteen songs that we are really excited about right now. I think that our fans will enjoy them.
Conley: Not for this tour but we will have it some time in the future.
Tell me a little about this spring co-headlining tour with Say Anything. What should everyone expect?
Conley: It’s going to be a good time. I personally love Say Anything. We have a few rotating acts coming on and off of the tour such as The Almost, Deerhunter, and Manchester Orchestra.
They’re all such great bands.
Briefly explain how Saves the Day’s writing process works.
Conley: On most of the songs, they are born while I am playing acoustic guitar by myself. Then maybe I will throw together a couple parts and show a fragment of a song to the rest of the guys. If everyone likes it, we’ll try to flush it out from there. All of the songs definitely start with some kind of initial backbone and we slowly piece together the body.
You recorded your 2006 release Sound the Alarm in the band’s own studio dubbed ‘The Electric Ladybug.’ Tell me a little about that decision to do it yourselves and more about the studio itself? It seems like you achieved some really big sounds from the room.
Conley: Yea, we were really happy with the recording. The Electric Ladybug is just a way for us to record our music for free whenever we want. We will be recording our new album there this summer.
The single “At Your Funeral” obviously ignited a great deal of your initial success back in 2001. Did the success of the song come as a surprise to the band at all? Was it overwhelming?
Conley: I thought it was cool. It wasn’t that explosive, though. It was only somewhat of a minor hit on MTV2, you know? It did fair decently for the underground scene, but it wasn’t anything huge for us especially since the song got pulled right after 9/11. It was really just a brief glimpse of the “big time.” I am glad we were able to get out of it with our sanity in tact.
Who are some of your main influences as a band?
Conley: We look up to bands like Radiohead, Pearl Jam, and Dave Mathews Band because of the way they conduct themselves. They are very loyal to their fans and they’re not trying to succeed in the realm of the record industry, but rather trying to succeed by making great albums. That’s the way it should be.
At what age did you start playing music? Playing in a band?
Conley: I started playing music when I was six years old. I started playing cello. Then, I picked up guitar when I was thirteen. I started a band right away, and four years later we became Saves the Day.
What’s your favorite song to play live?
Conley: It changes! I have a handful of favorites. I really like singing all of them. Currently, though, I like to play “Sound the Alarm” and “Where are You?”
What has been your greatest accomplishment as a band?
Conley: Our greatest accomplishment is remaining true to ourselves and not conforming to standards of the music industry.
I heard about Pete Parada leaving the band recently. Who do you have coming in as a replacement?
Conley: We’re going to have Deraja from Glassjaw coming out with us for the tour. We are not sure about a permanent replacement yet. We’re going to take it slow.
What do you think of the current status of the music industry?
Conley: I think that the only positive aspect of the music industry is that it is so negative that it has to get better.
So, you don’t like anything about the industry?
Conley: I like the fact that the music industry has become so void of substance that most bands have to take their careers into their own hands and just directly stay in touch with their fans through the internet. I think that is the true relationship that coveys what music is all about. There never should have been any middlemen involved.
Conley: Yes. That’s why I started it. It’s more important for us to stay invested in our fans than to only be interested in succeeding in the industry. I’d much rather have our current believers stay with us than have a hit record. The fans are truly who I care about more than anything.
Posted byLogan Lenz at 15:04
Labels: Interview, Rag Magazine, Saves the Day
