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file under Hardrock/AOR
Sometimes is it really frustrating to not get the expected interview partner on the phone, but in this case I was pleasantly surprised to no hear guitarist Leo Leoni at the other side of the line as agreed, but vocalist Steve Lee. Because I already talked to Steve about a year ago due to the 'Made In Switzerland' release we kind of picked up where we left of back then.
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Text: Sjak
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About a year ago I had a chat with you and at that time you told me that 'Lipservice' from 2005 was something like a brand new start for the band with the new management and own record company. What were your intentions when starting to write new songs for this 'Domino Effect' album?
The intention was to just create a nice record which would be the logical follow-up album to 'Lipservice'. There was a great spirit in the band when we started to write the new songs, because we just had released a great live album and we've been having a great tour. In fact, there was not too much time to write the new songs, so when we got thrown into the studio there was a certain freshness there, almost like a live feeling. This certainly contributed to the quality of the new album
When did you in fact start with the preparations for the new album, right after 'Lipservice' or after releasing the live-album 'Made In Switzerland'?
We started with the preparations after finishing the tour, our last shows were in Brazil and Mexico. We had about six weeks of preparation time and in that period we wrote about fourteen to fifteen songs and those were all recorded. I think it was the middle of November that we finally hit the studio.
How did the song writing process take place and what did you want to achieve artistically with the new album?
Well, you make the best you can every time. Many bands go for a single and the rest of the album songs are fillers, but we try to go for quality on each and every song. Leo and I have been writing together for almost sixteen years now and during that time we have written about one hundred and twenty songs I believe, so we work pretty well together. It's good that we have Freddy in the band because he contributed a lot of freshness to the songs which really helped. He really did a marvellous job.
Although 'Domino Effect' is a heavy rock album, there's a lot of radio friendly material to be found as well. Do you write your tunes with this in mind or do these song just come out naturally?
It's a little bit of both actually. We don't really intend to write radio friendly material, but when we write a nice song which might be a great radio song we won't dump it. You have to know that it's hard to get on the radio anyhow when you're a band with two guitarists and it's almost always the ballads that are the best candidates. A lot has to do with the production as well, to determine if a song is suited for the radio or not.
What will be the single of the album and why did you go for that particular track?
The single of the album will be 'The Call', because that's the most commercial song which has the biggest chance of airplay on the radio. It's a very melodic, hard rock ballad.
Will there also be a video clip be made to try to get some airplay on the most important music channels and if so, what will it look like?
We will do a video, because somehow we feel we need a video. We will make one however without spending millions of dollars, because we're not a typical MTV band. It must be seen more as a promotion tool for the new album. It will probably be shot somewhere in the middle of April.
You worked on the album with Ronald Prent in the band's own studio. How did this connection with Ronald got established and why did you decide to work together with him?
The first time we worked with him, we had listened to some of the records he did and talked to the people he worked with in the past. We called him and he did a great job on 'Lipservice', adding some modern sounds without sacrificing our typical hard rock edge. So for this album we decided to work again with him, because he's the type of producer which allows you a lot of freedom and doesn't try to change a lot of things. Leo co-produced the album with him, by the way.
The album was completed in the Belgian Galaxy studio (which is very close to where I live, so you should have invited me to come and take a look). Why did you choose to go there for the final stage of the album production?
I don't know if you've ever been to the Galaxy studio, but it's just awesome. It's also the studio where Ronald usually works, so he could be in his own recording atmosphere behind his own desk, which in the end might be helpful.
In the press leaflet it is stated that the music business resembles a game of dominos, hence the title. What's your opinion on the state of the music business nowadays and do you feel that Gotthard has been treated incorrectly in the past?
I could write a book about this and maybe someday I will. The business side scares me a lot and bands nowadays more or less have no chance to achieve something. In the old days you got the opportunity to grow as a band during several album while nowadays you'll have to become an instant success otherwise you will lose your record deal. This is especially hard for rock band. Furthermore there's the downloading problem, which is ruining the music business. The only way that you can make money in these days is by playing live and give a good time to the people. A lot of bands run into serious problems because of this development.
Since 'Lipservice' was received very well (album of the year for many journalists), didn't this put any pressure on you to come up with a follow-up record?
No, not really. We're just doing our thing like we've always been doing and afterwards just hope that it will appeal to the people buying our albums.
What do you think is the biggest progression that you made with 'Domino Effect' when comparing it to 'Lipservice'?
This is quite hard to say as a matter of fact, because both albums are similar in a way. I think that on the new one we've been able to add a little bit of a more modern sound without losing our original sound. Furthermore we've become more experienced over the years by playing so many gigs and that might shine through on the new album as well.
You've been a big band in Switzerland already for a long time and you started to expand the territory a bit more with 'Lipservice'. What's the next level that you want to accomplish with Gotthard and what's your strategy in achieving that?
I would love to say that we want to get a Grammy award but we have to be realistic. What would be very nice though is to play in parts of the world that we've never been before and to let people get acquainted with Gotthard in a live situation. Nuclear Blast has already been a big help to us in helping achieving that because lately we've been to South America and Spain and that was the first time that we went to those places.
Last year you released the great live-album 'Made In Switzerland', which was very well received both by the press as well as the fans. What did this do to the status of the band? Did it get you properly introduced to new territories?
The 'Made In Switzerland' record proved to be a big help to achieve this because it exactly showed what Gotthard was all about. Because of that record we went to places of which we believed beforehand that we weren't able to do this.
Gotthard always delivers high quality rock albums, but is best known for its energetic live performances. What causes the special chemistry needed for that?
Our music comes from the heart, we truly love what we're doing and you can hear that back when we play live. I mean, we've been able to make a job of our hobby and there aren't to many people around to can make this happen. Furthermore we're an honest band and also that is shown when we're playing live. We're not actors, we just remain who we are.
Speaking of live performances, what are you going to do on this front to promote the album? Are there any concrete plans yet on this front and if so, how do they look like?
It's still a little early too say. There are several rumours that we will be supporting a big name in Greece and outside Europe but I can't say anything about this at this point in time. Most of the gigs will be done as a headliner though and we will be supported by a Finish band called Sunset Avenue. They sound familiar to the Gotthard sound and we feel it's important to give young, promising band an opportunity to showcase their abilities.
Any chance we will see you coming to the Benelux area this year?
We will definitely pass by the Benelux area, of which I must say that there hasn't been too many opportunities in the past.
Your new album is considered to be a very important release for Nuclear Blast. How does that make you feel knowing that you as a melodic rock band are a little bit of an outsider on the real metal label Nuclear Blast?
We're very proud of this, because for Nuclear Blast it was also a bit challenge to add us to their rooster. They are in the process of expanding their market, so I guess we were there at the right time. I also feel that Nuclear Blast is still a hungry label, who is really trying to get things done for their bands.
The downside of being an important artist on the label is that journalists just get an MP3-version of the new album instead of a regular promo-CD. What are your thoughts on the downloading developments and especially the measures that the record companies are taking to counteract this?
It's a pity on one side, but it's probably unavoidable nowadays. As always, because some fools are making mistakes, they're ruining things for the bigger community.
We've already talked about the recent past and the short-term future of your career. What are your plans on a more long-term time frame with Gotthard?
We've got nine records out now and it always remains a challenge to write better songs. Furthermore we just want to play live as much as we can, because that's what Gotthard is all about. For the real long-term future we're not making any plan, time will tell.
Okay Steve, thanks for your time and your willingness to answer my questions. The famous last words are yours?
The only thing I want to say is: "long live rock and roll". Keep promoting it as much as you possibly can!
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