Page 16 - Black Velvet Issue 85

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Garrett was tour managing them at the time and being in a band we had to release a record. listening to new music and giving an opinion on
he was a fan of my previous bands, Under- Going into ‘Madness’, the title is really a culmi- it and he respected every single second of what
minded and D.R.U.G.S., so when they came nation and sums up our overall feelings for how he did. When we were doing our record in
through San Diego Garrett said “Hey, I want you we felt going into that record. Going in with John Nashville he would fly out. We knew he wasn’t
to meet the band that I’m tour managing,” so we Feldmann who I love and had done a record in the best of health but he wanted to do that.
went and got sushi in San Diego and I remem- with before, but going into it with no ideas, with He was a fighter. It was important to us that we
ber them being the quietest kids ever. They no riffs, no ideas as far as direction or what we dedicated our record to him as that was essen-
barely spoke at lunch, they were very reserved, wanted to do, and turning that into inspiration. tially the last record that he was a part of.
very shy, very quiet and I remember going to see Being able to go in not having an idea and hav- Yeah… I love him to death. It’s sad what he had
them that night and I thought they were amaz- ing John really push us and really dig into our to go through and what his family had to experi-
ing. That was kind of the last time I’d ever really beings and how we’re feeling at that moment ence with him. He definitely inspired and moti-
hung out with them. I saw them briefly at another and being able to write songs from that and be vated so many bands. His legacy is just endless
show in San Diego but we didn’t really hang out, inspired by that. That’s really how it was when it and timeless. He definitely goes down in the his-
and then their tour man- tory books with us.”
ager Ron, well, he’s not
their tour manager any- Nick is the oldest
more, but… when Jesse member of Sleeping
was going to be having a With Sirens, being
kid, my buddy Ron said born in 1982, making
“Hey, you should ask Nick him 32, while his band-
to fill in when he’s having mates are still in their
his kid, Nick is a great gui- twenties. He says he
tar player,” blah blah blah, has brought a maturity
he completely talked me to the band as well as
up, and one day I got a education, with his mu-
text message from Kellin sical background, and
saying “Hey, our guitar extensive touring ex-
player’s having a baby, perience. He’s been
he’s going to take some with different labels,
time off, do you want to management and
come to Europe and the booking agencies so
UK with us?” At that time I can add his opinion
had pretty much quit the when it matters.
music industry. I didn’t re- “Everything I’ve done
ally want a part of it any- up until this point has
more. I was pretty burnt definitely been ex-
out after D.R.U.G.S. and tremely educational. I
touring with Underminded think I bring that to the
forever, I was completely band and I bring some-
burnt on the industry. But I what of a grounded
figured it was a paid vaca- personality as far as
tion, I could go back to Europe/the UK for a cou- came to ‘Madness’ but when I look back on it somebody they can turn to when they make de-
ple of weeks and then I could come home and now it was a very beautiful recording process. It cisions and they know I’ve already gone through
get back to my normal life. And then I went out was almost seamless and there weren’t days this. I guess I’m a kind of older fatherly figure in
with them, we rehearsed together, everything where we weren’t writing. If we weren’t feeling it the band and they respect me for that which is
clicked really well, they kind of gave me this one day John Feldmann would… he would just great. And they definitely give me a lot of shit be-
newfound love for music again which I’d lost know. He’s great at picking up people’s vibe and cause I’m definitely not in my younger years
completely. All of a sudden we were overseas personality for the day. He would just say ‘OK, anymore. I have fun with the rest of them but I
and one night after a show they said, “Hey Nick, let’s get in my car, we’re going to go to the also bring like I said a grounded personality to
we wanna talk to you,” I was “Alright, what’s beach, I’m going to get us coffee, let’s change everything and they definitely respect what I
up?” They said, “We’ve got a US tour after this. the vibe, let’s change the mood’ and two hours have to say. I think my opinions help them a little
I think we’re going to get rid of our guitar player later there’d be a song made. He’s very good at bit and I think it’s something that they needed.
and we’d like you to keep on filling in,” I said “Al- being able to inspire and motivate when you When I was first coming in they were definitely
right, I’m having a blast, so let’s keep doing it,” don’t want to be at all. And that was kind of the all over the place. They had just left their label
and obviously it progressed to me writing with beauty of that record. It was not having ideas and they were kind of in this weird limbo and I
them and helping them write ‘Madness’ and and just going into it with a completely clean feel like what I brought to the table was some
that’s where we are now where I’ve joined the slate and just making whatever it was we sort of new glue to bring them all back together
band. It was a very natural thing. It was very wanted to make without any boundaries.” and kind of bring everyone down from the clouds
weird. It was something I didn’t plan on whatso- The album was dedicated to A&R executive and make sense of everything that was going
ever. It’s crazy it’s got to this point now where Craig Aaronson who sadly passed away in Oc- on.”
I’m actually with them.” tober after a long battle with cancer. Nick knew Someone else that has also brought the
Craig well as he had also been A&R executive band together and been like glue is tour man-
leeping With Sirens released ‘Madness’ for D.R.U.G.S.. “When we had originally done ager Lisa Brownlee. Nick also calls her ‘the tour
Son March 13th 2015. It’s the band’s that record he was our A&R so I’d known him for momma’. “She is our best friend. She is just a
fourth studio album, first on Epitaph Records, a solid five years or so. He was just a beautiful blessing in general. She’s like our angel. She’s
and was recorded in the Summer of 2014. It fea- human being. He was just a beautiful person in one person in our camp, I mean, we’re definitely
tures songs such as ‘The Strays’, ‘Kick Me’ and general. He always had a smile on his face. He all ballbusters, but she’s one person that we
‘Go Go Go’. Nick says the band put everything was always just so excited to listen to what we don’t step on her toes ever. What she says goes
into the recording of the album. “It was our life were working on all the time. He always had and we completely respect that at the end of the
that we gave up. It really came down to com- great advice. He was always a simplistic person day. She’s done a phenomenal job of taking
pletely losing our minds mentally, emotionally. as far as what kind of direction we wanted to go care of us and making sure that everything is
We had recorded a record before that in in or what we wanted to do next, he was very going according to plan. She’s a dream. And I’ve
Nashville with another producer and we had good at just putting it into simple words like “Just known her probably going on almost ten years
spent so many months writing that record and write songs that you love and people will find a now. She’s someone that you fear but you love
then we ended up scrapping it. So after that it way to love what you’re doing. Just be very true at the same time. When you first meet her she’s
was a very stressful moment for us. Now we to yourselves” and he was always very simplistic the most intimidating person but then when you
have to record another record, we’re already spiritual person. Even when he was very sick, get to know her and get to sit down and talk to
burnt out, none of us really had that inspiration we could tell that his health was depleting. When her and you have some drinks with her she’s the
or motivation to want to write another record, but he’d come in you could tell that he wasn’t doing sweetest, kindest person and has so many sto-
obviously we knew with our time constraints and well but he still loved just being in a studio and ries dating back to the Ramones and all these
SLEEPING WITH SIRENS