Page 36 - Black Velvet Issue 93

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time.” around that.” me, I guess the most inspiring thing of all
We open the subject up and ask Chris if was just kind of seeing I haven’t been
nd May 2017 was the perfect time for he thinks most people in life have self-con- through everything, I’m not just like every-
Athe album to be released. The re- trol. one else that was there. No two people in
lease day came while the band were on tour “It’s a tough one because I feel like in those meetings were exactly the same. So
in the U.S. This was also prior to festival sea- certain situations, no,” he answers. “There seeing the differences of what certain people
son kicking off. The band played a couple of are obviously many things that you can’t would have experienced and then knowing
festivals in the USA before heading over to control. I definitely tend to be a control freak that I didn’t have the perfect answer, it was
Europe. But this was almost a year after the myself. I want to have power over every- really amazing to see other people in these
first single from the album was released. thing, but I’ve learned that it’s a very destruc- groups interacting with one another. And it
‘570’ was unveiled back in June 2016 – a tive mentality, because it leads to anger wasn’t this mentality where people were
decade after the band was originally formed. issues and all kinds of mental strain and going to listen to ME talk, it was that we were
It was a tribute to the life of the band, and a stress and anxiety and whatnot. As far as going to sit in a group and talk to each other.
decade of being a band, recounting the things that you can control, I don’t know, I I don’t know, there’s just something about
struggles and hard work. With ‘570’ being think that it’s mixed, I think that if somebody that, that it just kind of lit a fire in me and re-
their hometown Scranton’s area code, Chris realizes that they can take hold of their life ally inspired me to want to speak about that
tells us, “That song is more so centered and make a change, and try and change a lot more and do these types of meetings
around the first five years of the band, where something that they really want, I’ve defi- every day without hesitation. I was nervous,
we were living off of essentially five dollars nitely been learning that in a lot of other as- but I was ready and so excited to be a part of
each a week and sleeping in a van with ten pects of my life outside of music, that I can it, because I just love seeing people come to-
people all the time. There’s a lot of situations take control of my own life and really forge a gether and try and help one another, and re-
where you’re having this internal discussion new path for myself and break bad habits. In ally just a group of people having a
with yourself, wondering if what you’re my case, I do have some self-control and I discussion. Some people said things that I
doing is right and should you continue doing think I have been really enjoying using that.” feel like, I don’t know for sure, people re-
this because you love it, or should you give Chris is one of a number of members in vealed things about themselves that they
up because it doesn’t seem like things are the band that is straight edge. Some may never have before in these groups and that
going to turn in the direction that you want it think it takes a lot of control to be straight was really cool too, to see that we built a
to go.” edge, although for those that are straight pretty comfortable place for people to feel
The song mentions ‘losing grip’. Chris edge, it is normal and generally requires no like they could say whatever they wanted to
explains, “You kind of lose grip of what really control at all. Chris has never drank, smoked say.”
is most important to you and you’re always or take drugs – he has never been tempted In ‘Voices’, Chris sings, ‘voices in my
questioning yourself, and much like every- to, and therefore has never missed partaking head again’. He tells us about the voices in
thing else in my life, I’m really, really happy in any of those habits. In fact, he was put off his head. “For me, in regards to the groups,
that we maintained that grip and we kept it when seeing others embrace that lifestyle. I think it was always ‘should I continue to be
going through all those early five years of He says, “For me, there were certain who I want to be or should I go the way
everything that was a very DIY at its core sit- members of my family that I watched im- everyone else expects of me?’ and I think
uation and I think that’s helped us feel like mersed in that world and it just really put me that’s kind of like the universal argument that
we’ve earned what we have now a lot more off from it and I think those early instilled happens between yourself all the time. Is
than if it was just handed to us in a year or memories pushed me to not have any desire what you’re doing you’re doing the right path
two year’s of being a band and touring and to go that route. And being on tour, what’s and do you stand by what you’re doing and
blowing up and being this huge band. It’s cool to me is that I used to be really bitter to- who you are, or do you think that you should
something that we look back on and are re- wards people that would get super drunk implement some changes and try to reinvent
ally proud of, that we felt those kind of things and super high or whatever they were doing yourself, either for you or for other people?
and had those types of eternal questioning.” and I didn’t want to be around it at all, and I That’s definitely a struggle and something
was just so bitter and hateful, but as you get that over a long period of time I learned that
This fourth studio album is also one that older you kind of chill out on that stuff and you’ve got to come to a point where then
Chris thinks he’ll still be really proud of in you realize that people are people and comes the next aisle where you say “Fuck
ten years’ time. “I think the thing I’m most they’re going to do what they’re going to do it,” and make that choice and make the ab-
proud of is that we really didn’t rush through and you have a choice to be around it or not solute best of it.”
it. We really took time to make sure that it and at this point, I’m not a negative person The connections between a bandmem-
was exactly what we wanted it to be, so in to be around all the time, I definitely just ber and fans like this can be very inspiring
ten years I think I’ll be able to look back and enjoy hanging out with my friends. I don’t for the fan as well as bands, and we can’t
I’ll just be happy and think, ‘Wow, this album give a shit if they drink or if they’re going to help but think that if there were more con-
was not rushed in any way. We did exactly smoke weed or whatever, it’s not even a nections like this, the world could become a
what we wanted to do, no excuses, and I’m thing, I don’t think about it. I’m just there to better place. Does Chris think we need more
just really happy about that’.” hang out and be friends and have a good connections like this?
time. If that shit’s involved, it’s involved. It’s “Yeah, I think the world would be a much
hris’s self-control came into play not part of my life, it’s just there and I have better place if a lot of things like that were
Cwhen ‘Graveyard Shift’ was being the choice to leave and walk away from it at changed. I’m very fortunate and happy to be
made. “With us, one of the hardest things is any moment. I think that when you stop in a lifestyle that I feel does help communi-
that we really like to venture far and wide being so negative about it towards people, cation between people. I think music is the
with our music and particular influences,” he I’ve definitely opened up friendships that can universal language, and certainly, you can
explains. “A lot of us are always coming thrive regardless of who does what in that say a lot of things to people, not even di-
from places that we are trying to show, just friendship.” rectly to them or face-to-face that can
different styles of music that we love in our change their perception on something. I
songs and trying to create a unique sound. n the summer of 2016, Motionless In think I’m very fortunate that I get to write
Sometimes in the past we’ve gone a little bit IWhite took part in the Vans Warped lyrics that I may have talked about in those
too far with that. We like to consider that we Tour, which treks across the USA from June types of meetings and really inspired some-
are pretty good at learning from our mis- to August. While on the tour, Chris got in- body to look at life or a situation differently,
takes and implementing those lessons into volved in some TEI Workshops. These were and that’s really cool. I do think that if I had
future albums. The sense of control comes group educational workshops, which in- the opportunity to speak to people face-to-
in that we really want to make sure we’re volved conversing as a group with fans for face more often, if other people felt more
sticking to our goal and not just expanding 40 minutes a day. These workshops were so comfortable to go to friends or family and
too far outside of what we feel the band’s inspiring to Chris that he wrote the songs discuss issues without being pushed off or
identity is, while at the same time still mak- ‘Voices’ and ‘LOUD (Fuck It)’ as a result of blown off because people don’t really want
ing sure that we’re not becoming this, I them. Chris says, “I really loved the things to help other people, of course the world
guess, homogenous mixture of sound that that when people would say something I was would be a better place. I guess I’m really
from track to track there’s not anything that able to relate directly, “Oh my God, I’ve been just doing all that I can to do my part to make
you can distinguish is different. That takes a exactly there too and this is how I dealt with it better and I just hope that other people
lot of goal-setting and control to work it,” and trying to offer my thoughts. But for also continue to do their part and maybe
MOTIONLESS IN WHITE