Adam Pfleider
06/02/10, 02:05 PM
Last year looked like a high school reunion for many. Well, at least on some of our iPods anyway. Far created some memorable records of ambiance and gritty rock some years back, and with the release of their album At Night We Live 10+ years later, we're all a bit reminded of the heart of rock and roll and how cold technology sliced through some of that beating pulse. Guitarist and songwriter Shaun Lopez took some time to talk about the band getting back together and his thoughts on where Far stand in the music jumble as of now.
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The first thing I'd like to talk about is Far getting back together and writing music again. Was there any sort of communication loss from being apart for so long and then stepping back into it?
It was definitely a different way of writing a record than we had in previous records. I would start writing late at night. I would start demoing with a drum machine and guitar. Programming drum beats and kind of jamming with those and arranging songs. Then I would [send] them off to Jonah [Matranga]. He'd get them and sing over them. Sometimes he'd chop them up a bit or change the arrangement a little bit. Previously [the way we did Far records] was I would have an idea, or Jonah would have an idea, and we'd bring it into the rehearsal space and jam on it. These songs [on At Night We Live] were never really played in the same room until we started playing them live. Chris [Robyn] and I would get together and work the drum parts out and play them in the studio. John [Gutenburger] came in to do bass and after I laid down some guitar, Jonah came in after that. Then we mixed the thing.
Do you feel like you did most of the songwriting and then everyone built on top of that? How was that different from the way things used to be?
It wasn't that much different from the way Jonah and I did most of the writing. I did write most of the songs musically and Jonah wrote all the lyrics and all of that. It's kind of the same that way.
What do you think of the sound At Night We Live encompasses compared to that of past Far records? I got a more driving sound from it, very contemporary and very crisp. As an engineer and producer later on after Far, do you think that had an influence sound-wise of how this album came out? Or was it that was the band then, and this is us grown now? That also goes for post-Far projects from each member having influence as well.
I think everything has played an influence on this record. I'd say all our various bands we've been in since Far [as well]. Me being a producer, I envisioned [this album] sounding this way, and I think Far has never been a band that has repeated themselves in the same sounding record or same type of record. I don't think the sound changed drastically, but with every release those were all different records, different types of songs. We've always been sort of a very diverse band. [We] get ugly and heavy and then are very pop and ambient. I think with this record, in all those directions, we just went a little further with them. I think when it's pop it's poppier; and when it's ugly and heavy it's uglier; and when it's ambient it's more ambient. I understand the record does sound more produced and more slick or whatever than Water Solutions. This is a different time and we're going to do what we're going to do. I love Water Solutions. I love that record. I don't think any of us have any interest in recreating that record.
I'm not trying to say the production is a negative...
I didn't take it that way at all...
I was just curious with your producing, it seems like over time producers always want to get better at their craft, and I can hear that in this album, it just may take older fans a bit off guard in a way.
It's been twelve years, and we're all different people now. I'm sure some of us are listening to more and more diverse music, and that all plays into it. We're just trying to make something fun. Something that makes us happy.
Coming back with Far, especially you, is there anything you wanted to do differently this time? You just expressed that each record stands out in the catalog. With this one, coming back so many years later, was there something you wanted to make as a statement, not only to older fans, but a statement to new fans who may have only discovered your music in the last few years like myself.
We didn't have anything in mind, but I definitely wanted to come back and not only make something that would hold up like before but holds up to anything current...I really just wanted to make a record that was the anti-reunion record. I think most of the time reunion records are never really good. They're sort of half-assed and the band really didn't care that much. We really cared. I always expect the classic quote, "Yeah, they're cool. I like their older stuff." You could name so many bands where you can tell people like to say that. I don't know whether to believe them or not.
Speaking of the older influence versus the newer influence. You guys grew up on '80s rock and U2 and Pantera. With an age difference amongst listeners now, do you worry in any way that the contemporary audience won't get into the record as much based on their influences? I'm sure you see the things we cover and our audience. Do you feel like the old guy getting out of prison?
[Laughs] That's a good analogy. To be completely honest, I really don't care. That's not meant to come off in any bitter old man kind of way. I'm happy with where I am in my life. The band is just something extra for me. It's not my main love. I love the band. I love the music we make. I love producing. I love being in other bands. I love playing a role as a member in other bands. As far as if kids don't get it...that's fine to me. I don't really care. It wouldn't really bother me if this record comes out and we're the same band. We're respected and all of that. I'd be happy if we sold a lot of records and gained more fans. I'm happy either way.
What do you think of the current music scene? One of the bands you grew up alongside, the Deftones, they just released their new album [I]Diamond Eyes and are getting praise. You guys are getting early praise on this album. There's still that contemporary nu-metal rock on the radio going on though. Growing up in the '90s and being a part of that scene and now coming up on almost two decades down the line, what are some of your thoughts on how everything has moved?
I would say that I love technology, and I love where it's gotten us in many ways, especially in recording. But I really hate it...I would say that 50 percent of bands that are popular would not exist without technology. That to me is a little sad. Here I am going to sound like the old guy right now. [Laughs] I've made records where I had to play. Now you don't really have to play. Water Solutions was done on tape. I feel like most people don't really study their instrument...It's almost sad to me. I can hear autotune everywhere...It's a bit of a bummer to see where it has gone. Some bands just sound like a blender of a song...I guess I just don't understand it.
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The first thing I'd like to talk about is Far getting back together and writing music again. Was there any sort of communication loss from being apart for so long and then stepping back into it?
It was definitely a different way of writing a record than we had in previous records. I would start writing late at night. I would start demoing with a drum machine and guitar. Programming drum beats and kind of jamming with those and arranging songs. Then I would [send] them off to Jonah [Matranga]. He'd get them and sing over them. Sometimes he'd chop them up a bit or change the arrangement a little bit. Previously [the way we did Far records] was I would have an idea, or Jonah would have an idea, and we'd bring it into the rehearsal space and jam on it. These songs [on At Night We Live] were never really played in the same room until we started playing them live. Chris [Robyn] and I would get together and work the drum parts out and play them in the studio. John [Gutenburger] came in to do bass and after I laid down some guitar, Jonah came in after that. Then we mixed the thing.
Do you feel like you did most of the songwriting and then everyone built on top of that? How was that different from the way things used to be?
It wasn't that much different from the way Jonah and I did most of the writing. I did write most of the songs musically and Jonah wrote all the lyrics and all of that. It's kind of the same that way.
What do you think of the sound At Night We Live encompasses compared to that of past Far records? I got a more driving sound from it, very contemporary and very crisp. As an engineer and producer later on after Far, do you think that had an influence sound-wise of how this album came out? Or was it that was the band then, and this is us grown now? That also goes for post-Far projects from each member having influence as well.
I think everything has played an influence on this record. I'd say all our various bands we've been in since Far [as well]. Me being a producer, I envisioned [this album] sounding this way, and I think Far has never been a band that has repeated themselves in the same sounding record or same type of record. I don't think the sound changed drastically, but with every release those were all different records, different types of songs. We've always been sort of a very diverse band. [We] get ugly and heavy and then are very pop and ambient. I think with this record, in all those directions, we just went a little further with them. I think when it's pop it's poppier; and when it's ugly and heavy it's uglier; and when it's ambient it's more ambient. I understand the record does sound more produced and more slick or whatever than Water Solutions. This is a different time and we're going to do what we're going to do. I love Water Solutions. I love that record. I don't think any of us have any interest in recreating that record.
I'm not trying to say the production is a negative...
I didn't take it that way at all...
I was just curious with your producing, it seems like over time producers always want to get better at their craft, and I can hear that in this album, it just may take older fans a bit off guard in a way.
It's been twelve years, and we're all different people now. I'm sure some of us are listening to more and more diverse music, and that all plays into it. We're just trying to make something fun. Something that makes us happy.
Coming back with Far, especially you, is there anything you wanted to do differently this time? You just expressed that each record stands out in the catalog. With this one, coming back so many years later, was there something you wanted to make as a statement, not only to older fans, but a statement to new fans who may have only discovered your music in the last few years like myself.
We didn't have anything in mind, but I definitely wanted to come back and not only make something that would hold up like before but holds up to anything current...I really just wanted to make a record that was the anti-reunion record. I think most of the time reunion records are never really good. They're sort of half-assed and the band really didn't care that much. We really cared. I always expect the classic quote, "Yeah, they're cool. I like their older stuff." You could name so many bands where you can tell people like to say that. I don't know whether to believe them or not.
Speaking of the older influence versus the newer influence. You guys grew up on '80s rock and U2 and Pantera. With an age difference amongst listeners now, do you worry in any way that the contemporary audience won't get into the record as much based on their influences? I'm sure you see the things we cover and our audience. Do you feel like the old guy getting out of prison?
[Laughs] That's a good analogy. To be completely honest, I really don't care. That's not meant to come off in any bitter old man kind of way. I'm happy with where I am in my life. The band is just something extra for me. It's not my main love. I love the band. I love the music we make. I love producing. I love being in other bands. I love playing a role as a member in other bands. As far as if kids don't get it...that's fine to me. I don't really care. It wouldn't really bother me if this record comes out and we're the same band. We're respected and all of that. I'd be happy if we sold a lot of records and gained more fans. I'm happy either way.
What do you think of the current music scene? One of the bands you grew up alongside, the Deftones, they just released their new album [I]Diamond Eyes and are getting praise. You guys are getting early praise on this album. There's still that contemporary nu-metal rock on the radio going on though. Growing up in the '90s and being a part of that scene and now coming up on almost two decades down the line, what are some of your thoughts on how everything has moved?
I would say that I love technology, and I love where it's gotten us in many ways, especially in recording. But I really hate it...I would say that 50 percent of bands that are popular would not exist without technology. That to me is a little sad. Here I am going to sound like the old guy right now. [Laughs] I've made records where I had to play. Now you don't really have to play. Water Solutions was done on tape. I feel like most people don't really study their instrument...It's almost sad to me. I can hear autotune everywhere...It's a bit of a bummer to see where it has gone. Some bands just sound like a blender of a song...I guess I just don't understand it.