Static Noise: With the album release coming up and it leaking on the internet are you going to be doing anything to add to it to get more people to buy it?
Shannon: There is a couple of surprises that we’ve added.
Static Noise: Can you give us any hints? Or no?
Shannon: No I can’t!
Static Noise: OK OK!
Shannon: It’s something that’s definitely worth checking out. Definitely!
Static Noise: How did you meet Tomo?
Shannon: We met Tomo actually through a friend of ours in LA. He was a huge fan of the band and he went to our shows and bought our CD when it came out. Then a friend of ours said that there was this guitarist that was really into us and we were looking for a guitarist at the time. He said that this guitarist was looking for a band and we met him and things clicked and things worked out. It’s amazing. He is an amazing part of the family.
Static Noise: Do you think he helped contribute to the change I know that the new album has a completely different sound.
Shannon: Yeah we’re all changing. Sure. He definitely contributes. We all contributed to the change on the new album.
Static Noise: I heard that you recorded your new record in different countries..
Shannon: Yes, yes
Static Noise: Why or what made you decide to do that?
Shannon: Well we had the opportunity to travel and that lent itself to different explorations of the recording process. Actually, it was definitely a blessing. You know instead of being kept up in a studio in L.A., where you are in the same place, for several months in the dark. We had this amazing opportunity to go and (pauses trying to put his experience into words)…. For instance, we had this place in South Africa overlooking the ocean, and waking up every day just looking at that was an inspiration in itself. We went to Morocco, Thailand, South Africa, England…
Static Noise: Which one was your favorite?
Shannon: They’re all different. They all offer something unique.
Static Noise: I know you have a really loyal fan base…
Shannon: Yep
Static Noise: I think it’s really great for a band to have that. What do you think is the craziest thing a fan has done to promote you or done at a show to help promote you to get more fans into you guys?
Shannon: You know our fans are really, really loyal (pauses to think) nothing is too crazy it seems like to me. We’ve had fans climb bridges, you know like overpasses on the highway to put our band name up. We’ve had them put huge banners up of the band. That’s about it I don’t think anything too crazy. Unless you know something that I don’t know of?
Static Noise: I have seen people spray painting your logo all over and stuff like that.
Shannon: Yeah we have people spray-painting stuff everywhere. It’s actually a water base so you know it doesn’t really (do damage to property). Yeah, you know spray painting, stickering everywhere. I think the crazy thing I would say is just their loyalty and what they are willing to do to promote our band. And the stuff that they make when they come to our shows. The clothing is unreal. The writing on the clothing is unreal. The tattoos people get. It’s unreal!
Static Noise: I know some bands do special things for their fans that help promote them. Do you do anything like that for them like set up meet and greets? Or do you always get to hang out and stuff afterward?
Shannon: We make a point to come out and meet fans after every show. I think it’s important. I love it! I like to meet people who are listening to our music and you know experience what they experience through listening to it.
Static Noise: Are you nervous about what your fans will think of your new stuff?
Shannon: No. I’m not nervous at all. We wanted to throw away the old album in a sense. We went through a whole different musical experience. Life is about change. If you don’t change then it’s boring. There is no risk involved. There is no challenge. I would hate to be cornered in a room (being told) you can’t do this you have to keep doing that. Our band is about growing and changing as I said and experiencing new things. A great example is Radiohead. From Pablo Honey to The Bends then The Bends to OK Computer. Those are three totally different albums. And U2. They still change with the times and are still relevant. So those are definitely inspiring bands for us and we kinda want to do something similar.
Static Noise: So you’re trying to say that you’re trying to be yourself and not submit to what’s on the radio…
Shannon: First of all we do what we do. That’s all we know how to do. We follow our own gut. We don’t let anybody tell us what to do. We set that up with the record label and management. If people like you great if they don’t then….you know there’s nothing…we (still) do what we do.
Static Noise: This album seems more stripped down. Are these songs easier to play live than the others?
Shannon: Actually that was a challenge in itself.
Static Noise: Ohh really?
Shannon: Ohh yeah Doing little was just as tough as doing a lot on the first album. My first instinct is to do a lot. Is to play everything at the same time just layers upon layers in the music. Stripping it down making it a little more raw and more personal. That was crazy.
Static Noise: I don’t know if you help Jared write the songs or not..
Shannon: No he writes all the lyrics.
Static Noise: It seemed like he opened up a lot with his lyrics on this album.
Shannon: Yeah he did and that’s a huge risk. I think people can easily connect with it as well.
Static Noise: How does the enthusiasm and energy of the fans affect you? I know I was at the Pittston show and the crowd just wasn’t reacting at all it was so…..
Shannon: It affects us in a huge way. When the fans are responding to something that you created. That comes from your head that you put into a guitar, into a beat, and into a sync. And they are understating that language and giving that back to you. That relationship is amazing. There is nothing like it.
Static Noise: So when it’s not there does it affect how you play at all?
Shannon: No we just play for ourselves and feel each other’s energy and just go. I mean fans are coming to the show and they are already singing the songs that were leaked, that you were talking about. The CD was leaked (onto the internet).
Static Noise: That really sucks!
Shannon: It’s alright because a lot of them (the fans) said that they were still going to buy the alum. They are singing the songs and that feels great. In a sense, it’s like the cd being leaked and all that….It kind of works for us and against us in a way. How it works for us is that the fans get to know the music. So when they come to the show they get to sing it and start interpreting it. How it works against us is if they don’t buy the CD then I don’t pay my fucking rent (laughs).
Static Noise: I think a lot of them were so excited to finally hear new stuff from you that they couldn’t wait for it to be released.
Shannon: Yeah that’s cool and it’s totally understandable. I think a lot of them want to have something tangible too so they will go out and buy the CD.
Static Noise: How did the Chevelle fans react to your music? Their following seems to be a bit different from yours.
Shannon: The shows have been great. The shows have been great. I can’t complain!
Static Noise: Now your Attack video did you guys shoot that yesterday?
Shannon: (slides his sunglasses down and looks at us) I can’t tell you!
Static Noise: ahh another thing you can’t tell us! (laughs) So I can’t even ask how it went.
Shannon: Actually what we did yesterday went really well. My brother directed what we did.
Static Noise: Ohh that’s cool!
Shannon: And it was amazing and we had a lot of fun doing it. It was a spur-of-the-moment type of delay. I think it was the day before yesterday that we decided to do it. What we did. That I can’t tell you about.
Static Noise: I understand! (laughs) So do you have an expected release date for the video yet?
Shannon: Its still up in the air. Soon!
Static Noise: What do you know about the music industry now that you wish you would have known before you first started? Any hard lessons learned?
Shannon: Ok. This is what I’ve learned. If you want something done you have to really do it yourself. Things can easily fall through the cracks if you’re not on it. We are a band that we don’t let anybody handle our stuff without us knowing about it. We aren’t like “ohh let management handle that.” That’s not our attitude. We are involved in every aspect of putting this album out. Creating this album, the artwork the songwriting, everything. We are involved in every part of it. It’s good for you to just have to work your ass off.
Static Noise: What is one of your biggest goals or achievements so far? It can be personal or musically related.
Shannon: I’m just grateful of being in this band. Playing music with my brother with Tomo and Matt. I feel very blessed that we get to do that. That we get to create and explore different things through our artwork and to have that connection with fans. That relationship with fans. I feel really blessed.
Static Noise: So do you and your brother ever get into fights and stuff? (laughs)
Shannon: Nah. Yeah of course there are going to be some arguments. But there is a big picture to look at so we don’t get caught up in the mundane bullshit of the argument. It’s amazing though traveling with my brother and making music with my brother. We have been doing this since we were kids. Since we were little. Sometimes I’ll stop. Because I get so involved in the process that I forget where we came from you know. So I stop and (think) oh shit there’s my brother there’s me. We are playing our music people are listening to it. They are vibing. I just feel blessed. That is the word of the day. BLESSED!
Static Noise: Do you have any last words to add?
Shannon: Well if people want to check out when we are playing they can check our website out at thirtysecondstomars.com. They can buy our single on iTunes. And August 30th is the release!
Static Noise: I’m excited!
Shannon: It will be fun!
Static Noise: Thank you, Shannon! We’ll see you later!
Shannon: Thank you!