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Thursday, October 27, 2011

End Of An Era's Spags is at His End

Percussionist Spags got in touch with me to discuss his band, End Of An Era which is a combination of techno beats with industrial bliss a mix up of Nine Inch Nails meets Decephe Mode. Spags goes into detail about the band's self-titled LP, how the album process begun, and when exactly their End Of An Era will surpass.


1. Why the name End Of An Era? What does it symbolize and mean?

When we first started out, we had this big, long winded explanation about the band name and where it came from...but the truth is that it was a just a name that we always thought would look cool on a poster. Over time, people have applied their own personal meanings to it and I think that's way cooler than us explaining it.

2. So your self-titled album is your debut full-length?

This is the first real full production full length album that we've put out. Our first ever release had 10 songs on it, but that was more of a demo.

3. Why did you want to self-title the album?

We had taken a bit of time off to really get our heads together, work out some issues, and come back refreshed and ready to work. When we finally got together to write, we wanted to make an album that would define the band, what we're doing, and where we're going. Once we felt we had accomplished that, it made sense to self title it.

4. How would you describe the overall sound of the new album?

When it comes to filling out our genre on websites and all that, we describe our sound as alternative/electro/rock. However, we also use "sci-fi disco punk" and "sex pretzel".



5. Did the band have any definitive goals they were shooting for before the recording process began for this album?

The decision to do the album came at a very "do or die" moment for us. Either we were going to put out something great or we weren't going to put out anything at all. So the main goal, above all else, was to put out the best album we could possibly make. Aside from that, we knew we wanted it to be more sonically diverse and showing more of a wide range of influences than we ever had before.

6. Are you using any new instrumentation you've never used in the recording process before?

As far as different instruments, we kept it pretty basic. However, we did get into using different combinations of synths and effects to create a lot of new, weird sounds that gave some of the tracks a different vibe from songs we've done prior.

7. When did you start writing for this album? How was the songwriting process for it, do all of the songs fall into place with one another or do each go their separate ways?

We began writing around August of 2010...but some songs came from ideas we had been kicking around in the months prior to that. We didn't set out for the songs to all fall into place with each other, but I think they all fit together really nicely and it sounds like one cohesive album.

8. Can you go into one or two tracks on the new album? If so, can you give us the track title and brief description of how the track sounds and how it came about?

One song that really stands out for us is "The Good, The Bad, and The Better." It was the first song we wrote for the album and it was one of those magical sparks of creativity where it was written almost beginning to end in about ten minutes. It really got us excited and energized about the writing process and pretty much set the tone for the songs that followed.

Another song that we feel especially close to is "The Walking Dead". It was the last song we wrote for the album and we were really excited about it from the start. Since the release, our fans have really gravitated towards it. They go crazy when we play it live and there are even some tattoos popping up already with lyrics and imagery from the song.

9. How was the vibe in the studio?

It was a pretty serious working environment, but we had a great time doing it. We were at a point where the creativity was running higher than it ever had before and we knew that we wanted to capture it on recording. A few of us were also literally living at the studio while recording as well...so we invested every ounce of ourselves into it. It really shows when you listen to the final product.

10. Could you describe your show for those who may not have seen you play before?

We had one writer describe our show once as being like "re-enacting scenes from The Exorcist...on crack." It's all about energy for us. We said from the beginning that if you come off stage and you're not ready to puke or pass out, you didn't do it right. That's something we've really stuck to and now we're maniacs on stage...always trying to outdo the night before. It's probably really unhealthy for us, but if kids are going to pay to see a show, we want them to get their money's worth.

11. What about the upcoming assortment of holidays do you all plan on celebrating?

We all recently moved into a house together and this will be the first holiday season that we'll spend together in our new place. I foresee a lot of debaucherous holiday traditions being started this holiday season.

12. What about Christmas time, what do you hope is under your Christmas tree on that faitthful day.

A briefcase containing a million dollars in cash, a few sets of keys to new cars, and an open invitation to the Playboy mansion.

13. Do you have any New Year's resolutions?

Just to keep on touring and get our music out there to as many people as possible. Also, to make a billion dollars.

14. What can the fans expect from now into the New Year?

We're in the process of putting together a small release to supplement the new album...a few remixes, covers, live versions etc. We want to release that at a huge New Years Eve party here in Jersey. After that, we'll be back out on the road going up and down the east coast pretty much nonstop until the spring.

15. If you had an end of an era situation what would you do?

Immediately loot the nearest liquor store of their entire stock of Pabst Blue Ribbon, sit back in a comfortable chair, and watch it all go down.

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