Requiem For The Dead's Steve Juliano Talks Of New Music and More
Most bands fail when attempting to combine the dark melodic undertones of metal and hardcore with sing along chorus's that get stuck in your head for days. Requiem for the Dead have succeeded beyond anyone's expectations by putting out some of the best rock songs in the scene today. With breathtaking vocals by former front man of Epitaph Records powerhouse group I Am Ghost, and the combination of souring orchestra's mixed with vicious guitars and bass, the group have stepped forward as visionaries in a time when most bands sound the same. Frontman vocalist Steve Juliano talks of the upcoming new album and video release for the song "Poison Girl".
1. Tell me why did you want "Poison Girl" to be your next music video choice and did you make the right choice?
Steve: We as a band were always extremely excited to play Poison Girl live. It is kind of the new direction we are heading, and even though we love our older music, we felt Poison Girl was just a fresh new start for us, being that it was put together by the new members.
2. How does "The Death Note of Shipwrecks" and "Poison Girl" differ, compare, and evolved?
Steve: The Death Note of Shipwrecks was written fast. Written with no pre-production. It was a song that I wrote lyrics to with no say on structure, so to me, it never really felt part of me. Its a damn good song. We all still love to play it live. I just feel Poison Girl is a little more technical and shows the bands ability as a whole. There are a lot of great musicians in this group, and I felt we needed to showcase it a lot more in our songs...
3. Can you tell me about the concept behind the "Poison Girl" video?
Steve: I was always in love with Alice in Wonderland, and not the Disney version, but the actual book version. It's such a weird story, full of madness and crazy turns that was ahead of its time. I think since I was in high school i wanted to make my own Alice in Wonderland movie, but never had the time or money to do this kind of concept. We finally had people in the band, and with the label at Veda and Isis, that backed my idea 100%. I told the band to just "trust me" on this video idea, and they did.
4. How would you say these videos compare or differ to your previous band's I Am Ghost's videos?
Steve; In the past videos with I Am Ghost, I honestly really had no say in the concept. We were told to shoot a video for this song, or that song, and that this guy would direct it, and that this was "his" idea, and we were either yes, or no. I had never been given the chance to write my own music video synopsis. When we were given the go ahead to shoot a video for Poison Girl, I told the band, "let me write it... let me figure how to make this shit work." and they let me. It was more work than most people I think could handle, but I never gave up. You can not believe how hard it is to shoot such a video on this scale...
5. Do you ever get tired of being asked about I Am Ghost?
Steve: Eh, what can I do? I was in that band for 6 years. We did good stuff. I am proud of I Am Ghost.
6. Where are you in the process of the new album?
Steve: We are currently in the studio just writing new music. So far, we have around 9 new songs in demo format, and looking to have about 15 to 20 new songs to choose from by end of August. This time around, we want to have a huge arsenal of songs to figure out what should be on the new CD. I think if we actually have choices this time, the CD will be unreal. We in the past just recorded what we had.
7. Do you know who will be producing the album?
Steve: I have kinda given up on Producers to be honest. I have been in this game for a very, very long time. I think I know what sounds good and what does not sound good. I am not interested in paying a producer half our budget to sit and tell us what to do. I think we can manage our money better with the band deciding the final outcome. I trust everyone.
8. Have you chosen a title and will this album take a concept route?
Steve: So far, no title yet. The title is usually the last thing on my mind, and I wait until the album is done to figure that all out.
9. Where are you recording the album?
Steve: We have our own studio in Aptos, CA that our drummer runs. Its in the forests, its mellow... it's good times.
10. How would you say the new album compares to your previous records?
Steve: This time around, we are doing serious pre-production that was never done on any Requiem songs in the past. We are writing songs, picking them apart, talking about certain aspects to change, or make better. We are giving ourselves months to do this, and not rush a god damn thing. It sucks taking off shows, but writing good music, to me, is way more important at the moment.
11. What’s the writing and recording process for you?
Steve: It is a lot of give and take. I have learned from my past bands that you will have arguments. Not everyone will agree on certain aspects of ideas and thoughts. The best thing is to listen... and compromise.
12. Are there any surprises or collaborations on the album?
Steve: We have some ideas... but I don't know if I can make it happen. Only time will tell.
13. When did you start writing for this album?
Steve: We started writing these songs about two months ago. We got serious about the writing aspect about a month ago. We told ourselves not to book any shows at this time to strictly immerse ourselves in new songs. We all love to play live, so we miss it, but this is way more important.
14. How do you think the vibe in the studio will go?Steve: So far, this is the most mellow bunch of writers I have ever worked with, so so far its been really good. We have had our arguments, but nothing too intense. We are all just really passionate about what we like. And I respect that.
15. When can we expect the new album to be released?
Steve: We are looking at a mid December 2013 release. Cross your fingers.
16. Will this album be available for free as the others have been?
Steve: No... this is a major release, so it will be sold on all the online music sites like iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, but also sold at stores (stores that still actually sell CDs... ha ha ha)
17. Can we expect pre-order packages as well?
Steve: I presume a yes on that one.
18. What can the fans expect to see from you in the future?
Steve: Soon as we finish this baby, we want to begin playing more shows. Again, Requiem does not have a lot of shows under our belts. We need to get out of California for sure, and hopefully do some real touring.
