Underoath
Interview with Aaron Gillespie (Drummer and vocals) of Underoath
Interview by Brendan Monteiro
So how has the recording been then?
Good, it’s been really long, extremely long. We almost done actually now.
And where have you been recording that it’s so cold?
We recorded the whole thing in Toronto, Georgia. And then we moved to New Jersey to do the mix and we have been here for about a week. We’ll be here another week but we’ve been writing and recording since September. So it’s been extremely long process but were almost done now.
That is quite a long process, cant wait to hear the end result
Were very excited
So next, there’s a big progression in terms of heaviness between “they’re only chasing safety” to “define the great line”. What is the new album going to sound like?
It’s based along the lines of “define the great line”, it’s heavy, i think it’s more experimental, more spacey sort of. It’s heavy but it’s just a little more grown up i guess would be the right term. You never can say mature, that sounds crazy. It makes you sound like a prat. It’s definitely the record that we wanted to make. It’s definitely the right record for Underoath now.
So what are your aspirations for the new album
We wanted to make an honest, completly honest and true record to ourselves and to each other. I think that’s what we got.
Now your also involved in the Almost. There’s speculation that there’s going to be a new record coming out at the end of the year. Is that true?
I’m not sure when that’s going to come out. I have no idea actually. I have no clue.
So that’s on hold for now.
It’s Underoath time now for the next………..while!
So how do you manage to juggle the two and does one take preference.
Underoath is my main band, that’s my priority. But it’s a bit of a juggle at times. Underoath is my main priority, its what i’ve done for the last ten years and what i will continue to do.
How do you guys approach the writing process then.
Usually one guy will bring in a guitar riff and he’ll play it and if everyone likes it well all start running with the process. Just writing and everyone throwing in there 50cents you know.
So here’s an arbitrary one. If you had a choice between losing your eyesight or your hearing. which would you choose?
That’s an interesting question. I’ve actually been asked that a couple times lately, which is really strange but i would rather be blind than deaf. Easily, cos if i was deaf i couldn’t do my job. I couldn’t do what i love. I could still be a musician if i was blind. There’s many, many, many wonderful musicians who are completely blind. Ray Charles
Stevie Wonder
Exactly!
So is it true that your blind in one eye.
Almost blind, Each normal human has 20:20 to 20:15 vision and i have 20:400 vision in my left eye.
So who would be your biggest influence musically?
Biggest influence would probably be U2, who else? the band is all over the place, that’s what makes Underoath Underoath. Everyone likes something different and we all meet in the middle with our opinions. There are so many different genres that we all love. I guess that’s why everyone of our songs sound different.
Underoath has come under alot of criticism from devout Christian’s, why do you think that is?
I don’t know. I think if you respect anyone and you give them an open ear and your honest with them, no matter what your belief or who you are you will get respect back. I think as Christians as a whole, we dig ourselves a hole. We tell people that we are perfect and we don’t show our faults. I Think as Christians if we get out there in the world an say look were just like you but we just have Christ to redeem that. Were just as messy as you and do the things you do. Then people will begin to respect it a bit.
So what are your views on being a good Christian?
I don’t know if you ever really can be a good Christian. I believe in that and I believe that Jesus died on the cross for my sins and rose three days later. The only way to the father is through Jesus Christ and the only way to heaven is to accept that Christ is lord. You have repented and you know your a sinner and you know your wrong. It’s a working thing. You cant think “well I’m Christian, im perfect now”. Christian’s do all the stuff non Christian’s do. We make the mistakes, we just have a way to redeem them. I’m not saying go out there and do drugs and hang out and solicit sex and just think “oh Jesus forgives me” and then it all goes away. Obviously you know what your doing. Your responsible for what you do. What I am saying is that Christians need to face the fact that we do sin. It’s a huge mistake that Christian’s want people to believe that we don’t. Every pastor or man of faith that has eye’s has looked at a women in the incorrect way while he has been in service, and I firmly believe that. The bottom line is that we hide that, and that is what makes us look better than a non-Christian. Which I think is wrong! I think it’s important for us to talk about our faults. To talk about the dirty things we do. So that we can say hey “hey, I am just like you, i have the same thoughts as you have. I don’t always act on them, but i have those same thoughts and i just want to let you know that i am just like you”. We all need to be honest and open at all times, otherwise it doesn’t work in my opinion
So what would you say to people who believe Underoath is wrong as a “Christian” band. That the screaming cant be Christian.
I don’t know what to say to them cos i know what i believe. If they think it’s wrong that’s cool too. I’ll listen to what they have to say, I’m not close minded. I cant force someone to like what I like and hear what i hear. The world doesn’t work that way.
That’s what i see as a difference between Underoath and other “Christian” bands. You guys are not force feeding your ideas and chanting that the lord is the way. It’s not happy clappy type.
I hear you man. I think bands in church are doing a cool thing and that’s great. But this is what we believe in and what we want to be and what we want to do and if that helps somebody out then I’m stoked.
So how does it feel when someone says you and your music helped them and changed their lives?
It makes me feel amazing, but it doesn’t have anything to do with me. I firmly believe that God uses people, that’s how God works. God doesn’t walk around on Earth and hand out stuff, he’s an all powerful being and I believe he uses people to do his work. If God does walk around on Earth that’s cool but I believe he uses people. I think God uses this band and us as people to do a few things and I think that’s great.
Do you not think it’s wrong because a band is a business basically. The goal is to sell records and shirts. Do you think it’s not wrong profiteering off God like that?
I hear what you are saying. It is like running a business alot of the time. For me it’s not about that. Whatever I do i want to do it through the Lord. It’s not about making money off of God. You can’t survive without getting paid. A pastor gets paid for his service or else he wouldn’t be able to feed himself or his family. He’s doing the work of God aswell. I’m not saying oh, if your a missionary you should always get paid, but you have to live.
Moving away from the Christian q’s, Scenes come and go. There was emo and with that came screamo. Then came metal-core and with that came Christ-core. What do you feel is going to be the next big thing?
I feel were stuck in the 80′s right now. Everyone with the hair, singing really high and the make- up. It looks like the 80′s again. Go look at the latest modern popular music magazine and look at the rock bands and it will look like an 80′s picture. I think right now were waiting on a Nirvana. Were waiting on a nirvana to put up a middle finger and say this is what music should be. Nirvana didn’t come out in the early 90′s to be a success. They came out to give the world a middle finger. Everyone knows that they were Nirvana, they were the baddest, sweetest band in the world. I think were probably just waiting on that
So your a big fan then.
I am a big Nirvana fan. Nirvana didn’t compromise. In the early 90′s it was all about glamour and glitz and they wore flannel hoodies. That was what was great about them. What band is going to be the next Nirvana? Cos there’s going to be one.
So I guess Dave Grohl has to be one of your influences too then.
Dave’s my favourite, sure, i forgot about that.
So then, have you ever had a near death experience then?
Yeah, I don’t know how near death it was, but I was on a flight here in the states and the cockpit caught on fire on a commercial flight. The pilot had to do and emergency landing in a different airport. It was scary. I thought i was going to die.
What is the weirdest thing you have been given by a fan?
Oh, you get some weird stuff in Japan. I’ve been given fish jerky before.
That sounds nauseating.
You get alot of cool stuff in Japan though, like kids there have made Japanamation of the band.
That does sound cool, i find the way Japanese people dress a little strange at time’s, especially coming from South Africa. I heard a rumour that you guys were supposed to play a show in Cape Town last year November.
I didn’t know anything about that but there’s a tour in the works now for September. It’s not written in stone but it’s in the works now. I actually got an email about it this morning.
That is good to now, so the new album will be out by then, what are you guys planning on calling it?
I don’t know if I can say yet. Honestly, I would tell you but i don’t know if we have officially announced it yet.
Ok then, we will leave it at that. last thing before i forget. Do you think having tattoo’s are wrong?
No not at all.
What about in the bible, don’t they say your body is a temple?
Have you ever been in a temple before? The way i look at it is this. A temple has a lot of paintings, a lot of decorations. And yes your body is a temple, but it doesn’t say you cant decorate your temple.
I don’t think it does.
There you go. I feel no wrong about having tattoo’s.
Well that is it, thank you very much then.
Wonderful, thank you very much for chatting my friend.
It has totally been my pleasure.
Anytime. You take care of yourself and I look forward to meeting you some day.
Thanks again Aaron, me too, you have a good day hey. Cheers.
