Interview with
Michael Shepard
Of
Lovedrug
By:
Anthony P. Hanna
Date: September
29, 2004
Can you describe your sound to people who
haven't heard of you?
The music of Lovedrug is a mixture or
a blend of two major elements, a sophisticated rock and what some may
refer to as Brit Pop. Essentially it is an Aristocratic Brit pop rock
with grander undertones that imply something of a tale to be told. A
musical journey if you will, like a rabbit hole that goes downward into
the belly of the beast where few have tread. Or, the simple
answer.....it's a
Radiohead meets
Jeff
Buckley, yet heavier sort of thing.
So you recently released Pretend You're
Alive. How has the feedback been for it, has it been as embraced as you
had hoped?
The reactions we have received from the folks who listen to
music.....which is everyone, have been spectacular. There is a lot of
amazing feedback about this record, which to me is honestly a little
surprising. I mean don't get me wrong, I thought it would always do well,
but I guess I just didn't realize the kind of reactions it would evoke in
people, even music snobs, it's a bit shocking. Of course, then again, how
would I know how anyone would respond? In short, it's been an amazing
ride, and it's only the beginning.
Now you guys were approached by quite a
few labels, why did you decide to go with an Indie label instead of a
mainstream one?
Simple; at this level of the game (the music biz), it is fundamentally
stupid to gamble with your career. That is, if you wish to have one, and
singing with a Major right out of the gate is as big as a gamble as one
could take in this climate of the industry. It only makes sense to build
a band like
Lovedrug from a grass
roots level first, establish an amazing foundation off fans, buzz, sales,
relationships and weight, and then when the proverbial "ball" is rolling
with enough intensity and beauty, let a Major take over and give it the
big push. That way you just keep rolling and eventually you become what
all career oriented artists aspire to become; a larger than life artistic
entity with unlimited resources and the world as your canvas.
What inspires you as you write your
songs?
Life and everything that happens in it. Fairy tales, magical beings from
far away places, skin, hip bones.
Please describe the creative process
behind the Lovedrug.
A thought is had, a connection is made, the heart adds emotion to what the
mind built. A physical desire to make tangible such a creation is then
acquired. An instrument is needed, for me it is a nearby piano or
guitar. The right environment is a certain prerequisite, high ceilings,
wood floors, good tones, strange lurking shadows, beautiful sadness all
around. Small notes begin to flutter down the spine and into the limbs.
A need for exodus is upon thee. The time has come to get it out, the
creature that has now grown within, please get it out, must get it out
before, before it's lost, I can't remember, oh fuck. Wait, there it is.
Oh wait, that's completely different than I was imagining.......oh well, I
guess it's still cool = A SONG, and in this case, every song on the
Pretend You're Alive record.
"Down Towards The Healing" is my favorite
song on the album, can you possibly describe how that song came about?
It was a fleeting thought of rejuvenation and redemption from all that
screws us up in this world. All the things we don't need must be stripped
away to achieve any peace of mind. Love exists at the bottom, I believe.
It's about being slain as a means to rise with strength and love again,
and feeling sorry for those you endangered along your journey. It was
also the first song I ever wrote on piano. I was in my apartment with all
the lights out and I just started playing as soft as I could, while I
imagined myself floating downward towards some sort of grueling death. It
is rather elementary, but I suppose that works though because the song
needed to be fundamentally simple and almost naive to accomplish its goal
as a song. I mean, every song has a goal, you know?
What do you see as the future of Lovedrug?
A band that everyone appreciates and respects, plus, authors of the
greatest album of all time....it's not been done yet of course, still
working on it.
What are you listening to now?
Modest
Mouse, Keane, Blonde Redhead, Soundgarden, Jorane, Sigur Ros, Third Eye
Blind, the Solaris soundtrack.
What do you like to do in your spare
time?
Bowl and read books, not at the same time of course.
Have you been reading anything lately
that has left an impact on you?
Kingdom Of Fear by Hunter S. Thompson.....everyone should read that book,
it's amusing but really right on, scary.
Any other comments?
Be well and drink green tea with friends late at night as often as
possible, before they turn into pumpkins and lose their luster.
-----Another
Lovedrug
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