Interview with letlive.

Here at Room Thirteen we like to look after our readers. We love you. We appreciate your little peepers peeping over our words. We really do. So it's about time that we treat you. Unfortunately, we can't deliver ice-cream to you. We gave it a practice effort and the results were...runny. Instead, we have an interview with one of the most exciting bands of the moment. Much better in our opinion. Who else could we be going on about than letlive?

The Californian quintet are taking the post-hardcore scene and battering it with the full force of their energy and originality. Live, they are one of the most incredible spectacles you could wish to behold, so it was most exciting to see them be confirmed for this summer's Download Festival. But you don't need to wait until then to get your fix of these chaps. Their belting record 'Fake History' has just been re-released on Epitaph this week. We could go on about how brilliant it is, but instead you can see what vocalist Jason Aalon Butler and bassist Ryan Jay Johnson have to say about it.

R13: Tell us a little bit about "Fake History" for people that haven't heard it already.
Jason: "Fake History" is something for people to feel. We've put every bit of ourselves into that record- musically, sonically, emotionally and mentally...as well as physically I believe.
R13: Sounds exhausting!
J: It certainly was. In the end we were able to present the people something we're not only very proud of but that they'll feel what we were feeling and trying to portray in the record, as well as find themselves in an area that they may interpret on their own, however they want to take it. That's absolutely fine with us.

R13: Well, speaking of fake history, who's your favourite historical figure and who's your favourite fake person?
J: (Laughs) That's really good...!
Ryan: Let's see.... Dmitri Karamazov. That'll be my favourite.
J: With that we see he (pointing at Ryan) is the intellect. But I was the kid that watched a lot of 'Back To The Future' and with that I'll have to say Marty McFly.
(Ryan laughs)
R13: And that technically covers history as well- very good!
J: You know what, in 'Back To The Future' I think the satire and dynamism in that movie was actually more ingenious than people give it credit for. And I parallel it to something Orwellian like in '1984' so... looking at it I reckon my answer might be pretty smart too.

R13: So onto your brand of music. As always people have made plenty of comparisons when it comes to your sound. We tend to think it's something of a 36 Crazyfists meets Coheed and Glassjaw... but if you put it in a cage and gave it a prod with a stick.
J: (Laughs) Yeah there's a lot of aggression!
R13: So with that in mind, who would you say were the most flattering and- if you dare say- the least flattering comparisons you've had?
J: Most flattering? We've been said to be most akin in our performance to the older outfits.
R: Nation of Ulysses that was my most flattering moment. Their career it was really interesting. It was great to hear- Glassjaw we get all the time.
J: A man who holds quite a bit of clout in the metal realm said something that meant a lot to me, which was that to watch us reminded him of seeing James Brown. That was pretty cool. The least flattering?
R: I don't know if I can say! Foxy Shazam was a little strange. I don't have anything against them but I don't see much of a correlation!
J: Didn't we have someone say we reminded them of Creed?
R: Oh yeah I forgot about that one!

R13: What's your favourite song to play live?
R: I think the album- and this goes with the live set as well- is an embodiment of our emotions. I cant play one song without playing the others. We create the set list to go through different dynamics. It used to be so hard picking songs for the sets and one over another, but now it does feel like we could pick them out of a hat and it'd sound pretty good!

R13: Everything we've read about your attitude to music suggests extraordinary depth, like it's something intrinsically part of us as people. How does it feel to have something like that in your power and to be able to share it with so many people?
J: I don't know about us having the power, I think its the music and we are simply the hands by which the music is delivered.
R: I think it'd be good to say it feels good to give the power to the fans and their ability to interpret it in their own ways and take us as their development. They can use us and our music rather than us being the dictator.
J: The music itself and the power of it is omnipresent. When artists believe too much that they're the reason that people are feeling something then that's when that power starts to diminish because the focal is too much on the individual rather than everyone being a part of it. We could play a show to nobody and it would never feel the same!

R13: Is it fair to say letlive and the way you function has a lots to do with confidence?
R: We're confident individuals. Musically, we go through stages. You're always hard on yourself when you create something- its hard to get reactions, good or bad, and accept them. Confidence comes in waves.
R13: The reason I ask is because from what I've seen in videos there is a definite level of confidence in your performance- and in your music as well because it's such a strong flavour. Comparisons aside it feels like you really know what you want to do.
R: I think what it is is that were all so confident in our passion. Our passion is so confident that everybody loses themselves when we play live. There's an inherent level of communication, but at the same time you can be very introverted- it's insane.
J: We find solace in knowing its a never-ending process- it's progressive and developmental. It's confidence sure, but we're also comfortable in what we want to do and to know there's so much more to do ahead of us.

R13: After a quick glance at your blog, it would seem that you have no fear in sharing your inner workings and feelings with the world. How do you think that impacts your relationship with your fans?
R: I like to expose as much of ourselves as we can through the media. It's great when you have something to say and bring certain notions to people and it inspires thought. The music and that coincide. The music is introductory and hopefully they'll then take on the feelings and thoughts and progress.
R13: Its good to get to know the band behind the music as well isn't it.
J: Certainly, with the internet or any media we're granted has to be considered a blessing because we're very lucky to be able to connect with so many people. We've tried to hone in on the responsive nature of human beings. You can go and put something out and whether it be good or bad, they will respond. When they do respond they're paying attention, and when they're paying attention there is that slight chance they may be interested in delving in to see what it is you're talking about.

R13: Well, something else we found while poking around on the internet was a video of Jason freestyling. We're not going to ask you to do it because we can't be arsed transcribing that, but is it something that you would consider seeping into letlive?
J: Yeah the next record will be Jason Butler and the Letlivers, it'll be just me freestyling and the others accompanying. (Laughs) I grew up with all that stuff. I think a lot of the record was derivative of the idea of freestyle. All of us would play a part and then when we'd go in and record it and it wouldn't be what we played but it's what we felt at that very moment. At the end of 'Casino Columbus' if you listen very carefully there's something very Jonathan Davis-esque but it's pretty buried!

R13: So if it's not freestyling, what is the secret ingredient that makes letlive different from other bands?
J: Poignance. That's what it is.
R13: Why use ten words when you can use one!

R13: For any wordsmith, it's hard not to be a fan of your song titles and lyrical wordplay. But what would you say is the all-time greatest record title?
J: I was just talking about that this morning! 'Glycerine' by Bush, 'Sixteen Stone'. I have no idea what it means but it's so cool! It did actually make me thwart myself into books and figure out what it meant thinking 'it must be an English thing, I'm too American!' I just thought you're great Gavin Rossdale. What he did was prompt people's imagination and curiosity and that's great.
R13: That can be your one thing to do before you die- find out the meaning.
J: Absolutely. Whatever it takes!

R13: So, if there is one song that people should listen to and they'd get exactly what letlive are about, which one is it?
J and R: (At the same time) 'Fake History'. (Laughs)
R: Take fifteen minutes out of your day and listen to the album, I think that's what it is.
J: We strung this together with the intent that people should listen to the whole thing. We've taken so many pieces of ourselves to make it. It sounds like were trying to evade the question and sound cryptic, but we're not. You should just listen to the album!