The Aquarian

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Interview with David Draiman and Dan Donegan of Disturbed
Chicago heavy rock band Disturbed has been around for a decade, which makes them, actually, one of the older bands in their scene today. Their new album, Indestructible (not to be confused with the Rancid album of the same name), follows their last disc, Ten Thousand Fists, which was released in 2005. Singer David Draiman and guitarist Dan Donegan discuss the writing process for the record, where this album stands in their discography, and why loud, angry music is actually filled with sunshine.
When did you start writing the new record?
Dan: I think last year, early 2007. We finished touring in 2006 and then we came home and I wanted to get started right away. We got cracking right away and got a bunch of material to throw at David and get him started. It was coming together pretty quick, which was nice.
How long did you spend writing?
Dan: I think we started in February of 2007 and maybe a few months into it we knew we wanted to hit the studio. We knew we had a good body of work and anticipated hitting the studio sometime in the fall.
Did you have a set vision or goal for the record when you started writing?
David: I actually sat down with the guys at a lunch we had together, maybe in January [of 2007]. We had come off the road in December and taken a month off. I said to them ‘Guys it’s been a really rough couple years for me so give me the nastiest, darkest, most brutal, aggressive shit you can to write to.’ That’s kinda where it all started and we’ve gone from there. This record is truly ferocious.
Dan: We talked about some of the elements we liked off the first three CDs and where our heads were at, just trying to get on the same page with what we were trying to achieve out of this. There’s only so much talk you can do about it before you have to just let it get going naturally, but I think everyone was in the same headspace of wanting to go a lot darker with the material, more attitude, more aggression. Just kind of tipping the scale a little more and bringing out a little more of David’s angst.
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Interview with Barry Hyde of The Futureheads
Barry Hyde, the vocalist and guitarist for The Futureheads, is a touchstone of English charm. It’s been two years since the release of their last record, News & Tributes, and with the release this month of their latest effort, This Is Not The World, Hyde’s enthusiasm boils over as he speaks.
The Futureheads recorded This Is Not The World last summer on a mountaintop in Spain, and while describing the setting Hyde says to me, “I don’t know if you know this, mate, but we recorded our album in the only area in all of Europe that has a desert.” He pauses for a second and then laughs, “Of course, they’re not like the deserts you have in your country, but it’s all we have here in Europe!” Hyde’s spirit is as youthful and energetic as his music, and The Futureheads’ journey from their native Sunderland to the mountaintops of Spain all started with a lesson in letting it all hang out from super- producer Youth, who along with the band crafted This Is Not The World out of his home studio.
“We learned so much from Youth,” says Hyde. “He taught us that we didn’t have to spend too long on a song–we could just write and record a song one day, and the next day, start up on another.” Of the twelve songs on the album, nine were written previously to arriving in Spain, which allowed the band to knock out the recording of the album in just three weeks. The frenzied pace is evident all over This Is Not The World. Unlike the acoustic elements that made up News & Tributes, This Is Not The World is a 38-minute blitz to the finish line–a manic attack signaling the start of an indie rock rampage. Tracks like “Broke Up The Time” and “Think Tonight” are perfect morsels of post-punk jive, and all the tracks on This Is Not The World were crafted with The Futureheads’ signature vocal harmonies. “We try to use the very tones of our voices to make our harmonies unique,” says Hyde. “For instance, Ross (Millard, bassist) has a very low voice, and Dave’s (Hyde, drummer) is very high. So, Jaff (bassist) and I fit into the middle.”
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