Interviews

Bane

Interview with Aaron on Nov 30, 2000 by Archive Bot

I'd like to thank Jason of Equal Vision and and Aaron of Bane for making the interview happen. It was my first Bane show but won't be the last after their incredible performance. Check them out at http://www.banecentral.com/. This interview is with Aaron of Bane.

PB: First of all I'd like to say the new album "Give Blood" is great. It may be my first Bane album, but definately won't be the last. I was wondering if the title of the album weirded you out due to all the current events going on in the world? What's the significance behind the title?
A: It's awful because we had all that stuff done and the layout was shipped out in August. It wasn't like this thing we set up to be topical or whatever. It happened, and we were like "fuck the records coming out in three weeks or so, and people are going to think we scrambled to come up with this." For us the meaning is totally different. To us it means giving all of yourself for the things you believe, or the things that you stand for. Give every ounce of yourself. It really doesn't have anything to do with the Red Cross or anything like that.

PB: Can you please give a small history of the band? I know some of you came from Converge and I was wondering how that prepared you guys for your success as Bane.
A: We all come from a line of smaller bands that really never made it out to the larger circuit except for Aaron and our original drummer who were in a band that really did explode out of the local scene. Bane was sort of born out of Aaron Dalbec our guitar player's frustration about not being able to write and really contribute creatively to Converge. Converge was more of a one man vision. There is a guy who writes the music, he's great at it, and Aaron Dalbec had all these songs written and all these things he wanted to express that didn't fit into what Converge is all about. He and the drummer set out and wrote some more spirited hardcore songs. Aaron Dalbec in 1996 started going around and putting together the rest of the line-up. He knew the songs were strong and his whole life is hardcore. Six months later we recorded a demo and a 7" after that, for the first couple of years we were taking the back seat to Converge. We were the side-project band that played locally and we all understood our role. Things just kept happening for us and I guess it was a ......... (a fight breaks out outside of the venue at this point and Aaron goes outside to represent). Converge hit a lull where their guitar player started taking work very seriously and they sort of came off the road. That was during the time of our three seven inches, and we started touring. We fell in love with it and it was our first time playing more than once or twice a month. We found our drummer Nick and found some passion in our music. We had a good two years where Converge was taking a back seat to Bane. Not because they weren't as big, but it was timed that way where they weren't doing a lot of things. We just went and toured and wrote a full-length, then this year it just happened that both bands would be so busy since Converge is back in the saddle now. Both bands were going to be so busy so Aaron decided to leave Converge and join Bane. We can go and do our thing and Converge can go and do their thing. This has always been Aarons true love.

PB: How would you compare older material such as "It All Comes Down To This" to newer material such as "Give Blood"? Are you happpier with one more than the other?
A: This is the record we always wanted to make "Give Blood". "It All Comes Down To This" was sort of like from the first year of touring we would write a song here and write a song there, and eventually knew we would have to get a record out. We sort of rushed and threw some songs together and I think there were some strong songs on "It All Comes Down To This", but for the most part when the record was done we were sort of disappointed. We have been shocked at how well the record has done for us. It was never really the record we wanted it to be.

PB: You guys are quickly becoming one of the most popular hardcore bands in today's scene. Did you ever think that would happen and what else are you looking to achieve?
A: Never....... never! I never thought it would be like this. It's crazy to say but we shake our heads everyday and we are one of the best hardcore bands around right now. We can headline anywhere and it's amazing and an incredible feeling. I'm still a kid! I still get amazed by bands like Hot Water Music ya know?

PB: How old are you?
A: Thirty-two years old. I'm not a young man and I've been in this game for a long, long time. I've been in a band since I was 17, and I always think of it like Indiana Jones how he slipped right under that door as it was closing and grabbed the whip. I feel like I just got through the window and was given the chance to work with very creative-passionate-inspired people. We are such hardcore kids at heart and come to a show like the one tonight and be like 'Do you believe this?'

PB: What are some of the messages you are trying to get across in your new album "Give Blood"?
A: We are getting a great response and the greatest thing with the record is that when I had to write songs for this album I was just in such a different state in my life than I was with "It All Comes Down To This". I was an agry and bitter kid. I had all of these relationships fall apart and had all of these things I at odds and war with. Now my life is just being on the road. Now I don't have all these inner fucking conflicts where I'm hurt because of a girl, a boy, god, or my parents. I don't have all of that right now. All I have is the van, and getting up on stage, and giving it everything that I have. Give more, give everything, give blood. If you're going to do something give if full on! That's what the record is about.

PB: I heard you guys did your own art work. Why?
A: We did, because we were very disappointed at the way the layout to "It All Comes Down To This" came out. We left it in the hands of another person we trusted and told us things would go one way, so the guy that did the artwork got all this credit because kids love the layout to "It All Comes Down To This" and would come up to use and say it's so powerful and emotional. If it could have been done the way we wanted it to it could have been so much better. We realised when it was time to lay this the only way to avoid that is to do it ourselves.

PB: Your first US tour was with your then label mates Saves The Day. What do you think of the success they have experienced at Vagrant, and how did the first tour go?
A: We had a great time on that tour. We don't "keep in touch" but when they come through town we go and see them. We hung out them at Krazyfest on their bus. It's been amazing for us because on that tour they were young kids, they had never been on tour, and they had a tough time of it. There were nights when we were up with them holding that band together, trying to keep them spirited, and keep them looking up. I remember telling Chris they had something. This was two years before that happy, really poppy sound took with kids. They played shows with not so great reviews, but I knew they had something special and would grow into something. Chris is such a brilliant kid. They just blew up and we saw them in magazines and saw the record sales, and we just feel like we knew them when. The first tour was a blast!

PB: Lastly, thanks so much for your time and for putting on a sweet show. How was Krazyfest 2000? Was it the best show Bane has ever played or have there been better?
A: That was the top five. That day was amazing... we can't even describe it. That was the day we realised that kids loved "It All Comes Down To This" would keep us on the road or whatever. We really step up an the big fests ya know? There's something about stepping out there and seeing a sea of kids. It just gets you fuckin pumped up!