Interviews

Divide By Zero

Interview with John Contreras on Sep 22, 2003 by Archive Bot

by: Vanessa Chibba

PB: For those unfamiliar with the history of the band, describe it
briefly.

DBZ: Pretty much it went down like this: I went to see Logan's Loss play and
heard they were breaking up. I talked to Brian, TJ, and Tom and
mentioned that I play bass and we just exchanged numbers and soon after
we all got together and played and I think everything fit in place
perfectly. That was in October of 2002 and by December we were playing
shows. Things moved pretty quickly from there and I think we're all
very happy with where we are now.


PB: It says in your bio that the band formed after the demise of the band
Logan's Loss. Three out of the four members of Divide By Zero were
members of that band. Lots of bands go through extensive line-up changes
sometimes ending up with only one founding member. What was the motive behind
the decision to change the band name,instead of just keeping Logan's Loss?

DBZ: It's a different band. Changing the voice and the main songwriting is a
pretty significant change. Also, I think we all wanted to start
something new, to have a clean slate to work with.

PB: Other than the obvious of a new bass player, what is one main
difference between Logan's Loss and Divide By Zero?

DBZ: I think a big difference is the perspective we have. We're still a very
new band, we haven't even been together a year and we've accomplished a
lot of amazing things that we're all very proud of and grateful for. It's
also none of the Logan's Loss songs. There are a lot of the same
elements but also a lot of things we've never done before in any band.
We don't concentrate on having a sound, which is probably the best thing
we could do for ourselves.

PB: "Their power and emotion that is embodied in their songs and live
show comes directly from their home Chicago." Can you explain in further
detail exactly how your hometown relates and affects the music that you make?

DBZ: Chicago and Illinois have made us the people we are today. All the
people we know and bands we've been lucky enough to see have inspired us
in some way. (Shout outs to Rob, Matt, Willoughby, Waste of Time
Records, Craig, Mike and the whole Sinister Label crew). I wouldn't have
been able to see Slapstick or AYA if I didn't live here. Seeing 88
Fingers Louie at Fireside like 30 times is a definite highlight of
living in Chicago. Pretty much all of our family and friends live here, and
that weighs in on our writing. So yeah, Chicago is filled with amazing people
and incredible bands. And Bacci's.

PB: What kind of scene is there in Chicago?

DBZ: A huge scene. And not just punk either. There's a ton of hip-hop, rock
n' roll, pop, industrial.probably some more shit I don't even know
about. Chicago has a huge music scene. In the punk scene though I think
things are pretty stagnant. Every time I go to a show I see the same kinds of
bands playing the same tired ass shit. I think the punk scene needs something
to come through and just kick everything in the ass. Also, it needs more
passion for real music and less fashion. Don't get me wrong though, I
couldn't be more proud of Chicago.

PB: Your debut EP is entitled MIRRORS. It's been explained that album is
meant to, "lets you into a small part of their lives." As well as, "This
band and these songs are all about our reflections and experiences in
our lives." From your explanation of the album, it seems that the title of it
is quite appropriate. But I also get that a mirror is something that shows
a reflection of oneself, on a deeper level...do you want the listener to
try and see themselves in the experiences that you are attempting to
share with them?

DBZ: That's a good question. I never thought of it like that before.I think
what we write about is the kind of thing every body goes through at some
point. If people can relate, that's an incredible thing. Really, we
just want people to take whatever they can from our songs and apply it
to their lives however they want.

PB: What is one of the strongest messages of this album?

DBZ: I think believing in yourself and who you are is a big theme on Mirrors.
Also, an appreciation for where you are and who you're with. A lot of
the songs talk about failed relationships, falling-outs with friends,
parents and that sort of thing but I think there's a silver lining on
all of it.

PB: You guys are in the process of writing and demo-ing your new record
right now. What is the songwriting process for you guys?

DBZ: Trial and Error. We just keep bouncing ideas off each other until we
get something we like. I think our best songs come when we have nothing
and we just play until we come up with something we like. And then we
just build on it from there.

PB: Do you have most of your material when you go into the studio or do
you work on most of it while you're in there?

DBZ: So far we haven't been lucky enough to have enough time or a big enough
budget to mess around in the studio. On "Mirrors" we had every note
written when we went in. I would love to be able to be in the studio
for like 4 years working on an album and just come out with something
that blows everyone's mind. I'd love to make our own Use Your Illusion
album. On the next album it will be a little of both. We have a lot of
stuff written now that we're going to demo to see how we feel about it.
I'm sure while we're in the studio we'll come up with some things too.

PB: What can people expect from this next album?

DBZ: A better release. We're all very happy with Mirrors but we know it was
rushed and not as good as it could be. We're going to spend a lot more
time on this one. There's going to be some style change but we're
playing a lot of the new stuff live so I think people have an idea of
what to expect. That doesn't mean we're not going to surprise the shit
out of you though.