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Interview with Aaron Gillespie on Jan 5, 2009 by
Interview with Aaron Gillespie of UnderOath on October 26, 2008 at Terminal 5 in NYC
To support the release of its sixth full-length studio album Lost in the Sound Of Separation, UnderOath embarked on a world tour this past October, hitting the US first before heading to South America. During their stop in New York City, I got a chance to chat with drummer and vocalist Aaron Gillespie about his band, baseball and why he hates Rock Band.
Interview and Photos by: Christina Parrella
So how's the tour going?
Aaron Gillespie: Good, it's great. We just started out I think two weeks ago.
Tell me about the significance behind the title of your new album The Sound of Separation.
AG: The title is from a lyric in one of our songs but it's about how everyone is sort of separated from God in their own way and getting back to that and figuring that whole thing out.
Your last album, Define The Great Line debuted at Number 2 on the Billboard Charts. Were there any expectations with this album? That you would have to hit that high again?
AG: It's hard, you know? It's a totally different market now; people don't buy CDs anymore. But it's been awesome and I don't think we couldn't have expectations, everyone has expectations. I'm not gonna lie and say I never expect anything but I don't think we ever sit down and make a record and go "Oh, we want it to be just like this" or "sell like this."
What about the label?
AG: No, not at all. I mean if our last record tanked they probably would.
A lot of your songs are about redemption and forgiveness. How does that theme play into your new record?
AG: You know, like I said before, the title is kind of about everyone finding their way back to God a little bit and the whole thing is freedom is free and redemption is free and a relationship with Christ is free and yeah, it all plays off that in a way. We're all human, flawed people, so we just write in honesty and you hope people find comfort in your music.
Who did most of the writing on this record?
AG: Spencer does most of the lyric writing. I mean, I write all my own stuff and I write some of the stuff that he sings, too, but it's a group effort.
I know that you guys hit kind of a rough patch in 2006 when you dropped off Warped Tour...
AG: I can't believe people still talk about that. It was three years ago.
I'm sorry, I have to ask it.
AG: No, it's perfect now. It's better than it's ever been. We just had to go home and figure it out.
Is it hard to battle your demons within the band?
AG: Yes, sure. Being in a band is almost like being married in a sense. We're all alike so much, we're all different so much. We all started out being the exact same person and then we all kinda changed. So you grow up together and it's easy because everyone's so similar and everyone wants the same things and then we all got married and we all own a home and everyone's just a different person.
How can you balance being married, being in two bands and being on tour?
AG: I mean, the great thing is first of all our wives have never known us before we were doing this and they kind of always had to deal with this, so that helps.
I just wanted to say that the new record is amazing.
AG: Thank you.
And your vocals are great as well as your drumming...
AG: Thanks, I appreciate it.
So what comes first when recording?
AG: Drums are always first.
Why?
AG: It's just the way you do it. If you don't have drums you don't have anything to kind of keep time or make the direction of the song, so drums always go on tape first.
What about the lyrics?
AG: Last.
Last?
AG: Yeah. Well, we both write like all year long, ya know? And we'll kind of put it together but that's the last thing that happens.
What inspires you?
AG: Everything. God. The world. I mean everything. I don't ever think "I'm in an apple mode today, so I'll write about apples all day." Ya know? I mean you can have themes like redemption or grace that you'll write about, like whatever you're going through in your life. But it's pretty much whatever's happening in my life and our lives are kind of what we write about.
I noticed that with this record your sound is getting heavier. Is that something you are going for or just a natural process?
AG: It's just making the records we make.
There's no set goal?
AG: No, we never sit down and go, "We want to make a record that's just like this or just like that." We make the records we want to make.
Do you have a favorite track on the record?
AG: No, I don't do that. [laughs]
Why?
AG: I don't know. I've never been that guy.
Do you like to perform all of them?
AG: We haven't performed them all yet so I don't know. If we came out and played all of our new songs people would be like "huh?" We've only played about three or four new ones or maybe five because we're headlining so we get to play for an hour.
You guys never play your really, really old stuff?
AG: No. It's too long. The songs are too long or their not interesting.
Yeah. What kind of influence would you say your band has made on the scene?
AG: Oh I don't know if we've made any influence. I feel kinda crazy saying this but I hope that we made a positive one and I hope that people can see that we love the Lord and we just want to hang out and meet people and have a good time and just be honest.
Do you think your faith ever gets in the way of your bands image?
AG: I don't know because I respect everybody and I don't care who you are or what you believe in or where you're from; I respect you and I expect you to do the same and if you don't then that's ok because that's who you are. I don't think people get put off as much at all because we try to be as honest and as real as we can about our image and our faith. We don't make people feel what they don't want to feel. We're honest with people, ya know?
So I know you're from Tampa right?
AG: I am.
Are you excited that The Rays are in The World Series?
AG: They blew it last night and if they lose two more games it's over. I don't know, we're kind of not doing great right now.
I want The Rays to win because I hate The Phillies.
AG: So do I. I hate the Yankees, too, though.
Me, too. I'm a Mets fan.
AG: Are you? [Johan] Santana is one of the best pitchers in the Major Leagues. Well he is the best pitcher in the Major Leagues.
He saved our team.
AG: He's ridiculous. He is ridiculous. He is the best pitcher in the Major Leagues.
Yeah definitely in the National League.
AG: The National League is a woosey league anyway. The American League East is the best league in baseball.
You think so?
AG: It's the best bunch of teams in baseball. Fact. Red Sox, Yankees.
So one of my favorite tracks on the album is "Too Bright to See, Too Loud to Hear." The lyrics are very powerful. Can you elaborate a little on what the song means?
AG: I wrote those lyrics on a plane on my phone. I think in our band we know what our purpose is here and we know why we're here but it's hard to not take advantage of that sometimes and, you know, I'm in a band and it's easy sometimes but it's just a cry to God. Like, is it too late for you to help us out and help us realize that what we have is special?
So I saw your site and the Septembeard.com contest. Why did you guys start that?
AG: It was our labels idea. I can't grow a beard. I haven't shaved in two weeks and this is all I have; it's pathetic.
So you definitely could not win.
AG: No, I didn't even do it. I look like an idiot with facial hair. Like right now I need to shave but I haven't done it because I've been riding a bike for two weeks straight. Just everyday I ride bikes.
[trails off: "Jarrod, you can give up man. You've been defeated."]
What happened?
AG: The brakes aren't calibrated the right way, it's messed up.
Fixed gear bikes are hard to ride. They have no brakes, right?
AG: Mine does. I want brakes, you want brakes, you need brakes, especially when you're riding in downtown cities.
What city is your favorite to play or to visit even?
AG: My favorite city to play is Auckland, New Zealand because the kids are just so gracious and insane because no one ever goes there. My favorite city to visit is Lawrence, Kansas.
What do they have out there?
AG: It's really awesome, there's just a college there and it's just really chill. It's just beautiful and there's a rad studio there and a bunch of good restaurants.
So you like smaller cities?
AG: No, well New York City is the best city in the world but you gotta be in the mood. Like we have the day off tomorrow and I'm so stoked. I got a hotel in Times Square and sometimes I get in that mood. But most of the time I'm in New York City I want to be on the East Side, don't want to be anywhere near Midtown, ugh. I want be on the East Side, like low East Side. I like New York for a lot of different reasons, ya know? Our merch guy is my best friend from high school and he's never ever been to New York City and we'll be in Times Square. It's gonna be annoying?
Yeah, to even cross the street up there is annoying.
AG: Yeah, but he'll love it. That's the thing, like there's certain things you do for your bros, you know?
So this is his first tour with you?
AG: No, this is his second tour but the last tour we did was the Slipknot tour and it was all our outdoor festivals.
So I read that your first single is gonna be on two video games.
AG: Yeah, and one just came out. It's gonna be on Rock Band and something else.
NFL Madden 09.
AG: Yeah, I don't know anything about that stuff. I don't like video games.
That's kind of like a big prop.
AG: It's really cool yeah, no, it's awesome but I don't ever play video games. I've never played Madden but I played Rock Band once and it pissed me off.
Why?
AG: Because I'm not good at it. I couldn't play the drums on Rock Band.
That's weird. Plus they make people think they can play the guitar but it's actually really hard.
AG: It is.
So what do you do in your downtime?
AG: Hang out with my wife and dogs and horse.
How many dogs?
AG: Four.
Horse?
AG: Yeah, horse.
Did you live on a farm?
AG: No, my horse is out somewhere. I have a pretty big piece of property but not big enough for a horse.
So what are your plans after tour?
AG: We have two weeks and then we go to Rio di Janiero and Argentina and South America and I'll be home for two months in the wintertime. Touring in the winter sucks; it's so cold and dangerous. So I'll be home in Florida in the winter and then back overseas for a few months and then I don't know.
Are you reading any books right now?
AG: No. I actually started reading Moby Dick a few days ago. It's really cool and really weird.
Do you have anything you want to say to your fans?
AG: Thanks for reading, be real to yourself, thanks for listening or reading or whatever you do when you hear this.
A big thanks to Aaron for his time.
