Killermik said:
Do you reckon you could play longer on stage or the 1H 1H15 seems the max?
They have played longer sets on some gigs, albeit not very often. I'm pretty sure they will gladly play longer if they are just allowed to do so. It's all up to the organizers / promoters.
As for how the songs are constructed, that is a question they have partially answered many times before, but my curious mind won't leave it alone until I get a perfectly clear picture of how it all works. This is what I know of the song-writing process this far:
Each member of the band writes down (and often records) parts, riffs, ideas, etc. Then they bring those forth for the whole band to try out and analyze. They try different arrangements and combinations, democratically voting out parts that don't fit. In the end, through trial and error, they have created a complete song, which then goes through several transformations until it is ready to be recorded / tried out live.
Is this correct?
What I'd like to know is a full example of a song's evolution, something like this (an imaginary example follows):
1. A new DT song needs to be created for the forthcoming as-of-yet-untitled album. The band-members gather together at the training room, bringing with them all the song-ideas they have come up since the last session.
2. Anders has a previously recorded haunting piano-piece with him, and he plays it for the others.
3. After listening a while Martin H. takes his guitar and plays the same melody, making small adjustments in the process.
4. The others make comments about the piece they are listening, agreeing that it sounds promising.
5. Martin B. takes over the keyboard and gives the piano a different, creepier sound. Anders jumps behind the drumset, Niklas and Michael add their instruments to the mixture.
6. Mikael starts making some nonsensical growls, trying to find the correct rhythm for the vocals and adding a whole bunch of Swedish swearwords in. The whole band plays this crude early form of the song a couple of times through, making small changes here and there.
7. Martin H. plays a thrashing guitar-riff he had thought about last week, believing it might fit the song well. Anders is against the idea, saying that it doesn't fit his impression of the song. After a brief discussion they decide to vote about it; Martin's riff gains enough support to be included in the song.
8. The whole band plays this new incarnation of the song. Michael improvises and adds a massive bass-solo in the middle of the song! The others quickly ask Michael to leave the bass-solo out ("This is not jazz, Micke!").
9. Mikael goes through his papers and finds some lyrics that might fit the song. After several changes to the previously written lines he is ready to try out the vocals. He tentatively names the song
Evasive Understanding, but this is just a working title.
10. They play the song through a couple of times and take a break (and a couple of well-deserved beers). Adding a solo might be a good idea and Niklas tries a couple of fast ones he had thought yesterday. One of them seems to fit and the other guys nod, approving the choice. They try the song once with the solo in the middle.
11. Suddenly Michael suggests they should put the solo in the very beginning of the song instead of having it in the middle. A short argument and a vote follows, and in the end Michael's idea gets through: the solo is moved into the beginning of the song.
12. Satisfied with the day's work, the guys go back to their homes (or to the pub). Next week they come back to make a few more changes and to suggest some new parts. They discuss different options ("Perhaps we should try clean vocals with this?") Mikael has finished the lyrics, calling the song now
Collateral Understanding. He still needs to change a couple of lines, but the basic structure is now ready.
13. A few months later the song has gone through several changes, but is now finally ready to be recorded. A new DT masterpiece is born!
Now, how far off am I? What parts of my imaginary example sound completely unrealistic? I know it might take longer before the lyrics are put in, but I didn't want to leave that aspect out of this example.
Finally, could you do this kind of a detailed example of the evolution of a song from the forthcoming album?
-Villain (who once tried to write down some questions for a DT-interview and only came up with terribly detailed ones such as this)
as I would like to make a very variable interview, I think it might be a good idea if you suggested some questions or some topics to be asked..
thanks for making me see that splash page!
