Micha: Seems you have your hands in all kinds of things these days. How do you divide your time, and for those who don`t know, what`s your claim to fame?
Joel: Wow. I don`t know about fame. I have been in a bunch of bands, and I record/produce other bands for a living. I have worked with all kinds of people, because I love music, not just one style.
Micha: What`s with the knot fascination?
Joel: Matthias and me grew up on the water. I grew up smelling low tide, and basically in the water. This is a romanticized version of that time.
Micha: This is an extensive/eclectic collection of riffs. What was the composing process for TBOK?
Joel: Layering. Like a symphony, but through various methods. Trial and error, writing out parts... Lots of different approaches on this record. 99 percent of every part on the record is straight from the heart, like not too much "writing" and more just letting it flow. Creation of a mood rather than worrying about a "riff." Of course the guitar stuff comes out riffy, because I love to hook people, but all that stuff is seriously right from my heart and brain, to the strings. Sounds cliche, but it is true. No practice, no band meetings, just playing and creating a mood.
Micha: Every nook and cranny tie together and the CD booklet is pretty elaborate. From where did you draw inspiration?
Joel: Old books about sailing, and the sea. Stories told by people we have known. My uncle`s Viking style funeral. We weren`t allowed (by law) obviously to float a corpse out and set it on fire. We put my Uncle Frank`s ashes in his favorite wooden rowboat, and burned that to the waterline. That funeral is something I will never forget. I had tears in my eyes, not so much for Frank, but the scene was just overwhelming. Steel gray sky over Lewis Bay (in Yarmouth, MA), at low tide, and the water was reflecting the cracks of orange that were coming through the clouds. There was a bagpipe playing, and a boat drifting slowly on fire... man, too much to describe here, but it was amazing. That, obviously, is the mood I wanted to recapture with "Franks Funeral."
Micha: How did you decide whom would perform on what track?
Joel: Whoever was inspired at the time. The process flowed well. We would try something, and if it worked, great. If not... editing is amazing.
Micha: What type of fan base do you feel this will appeal to?
Joel: I hope this record has mass appeal. I truly feel it is a human endeavor. I hope that someone who likes Pink Floyd can rock to this, or someone who likes the Melvins, or someone who likes Tom Waits... This record is the way I hear rock. All the people involved in the making of this record have made left of center rock records, and this is sort of a culmination of that aesthetic. I don`t think it is weird, I think it is strong, and emotional, and heavy as hell, but strangely beautiful. (Those words sound like a warped, proud poppa!)
Micha: This is album is like an acid trip or a dream to me. I think it would make for a great trip at night around a body of water (I actually might have a bad trip on a boat depending on the track… LOL)!
Joel: To me, this record brings out things in me that are fully awake, but surreal, like every day of my life.
Micha: How much time was spent manipulating each track?
Joel: We would track and mix a song in one day. We would work on them like separate records. Like the drum mic`s would come down, and Tony and me would be working on something else for a month, then we would set back up and do another song. It was really fun doing it that way. I never tried to duplicate the results we got from one session to the next. The mixing was the time I had to make the collection of varying tracking styles all sound like a record. The record took a while because of everyone`s playing and touring schedules. We probably worked a total of 15 or 20 days on this record, but spread out over a year.
Micha: So, if you start reading Moby Dick and listening to this album at the same time, what will happen?
Joel: You will get annoyed when the huge loud songs kick in, and you can`t think or read. Also, a chrome dolphin will shoot out of the tip of the great pyramid and save the world. If you listen to this record driving, and sing a "D" over every song, you can telepathically control clams within 20 miles of your current position. I swear.
Micha: Is this a one off gig or will there be more TBOK stuff? What would your aspirations be for the next album as far as broadening your musical horizons (if any)?
Joel: We already have a bunch of stuff for album two. More craziness, with crazy guests. People are going to freak out over the cast of characters this time around. The theme for the second record is the rust belt and the Midwest, around the time all the steel mills were closing, and dads were committing suicide, and moms were walking out the door and never coming back. Bleak stuff. I love it. The new one is more heart aching melancholy, like a huge version of The Wall but super heavy... like the first one (Book of Knots) I guess.
Micha: Is touring too far out of the realms of reality for something this colossal?
Joel: We have had some pretty substantial offers to play. People have offered good money, and that is hard to pass up. We are looking into playing a few select cities. We aren`t going to jump in a van and drive around the country with this whole crew though. We will do it right when it comes time to play. I can`t wait... I will be on tour with Players Club for the new record this summer, so after that we shall see!
Micha: And the infamous song and dance you did into the Relapse merch table last year at Emissions, was that all sailor substance?
Joel: Fully pirate. I have had people I don`t know at all come up to me at shows and ask me about that, or just say shit like "nice bar run, move... yeah!" Creative people do funny things, I suppose.
