When the Flying
Colors disc landed in my mailbox I was expecting the typical Prog record but
what I got was an amazing surprise. Here
you had five amazing musicians reaching out and expanding their creative
muscles to create a superb melodic masterpiece. Casey McPherson, the singer
that Portnoy wanted to front the project, took the time to check in and discuss
his end of this amazing project.
An interview with Casey McPherson of Flying Colors.
By Jeffrey Easton
Metal Exiles: For the fans of the rest of Flying Colors who are just getting to know you, how did you develop into the singer you are today?
Casey McPherson: When I was younger my dad used to pay me twenty bucks to sing in front of his friends and I was terrible when I started. I was a classically trained pianist but I wanted to sing and write songs that I could sing. I went from that to being in a choir which taught me how to breath and other techniques. So I started playing with friends and bands and listening to other singers. I remembered when I first heard Jeff Buckley’s “Grace” record, it blew me away and it showed me that men could sing with such sensitivity. It allowed me to sing without worrying whether it sounds cool or not and with a lot more versatility. So in ten years of being in different bands (notably Alpha Rev) helped shape the ways my vocals are today but with this project I was singing in ways that I never sand before except at home or on demos. When Steve Morse is playing this bad ass metal riff and Mike Portnoy is playing these fills how can you not feel that and give it all you have? This record really stretched me as a singer.
Metal Exiles: What attracted you to do Flying Colors?
Casey: I have always loved Dream Theater and musicians of that caliber like Mike are many levels above the other 99% created music industry, being able to pull off basically anything musically. I am way younger than the rest of these guys and to be able to write, record and perform with them is a once in a lifetime chance and an honor. I did not know if I was going to be able to hang but I jumped at the chance.
Metal Exiles: You have a commercial voice which is what attracted the band to you so how do you fit into what they do or did you have to?
Casey: No, I did not have to. Primarily the reason my voice is commercial is because of the labels I am on and the singles that have been released. I have always been primarily attracted to more creative music but I have never been around players that could pull that stuff off. Strangely enough we ended up making this progressive, pop, metal, rock record and I was expecting prog for the whole thing. I remember writing a riff in 7/8 to bring to mike because if he uses anything he will use this, so he used the riff but not all of it was in the odd time signatures. The guys were very encouraging to me and the project just fell into place.
Metal Exiles: When I first heard about this project I was expecting all Prog rock but I was blown away at how commercially accessible the material is. There are so many songs on the record that are capable of breaking the top 40.
Casey: That was strange for all of us. I came from the perspective of creating songs, same with Neal Morse. Steve Morse and Mike Portnoy will typically go in with their brilliance and create these masterpiece instrumental parts. I think they were desiring a lot of melody and this record is one that we wanted to make, not because there was some kind if fulfillment on a contract. We just came at this record with a bit more of a simplistic approach.
Metal Exiles: With the songwriting talent that is in the band was there reservations about what you wanted to contribute or was confidence your ally?
Casey: It was a concerted effort for everybody to bring material to the table because so much of it was created there on the spot. They were very open and encouraging so when we got to a new song Steve would create a melody I would start singing or if we needed a bridge I would grab my guitar and start creating it. It was very natural and there was no “you’re the young one, shut up and do your thing.”. They could have done that and deservedly so and I would have shut up and done what I was supposed to do.
Metal Exiles: I know there was cram sessions because there was X number of days. Did you like those sessions or do you think it would have been a different record if you had had more time?
Casey: I would say that 75% of the stuff we wrote on the spot but I would have loved to have had two months to do this but we would have ended up with three different records. I think we just touched the surface of what a group like this could do but on the other hand I like the idea of jumping into the studio, not over thinking anything and going with what’s right constantly. We laid it down and moved on. There is something about art, very innocent and beautiful, because it is not “thought to death”.
Metal Exiles: I know you are an accomplished guitar and keyboard player yourself but you were in the room with Neal and Steve Morse. With that in mind how much in the way of keyboards and guitars did you contribute to the album?
Casey: All of the stuff that I did was after they laid all of their stuff down. I did some guitar harmonies with Steve which live I will be able to do with which will be a blast and as far as keyboards I put in some Pink Floydesque spacey parts. Within the first day of having my keyboards and guitars set up I really just concentrated on singing so I could keep up because you are talking about multiple key changes because Neal, Dave and Steve are looking at each other because they know the runs each other are playing. Still to this day I do not know how they knew what each other was playing because they were not the typical instrumental parts you would normally hear. Those guys just think on a different level.
Metal Exiles: Because those guys are crazy good. Some of the songs seem very personal like Blue Ocean, The Storm and Better Than Walking Away. Did these songs come from a personal side of you?
Casey: I have a hard time writing when they are not personal. With this record it started with the idea of a person looking for freedom and redemption. A lot of the lyrics are about situations and moments a person might go through, especially The Storm, it is an anthem on that aspect.
Metal Exiles: So you guys will be taking this on the road this fall.
Casey: Yes, we will be going out in September Starting with one date in Southern California and New York as well as dates in Europe.
Flying Colors is the surprise record of the year and it demands the respect of any musician.
BUY Flying Colors!
BUY Flying Colors on Vinyl!
Official Flying Colors Site
An interview with Casey McPherson of Flying Colors.
By Jeffrey Easton
Metal Exiles: For the fans of the rest of Flying Colors who are just getting to know you, how did you develop into the singer you are today?
Casey McPherson: When I was younger my dad used to pay me twenty bucks to sing in front of his friends and I was terrible when I started. I was a classically trained pianist but I wanted to sing and write songs that I could sing. I went from that to being in a choir which taught me how to breath and other techniques. So I started playing with friends and bands and listening to other singers. I remembered when I first heard Jeff Buckley’s “Grace” record, it blew me away and it showed me that men could sing with such sensitivity. It allowed me to sing without worrying whether it sounds cool or not and with a lot more versatility. So in ten years of being in different bands (notably Alpha Rev) helped shape the ways my vocals are today but with this project I was singing in ways that I never sand before except at home or on demos. When Steve Morse is playing this bad ass metal riff and Mike Portnoy is playing these fills how can you not feel that and give it all you have? This record really stretched me as a singer.
Metal Exiles: What attracted you to do Flying Colors?
Casey: I have always loved Dream Theater and musicians of that caliber like Mike are many levels above the other 99% created music industry, being able to pull off basically anything musically. I am way younger than the rest of these guys and to be able to write, record and perform with them is a once in a lifetime chance and an honor. I did not know if I was going to be able to hang but I jumped at the chance.
Metal Exiles: You have a commercial voice which is what attracted the band to you so how do you fit into what they do or did you have to?
Casey: No, I did not have to. Primarily the reason my voice is commercial is because of the labels I am on and the singles that have been released. I have always been primarily attracted to more creative music but I have never been around players that could pull that stuff off. Strangely enough we ended up making this progressive, pop, metal, rock record and I was expecting prog for the whole thing. I remember writing a riff in 7/8 to bring to mike because if he uses anything he will use this, so he used the riff but not all of it was in the odd time signatures. The guys were very encouraging to me and the project just fell into place.
Metal Exiles: When I first heard about this project I was expecting all Prog rock but I was blown away at how commercially accessible the material is. There are so many songs on the record that are capable of breaking the top 40.
Casey: That was strange for all of us. I came from the perspective of creating songs, same with Neal Morse. Steve Morse and Mike Portnoy will typically go in with their brilliance and create these masterpiece instrumental parts. I think they were desiring a lot of melody and this record is one that we wanted to make, not because there was some kind if fulfillment on a contract. We just came at this record with a bit more of a simplistic approach.
Metal Exiles: With the songwriting talent that is in the band was there reservations about what you wanted to contribute or was confidence your ally?
Casey: It was a concerted effort for everybody to bring material to the table because so much of it was created there on the spot. They were very open and encouraging so when we got to a new song Steve would create a melody I would start singing or if we needed a bridge I would grab my guitar and start creating it. It was very natural and there was no “you’re the young one, shut up and do your thing.”. They could have done that and deservedly so and I would have shut up and done what I was supposed to do.
Metal Exiles: I know there was cram sessions because there was X number of days. Did you like those sessions or do you think it would have been a different record if you had had more time?
Casey: I would say that 75% of the stuff we wrote on the spot but I would have loved to have had two months to do this but we would have ended up with three different records. I think we just touched the surface of what a group like this could do but on the other hand I like the idea of jumping into the studio, not over thinking anything and going with what’s right constantly. We laid it down and moved on. There is something about art, very innocent and beautiful, because it is not “thought to death”.
Metal Exiles: I know you are an accomplished guitar and keyboard player yourself but you were in the room with Neal and Steve Morse. With that in mind how much in the way of keyboards and guitars did you contribute to the album?
Casey: All of the stuff that I did was after they laid all of their stuff down. I did some guitar harmonies with Steve which live I will be able to do with which will be a blast and as far as keyboards I put in some Pink Floydesque spacey parts. Within the first day of having my keyboards and guitars set up I really just concentrated on singing so I could keep up because you are talking about multiple key changes because Neal, Dave and Steve are looking at each other because they know the runs each other are playing. Still to this day I do not know how they knew what each other was playing because they were not the typical instrumental parts you would normally hear. Those guys just think on a different level.
Metal Exiles: Because those guys are crazy good. Some of the songs seem very personal like Blue Ocean, The Storm and Better Than Walking Away. Did these songs come from a personal side of you?
Casey: I have a hard time writing when they are not personal. With this record it started with the idea of a person looking for freedom and redemption. A lot of the lyrics are about situations and moments a person might go through, especially The Storm, it is an anthem on that aspect.
Metal Exiles: So you guys will be taking this on the road this fall.
Casey: Yes, we will be going out in September Starting with one date in Southern California and New York as well as dates in Europe.
Flying Colors is the surprise record of the year and it demands the respect of any musician.
BUY Flying Colors!
BUY Flying Colors on Vinyl!
Official Flying Colors Site
