Christopher Dudley - Underoath
Underoath is back and that is a good thing. With the exit of their former drummer there was an air of difference and the band capitalized on that. The new record, Disambiguation is a solid, loud, aggressive monster that will surprise every fan. If you thought you knew Underoath, get ready to be reacquainted with them. Their keyboardist, the uber talented Christopher Dudley, took the time out of preparations of the promo machine to talk to Metal Exiles on what led them to this different release.
An interview with Christopher Dudley of Underoath.
By Jeffrey Easton
Metal Exiles: What is the vertigo causing art on your website homepage?
Christopher Dudley: laughter) We decided that we wanted to put the track Illuminator up there so the web designers wanted to put something up there that was weird and attract attention so they did that. When I went on the website, I could not even look at it but it will make you focus on the song.
Metal Exiles: Your bio states that O: Disambiguation provides clarity on a band that experiences shared misinterpretation. How do you think that the band has been misinterpreted in the past?
Christopher: It is a hard question to answer because everybody views us in a different way.
Metal Exiles: is it your faith or the music that you put out?
Christopher: I do not know. I think it is one of those things where I think everyone takes everything we do in their own way. I think in many ways when we put out they are Only Chasing Safety back in 2004 it became the album that everybody viewed us as and still do. We have put out two records since then and now a third but everybody views us as that band: The poppy, screamy band and we have not done that in awhile. It is different for everyone I guess.
Metal Exiles: Now, this album is different and I know many people say something is different but this truly is. Things are missing from the past like the hardcore breakdowns; many elements are gone, which is fine by me. Do you think this is a more modern sounding album?
Christopher: I do not know if that is the way I would term it. I think it is in many ways more cohesive. I think this is the first time we have written an album where everybody is on the same page with what we are liking and not liking. Towards the end of the time that Aaron (Gillespie) being in the band it seems that there was five on one page and him on another. It was one of those things that when Daniel (Davison) joined up with us it was just a breath of fresh air and we could pursue whatever we wanted to. Elements of this record was heavier than anything we have done before as well as more melodic elements than before. It goes all over the place. We were just trying to write songs that we were excited about and if we were excited then hopefully the fans would be.
Metal Exiles: When I stated about a more modern album I meant that it seems that you guys have broken off from the hardcore pack and doing your own thing.
Christopher: We have always tried to push ourselves to do something for us is different and we have never been comfortable with saying that this is us, let’s do it again. We want to branch off in different directions. Many of the bands that we are lumped in with, we do not feel that there is any similarity. There are elements in that scheme we are not fans of and the music that we are creating now is a representation of that. We are very aware of what we like and do not like and it is good to have six dudes that are on the same page about what they like and do not like so there is no confusion or compromise. We just want to say that “This part is not good or this part is great, let’s go after that”.
Metal Exiles: Give me a good example of you guys being on one page and Aaron being on another as to holding you back.
Christopher: I would not say that we were being held back but it is more like a marriage where you compromise and you do everything you can to make it work. I think a lot of people knew that Aaron was pop influenced and he really likes pop music and towards the end he was wanting to do a lot of straightforward structured rock songs and that was not what we were wanting to do. There were things that we wanted to do and he was not super stoked on and vice versa but it was what we were doing. So when he left it freed us both up because we were finally able to do what we wanted to do and he could pursue what he wanted to do. Again we were not being held back it was just a lot of compromise that what we were wanting to do.
Metal Exiles: What were some of the thoughts going through your head when you guys decided to part ways with Aaron?
Christopher: At first it was honestly a lot of “not knowing what we were going to do”. There was a lot of him not wanting to do the band anymore and there was us not wanting him to do it anymore. It was a big weight off of our shoulders. We wanted to keep doing music together but we did not capacity that would be at that moment but after some thought and prayer we decided to call Daniel up because we have known him forever and he is a great drummer and a great guy. Once we started practicing with Daniel and writing with him it was an awesome feeling being on the same page. We did not have to worry about one person liking or not liking what we were doing, it was just one cohesive group.
Metal Exiles: That being said, one drummer can make the music a whole new game. What did Daniel bring to the table that was not there before?
Christopher: Musically Daniel was a lot more into experimenting with music than Aaron was. Aaron has played for a long time and he knows what he likes and what he doesn’t like. With Danile there was more freedom to say “what if we did this during this part” whereas before we would say that won’t work, let’s do something else. Now there is more of an attitude of “let’s try this out and see where it goes, if it works it works and if it doesn’t we will try something else”. Obviously with him being a different drummer there is a different style and a different musical taste as well. He will have different opinions on what is a good and what is not and what is great is that he agrees with us on about 90% of it. Also with Aaron leaving that freed up Spencer, vocally, to do whatever he wanted to do. That is a freedom that he has never had before and he was excited.
Metal Exiles: Overall this album is better than the past records. Whether it was Daniel coming in and a new direction was taken, as a whole this is the best thing you have commited to disc. After listening to the record many times and to me there were things missing(That were not necessary) and it just felt different.
Christopher: It is different and in every way it is and personally I like that we are not having to worry about two different peoples vocal parts because for awhile it is something that we have not been a huge fan of for awhile in other bands. When Aaron was in the band we tried to do it in a way that made sense but it was a hassel because Aaron wants his singing part here so we have to figure something out. I think just having one vocalist especially as capable as Spencer is we feel like a real band now. When we were in the studio we kept saying that we felt like a real band now. We are not discrediting the past because we are proud of everything we have done but it is a lot different now. When I come out of the studio after each record I have the mindset of “I love this record so much, I do not know if anybody else is going to but I do”. With this record I have that feeling times 10 on both sides. I am more unsure than ever if people are going to like it but I am more proud of this album than anything we have done in the past.
Metal Exiles: As a keyboardist, what do you add to make this record yours as well?
Christopher: For this record, it was a lot different for me. Some of the songs started ideas I had for a loop or a key idea and they would turn them into guitar parts or drum ideas. I had more of a role in getting the song to where they are rather than having a song saying what can I do to make this better. I think for any musician the longer you play the more comfortable you get and the more you progress.
Metal Exiles: I did hear guitar parts that could have been keyboard parts so I do understand.
Christopher: With the way that we write it is not somebody saying “check out this sick guitar lead I have”. It is more like the band coming together and saying “lets try this”. If there is a drum part that should happen or a vocal part should happen then we are open minded to honest criticism by saying it is good or not good.
Metal Exiles: Well it is nobody’s solo album.
Christopher: Yes, definitely, nobody’s solo piece.
Metal Exiles: Now the song Reversal is your shining star. Where did that piece of industrial come from?
Christopher: That was our weird industrial song and we recorded the real drums but we wanted them to be trashy. We recorded them with one microphone and compressed the heck out of them. I did all of the electronics on them and where as there were not going to be any vocals on it but Spencer wanted to do them and he did them through an old guitar cabinet with an old microphone in it. It was an odd piece, just an interlude in the album.
Metal Exiles: Well, that is your KMFDM moment.
Christopher: I used to love that band so that is a compliment. When I was growing up I listened to Fear Factory and KMFDM all the time and I was truly influenced by them so I still love the electronic stuff.
Metal Exiles: I know you do not write the lyrics, but is there a central theme running through this album?
Christopher: This is the first record that Spencer has written by himself lyrically and a lot of the ideas that he has had has been things that have happened to him personally. There are things that he goes through his life and he shows how he has been able to come out of them. What is weird that when we got to the end of recording the record and he got to the end of doing his vocals we noticed that the album had a bit of a water theme to them. It is not that he sat down and wrote them at once, he actually wrote them over a long period of time but the lyrics involved water whether it be swimming, treading water, drowning or floating. We incorporated that into the artwork of the record (there is water crashing around the 0 on the cover) and there is water incorporated into the first video for the record. I do not think it was an intentional thing with the water but that is what came out.
Metal Exiles: One thing that I wanted to touch on is how you guys are connected with the fans. You involve them with designing your merch, the remixing of tunes etc. You guys just have your fans involved with everything. Why do you feel it is so important to have them with the band on all aspects?
Christopher: It is a lot of things. I know it is said quite frequently amongst us but if it weren’t for the people who are buying and listening to our music and coming to our shows we literally would not be able to do this. I am standing in my house right now and know without them I would not be able to pay my rent, my daughter would not eat and we could not go out on tour. That is something that we keep in the forefront of our minds and that is something that Spencer talks about on stage every night. Supporting live music and the bands you like is more important than you can imagine. In a lot of ways fans think “Well I am on the floor and they are up on stage so they are doing me a favor by playing for me”. In fact, it is the opposite way because if nobody comes to support you then you do not go on tour at all. You need to keep that in mind because I hate bands when they get the attitude of “you should be lucky to listen to our music” and it is just not that way. We have tried to be that band to be approachable and not have that band/fan relationship. We go online a lot to make that connection with the fans to let them know that we are normal humans that write music. We just like to thank the fans for letting us do this and I know it sounds clichéd but it is true. Sometimes when we are on the bus after a show we talk about how great it is that we have fans that come to the show and buy our merch. We put something out on twitter asking for fans to send us pics of their Underoath tattoos and I think that is great. I know how much a band would have to mean to me to get a tattoo of them so it means so much when I see all of them and know how much we mean to those people. It is humbling to see that.
Metal Exiles: So the proverbial fence between you and the fans is not there?
Christopher: We try to make it not be there as much as possible.
Metal Exiles: You guys have a big tour coming up, any other plans coming up?
Christopher: When the record comes out we are hitting the road forever. We have a tour in November with A Day To Remember and after that the cycle really starts for the record. We have a headlining tour at the start of next year and also we are going to Europe as well.
If you have not picked up on Underoath or you are not into their Christian leanings then you need to let go of your inhibitions and sink into Disambiguation.
Official Underoath Site
BUY DISAMBIGUATION!!
An interview with Christopher Dudley of Underoath.
By Jeffrey Easton
Metal Exiles: What is the vertigo causing art on your website homepage?
Christopher Dudley: laughter) We decided that we wanted to put the track Illuminator up there so the web designers wanted to put something up there that was weird and attract attention so they did that. When I went on the website, I could not even look at it but it will make you focus on the song.
Metal Exiles: Your bio states that O: Disambiguation provides clarity on a band that experiences shared misinterpretation. How do you think that the band has been misinterpreted in the past?
Christopher: It is a hard question to answer because everybody views us in a different way.
Metal Exiles: is it your faith or the music that you put out?
Christopher: I do not know. I think it is one of those things where I think everyone takes everything we do in their own way. I think in many ways when we put out they are Only Chasing Safety back in 2004 it became the album that everybody viewed us as and still do. We have put out two records since then and now a third but everybody views us as that band: The poppy, screamy band and we have not done that in awhile. It is different for everyone I guess.
Metal Exiles: Now, this album is different and I know many people say something is different but this truly is. Things are missing from the past like the hardcore breakdowns; many elements are gone, which is fine by me. Do you think this is a more modern sounding album?
Christopher: I do not know if that is the way I would term it. I think it is in many ways more cohesive. I think this is the first time we have written an album where everybody is on the same page with what we are liking and not liking. Towards the end of the time that Aaron (Gillespie) being in the band it seems that there was five on one page and him on another. It was one of those things that when Daniel (Davison) joined up with us it was just a breath of fresh air and we could pursue whatever we wanted to. Elements of this record was heavier than anything we have done before as well as more melodic elements than before. It goes all over the place. We were just trying to write songs that we were excited about and if we were excited then hopefully the fans would be.
Metal Exiles: When I stated about a more modern album I meant that it seems that you guys have broken off from the hardcore pack and doing your own thing.
Christopher: We have always tried to push ourselves to do something for us is different and we have never been comfortable with saying that this is us, let’s do it again. We want to branch off in different directions. Many of the bands that we are lumped in with, we do not feel that there is any similarity. There are elements in that scheme we are not fans of and the music that we are creating now is a representation of that. We are very aware of what we like and do not like and it is good to have six dudes that are on the same page about what they like and do not like so there is no confusion or compromise. We just want to say that “This part is not good or this part is great, let’s go after that”.
Metal Exiles: Give me a good example of you guys being on one page and Aaron being on another as to holding you back.
Christopher: I would not say that we were being held back but it is more like a marriage where you compromise and you do everything you can to make it work. I think a lot of people knew that Aaron was pop influenced and he really likes pop music and towards the end he was wanting to do a lot of straightforward structured rock songs and that was not what we were wanting to do. There were things that we wanted to do and he was not super stoked on and vice versa but it was what we were doing. So when he left it freed us both up because we were finally able to do what we wanted to do and he could pursue what he wanted to do. Again we were not being held back it was just a lot of compromise that what we were wanting to do.
Metal Exiles: What were some of the thoughts going through your head when you guys decided to part ways with Aaron?
Christopher: At first it was honestly a lot of “not knowing what we were going to do”. There was a lot of him not wanting to do the band anymore and there was us not wanting him to do it anymore. It was a big weight off of our shoulders. We wanted to keep doing music together but we did not capacity that would be at that moment but after some thought and prayer we decided to call Daniel up because we have known him forever and he is a great drummer and a great guy. Once we started practicing with Daniel and writing with him it was an awesome feeling being on the same page. We did not have to worry about one person liking or not liking what we were doing, it was just one cohesive group.
Metal Exiles: That being said, one drummer can make the music a whole new game. What did Daniel bring to the table that was not there before?
Christopher: Musically Daniel was a lot more into experimenting with music than Aaron was. Aaron has played for a long time and he knows what he likes and what he doesn’t like. With Danile there was more freedom to say “what if we did this during this part” whereas before we would say that won’t work, let’s do something else. Now there is more of an attitude of “let’s try this out and see where it goes, if it works it works and if it doesn’t we will try something else”. Obviously with him being a different drummer there is a different style and a different musical taste as well. He will have different opinions on what is a good and what is not and what is great is that he agrees with us on about 90% of it. Also with Aaron leaving that freed up Spencer, vocally, to do whatever he wanted to do. That is a freedom that he has never had before and he was excited.
Metal Exiles: Overall this album is better than the past records. Whether it was Daniel coming in and a new direction was taken, as a whole this is the best thing you have commited to disc. After listening to the record many times and to me there were things missing(That were not necessary) and it just felt different.
Christopher: It is different and in every way it is and personally I like that we are not having to worry about two different peoples vocal parts because for awhile it is something that we have not been a huge fan of for awhile in other bands. When Aaron was in the band we tried to do it in a way that made sense but it was a hassel because Aaron wants his singing part here so we have to figure something out. I think just having one vocalist especially as capable as Spencer is we feel like a real band now. When we were in the studio we kept saying that we felt like a real band now. We are not discrediting the past because we are proud of everything we have done but it is a lot different now. When I come out of the studio after each record I have the mindset of “I love this record so much, I do not know if anybody else is going to but I do”. With this record I have that feeling times 10 on both sides. I am more unsure than ever if people are going to like it but I am more proud of this album than anything we have done in the past.
Metal Exiles: As a keyboardist, what do you add to make this record yours as well?
Christopher: For this record, it was a lot different for me. Some of the songs started ideas I had for a loop or a key idea and they would turn them into guitar parts or drum ideas. I had more of a role in getting the song to where they are rather than having a song saying what can I do to make this better. I think for any musician the longer you play the more comfortable you get and the more you progress.
Metal Exiles: I did hear guitar parts that could have been keyboard parts so I do understand.
Christopher: With the way that we write it is not somebody saying “check out this sick guitar lead I have”. It is more like the band coming together and saying “lets try this”. If there is a drum part that should happen or a vocal part should happen then we are open minded to honest criticism by saying it is good or not good.
Metal Exiles: Well it is nobody’s solo album.
Christopher: Yes, definitely, nobody’s solo piece.
Metal Exiles: Now the song Reversal is your shining star. Where did that piece of industrial come from?
Christopher: That was our weird industrial song and we recorded the real drums but we wanted them to be trashy. We recorded them with one microphone and compressed the heck out of them. I did all of the electronics on them and where as there were not going to be any vocals on it but Spencer wanted to do them and he did them through an old guitar cabinet with an old microphone in it. It was an odd piece, just an interlude in the album.
Metal Exiles: Well, that is your KMFDM moment.
Christopher: I used to love that band so that is a compliment. When I was growing up I listened to Fear Factory and KMFDM all the time and I was truly influenced by them so I still love the electronic stuff.
Metal Exiles: I know you do not write the lyrics, but is there a central theme running through this album?
Christopher: This is the first record that Spencer has written by himself lyrically and a lot of the ideas that he has had has been things that have happened to him personally. There are things that he goes through his life and he shows how he has been able to come out of them. What is weird that when we got to the end of recording the record and he got to the end of doing his vocals we noticed that the album had a bit of a water theme to them. It is not that he sat down and wrote them at once, he actually wrote them over a long period of time but the lyrics involved water whether it be swimming, treading water, drowning or floating. We incorporated that into the artwork of the record (there is water crashing around the 0 on the cover) and there is water incorporated into the first video for the record. I do not think it was an intentional thing with the water but that is what came out.
Metal Exiles: One thing that I wanted to touch on is how you guys are connected with the fans. You involve them with designing your merch, the remixing of tunes etc. You guys just have your fans involved with everything. Why do you feel it is so important to have them with the band on all aspects?
Christopher: It is a lot of things. I know it is said quite frequently amongst us but if it weren’t for the people who are buying and listening to our music and coming to our shows we literally would not be able to do this. I am standing in my house right now and know without them I would not be able to pay my rent, my daughter would not eat and we could not go out on tour. That is something that we keep in the forefront of our minds and that is something that Spencer talks about on stage every night. Supporting live music and the bands you like is more important than you can imagine. In a lot of ways fans think “Well I am on the floor and they are up on stage so they are doing me a favor by playing for me”. In fact, it is the opposite way because if nobody comes to support you then you do not go on tour at all. You need to keep that in mind because I hate bands when they get the attitude of “you should be lucky to listen to our music” and it is just not that way. We have tried to be that band to be approachable and not have that band/fan relationship. We go online a lot to make that connection with the fans to let them know that we are normal humans that write music. We just like to thank the fans for letting us do this and I know it sounds clichéd but it is true. Sometimes when we are on the bus after a show we talk about how great it is that we have fans that come to the show and buy our merch. We put something out on twitter asking for fans to send us pics of their Underoath tattoos and I think that is great. I know how much a band would have to mean to me to get a tattoo of them so it means so much when I see all of them and know how much we mean to those people. It is humbling to see that.
Metal Exiles: So the proverbial fence between you and the fans is not there?
Christopher: We try to make it not be there as much as possible.
Metal Exiles: You guys have a big tour coming up, any other plans coming up?
Christopher: When the record comes out we are hitting the road forever. We have a tour in November with A Day To Remember and after that the cycle really starts for the record. We have a headlining tour at the start of next year and also we are going to Europe as well.
If you have not picked up on Underoath or you are not into their Christian leanings then you need to let go of your inhibitions and sink into Disambiguation.
Official Underoath Site
BUY DISAMBIGUATION!!
