S&Em Music Reviews and Interviews got the amazing opportunity to speak with Greg Bradley, the guitarist from the band Art of Dying. This man shows that musicians everywhere can still have a great personality while being successful! Die Hards get ready! Everyone else, go buy their album "Vices & Virtues" on iTunes now! You won't regret it! Learn some more about him and the band!
S&Em: Art of Dying started out in the early 2000's, what was the catalyst in starting the band up?
GB: Jonny and I have been playing music together for years and we had a different band before Art of Dying called "Sunlikestar." The music was rock infused with electronic elements. You can still get it on CD baby! After that album cycle, we decided to take a creative change and that meant getting rid of the electronics and changing the name. It was a fresh start to what we now know as the music of Art of Dying!
S&Em: In 2008, it says you lost three of the original members. What happened there? Creative differences?
GB: We had gone through a few members since we started creating the music for Art of Dying. All of our former members are great players and great people, but it wasn't the lineup that we needed to push the band into where we are now. When Jeffy came on board and then Tavis and Cale, we knew we had the magical element to leap forward.
S&Em: A lot of up and coming and even already established rock bands are starting in Canada more than the US. Do you think Canada has more of a "rock scene" compared to the US?
GB: I wouldn't say that Canada has more of a rock scene. I think we all think of Seattle as a "scene," but even in that scenario, I think there just happened to be some great bands that came to the forefront at the same time. The same goes for the current bands that happen to be from Canada. They were all able to make a big splash and it's pretty cool!!
S&Em: You have toured with great acts like Seether, Three Days Grace, and Disturbed. Of all the acts you've toured with, who was the most fun to tour with?
GB: You put me on the spot!! They're all great bands and good friends of ours! LOL! Disturbed signed us to their imprint label through Warner Bros. after touring with them the first time. We toured with them twice after that and had a blast! We first toured with Seether in England and formed a great bond with them and their crew during that tour. Then, we toured with Seether and 3DG on the Uproar Tour last year. It was great to be on the road again with Seether and it was the first time we toured with 3DG. Adam Gontier is Cale's cousin, so obviously we're very tight with those guys and it was great fun to finally tour with them!
S&Em: The YouTube lyric video page for the song "Sorry" has become a public apology forum for some of your fans. How do you feel about that? Did you expect something like this to happen?
GB: Warner Bros. made the lyric video before we knew about it. LOL! When they sent the original version to us, we were all impressed and thought the director did a great job. Jonny had the idea to have fans take a picture of them holding up a sign saying "Sorry" and posting on their Facebook and Twitter pages. That's how it became what it is today. We didn't expect it...it just evolved and we're stoked on how it all turned out.
S&Em: The video for "Sorry" has 776,012 views after 7 months of being out. Buckcherry's song "Sorry" has been out for two years on YouTube and only has about a million more views. Do you think your "Sorry" could become even bigger than Buckcherry's song of the same title?
GB: Hope so! LOL! Buckcherry's song is great and they deserve that recognition. As a band you always strive to have your songs reach as many people as possible.
S&Em: You call your fans "Die Hards." Did you ever imagine having a fan base that was so dedicated?
GB: I've always imagined a dedicated fan base when we put the band together. Our "Die Hard" fans are amazing and we're proud and surprised at how devoted they are to the band.
S&Em: You seem to really care for your fans, how important are they to you?
GB: The fans are extremely important to us. Without them, we would not have a platform to release our music. We believe it's important to meet the fans at every show and stay in touch via Facebook and Twitter daily.
S&Em: What has been the most unreal experience you have experienced (as a band)?
GB: For me, playing big arenas was a dream I had growing up. So when I finally started playing them especially some of the NHL arenas in Canada, I had to pinch myself to know it was real!
S&Em: You are signed to Reprise Records/Intoxication Records, which is Disturbed's record label. How did that deal come about?
GB: We released our debut album called "Art of Dying" independently and used all our old connections we built when we were playing as Sunlikestar to shop the album for label interest. Jonny met a radio promoter based out of Boston in those days and sent him the debut Art of Dying album when we had it completed. This promoter passed it on to Dan Donegan from Disturbed while they were looking for bands for Intoxication Records. Dan liked what he heard and called us to offer a tour with Disturbed. Dan watched us perform every night on that tour and they offered us a deal a few months after the tour. Surreal moments for us indeed!
S&Em: Of all the songs that you have created, which s your favorite to perform and why?
GB: I personally like to play "Die Trying." It's the first single off "Vices & Virtues" and one of our heaviest songs. The single did really well at active rock radio in North America, so everyone at the shows knows the words to it and sings along. "Die Trying" seems to be our biggest song at our shows and it's awesome to perform it!
S&Em: What song do you believe is on that most people can relate to?
GB: "Get Thru This" has been huge for us in terms of connecting deeply with our fans. We get messages on Facebook and Twitter all the time from fans saying how that song had helped them get through whatever challenges they are facing. It's amazing to hear these stories and how people are empowered to rise above their personal challenges. It's also song that initially drew Dan Donegan to the band! "Best I Can" also has the same appeal to our fans.
S&Em: Who does most of the song writing?
GB: Writing for us is a collaborative effort. We all write songs and riffs and make the music together. We share all our ideas with each other and pick the strongest ones to complete for our albums.
S&Em: "Get Thru This" is a beautiful song. We saw that Jonny Hetherington wrote it after his father was diagnosed with cancer. Does that make performing this song more difficult or does it help relieve some of the pain from that?
GB: Jonny thinks of his father every time we perform that song live. His father beat cancer so the song is not difficult to perform... it's more fuel for his fire!
S&Em: You have Rock Vegas Fest coming up. It sounds like it is going to be an amazing show! How do you prepare for shows individually and then as a band?
GB: We've toured a lot over the past 2 years, so we have dialed our show in really tight. The five of us get together for at least an hour before the show to get into the vibe of giving our best performance and then go out there and give it up!
S&Em: What is one sow that is unforgettable to you and why?
GB: One of my favorite bands of all time is Alice in Chains and we played Rock on the Range in Winnipeg last year with them. We also filmed our video for "Get Thru This" during that show. It was great to share the same stage with Alice in Chains and I'll never forget that one!
S&Em: Where is your favorite place to perform?
GB: Tough to say since we play all over the place! I enjoy playing the arenas. They're always great shows. But we have great shows in theaters and clubs as well.
S&Em: What musicians have had the most influence on the band as a whole and you individually?
GB: I personally have been influenced by guitar players like Jimmy Page, Jerry Cantrell, and Randy Rhoads. I think the bands as a whole have been largely influenced by the big grunge era bands. Pearl Jam and Alice in Chains specifically. Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin, and GNR are also some of the bands that inspire us.
S&Em: What is something you hope that people that hear your songs get out of them?
GB: If our songs move you or have a lasting impact then we've done our job as musicians and artists! I hope that people can be inspired to do be whoever they want and accomplish whatever they want to do through our music.
S&Em: What is the most difficult part of being in a band?
GB: I think being away from your loved ones at home is the hardest part of being in a touring band. It is definitely a sacrifice that comes with the territory.
S&Em: What musician (s) from the present day do you feel will be considered legends in the future?
GB: Disturbed are metal gods in my opinion. 3DG and Seether are modern rock heroes that write incredible songs and are the bands that I feel are legends of the future. Even though we are tight with all 3 bands, I genuinely feel they are great long lasting bands!
S&Em: If you were to put together your ideal tour, who would be on it?
GB: Alice in Chains, Disturbed, Metallica, 3DG, Seether, and of course Art of Dying!
S&Em Note: We would be front and center at that show!
S&Em: We are all about bands that do their own singing and play their own instruments. What do you think about artists that lip sync and/or use auto tune and yet still get to be so successful?
GB: I personally think it's better to not use tape in performances. It has a much more organic and real feeling when you're the spectator. As a performer, you're restricted to the tape machine. I hope using tape is something that artists use less of in the future. I think that it's really only necessary for pop artists that use a lot of dancing in their performance so you don't hear them huffing and puffing!
S&Em: We noticed you don't have any stops in Massachusetts coming up, are there any in the works?
GB: Hope so, we have two shows in Phoenix and Las Vegas coming up in September, then we'll see what's next after that!
S& Em Note: We will keep our blog readers updated, as we are anxious ourselves!
S&Em: How do you make time on the road more enjoyable?
GB: We're all good friends, both band and crew so we always make the best of where ever we are at the moment. If we're on the coast, we'll try to spend a day off at the beach or find a great local pub and have to tasty pints.
S&Em: What is up next for Art of Dying?
GB: We still have "Sorry" as an active single right now and we hope to release more songs on "Vices & Virtues" as singles in the near future. In the meantime, we're working on new material so we can release a new record just as we are done with V&V.
S&Em would like to thank Mr. Bradley for taking the time to do an interview with us! It was an amazing opportunity and we are forever grateful.
Check out their website for all things Art of Dying at http://www.artofdying.com/news.php
