Interview By: Jack WalkerJW: How did Dance Gavin Dance come about?
Way, way back in the 1980's secret government employees dug up famous guys and ladies and made amusing genetic copies. Now the clones are sexy teens and they're gonna make it if they try. Loving, learning, challenge, judging, time to laugh and shiver and cry.
JW: Bands evolve over time, through break ups, personnel changes, etc. What qualities does this band possess today through this evolution of growth? Which quality is that one key ingredient that makes Dance Gavin Dance tick?
We know exactly what to do and when to do it. On a basic level. We're learning that you have to sell out so we're working on that!
JW: Did the group have offers from other record companies before signing with Rise Records?
That's like asking a woman her age!
JW: Was 2007 the crossroads for the group? How did you guys overcome the personnel changes to make it through that period?
Every day is a crossroad. You overcome things naturally. Working out with a balanced diet helps. You think I'm kidding. To quote Dead Prez, "I don't eat no meat, no dairy, no sweets, only ripe vegetables, fresh fruit and whole wheat. I'm from the old school, my household smell like soul food, bro, curried falafel, barbecued tofu. No fish though, no candy bars, no cigarettes, only ganja and fresh-squeezed juice from oranges. Exercising daily to stay healthy and I rarely drink water out the tap, 'cause it's filthy. Lentil soup is mental fruit and ginger root is good for the youth. Fresh vegetable with the ital stew. Sweet yam fries with the green calalloo. Careful how you season and prepare your foods 'cause you don't wanna lose vitamins and minerals. And that's the jewel, life brings life, it's valuable, so I eat what comes from the ground, it's natural. Let your food be your medicine no Excedrin, strictly herb, generate in the sun, 'cause I got Melanin. And drink water, eight glasses a day cause that's what they say. They say you are what you eat, so I strive to be healthy. My goal in life is not to be rich or wealthy 'cause true wealth comes from good health and wise ways. We got to start takin' better care of ourselves"
JW: When you begin planning the music for your current album? Is there a story behind the album title “Happiness?”
If you're really depressed and don't know what to do, you should try to surround yourself with happiness, even if it's only keeping that word close to you. Life gets black and satanic but sometimes you gotta throw on all white (purity) and stand your ground.
JW: How does the group decide when a song is ready to be recorded? Do you guys have a formula for writing, arranging and producing their music? Please elaborate!
Our formula is to have no formula. Some of our songs have repeating parts, some of them dont. It's pretty bad-ass to have a chorus that doesn't repeat. That's rebellious, and girls find that attractive. A song is done when it sounds like it's done. By this, I mean a song is done when it is the perfect radio hit and no longer than 3:30 because that's the average persons attention span for a song on the radio and that's what we're striving for because that's what music is all about.
JW: Regardless what songs become fan favorite’s, which song was the most difficult to write? The easiest to write? Also, which songs are the band’s favorite on this album?
None of our songs are really hard to write, we just get together and play and stuff comes out. When everyone in your band is creative and competent it makes it a lot easier to write rather than just having one guy write everything. Our favorite on this album might be the last song, "Powder To The People," because it was the last song we wrote and it has Will rapping.
JW: Are there any special plans for promoting “Happiness?”
We're looking into a band suicide to get our name out there. Other than that, we're finally going across the ocean! Maybe for the next album we'll have some cool promotion. We could commit some crimes and then give clues and then make a website about it and then we're famous I think.
JW: What do you guys do when you're not writing music, touring, or recording? What do you guys do as a group away from music?
You could say we garden, to an extent.
