Alexisonfire

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Dwayne: So the new album Old Crows Young Cardinals has been out for just about a year now. How have the fans reacted to the somewhat new sound?

Dallas: You know what though, I think all the previous records sound different than the previous ones as well. I think the kids who really like our band expected it not to be the same so they are ready and the people who get bummed aren’t the people who are going to stay with you the whole time anyway. So I would say if you put out the same record that you did the record before you are going to get crucified for it. If you put out a different record than before you are going to get crucified for it. So you just have to put out what makes sense for you. Especially since we are doing the music that we are doing, it’s not like we are writing pop songs and trying to shift to the radio.

Dwayne: The first couple albums definitely were not my kind of thing but the newest one really seems to delve into the hardcore sound and I really dig it. George’s vocals are great!

Dallas: Thanks. I hate to say this because it’s the worst thing to say but we are all older so you want to try different things. George had to spend three  records pretty much screaming. With the fourth record I think he just wanted to try something different. I think with screaming you kind of paint yourself in a corner and I think that he did a great job on this new album.

Dwayne: So the full length, like we said, has been out for under a year right now and you are talking about doing a new EP already.

Dallas: Yeah, we have a bunch of songs written and we had a few left over from the record. I sort of wrote this really different riff and we wrote a song with that. Then we had these other three songs that didn’t sound alike. Usually when we make a record, we try to put songs that fit the mood of the record on it. With a EP the rules go out the window; you can kind of do whatever you want so we wrote these 4 songs that sound completely different from each other. So we thought instead of keeping these on the backburner – and when we go to write a new record they wont be there anymore – why not just do an EP? Put it on vinyl and the internet, we had never done anything like that.

Dwayne: Has any of the four songs been added to the live show set list?

Dallas: No not yet. They are still kind of rough around the edges. We are still writing them and haven’t recorded them yet. We will probably record them in the summer and put them out very quickly after. We already have the artwork done already.

Dwayne: About that, you worked with an American based artist by the name of Skinner. How did you guys decide on him to do the albums art work?

Dallas: I have been skateboarding my whole life and read Thrasher all the time. In Thrasher there is a segment on just artist and in one of those a couple years ago Skinner had a profile in one of the issues. His art was crazy and I went to his website and for the longest time I would change my screen saver with his work just because I thought his stuff was so rad. I got the guys into it and told them how rad he was and when the Dogsblood EP came up we thought why not see if Skinner would do the artwork for it. So we contacted him and he was totally down with it and told him the theme of the EP and just do what you want to do.

Dwayne: So the EP is just going to be Vinyl and electronic?

Dallas: Yea just vinyl and electronic

Dwayne: Is there going to be a limited run and certain colored vinyls?

Dallas: Yea the vinyl will be limited and then it will just be available on Itunes.

Dwayne: Changing gears a little bit, do you think that major labels – or any label for that fact – are becoming more obsolete these days? As most bands can do a decent job of self promotion through MySpace and Facebook and other social networking media outlets.

Dallas: I think it really depends on the style of music you are playing. Say you take that girl Kesha who broke the record for most records sold by a debut artist or something. That belongs in the major label machine. She was probably shipped around to like country, was probably in a girl group at one time trying to build her up. Finally Lady Gaga hit and they marketed her through that way and something like that belongs with the major labels. Whereas a band like us, it just doesn’t make sense and it never has made sense and never will make sense. Especially as things get worse and worse for them. That’s why they all do 360 deals now they all want a part of your merch and everything else because they know that is where bands are making their money because nobody sells records anymore.

Dwayne: Being in two very successful bands (Alexisonfire and City and Colour) do you find it hard to balance the two? Or is Alexisonfire you main focus and when time allows you do City and Colour?

Dallas: That is how I have done it in the past. It’s just whenever I am off. It is getting a little bit more difficult to balance as the City and Colour thing is getting a little bit bigger then I ever imagined it to be. So I am starting to really have to think about it rather than just doing it whenever. Other than that it’s not too hard.

Dwayne: I read in an interview that you guys “Went off the deep end” for the vinyl release what all did you do?

Dallas: I think the limited run is the clear red vinyl. The ones we have for sale are not the limited run they are the black and red which is really nice as well. It’s a double LP

Dwayne: Do you think releasing albums in vinyl is still relevant or important?

Dallas: Yea I think so. I don’t collect vinyl myself because if I got into it I don’t think I would ever stop. George though has probably over 3000 records; he really is a huge vinyl nut. So he’s really on the front of the line when it’s getting vinyl done for us. We have never really had a really cool vinyl especially now that vinyl is making a little bit of a comeback.

Dwayne: Being on tour with bands like Billy Talent and Cancer Bats who are both known for their high intensity live shows. Do you feel any pressure to perform as well or better than them?

Dallas: I think that we have always been an energetic live band. It has always been just the way we have been. Our bass player is essentially our front man. He just goes nuts. We call him the James Brown of bass player; he literally dances around the entire show! I sing and player guitar, I am off to the side plus I have our bass player near me so I always have to kind of give him his room because if I go into his place I know I just might get hit. Yea it’s always been our thing. We have toured with Billy Talent and Cancer Bats so many times, it’s not like keeping up with them but it makes you want to play harder and better when you see your friends doing such a good job. It’s not like a competition. It stokes you.

Dwayne: You guys played a free show at the Olympics sort of. A tragic thing happened when the barricade broke I don’t want to dwell on that to much. Did you guys get a chance to take in any events?

Dallas: To tell you the truth we watched them on TV and everything but where we were staying was kind of far away. We went to Austrialia the next morning so we were there for a few days, tried to play and then that didn’t happen. We did watch the gold metal game from Austrilia though.

Dwayne: Alexisonfire was nominated by Chart Attack for favorite album and favorite live artist among other nominations. You never won but being nominated for things like that, does it make you feel appreciated knowing that people are really into what you are doing?

Dallas: The only awards I feel are like worthy of celebrating to me anyways are the awards voted on by fans – like if you were voted people’s favorite artist or people’s favorite choice. Because I don’t think it makes a difference if a panel of people vote on who is better that year. To me awards done automatically mean you are going to be more successful or more people are going to like your band.

Dwayne: So you aren’t too worried about the Junos then?

Dallas: No. I mean I have won acouple and they’re really nice and I appriciate that people decided that year that we or I was worthy of it. If I hadn’t had won, I would still be here! I love playing my guitar a lot more than standing at a podium talking about myself accepting a statue. I don’t mean to sound ungrateful, it’s just on the bottom of my list. My reward is being on stage looking down seeing fans singing along to every song.

Dwayne: So after the tour with Billy Talent you guys have a headlining tour in the US that is going to keep you busy till mid May. Are you guys excited to be doing such a extensive tour in the US?

Dallas: Yeah, it will be cool. We play really small clubs in the US. It’s really cool to go from playing arenas here in Canada to playing the smaller clubs in the US back to kinda like when we started. It’s great fun, things can go wrong, the PA doesn’t work. You have to play outside. Our last headlining US tour we got to the club in Spring Texas and the promoter was this kid who came to us and said that the club got shut down so you will be playing in behind the venue in the parking lot. We were just like… Coool. There was one power bar with all of our gear plugged into it and at some point someone kicked it and everything died. Stuff like that – it’s like the best.

Dwayne: You guys donated a couple months of online sales to Haiti relief funds. Who’s idea was that and, I’m not going to ask the amount, but were you happy with what you were able to donate?

Dallas: Yeah. I mean we all wanted to do something. We were not really touring at that point so we couldn’t do a show or anything. So I actually played some City and Colour shows out in Halifax and donated all the money. When something like that happens you feel helpless and you want to do anything you can to help. Especially with the government, with anything you donated they would match it. I think as a band or someone who is in the public eye you have a little bit of a sense of responsibility to use your “celebrity.”

Dwayne: So what is up next for Alexisonfire after this tour? I guess the US tour but are you doing the Warped Tour or anything?

Dallas: No, we played Warped Tour last year so we are not going to do it this year. We are going to play some European festivals and that’s it. Maybe just take some of the summer off.

Dwayne: Best live band?

Dallas: hmmm best live band… Hmmmm who have I seen enough…

Dwayne: Mine is Moneen hands down. Every single time I have seen them it’s been a great show where you’re not quite sure of what is going to happen.

Dallas: Oh yea for sure. I would say for me recently I got to see ISIS play in Austrilia. The few times I have seen them they have sounded unbelievable and they are just so good at being that band! So right now I will say ISIS.

Dwayne: Any final words?

Dallas: Listen to ISIS!!!!