Interview by Rachel Jablonski
It was on short notice that I learned I would be interviewing Devin Townsend regarding “Accelerated Evolution,” the first record from his latest project The Devin Townsend Band. Being a great admirer of the musicianship displayed by Townsend through his many projects, particularly Strapping Young Lad, my excitement in having a chance to speak with this hardworking mastermind was immense. Slightly intimidated initially, having really no idea what to expect, I was most delighted to encounter a very friendly and thoughtful individual. From singing about prunes to describing his musical passions, Devin Townsend is indeed quite an interesting young lad.
Rachel: Hi Devin. Thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule to speak with us at Megakungfu.com. We really appreciate it. It’s very nice to meet you!
Devin: No problem.
Rachel: First of all, congratulations on the release of not one, but two of the most brilliant albums so far this year. Just when I thought I couldn’t be anymore blown away than I was by the latest Strapping Young Lad album, in comes “Accelerated Evolution” by the Devin Townsend Band. The two projects have seemingly different purposes and I was wondering if you could tell us a little bit about The Devin Townsend Band in comparison and contrast to Strapping Young Lad.
Devin: I wanted to make a record that was intense like what I’ve learned intense can be with Strapping, but without having to be angry or hateful. There’s so much intensity that comes just from life, from interpersonal relationships you have with people like parents, sisters, brothers, wives, girlfriends, husbands, boyfriends, whatever. I mean all of those things are what we have to deal with, that’s reality. Strapping is fun because it’s definitely metal and I really like having that outlet in order to scream and yell, but at the same time The Devin Townsend Band is able to be sensitive, but not gay, you know what I mean?
Rachel: What do you mean by that?
Devin: Well just like I say, I think a lot of the misconception is with males especially. If you start talking about emotions and things like that, you’re gay. You know what I mean? And it’s like I want to be able to play music that is about those particular things in life without having to worry about that sort of shit. Sensitive heavy metal...
Rachel: I can understand that. What are your main goals for each project considering Strapping Young Lad and The Devin Townsend Band were released within two months of each other?
Devin: The whole experiment end of the project was doing something that was on either side of the fence. Like the yin yang sort of thing where you’ve got Strapping which is the really heavy one and then The Devin Townsend Band which is really sensitive right? So having that sort of yin yang thing was really good for me. That was the experiment to see if could do one on either side of the fence.
Rachel: Right, but I wouldn’t call The Devin Townsend Band necessarily “light.” I mean that has some heavy aspects too, would you agree?
Devin: Absolutely, oh totally, totally. And I mean it’s only going to get heavier because The Devin Townsend Band is just starting. This is the first record right? So where it’s going to go from here… this is kind of like a pleasant introduction like “hi everybody, yeah we’re really good players and we can sing and we can play guitar and everything’s cool” and the next record will be like “now, let’s get down to work.” You know? (laughs)
Rachel: Well you have gazillion
projects that you’re a part of beyond these two. What inspires you
to do so many different projects rather than sticking to just one?
Devin: I think a lot of it has to do with just wanting
to have some fun. What entertains me is productivity. I like being responsible
for products and as long as they’re good then it’s like you’re
constantly surrounding yourself by creativity and for me that’s
fun, that’s really cool.
Rachel: You said that Strapping Young Lad is kind of a break off from reality, fun kind of thing. Do you see that project as unrealistic, not as an extension of reality in your own mind?
Devin: I really think it’s an extension of reality, but I think it’s a paranoid extension of reality. And it’s like doom and gloom all of the time is not me.
Rachel: Right, it’s not anybody all of the time.
Devin: No, but it’s definitely a part of me, it’s definitely something I can relate to. But with The Devin Townsend band you can have a song like “Depth Charge” or “Suicide” that’s a little heavier, but at the same time you can have “Traveler” or “Storm” or something and sort of mix it up. To me this is the potential of being able to do WHATEVER I want... to write music that allows me that freedom.
Rachel: How do you choose whom you want to collaborate with for each project? Maybe just stick with talking about The Devin Townsend Band particularly.
Devin: Yeah, well in terms of The Devin Townsend Band they were pretty much the first people I found you know? They were in good local bands, none of them had toured or had records or anything yet so it was all kind of fresh to them and as a result of that their input to the band was really energetic. And I think that energy shows on the record because it’s fresh, it has the sound of a bunch of people going, “Yeah let’s go for it, let’s go on tour, let’s do all these things” that perhaps known musicians would be a little jaded by.
Rachel: Did these musicians come from a specific local area?
Devin: Yeah, from Vancouver.
Rachel: Let’s talk a little more in depth about “Accelerated Evolution.” I read in an interview you did with KNAC.com that you said, “With the Devin Townsend Band, it’s just me talking about me.” What do you mean exactly by that? How are you revealing yourself in this project more so or differently than the others you’ve done?
Devin: Well I mean when I say that it’s about me, each song is about a specific event in my life. But I mean I never tell anybody what those events are that’s just like showing people your underwear essentially. But in terms of the actual content of the songs, it’s about things in my life. Like…
Rachel: Specific events or people? Cause your lyrics seem to be quite poetic and you’d never necessarily guess exactly what it is like you said…
Devin: Well that’s kind of the thing. If you sing about something specific, but keep the lyrics vague then it can apply other situations for the listener.
Rachel: Right, you do a good job with that.
Devin: Thank you. And I mean it’s like the song “Away.” Literally what is that song about? It’s about being in a long distance relationship. Being away for three months and then finding myself in Sweden in a snow storm two days before Christmas and going “God man this sucks balls.” So it’s like in the lyrics I’m not necessarily saying, “It’s Christmas-time… it’s two days to go… I’m sitting here and hating life…” because then whoever’s listening to it would be like “oh that’s a cool song, I guess he didn’t like life that day ok cool.” But if you just keep it vague, if you just say like, “it’s hard to be back here again” or whatever, then Sweden becomes kind of a metaphor for whatever, you know like anything. It could be like “it’s hard to be back here at grandma’s house again” or whatever. Music and emotions… I think as complicated and convoluted as human beings are, at the root of it we are pretty simple. It’s like all of our feelings are pretty much validated by other people throughout the world. We just make emotions.
Rachel: Speaking of lyrics... who’s behind the door?
Devin: Yeah, me! (laugh)
Rachel: (laugh) Well I guess I can’t really ask then what “Depth Charge” is about, but that is one that has really stuck out to me.
Devin: Yeah, I mean it’s kind of talking about everything. There’s the family, and relationships, and all these sort of things and the whole purpose of that song is to represent it by saying ok well there’s no anger, there’s no frustration, there’s nothing, there’s just energy now, there’s just inspiration. And a depth change is maybe putting an idea in somebody’s head that’s on a subconscious level.
Rachel: I guess kind of along the same lines I’ve also read many places where you have said that “as musicians we take ourselves too seriously.” But that’s what I appreciate most about your projects is that there seems to always be a theme present. Do you sit down with a theme in mind or do you simply create from song to song?
Devin: No, every record is written around a theme. And I mean even if musicians and myself are guilty of taking ourselves too seriously, doesn’t mean it’s going to stop us it just means that’s part of the deal, you know what I mean? If you’re a musician you take yourself too seriously. (laughs) But I mean that’s part of why the music turns out well because on the surface it’s kind of bobby music that you can get into, but if you want to go any deeper with it it’s kind of available for you.
Rachel: Well you set yourself apart so keep on doing it.
Devin: Thank you very much.
Rachel: Is there a certain way these themes come about or what’s your best way to write?
Devin: They kind of present themselves and it’s like I have an internal barometer that kind of goes “oh yep ok” or “nope garbage” you know what I mean? And then all of the sudden I’ll find myself thinking about one thing particularly for a long time and I’ll just think “oh, ok, well that’s what the record’s about then.” Then I’m writing about something that I’m interested in, right?
Rachel: Right, until you’ve sort of come to your own answer, conclusion, sort of thing by the end?
Devin: Exactly, exactly.
Rachel: So you do get to that point?
Devin: Yes I do, but it’s only when I’m reading the lyrics and listening to it after I’ve got the CD in my hands. Before that I have no idea what I’m talking about. Then all of the sudden I’ve got the CD I’m like, “ah yeah! Clever mother fucker.”
Rachel: (laughs) That’s really interesting.
Devin: (laughs)
Rachel: My friend Mike was at a Strapping Young Lad show in Worcester, Mass back in February and told me that you sang some little poem about prunes and their wrinkles before breaking into a Strapping Young Lad song. Do you remember that at all? Will you sing me the thing about the prunes?
Devin: (laughs) Sure, sure. Ah, let’s see how does that go. (singing) You’ve got wrinkles on your face prunes got wrinkles everyplace. So baby prune is like his dad except he ain’t got wrinkles quite so bad.
Rachel: (laughs) what is that from?
Devin: I don’t know, my dad used to sing it.
Rachel: That’s funny. Well thank you very much.
Devin: You’re welcome. (laughs)
Rachel: We were talking about taking yourself too seriously, but you also have an obvious sense of humor. “Dirt Pride” on the newest Strapping Young Lad album ends with “wash my fucking balls.” Taken completely out of context if you wish, whom would you like to direct the phrase “wash my fucking balls” to?
Devin: (laughs) Myself, I just need to learn some hygiene.
Rachel: (laughs) All right, we’ll keep it at that I guess. You began your own label called hevydevy records. Why do you choose to only release your own projects through this label?
Devin: Well if it was up to another record company they would have to release so much product by me to keep up that it would just be unfeasible for them to do that financially. So as a result of that I just kind of did it myself. We got it licensed and I have a bunch of good people working around me and now I can do whatever I want you know?
Rachel: I’ve read that you are not taking on other bands at this time is that true and why would you not want to?
Devin: I’ve just got too much to do on my own. Maybe eventually I’ll take up other bands, but right now it’s like I’ve got too much to do on my own.
Rachel: You have a good thing going don’t want to ruin it while it’s there huh?
Devin: There’s the truth.
Rachel: Ok I think you begin Strapping Young Lad and Meshuggah tour tomorrow in the US is that right?
Devin: That’s right, yep.
Rachel: Do you have tour plans with The Devin Townsend Band coming up soon?
Devin: Yep, we come down to America in August with The Devin Townsend Band.
Rachel: Do you know whom you’ll be with?
Devin: Not yet, but we will be there in August
Rachel: Awesome. You never hit the Midwest, which is where I am, but hopefully some time.
Devin: (laughs) We’ll get there soon.
Rachel: All right. (laughs) Anything else you want to say?
Devin: Well I thank you very much for the support and I thank anybody who understands what we’re trying to do and I hope we can get to the Midwest sooner rather than later.
Rachel: Thank you very much. Keep up the good work! I’m really impressed with these new albums and look forward to seeing you soon!
Devin: Thank you very much Rachel. Have a good day.