Gino DePinto, AOL Andy Hull of Manchester Orchestra and singer-songwriter…
Manchester Orchestra Praise Albums, Call Lady Gaga a Cheater on The Interface
- Posted on Jul 6th 2011 10:40AM by Theo Bark
Collin Erie for AOL
While Manchester Orchestra's third studio record may be unified by Hull's thematic struggle to make sense of his life, his career and his marriage, it's not as much a traditional concept piece as a 10-song dialog between the harrowed frontman and himself.
The descendant of two generations of Southern ministers, Hull has said that he has "constantly questioned my beliefs, trying to find the truth," using his music "to explore how that faith stretches and challenges me to be a better man." His recent work is clearly the product of this pursuit.
Pairing sprawling, emotional ballads with upbeat ragers, 'Simple Math' is a revelatory exploration into the mind of a 20-something husband in a touring band, crowing one minute about "alcohol, dirty malls, Pensacola, Fla., bars" then drifting into guilt-ridden concern: "My daughter, she barely eats, she barely sleeps, she barely speaks." The record features Hull at his most bruising and honest, over some of Manchester Orchestra's heaviest, sweetest grooves and is certainly their most ambitious and impressive effort yet.
The band recently stopped by Spinner's Los Angeles studios for an Interface performance. We sat down with Hull and multi-instrumentalist Chris Freeman to discuss the album, the band members' relationships and Lady Gaga's Amazon success.
This album is described as a concept album, how is it a concept album?
Hull: I mean, it's just about me and it's about grand, kind of like ... I almost feel like I wish we never would have told anybody it was a concept record because they all think it's like all creepier and stuff. People don't really understand how ridiculously descriptive some parts are of real moments and real scenarios and people and parties that actually happened.
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Freeman: Like the situation of walking into the nail [in 'Pensacola'].
Hull: Yeah, like walking into a nail in the parking lot. That actually happened to me. Things like that, it's like every single line on the record is meant to be said, so I guess in that sense it's meant to be conceptual. As far as a story, it's about me putting back together a lifestyle that we had gotten into, which is basically just touring and drinking and getting fat and not caring about other people. And then my wife was going through a very similar kind of life. Just life-changing stuff, man. It's like, f---, anybody that writes a concept record about getting married at 21, then they know what I'm talking about, and those that don't can pull from it. In some ways it's like I don't care that people know it's a story about me and my wife re-finding this love for each other. Maybe people think it's cooler if it is [a concept album]. It gives more mystery.
Freeman: It's about a guy in the woods somewhere.
Hull: Yeah, it's about a dude in the woods [laughs].
Freeman: Finds a polar bear.
Hull: They're like, "It's genius!"
Freeman: "Hull's done it again!" [Laughs]
Hull: Also, it's like we've been in a band together since we were 14. When's the last time I brought a song that wasn't s extremely personal to the table? I don't think I ever have. That's what I write music for.
You guys grew up together and played in a band forever, so what kind of input does the band have? it's not just the emotional stuff ...
Hull: I think it is the emotional stuff. That's how we influence each other, by being close friends, being people that actually care for each other and love one another. That's how our band survives, by having five people that actually influence each other on an emotional level. I'd say far more emotionally than musically. We are a band of guys that don't really know how to play our instruments. We all just taught it to ourselves. When I asked Chris to join this band, he didn't play keyboards and he's been playing with Manchester now for five years, six years. He was the drummer in our first band, but I didn't ask him to be in the band because he was good at playing instruments. That's why bands break up. I wanted him because I loved hanging out with him every day. It made it easier if you were in a band.
Being in a band with your best friends seems tough, though. What happens if these guys get mad because Andy writes all the songs?
Hull: That doesn't happen.
That's awesome.
Freeman: Yeah, no [laughs].
Hull: That would never happen in our band just because it's very clearly what it is. I mean, I started this thing and they're not going to take it away from me. We're all part of it together. We share it. And the other cool thing is, we've never had anything -- I've never had anything against somebody else bringing songs to the table. It's not like some rule of Manchester Orchestra that I have to write all the songs. It just so happens that I have.
Freeman: Yeah, we've had multiple songs where it's like, "Hey, can we use that? Do you mind if we use that verse from this song?"
Hull: Yeah, because like Chris and Robert are both in bands that they're the songwriters for and singers for, and I'm in both bands, so there's times where I'm like "Man, we should use that part. Do you mind if I sing over it?"
You're playing Lollapalooza for the fourth time. You played five years ago, probably to a lot less people. How do you feel?
Hull: I feel like its taken six years. At the end of it, it's like kind of surreal because it all passed so quickly. It's like we lost six years of our life. I have no idea where it went. It's really cool to see the reward. No one knew who we were. The festival didn't believe we were playing when we tried to get into Lollapalooza the first time we played. It took us four hours to get inside the festival, and we were playing. That's just the way we've done it. It's slow and steady, and it's grinding. It's kind of a new time in music where it's the wild, wild west and we can make up our own rules, and we can make up what we want to do and I think that's what we're going to plan on doing is figuring out the next steps of our band. How we're going to be innovative and different, because obviously releasing a f---ing amazing concept record with not one bad song on it doesn't work anymore. Because we just did it.
Collin Erie for AOL
From an outside perspective, it seems like you move really fast. You've gone from 200 people at Lollapalooza to thousands this year.
Hull: Yeah, but did you play 250 shows each one of those years?
No, we definitely didn't.
Hull: It goes slower [laughs]. I'm not complaining. We did choose this. It's just, at the end of the day, it's really, really hard. And albums still matter to us. We're one of the few bands that I can think of at our age, being 24 years old, still caring about a record. It's sad. We love albums.
Freeman: Albums, yeah.
Hull: Nobody wants albums. Like, people do and fans do and that's why we do it, because those people care, but people just want songs. I like the concept. I like the idea of something creeping in on you 15 listens later. That was always so magical to me. Like ... given from God. The two of us, when we would listen to records, we've always just driven around and listened to albums. It's important. I think we'll continue to do it, but who knows what will happen? It's a weird time for music. I think the fans will prevail though. I think the music fans will prevail, people that love that. It's like Lady Gaga cheating. She didn't sell 1.1 million -- that's cheating. You sold it for a dollar. I would have bought it and I hate that s---.
Freeman: It's true [laughs].
Hull: Know what I mean?
Freeman: Yeah.
Hull: Would you have bought it?
Freeman: Yeah. Definitely would have bought it. I didn't know.
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Hull: Yeah, but did you play 250 shows each one of those years?
No, we definitely didn't.
Hull: It goes slower [laughs]. I'm not complaining. We did choose this. It's just, at the end of the day, it's really, really hard. And albums still matter to us. We're one of the few bands that I can think of at our age, being 24 years old, still caring about a record. It's sad. We love albums.
Freeman: Albums, yeah.
Hull: Nobody wants albums. Like, people do and fans do and that's why we do it, because those people care, but people just want songs. I like the concept. I like the idea of something creeping in on you 15 listens later. That was always so magical to me. Like ... given from God. The two of us, when we would listen to records, we've always just driven around and listened to albums. It's important. I think we'll continue to do it, but who knows what will happen? It's a weird time for music. I think the fans will prevail though. I think the music fans will prevail, people that love that. It's like Lady Gaga cheating. She didn't sell 1.1 million -- that's cheating. You sold it for a dollar. I would have bought it and I hate that s---.
Freeman: It's true [laughs].
Hull: Know what I mean?
Freeman: Yeah.
Hull: Would you have bought it?
Freeman: Yeah. Definitely would have bought it. I didn't know.
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For someone who "cares about the music" he has no problems making his fans pay full price. I'm sick of hipster scum who make the same ridiculous ****, and genuinely are so far up their own arses they see themselves as progressive and above mainstream success. Hey, no- you're not, you just have a shitty label, are doing the same stint as a thousand other bands, and frankly- are so pretentious that even if you COULD successfully market your own music, most people wouldn't give a ****
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Blake, nobody said she was "amazing". I happen to think she's a little overrated. I simply meant to say that the songs (yes songs, plural) I've listened to from Manchester Orchestra weren't all that great. Further, I think artists should let their craft speak for itself and stand on its own success. Taking pot-shots at other people's work is just cheap.
Matt, the value of the individual unit (which will yoyo throughout it's lifetime) doesn't change the fact that 1.1 million people wanted that album.
And it seems that Lady Gaga and Manchester have something in common in wanting people to experience albums as a whole rather than just as individual songs.
kevincorcoranjr
I love the live performance!! That song is one of my favorites right now, I actually just saw them play here in San Diego a month or so ago and they were awesome!
July 10 2011 at 2:48 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyI can very confidently say all of the commenters below defending how "amazing" lady gaga is and what a cocky douche Andy is, are complete jackasses who wouldn't recognize good music if it came up and bit them on the ass... At least Manchester's music is real and ******* means something... The point he was making is that she puts out a thousand singles per year that mean nothing. And as far as her not having control over it, you should really check your source. Amazon runs on third party sellers. They haven't "bought" every one of those albums. No company can afford the full 9.99 original price of a cd and sell it for .99. That makes no sense.. She can say, hey stop selling my **** for cheap...
And as far as him, "making his fans pay full price" it's because his albums are WORTH the 9 dollars. Lady gagas **** sells for so cheap because of how much money she lost because of her own arrogance. Top seller for a week and then dropped to near nothing...
The reason why Manchester doesn't market the **** out of themselves is because they don't ******* care. It's about the music. Not the ******* millions of dollars. Lady gaga doesn't need the ******* money. But she wants it. because she's a stupid greedy self centered bitch. It's seriously retarded how pissed you idiots got over this. YOU are the reason that Manchester will never be world famous, top seller etc.. You'd rather listen to tasteless **** like lady gaga. It's rather pathetic.
Also, i would like to point out that manchester orchestra made it onto AP (and almost every other music magazines) Bands To Watch Out for Lists, BEFORE even being signed on to SONY BMG! SONY! You seriously ******* think SONY is a tiny independent label? Dipshit.
Also, IF you are in the pop/hip hop/ whatever other ******* op music there is demographic, comparing **** like lady gaga to a ROCK BAND, is just downright retarded. If you aren't someone who regularly listens to good music (ie. Rock.) Then you are obviously not likely to side with the good band are you?
And don't you ******* say, good is my opinion. From a 100% unbiased, PURELY MUSICAL standpoint, Look at lady gaga and look at manchester. They aren't even in the same ball park. There is nothing new innovative interesting or in anyways ******* musically good about lady gaga. I close with this. You're all very dumb. Good day.
I agree with all the commenters who are actually AWARE of the true situation behind Lady GaGa's album deal on Amazon, unlike Hull, who apparently never reads the news about his own industry. It's especially hypocritical because he's talking about the worth of albums, and thanks to artists like Lady GaGa and Adele, albums are actually selling again. Not to mention the fact that Born this Way is the exact opposite of the album Hull is criticizing, where the album is only a vehicle to sell singles. Despite the lead up of single releases before the album was dropped, which was only a ploy to market the album in its entirety, every song on that album is polished to perfection, not just the singles, and the Lady herself has said she wished to sell the album as an experience unto itself.
July 07 2011 at 3:27 AM Report abuse Permalink -1 rate up rate down Replythe point isnt as much that lady gaga made amazon do it, the point is the album sold more because it was offered at 99 cents.
and manchester may sell albums at full price but they play shows for 15 bucks.
also, dont judge the band based on this one performance of one song. thats exactly hull's point. fans crave songs rather than albums and thats dumb. a band shouldnt be judged in 4 minutes.
i think hull is full of himself but also rights the shot out of songs. check out manchester and bad books and right away great captain before you say hes too cocky. cocky yes but too cocky im not so sure
FYI Amazon CHOSE to sell the album at $.99. They payed full price for all the albums THEY chose to sell for $.99. Gaga had nothing to do with it, so technically she did sell 1.1 million albums without cheating.
July 06 2011 at 8:47 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyFor someone who "cares about the music" he has no problems making his fans pay full price. I'm sick of hipster scum who make the same ridiculous ****, and genuinely are so far up their own arses they see themselves as progressive and above mainstream success. Hey, no- you're not, you just have a shitty label, are doing the same stint as a thousand other bands, and frankly- are so pretentious that even if you COULD successfully market your own music, most people wouldn't give a ****.
July 06 2011 at 4:01 PM Report abuse Permalink +1 rate up rate down Reply
Michael Lawrence
F*ck you MFrost84, You're a F******* idiot MFrost84!!!!
July 06 2011 at 3:48 PM Report abuse Permalink +1 rate up rate down Reply
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