Interview with Geert van der Velde of Shai Hulud

 

Carlo Gironi: Hello, are you doing well?
Geert van der Velde: Hi there! Not doing too bad actually. Just turned 24 today. Things have been very busy for me personally and the band.

C.G.: First thing I'd like to ask you, Shai Hulud have been together for a long time, and “That Within Blood Ill-Tempered" is your new album on Revelation: how do you feel about the new record ( do you like it most than the other albums), and all: are you excited for this new CD?
G.V.: We're all relieved and excited to finally see it released although we were a little nervous people's response to it, since it's been such long since the band's last full length album. We worked very hard to get it done and now that it's finally been out for a month; it’s a good feeling. With all of the positive feedback from everyone we're even more excited to play the new songs live. We're hoping for big sing alongs and pile-ons. We weren't doubting ourselves as far as the quality of the songwriting. We love the album and are very happy with the songs, but we were nervous about people's response to it. I guess you could say we were a little doubtful whether or not people were still interested in hearing a new Shai Hulud album. We feel that it is the band's best material to date but we also want other people to like it as much as we do. It's out of our hands now and of course, from a musician's perspective there are always things that we wish we could've done differently. I'll admit that I still find it hard to listen to the record at times knowing that other people are listening to my singing/screaming. But then again, I guess you're always your own worst critic.

C.G.: "That Within Blood Ill-Tempered" has been a long time in the making: last year there were voices that the album had to come out soon, then it was said it had to come out during May 2003: why did it took you so long? Do you think there is a difference compared to your older albums, in the making?
G.V.: Yeah, the album has been recorded for over a year, actually. It was finished in May of 2002.It was the artwork that we weren't happy with for a long time. Which is why the release date kept being postponed. That, and we were trying to not release the record on Revelation Records. In the end we found no way out of releasing the album with them so we did it. I think, if we had released the album without the awesome artwork that we have for it now though it just wouldn't have been right. Especially after such a long time. There was definitely a big difference between this release and any of the previous releases. For the first time, we really took ourselves seriously as musicians and songwriters. Or maybe I should say, more serious than before. We wanted everything to be done the right way and we spent the most time that we ever spent on writing the music and lyrics for this album. Of course, we made some mistakes in the process of recording this album and we definitely learned a lot of new things. We'll take that knowledge with us the next time we go into the studio and do even better. But we're pretty satisfied overall with the recording's outcome. Like I said before. You're always your own worst critic.

C.G.: The new album seems to be a concept: is it really so or it is just my impression?
G.V.: There's definitely an overall theme to the album. Although we feel that each song stands on its own and has its own feel. The lyrical content also varies a lot from song to song. With the recurring usage of certain words and images in the songs, I think we tied it in pretty good. The artwork also really tied the lyrical content of the record together and gave it the overall feel that we wanted for it. A Dark, brooding and emotional feel.

C.G.: Talking again of the "concept" thing, the artwork of your record is original and quite "dark": how did you come out with the idea of this artwork and what does it represent?
G.V.: The artwork was done by Chandler Owen (www.towardthesky.com). We'd seen his work for the new Hopesfall album, "The Satellite Years”, and as soon as we saw it we knew we wanted him to do the art for our new record. We loved it. We basically just told him to keep the artwork dark and angry and that we wanted artwork that would reflect the songs. Images that would stick in people's minds. We gave him the lyrics to all the songs. He sent us some examples of what he thought we wanted to see and as soon as we saw his cover idea we were sold. He came up with all the artwork for it. The artwork is simply reflection of the lyrics and the overall feel of the album put into images.

C.G.: What about the production ? You produced the album with Erin Watermark Farley and Joe Padula: why and how was this experience?
G.V.: I think the new album has the best ;and most dynamic sound Shai Hulud has ever had. There's definitely room for improvement there but overall I'm pretty satisfied with the production of the record. I just wish we would've had more time mix some of the songs, but alas such is the way for a hardcore band with a small recording budget. But to give you an idea of how much more time we spent on it. For this record we spent more time on just mixing the songs than we did with Hearts... on recording and mixing them al together. We did almost all of the tracking with Erin Farley. Joe assisted us whenever Erin needed his help. Erin, also engineered the last Thursday album, "Full Collapse", to name but one of the many bands that he's worked with. We liked what came out of the studio that he works for so we requested to record at the studio and cut a deal with them for 3 weeks, to record and mix the album. We ended up being in there for 4 weeks. Erin is just a stand up guy with an incredible work ethic and great patience and dedication to his work. He really did everything he could have to help us out in the studio and then some. Working with Erin and Joe was a great experience for us.

C.G.: Is there a specific reason for the title of the new album, what is "That Within Blood Ill-Tempered”?
G.V.: The title of the album literally means: that which comes from our blood, our essence, if you will. "That Within Blood Ill-Tempered" is simply the best description of what the songs are. It's what comes and stems from us angry, and frustrated individuals.

C.G.: Your influences are very wide, and the new album shows it: can you mention some of the bands/music that you listen to, and anything else that influenced you in any way?
G.V.: To name but a few of the musicians and bands that we really respect and draw inspiration from: Paul Simon, Strongarm, Metallica, The Deftones, Suicidal Tendencies, Radiohead, Sick of It All, Queen, Amorphis, The Police, In Flames, The Haunted, Bjork, The Descendents, Earth Crisis, Voivod. Lyrically our influence is life. What happens to us and how it makes us feel. How we perceive the world around us and the people that are in it. We draw ideas from writers such as Shakespeare to Stan Lee, J.R.R. Tolkien to Gandhi, Harry Mullisch to Herman Hesse. Movies play a big part in our lives too. We're all avid movie watchers and go-ers.

C.G.: Do all the people in the band listen to the same kind of music? What are your musical tastes?
G.V.: We all listen to a great variety of different kinds of music, as you could tell by my answer to your previous question but we all share a common love of metal and hardcore/punk music. We're all hardcore kids at heart. That's the kind of music we've always wanted to play.

C.G.: On the booklet I read you call Shai Hulud's music as neo-classical metalcorechestration: why neo classical and why metal core?
G.V.: It is kind of a joke. Our friends would always come over and listen to demos of the songs and say all kinds of funny things and that's how we came up with the term. It's neo-classical because it's new but classically epic sounding - our friend Jay calls it "Legacy-core", we don't know what that means, but we think it's a pretty funny word. Jay plays drums for a band called When Dreams Die, check 'them out sometime, they're awesome:www.thedie.com; and yet all the songs are written orchestrated by a metal influenced
hardcore band.

C.G.: Would you describe in general what you sing about in this album, even with some examples if you want ?
G.V.: The record deals with our perceptions of people and the inexcusable ways they interact with each other. The general poor state of affairs in the world. Our outrage and anger with a world that simply will not strive for greatness. More specifically each song has it's own theme and purpose. Here's a short description of each song the way we interpret them and wrote them:
1) Scornful of the Motives and Virtue of Others
The title of the song is the dictionary's description of a cynic. This song deals with our refusal to come to terms with mankind on his terms. It is a testament to the hatred we feel for a mankind that will not embrace reason and compassion and acts on their opposites instead.
2) Let Us At Last Praise the Colonizers of Dreams
Our ode to the great men and women who have inspired us to create and help us believe that there are people that have dreams and live for them.
3) The Consummate Dragon
A parallel drawn between man and a Dragon, roughly Smaug from the book The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien. The common man is the ultimate destroyer.
4) Willing Oneself to Forget What Cannot Otherwise Be Forgiven
The title pretty much sums it all up. It's about not being able to come to terms with a breakup and forcing oneself past that. More of that heartbreak stuff we had to get off our chests.
5) Two and Twenty Misfortune
A collection of all of our own and everyone else's negative personal traits put into one man, the most miserable of men. His name: Two and Twenty Misfortunes or endless misfortune. It deals with man creating his own destiny having a defeatist's attitude. It is again a portrait of man as we see him defined by his actions.
6) Being Exemplary
The importance of raising children properly and of being an example to your peers. They are the future and we lack as parents and teachers.
7) Given Flight By Demon's Wings
Not wanting to be angry or hateful. Feeling like you are made to lash out and respond with hostility while only wanting to be a gentle and kind soul.
8) Whether to Cry or Destroy
Being so angry and disappointed ;that one is torn in between two opposite feelings.
9) This Song: For the True and Passionate Lovers of Music
Our response to the insincerity and lack of integrity we observe in popular/mainstream music and it's industry. It’s about writing a song for the love of music.
10) Ending the Perpetual Tragedy
Ending the vicious cycles of deaths by violence. It deals with man's insatiable thirst for retaliation and revenge.

C.G.: Are you afraid that some of your older fan might not like the new record, which I consider more "mature" ?
G.V.: Not at all afraid. I think the older fans will love this album just as much if not more than any of our previous stuff. Simply because it is better and they matured and grew up too. The one thing we do realize is that the impact that Hearts... had at the time is also a matter of timing. Whether or not this album is a better album, which in every aspect it is, it's not going to matter to some who hold Hearts... very dear because it made a different kind of impact emotionally on them, at the time. Kind of like how Metallica still puts out new records but they'll never put out another "Ride the Lightning" or "Master of Puppets", for me. Although I think we didn't stray very far from Shai Hulud's sound or message there's that bond with the older material for some of the older fans that is never going to be topped by anything new we do. That melancholy you just can't substitute for anything. It's going to be the same with this album.

C.G.: Have you got some plans of touring?
G.V.: We will be touring non-stop all throughout this and the beginning of next year in the US and Canada. We'll be hopping on various tours and we'll be doing our own headlining dates as well as tour with other bands. Tours with Further Seems Forever and Rise Against are being confirmed and worked on right now. We have tentative plans also to come over to Europe and Japan sometime in November or December. We also hope to make it over to Australia and Mexico sometime this year or early next year.

C.G.: You have just toured with Cephalic Carnage and Shadows Fall, and with The Haunted. How was your experience of tours you just finished?
G.V.: Both tours were awesome. We've been friends with the guys in Shadows Fall and Unearth for years and we instantly became good friends with the guys in Cephalic Carnage. All of the bands on that tour are awesome and it was just a really good time hanging out with our friends every day and playing shows in front of tons of kids everywhere. It was cool because there was a very diverse crowd on that tour. Metalheads and hardcore kids and everyone got along really well, for the most part. The Haunted tour with Bleeding Through and Kataklysm was awesome too. Definitely a lot more metalheads came out to that one. We have so much respect for the guys in the Haunted. We are big Haunted fans and were very excited to be on tour with them.We expected it to be great but it ended up being awesome. The guys in the Haunted are the nicest guys and they're an incredible band live.

C.G.: What's in your cd-player right now? Have you got some cool bands to promote?
G.V.: Right now I am listening to the new Poison the Well record, "You Come Before You". It just came out today, which happens to be my birthday also. It's awesome, the best they songs they ever wrote in my opinion. Thanks guys! Other new stuff I've been listening to lately is the new Radiohead (I'm a big fan of theirs), "Hail to the Thief" and the new Deftones, also my favorite thing they've ever done. Other stuff I've been listening to are the Police and Sting's solo stuff, Miles Davis, Meshuggah, Bjork, the new Haunted record, "One Kill Wonder", the new Blood Has Been Shed record, "Spirals", the new Further Seems Forever, "How to Start a Fire" brilliant).
Some different bands I'd recommend you check out are:
-3 they're a local jazzy/blues and heavily funk influenced indie rock band. It's the drummer for Coheed and Cambria's (another band to check out) older brother's band, if that means anything to you. Absolutely brilliant musicianship and songwriting. When I first heard their live recording it made me want to quit music. If there's people that talented out there I felt I didn't deserve to be in a band.
-The Esoteric, one of the best unsigned metalcore (although I'm sure they despise that term) bands playing out there today. Members of Reggie and the Full Effect, ex-Coalesce and ex-Today is the Day. Insane live, too!
-When Dreams Die, a local post hardcore/indie rock outfit from Poughkeepsie (our hometown). Super creative and refreshing sounding music. Anyone that likes Quicksand or Cave In will love these guys. If you ever get to see them live you'll be blown away.
-Ana Divine, great Further Seems Forever-esque pop/indie rock.
-Life in Your Way, awesome melodic metalcore/indie rock. If you like Hopesfall you'll love these guys.

C.G.: Any final comments?
G.V.: Thanks for giving me a platform to speak and tell you a little about the band. I hope everyone that reads this will check out our new album. Check out our website www.hulud.com and come out to see us play on tour. I also suggest that if you that are reading haven't ever thought about vegetarian or veganism that you read up on it and make the decision to go vegan or at least vegetarian. Go to www.peta.com or www.peta2.com for more information and a recent interview I did with them about animal rights. Also, read more books and watch less television! Some good authors are: Ayn Rand (The Fountainhead, Atlas Shrugged), Jostein Gaarder (Sophie's World, Maya), Harry Mullisch (The Discovery of Heaven) and Peter Singer (Animal Liberation).

C.G.: Thank you so much for taking the time for doing this interview!
G.V.: No, honestly, thank you.

Related Links:
Official Website