Eve 6 Media HQ exclusive interview with Max and Tony from October, 2007
Max and Tony of Eve 6 were kind enough to take time out of their lives and answer some burning questions for the Eve 6 Media HQ community. What follows are the answers - unedited - straight from the guys. Enjoy!
•1. What was the best part about taking that year off from any major projects (other than the songs that you wrote) and did the time off teach you any new insight that will reflect in your new music with The Sugi Tap?
It gave us a chance to look at our lives objectively, outside of any band context. It was a very liberating feeling for us. And in that, we found a sincere appreciation for this thing that we're privileged enough to do: create music. It also made us realize that we do in fact enjoy making music together, so why not keep doing it?
•2. If Jon wasn't in Monsters are Waiting, would you guys have called him to see if he would be interested in playing in the Sugi Tap or possibly reuniting as Eve 6?
We actually did just that, and he expressed that he was content playing in Monsters full-time and also starting his own career as a producer here in LA. We have an agreement with him and he's totally OK with us carrying on the band name in his absence. Things are good between us.
•3. Max: What is the writing process like for you? Can you explain the journey a song takes from an idea in your notebook to being a finished work? Roughly how long does it take from start to finish and has this process changed from the days in Eve 6 to today with the Sugi tap?
Max: "It just comes from an inspired moment. Sometimes a lyrical phrase will pop into my head along with a melody and that can start it off. The truth is, how does it happen? You sit down with an acoustic guitar and it either happens or it doesn't. Once an idea feels like it has potential, Tony and I sit down and try to make it as good as possible. Tony helps guide the process from a raw idea or emotion of mine into a finished song. Sometimes it takes a day, sometimes it takes weeks. We've sort of found our natural balance over the years. But we just do whatever it takes to make it feel great to us."
We've also been spending the last few months writing/producing for other artists. Look for our song "We Don't Have To Look Back Now" (aka "Geographic";) on the upcoming Puddle of Mudd album (we produced the track also). There's other things in the pipeline we can't discuss at the moment, but we'll be sure to let everybody know when we can.
•4. Now that you're in another established musical act, is there anything either of you did in Eve 6 (musically) that you wish you hadn't? IE: "I wish I had taken more time with _____" or "I don't want people to remember me for ______" etc? Or are you still proud of it all?
No regrets! You can't judge too harshly the things you did when you were 18. We made the music we wanted to make at the time, just following our hearts. We're glad people enjoy it!
•5. Victoria, BOLD, Mr. Bones, and Familiar Face are old BOLD songs that have become Sugi tap songs; are there any others that will be finished within the Sugi Tap? (we heard "Can of Worms" might be Sugi-tized, any confirmation of that?)
We worked on a lot of other ideas, old and new, that nobody has heard (about 8 more fully recorded). If they surface they will be under the Eve 6 umbrella, ella, ella, ey, ey, ey...."Can of Worms" was Sugi-tized, and might be heard as an Eve 6 song in the future.
•6. What has been the most significant change in both of your lives over the past few year's since Eve 6's break-up?
Very big question, we'll save it for a rainy day or another interview!
•7. When you had your band name crisis, what (if any) were some of the other names you considered before "the Sugi Tap?"
Here's some choice selections (some serious, some not): Central, The Plaster Saints, The Sound Life, Sterling Creatures, Lucas, Hush Hush, Hey Cat!, The Bee's Knees, Remedios the Beauty, The Chamber Maids, Neuroboner. We have pages and pages more of band names that will never see the light of day....
•8. Was there ever an Eve 6 song that you got absolutely sick of performing and was there ever an Eve 6 song that you wished you performed live that you never did (and why)?
We honestly never got "sick" of playing any of our songs. Some ended up being more fun and going off more at live shows, but we never got tired of songs from overplaying them. "Anytime" is a song that we never played live, but in the last few years it's really taken on a life of it's own and become a favorite among fans. We'll be incorporating that into future sets.
•9. Tony: Do you have a preference between "behind the scenes" work w/ other bands or center stage for yourself? (Do you like producing more than performing?)
Love 'em both. They satisfy the two opposite sides of my psyche. Producing is a little more intellectual, you've got keep your eye on a multitude of things at once and make sure the ship is headed in the right direction. It's a bit of fortune-telling involved, predicting the future. It involves a lot of people skills as well, and knowledge in many areas of music. It's a fun and challenging process. Playing on stage is the opposite. It's all spirit and good times. It's living in the divine moment. Limbs and heart, that's all it takes!
•10. A few months ago, you mentioned you had roughly 15 new songs written; has that number grown? Can you also give us a listing of the tracks that you have written?
We've been writing constantly and there's too many songs and ideas to list. You'll see some of them appear on future releases.
Labels: Eve 6 Media HQ exclusives, Interview with Max Collins, Interview with Tony Fagenson
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