Emerging from the mean streets of Youngstown, Ohio, Asleep is a five-piece, alternative rock band with one full length album already under their belt. 2006’s All These Things We’ll Never Need (Fractured Transmitter) featured a sound that Asleep could truly call their own. One created on diverse guitar work, zany keyboard arrangements, solid rhythm section and intricate vocal layering, Alseep laid down an emphatic statement right out the gate. In their own words they are a band formed from a melting pot of musical genres, which is apparent even if you have sampled only one song. We caught up with the guys as they record their follow up to talk about the new material, their personal chef, collaboration methods and opening for the Deftones.
S*KM: You have some of the best influences listed of any band I have seen. What band pushed the inspiration over the top to start playing music yourselves?
Asleep: Wow and we’re off, haha. Well I’d say it would probably be a different band for each of us, but we all can definitely agree that we like to stay very open to listening to as many different types of music as possible. The passion for expression is the motivator. I know that’s the typical answer but it’s the truth. As a whole, we embrace bands with a good sense of melody that actually make music with a point to it with good lyrics, etc. Any band trying to break the mold a little, even if it isn’t necessarily our style, is inspiring.
S*KM: You have opened up for a healthy list of nationally acclaimed bands. Which was the most exciting to share a stage with?
Asleep: Deftones was definitely a fun show. We have some similarities to them and they’re one of the few metal bands from the late nineties boom to keep an artistic flare and push themselves on new records.
S*KM: It’s late after a show and you guys need to refuel the energy drained on stage. Where could we find Asleep catching a bite to eat?
Asleep: Haha, inside the van with our personal touring chef (that’s chef boy-r-d).
S*KM: 2006 saw the release of your debut two-disc effort All These Things We’ll Never Need. The second disc Endomusia, features six acoustic versions of songs on the first disc. You don’t see a lot of two-disc debut albums; how did that come about?
Asleep: When we had finished the electric disc, we had kicked the idea around of doing an acoustic EP of some of the songs off of it to capture a softer side of the band. Songs like “Forever Hidden” were written on an acoustic originally anyhow, so it just made sense. Once we finished it, our label liked it a lot and asked if it could be packaged with the electric stuff as a double release. It seemed like the most reasonable idea so we went ahead with it.
S*KM: For those keeping score at home it has been almost two years since All These Things was released. Is there any new Asleep material in the works for a follow up?
Asleep: We have been working around the clock at our practice space on pre-production recordings for the follow up. If all of the contractual hurdles are cleared as they should be, we should enter the studio to shoot eight to nine more songs to add to the five unreleased we have finished now no later than early May. We’re extremely excited about the new songs as the writing process has been going incredibly smooth and into new, more mature territory.
S*KM: How does your writing process work? Is there one primary song writer or is it more of a collaboration between the band members?
Asleep: It is a total collaboration with everyone kicking around ideas. Most of the main guitar or vocal melodies we come up with end up being re-worked until we all agree everything sounds cool and everyone is generally on the same page. Our songs take time and usually grow in layers, one instrument at a time. We pay extra attention to every note in every song so nothing steps on anything and all of the intervals are as correct as possible. Each of us adds something to the process that in the end makes the song a thousand times better than it would have been without the input. Our band is five people functioning as one.
S*KM: When writing new songs, bands can often disagree on the direction of the sound. Which band member always comes the closest to getting punched in the face when disagreeing over such things?
Asleep: Hahaha next question; I’ve got a band to keep together! But give me a call sometime and we can talk about it for a few hours.
S*KM: Alright keeping beat downs hush-hush. After the dust settles from talking politely, is Asleep technically proficient when it comes to reading and writing music? Any esteemed formal music education, or are you self taught musicians?
Asleep: Music theory doesn’t run deep in our blood, no. For the most part we all play by ear. I have a year or two of guitar theory and the essentials are vital, but our singer and keyboard player can proficiently read music, play multiple instruments, were in choir, etc. We all generally feel that too much music theory hinders songwriting. And too much Hinder isn’t good, haha. But sometimes the note that we know isn’t musically “correct” is the one that needs to be played for the song’s sake. But it’s a fine line for sure because we deal with a lot of notes in our music.
S*KM: Being from Ohio there is a lot of rabid sports fanaticism. Do you guys share in that passion, and if so who are your favorite teams?
Asleep: We’re not sports freaks, but we’re not a bunch of boner artists either, haha. We all have our teams. I have been watching the Cavs more than ever lately because LeBron is sick. It’s just awesome to watch people from this area say “this is mine and you can’t stop me” like he does, or Kelly Pavlik for instance. Our bass player and I went to the first Taylor fight in AC and it was the craziest live sports event I’ve ever been to. But our bass player is also a Steelers fan. But hey, no one’s perfect.
S*KM: Since you were such well behaved gentlemen, you have earned some Saw*Kick face time for a shameless Alseep plug.
Asleep: We’re humble guys. But we’ll take the opportunity when it knocks. All I can say is that all of our energy has been going into recording a new album. It’s an exhausting but exciting process, so if you have the first one, please stay tuned because we cannot wait to release the new stuff to those who are listening.
You can check out Asleep for yourself at www.myspace.com/asleep and you can catch them live next at The Phoenix Hill Tavern in Louisville, Kentucky on April 18.