Just did an interview with AP and it's in the upcoming issue.
Not A Nightmare
Martyr Facade Guitarist and Screamer Ryan Williams Talks With Us About Realizing A Dream
By Brandon Fake
It's november, but still, it's sunny in front of a small Fountian Valley, CA warehouse where Williams' stores collector cars, but also manufactures small volumes of custom parts, and is where he spends most of his recreational time. A far cry from the grey skies and snow of his home town in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, where Martyr Facade was first formed. On the verge of the release of their sophmore release, "None A Bad Dream Worse Than This" Williams' takes us on a tour of how he came to be where he is today.
AP: Do you think where you grew up had something to do with the fact that your music really fit well into the alternative-metal scene, like bands from Gothenberg?
Williams: Not really. I think those areas of the Netherlands which are as far north or farther than where Edmonton lies relative to the north pole, where it's dark all the time, are really sort of seen as the birthplace of that specific brand of death metal, but you have to look at the other factors pushing that music. They were really isolated and Edmonton is really connected to north america as if it were any other american city. Our city was influenced really a lot by the west coast, and what was coming out of So-Cal I think. That's why I think it was a natural progression for me to move here. Still, Gothenberg is known for this big metal movement and Alberta is known for, well, Nickelback (laughs).
AP: Your province is not really known for a lot of really popular mainstream stuff, except for Brokeback Mountain and, as you said, Nickelback. How did you break away from that and make something that is respected the world over?
Williams: I think it was tough to break out of the scene in the first place. I don't know that we were going to be serious, or if we were just a group of people, who were good musicians, that really had a lot of eclectic tastes that ended up being more than we bargained for. Edmonton was a tough place, with a fickle scene; a very blue collar place that wasn't really interested in anything "cultured." It just took meeting the right people and putting in a lot of hard work, a lot of phone calls, a lot of time in a rented van with a uhaul going accross canada with more respected bands, meeting some bands from the States that helped us get going south of the border. When we had some allies to vouch for us, it was definitely easier. When Nick (Nicholas Brooks of It Dies Today) went to Trustkill and was like "these guys are the real deal, we want them on tour with us." It was pretty awesome for us to have someone, especially other bands, especially ones from nowhere near our area, stand behind us. I'm really indebted to him after that, i'm not saying we didn't put in the work, but when you have someone go to bat like that for you, and it basically makes your career, you know that it's a turning point, it could have gone either way then. We wouldn't have ended up on that label, we wouldn't have ended up on tour with them, we wouldn't have been on the Sounds of the Underground tour, and we wouldn't have any of our own headlining tours, and we wouldn't be on the upcoming Taste of Chaos tour either.
AP: With this success you've also experienced some other things, like the fact that you guys have your own projects now, and a little money. You don't live all in the same place. How is that for you?
Williams: I can't say it's really that difficult. The home base for all of us will always be Edmonton, although we wrote this album in London with Grant (Vocalist) it's not been too difficult. We mostly fly back a lot of the year, or drive back, if you're me, and I know for me, I spend the majority of my summer in Edmonton, as well as all the major holidays and stuff, so it hasn't been a problem yet. Grant and I have our record label together, which is still based in edmonton, so we still have to be there to run it. During that time when we're producing or recording someone, I think that's when we're most inspired to get writing, and I think the fact that we don't just sit down, write something altogether, like a lot of bands do, that really give our albums the sound that people enjoy. Each track is something different. And now that we all have seperated, the experiences we have while we're apart really bring a lot to the table when we get together and play.
AP: You mentioned Edmonton as a place that was difficult for bands to start up, as having a "fickle scene." Still you pack the house to your own crowd, AFI regularly plays their largest shows of any city there, as well as bands you tour with like Alexisonfire. Do you think the scene there favors some, and dislikes others, and that's how you did end up being successful from that area?
Williams: It's fairly interesting the way things go down; I know watching this one show where it was George's birthday (Alexisonfire frontman), and they said it was the largest show on their tour. People go to the big shows, but there isn't the same support for small bands. They would rather go to see who they hear on the radio, or who's CD can easily be bought. If it's advertised on the radio, more people will be out there. I don't think for local groups it favors really one sound as opposed to the other. You had metal, punk, a wide range of alt-rock, even Jazz represented, and there was decent promotors getting other bands into Edmonton for shows, but no one really getting Edmonton bands out of Edmonton. We lost a lot of good venues too, some of the places I played my first shows are top 40 dance bars now. I don't think that'll ever change.
AP: Tell me about the writing process and how you wrote and recorded your latest album.
Williams: Well Grant had just been accepted to a program in London that took a really long time to get off the ground. I think that it was more out of necessity that we went there. Everyone has priorities, yes, but Grant had one he really couldn't leave behind. I was lucky and made some moves that allowed my freedom. I could have gotten myself stuck in a 9-5 desk job, but I think I always wanted my own business. So I know with the label, with my Hot Topic store in Edmonton, those things have good people that can take care of them while I'm away for a while. If you think my major source of income is the band, think again! (laughs) But Grant really wanted to be in this program, and it wasn't something he could just walk away from. I think we all have put a really large importance on education in this band, not only from a personal standpoint, but we pride ourselves on being an intellegent band as well. Grant's schooling came first, so we went there to write and record with him. It also gave us a chance to tour a little in Europe on some of the spare time we had which was really amazing. I had always toured all over north america, but overseas was something I didn't really do much of. I think some of that, experiencing all these new things, and really all of us growing into ourselves help made this album what it is.
AP: I know some people are already a little critical of the softer sound on the album, what do you say to them? Does this also account for your switch from a tour like Sounds of the Underground to Taste of Chaos?
Williams: I think that it's not softer, just more melodic. Probably more organized. I think after we played a lot, wrote a lot, for a long time, and spent a lot of time producing other bands, we just became more prolific at the writing and recording/production process. I also think that we've grown up in some respects. Everyone as they age becomes more adept to dealing with stress, and larger stressors, and for me, especially in my writing it was the same. Writing the first album, going through school, and still growing up, always having a host of problems, I think it came out really hard, because that was my outlet for that stuff. Now I have a lot of outlets, and I don't really feel that my emotional swing is that much. At the same time, there is going to be an element to this band, if I'm writing music for it, that will never change, because although I learn of more bands, listen to new stuff constantly, there are always those influences I grew up with that taught me how to play, and I think those have been evident in my writing from whether I had only been playing for 5 years or over 15 now. As for the move to Taste of Chaos, I think it was natural. I think we got on sounds of the underground but we never really fit, because we never really were a pure metal band. Taste of Chaos is much more our style, and if you go back and listen to our earlier works, and compare them with the bands on the roster, you will find we are more like them anyway. The move wasn't anything that had to do with our upcoming album or anything in a shift in how our music sounds. We did get asked to do both, and we wanted to choose the one we hadn't done before. We have the possibility of reaching out to some new fans, meeting some new friends on tour, and that's an experience you should never pass up, in my opinion.
AP: Speaking of being critical, again, tell me about the feud between yourself and Amy Lee of Evanesence that seems to have followed you around for quite some time.
Williams: Luckily for you, I'm not going to do the Sebastian Bach thing and be like 'this interview is fucking over!' (laughs) I think that was something that got blown out of proportion. People say that I "hate" her, which is garbage. I don't think that there's actually anyone I really hate in the industry.
AP: For those that don't know, how did this animosity, whether true or media induced, come to be?
Williams: I was reading an article in Revolver once where two musicians interviewed each other. I always was one for writing, and I got to do some contributor work for them once and a while. Well eventually our band became more of a focus for me, and I didn't have a lot of time to do that anymore. Instead I had old writer friends interviewing me for small write ups in the magazine, and it was hilarious. And these were people I worked beside and knew quite well, and if I was busy, I could just be like "you know what I'd say, make something up." Okay, I'll admit, I never did that, mainly because I like being interviewed. Anyway Evanesence lost their drummer, and I'm thinking, yeah, that was the final shoe to drop, you already lost your guitarist, bass player, and lemmie see, who's left? Are we going to see Amy replaced by a look alike or something? (laughs) But yeah, they wanted a small write up for the magazine, and I really wanted a chance to question her, because I always thought that people gave her a lot of respect, and not all of it was warrented. I'm not saying that her band, or her writing skills don't deserve respect, but the media was constantly talking about how Evanesence and Amy had to go through all these hardships. And I won't lie, Terry's (Balsamo - guitarist) stroke was definitely a tragedy through and through, and I'm really happy he and the band got through it. But I felt like a bunch of the stuff she was always saying that was dramatic was a result of her own damn poor judgement. I mean Shaun from Seether, like, when he was spitting alcohol on people, pissed drunk, and throwing chairs, you thought it was a good idea to ask him out? I'm not gonna sit here and speculate on the terms of how that relationship came to be, but I just kept hearing all of this stuff like "blah blah blah - Amy Lee went through this - Shaun that - Ben that - horrible breakup - blah blah." And I'm thinking to myself that I want to go and set the record straight about this girl, and expose her for who she really is, whomever that may be. So I lied to the editor and said I was in good with her, and I knew her really well. And then they were like, "well you guys just came off a headlining tour, why don't you interview and talk to each other, I'm sure it'll be empathetic." Because people love Amy Lee. She is everyone's darling, literally. And in that, I've seen interviews that made her look like a scared little girl, where she's constantly reasurring people of her image and her credibility, and I thought, that's bullshit, I don't feel the need to justify myself to everyone. What came back was somewhat of a bitchfest. I felt that I was gonna ask the questions that no one else asked like 'why do you care so much what people think of you' and 'don't you think that a lot of what the media paints as drama that you brought on somewhat yourself?' I was never trying to personally insult her, but for the most part these were questions I really wanted answered. At the end, and it was a joke, and I can go overboard sometimes, I said something along the lines of "do you want to go for coffee now? Oh wait, I'm not fat, tall, stupid or drunk enough to date you." I didn't think she'd mind me poking fun of her ex-boyfriends, since I figured she probably hated them anyway, and let's face it, it really IS her history. But instead that got printed, and people blew it out of proportion. That was the last line, so it looked like I was insulting her. To this date, I've never heard Amy say anything bad about us, and I haven't said that everything I asked, and how I feel about her and the band isn't true, because some of it is. I think that she does bring upon some drama on herself and she is too worried about what everyone thinks of her. Still, I respect her as a person, and her music writing ability.
AP: So you don't hate Amy Lee?
Williams: I think hate is something spawned by jealousy, and no, I don't hate her. I'm sure there's some girls that hate her because they can't be like her, and some guys that hate her because they could never get that type of girl. Hate comes from strange places.
AP: So we've talked about a lot, what about your digs in California?
Williams: Well I always loved Orange County, so I decided when I had enough I would buy a place in Huntington Beach. I have a couple of apartments back in Edmonton. Real Estate is never a bad investment. I know I have way more cars than I should have, or that my girlfriend would like. I also really love surfing, I've always loved the water, so I think it was natural for me to move next to the ocean.
AP: You appeared on The O.C. playing at the "bait shop" with your side project Adequatelydeceivingme. Did you get a lot of flak for that?
Williams: Yeah, naturally. I think I get a lot of flak for just being in that side project, but quite honestly it's something that I had going for a long time. When I had no band, and I had not a lot of gear, it was easy to bang out some simple folky alt-rock songs and just record them on my computer. That's really how it started, and it's still a good project for me, whenever I want to write something, and I can't have the band around. Since it's pretty much mine, and all mine, I can just write and record the parts, and we can do them in studio later for the album or whatever. It's just a good outlet to keep me musically and otherwise grounded. I think people who say I'm not hardcore because I do that type of music don't really know much about being a musician. I think being a good musician means being into all sorts of different type of music, and trying it out too. In the long run you'll have learned more and be a better writer and player or performer because of it. But as for being on the show, well, I was a fan of the show for a long time, and I couldn't really refuse being on it. It certainly wasn't for publicity or to try and get in the mainstream or anything like that. I just really love that show. So now you can say I'm not hardcore.
AP: Is that why you moved to Orange County? Did the show entice you?
Williams: Definitely not. I don't know what part of Orange County that show portrays, but it's not any part that I live in, that's for sure. I used to come down here with my family since I was a kid, so there's a lot of good memories here, and I don't even think any bad ones. Growing up I always wanted to live here, so I made the dream come true as soon as I had the opportunity. I will definitely say that Newport is spoiled though, at the risk of pissing off my own community. But the kids all do get new BMW's, no one doesn't wear designer labels, and they actually use fire hoses to kick homeless people out of the community.
AP: How do you feel about that policy?
Williams: I guess they think the homeless are LA's problem and not theirs? I don't know. I'd imagine that it's not residents of Newport that end up homeless, but I'd never justify fire hosing homeless people because you think they aren't your problem. I'd advise them to work something out with surrounding communties to help those people out. In Edmonton we've always had a huge homeless problem, and I always tried to consider myself as part of the solution, rather than part of the problem. Working at the YMCA there, the one that wasn't a just a rec center but did have a shelter attatched to it, I was right in the thick of things and saw that these people weren't just a "problem" but that they were real individuals that maybe had made mistakes, or maybe hadn't and just hadn't had the opportunities for success that others had. I think in Edmonton people just became to really resent the problem, but after a while, after it had became so huge, didn't know what to do about it, so they just sort of turned their back on its. I guess I feel a little guilty because by leaving my hometown I get to sort of leave it's problems behind too, so I haven't really been active in rallying about the problem as I feel I should be. I mean residents there complain about rising property taxes when they're all making six figures per household, and then they complain about the homeless problem, and the city doesn't have the money to construct a proper shelter because the residents rally the city to NOT raise taxes AND take care of the homeless problem. Well unfortunately, it takes money to solve a lot of problems.
AP: You've still been fairly active in helping out in your community; explain your scholarship opportunities.
Williams: Well, like I said before, education is pretty important to me, and the price of post secondary education is just becoming rediculous. So I made some scholarship applications available through the band's website and I thought it'd be a good way to give back. There are three available, one for high school students in Edmonton entering the U of A, one for undergraduate students of U of A in a humanities or sciences, one for undergraduates of fine arts, and one for a student of any program in any college in north america. It's an essay contest. Basically I like reading some of the submissions. I wish I had the money to donate, you know, so they could name a building on campus after me or something, because that would be really freaking awesome, but that's not why I do it. It's not for the tax write off either. I just know how hard it is with rising costs of living, and post secondary education fees, for students. We had a "wall of debt" on our school, and some people had paid $200,000 for simply a BA. On average, I don't know the exact figure, but it looks like people come out around $50,000 in debt right off the bat. Unless you live at home AND your parents pay for your schooling or you have a scholorship, you're going to find yourself in some sort of debt.
AP: Most people don't know about your education. What did you take in College?
Williams: Well I'd say "what did I take in University" because a College wasn't as prestigous. But I know things are different in the states, you guys call almost every post secondary institution "college" coloquially. But I am an Economics and Philosophy man.
AP: How does this factor in to your writing and music?
Williams: The Economics doesn't really at all. That's just help me be able to be a musician full time and be able to afford to have nice things too. I think everyone should know something about economics and how to be smart with their money. Philosophy I took I think more because of my creative and reflective side, which comes out through my music. But as for factoring in to my writing, I think most of my writing is based on personal experiences I have in relationships and life, so I don't think my academic career really factors into that at all.
AP: There's not much left to say at this point. Although, I'm still interested in hearing about some of your accomplishments in the last few years, which are a lot, and what your future plans are.
Williams: Well I managed to franchise the first hot topic in Canada, in Edmonton, in West Edmonton Mall. I know some are like "awesome" and some people are like "lame" but that was good. I mean more people are into that fashion now, and I remember in the states, being able to find shirts of my favorite bands for cheap, and some other cool fetish style clothing for about 1/4 the price that these small non-franchised stores in Edmonton were selling them for. I think a lot of people were pissed because now there'd be more poseurs, but a lot of people were thankful that they could afford more stuff, and with the store, we sponsor a lot of gigs, so it gave the scene in Edmonton a chance to grow. Me and Grant have our label and have a good selection of artists, and every person I send out of there, every new album, I'm really proud of. Then I've always been into cars, but I think that modifying cars, and selling special parts is more of just a hobby than a full fledged business at this point. But I'd like to see it grow. No one can really stay in this business performing forever. I think that's been said a lot. Just like athletes lose a step in their later years, so do a lot of musicians. And we're going pretty strong right now, but you know, there will come a time where I want a family, I know when that time will be, and I'll probably want to make other things a priority over touring and partying, and work. So for right now, stay the course of music and touring, but in the future, I guess like a player that goes to coach, I'll be more behind the groups on stage and what you hear from them on their albums rather than on stage myself. But I don't think that'll be for a while. We're pretty happy with our situation now, and we still feel like we're getting bigger and we want to know, I think, what it's like to play to a sold out venue the size of a hockey arena, and headline that, and there's a lot of things performance and album wise we still want to do, so just expect from us the same we've been giving.AP
-this interview should come out in about...ohhh...3 years.
Not A Nightmare
Martyr Facade Guitarist and Screamer Ryan Williams Talks With Us About Realizing A Dream
By Brandon Fake
It's november, but still, it's sunny in front of a small Fountian Valley, CA warehouse where Williams' stores collector cars, but also manufactures small volumes of custom parts, and is where he spends most of his recreational time. A far cry from the grey skies and snow of his home town in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, where Martyr Facade was first formed. On the verge of the release of their sophmore release, "None A Bad Dream Worse Than This" Williams' takes us on a tour of how he came to be where he is today.
AP: Do you think where you grew up had something to do with the fact that your music really fit well into the alternative-metal scene, like bands from Gothenberg?
Williams: Not really. I think those areas of the Netherlands which are as far north or farther than where Edmonton lies relative to the north pole, where it's dark all the time, are really sort of seen as the birthplace of that specific brand of death metal, but you have to look at the other factors pushing that music. They were really isolated and Edmonton is really connected to north america as if it were any other american city. Our city was influenced really a lot by the west coast, and what was coming out of So-Cal I think. That's why I think it was a natural progression for me to move here. Still, Gothenberg is known for this big metal movement and Alberta is known for, well, Nickelback (laughs).
AP: Your province is not really known for a lot of really popular mainstream stuff, except for Brokeback Mountain and, as you said, Nickelback. How did you break away from that and make something that is respected the world over?
Williams: I think it was tough to break out of the scene in the first place. I don't know that we were going to be serious, or if we were just a group of people, who were good musicians, that really had a lot of eclectic tastes that ended up being more than we bargained for. Edmonton was a tough place, with a fickle scene; a very blue collar place that wasn't really interested in anything "cultured." It just took meeting the right people and putting in a lot of hard work, a lot of phone calls, a lot of time in a rented van with a uhaul going accross canada with more respected bands, meeting some bands from the States that helped us get going south of the border. When we had some allies to vouch for us, it was definitely easier. When Nick (Nicholas Brooks of It Dies Today) went to Trustkill and was like "these guys are the real deal, we want them on tour with us." It was pretty awesome for us to have someone, especially other bands, especially ones from nowhere near our area, stand behind us. I'm really indebted to him after that, i'm not saying we didn't put in the work, but when you have someone go to bat like that for you, and it basically makes your career, you know that it's a turning point, it could have gone either way then. We wouldn't have ended up on that label, we wouldn't have ended up on tour with them, we wouldn't have been on the Sounds of the Underground tour, and we wouldn't have any of our own headlining tours, and we wouldn't be on the upcoming Taste of Chaos tour either.
AP: With this success you've also experienced some other things, like the fact that you guys have your own projects now, and a little money. You don't live all in the same place. How is that for you?
Williams: I can't say it's really that difficult. The home base for all of us will always be Edmonton, although we wrote this album in London with Grant (Vocalist) it's not been too difficult. We mostly fly back a lot of the year, or drive back, if you're me, and I know for me, I spend the majority of my summer in Edmonton, as well as all the major holidays and stuff, so it hasn't been a problem yet. Grant and I have our record label together, which is still based in edmonton, so we still have to be there to run it. During that time when we're producing or recording someone, I think that's when we're most inspired to get writing, and I think the fact that we don't just sit down, write something altogether, like a lot of bands do, that really give our albums the sound that people enjoy. Each track is something different. And now that we all have seperated, the experiences we have while we're apart really bring a lot to the table when we get together and play.
AP: You mentioned Edmonton as a place that was difficult for bands to start up, as having a "fickle scene." Still you pack the house to your own crowd, AFI regularly plays their largest shows of any city there, as well as bands you tour with like Alexisonfire. Do you think the scene there favors some, and dislikes others, and that's how you did end up being successful from that area?
Williams: It's fairly interesting the way things go down; I know watching this one show where it was George's birthday (Alexisonfire frontman), and they said it was the largest show on their tour. People go to the big shows, but there isn't the same support for small bands. They would rather go to see who they hear on the radio, or who's CD can easily be bought. If it's advertised on the radio, more people will be out there. I don't think for local groups it favors really one sound as opposed to the other. You had metal, punk, a wide range of alt-rock, even Jazz represented, and there was decent promotors getting other bands into Edmonton for shows, but no one really getting Edmonton bands out of Edmonton. We lost a lot of good venues too, some of the places I played my first shows are top 40 dance bars now. I don't think that'll ever change.
AP: Tell me about the writing process and how you wrote and recorded your latest album.
Williams: Well Grant had just been accepted to a program in London that took a really long time to get off the ground. I think that it was more out of necessity that we went there. Everyone has priorities, yes, but Grant had one he really couldn't leave behind. I was lucky and made some moves that allowed my freedom. I could have gotten myself stuck in a 9-5 desk job, but I think I always wanted my own business. So I know with the label, with my Hot Topic store in Edmonton, those things have good people that can take care of them while I'm away for a while. If you think my major source of income is the band, think again! (laughs) But Grant really wanted to be in this program, and it wasn't something he could just walk away from. I think we all have put a really large importance on education in this band, not only from a personal standpoint, but we pride ourselves on being an intellegent band as well. Grant's schooling came first, so we went there to write and record with him. It also gave us a chance to tour a little in Europe on some of the spare time we had which was really amazing. I had always toured all over north america, but overseas was something I didn't really do much of. I think some of that, experiencing all these new things, and really all of us growing into ourselves help made this album what it is.
AP: I know some people are already a little critical of the softer sound on the album, what do you say to them? Does this also account for your switch from a tour like Sounds of the Underground to Taste of Chaos?
Williams: I think that it's not softer, just more melodic. Probably more organized. I think after we played a lot, wrote a lot, for a long time, and spent a lot of time producing other bands, we just became more prolific at the writing and recording/production process. I also think that we've grown up in some respects. Everyone as they age becomes more adept to dealing with stress, and larger stressors, and for me, especially in my writing it was the same. Writing the first album, going through school, and still growing up, always having a host of problems, I think it came out really hard, because that was my outlet for that stuff. Now I have a lot of outlets, and I don't really feel that my emotional swing is that much. At the same time, there is going to be an element to this band, if I'm writing music for it, that will never change, because although I learn of more bands, listen to new stuff constantly, there are always those influences I grew up with that taught me how to play, and I think those have been evident in my writing from whether I had only been playing for 5 years or over 15 now. As for the move to Taste of Chaos, I think it was natural. I think we got on sounds of the underground but we never really fit, because we never really were a pure metal band. Taste of Chaos is much more our style, and if you go back and listen to our earlier works, and compare them with the bands on the roster, you will find we are more like them anyway. The move wasn't anything that had to do with our upcoming album or anything in a shift in how our music sounds. We did get asked to do both, and we wanted to choose the one we hadn't done before. We have the possibility of reaching out to some new fans, meeting some new friends on tour, and that's an experience you should never pass up, in my opinion.
AP: Speaking of being critical, again, tell me about the feud between yourself and Amy Lee of Evanesence that seems to have followed you around for quite some time.
Williams: Luckily for you, I'm not going to do the Sebastian Bach thing and be like 'this interview is fucking over!' (laughs) I think that was something that got blown out of proportion. People say that I "hate" her, which is garbage. I don't think that there's actually anyone I really hate in the industry.
AP: For those that don't know, how did this animosity, whether true or media induced, come to be?
Williams: I was reading an article in Revolver once where two musicians interviewed each other. I always was one for writing, and I got to do some contributor work for them once and a while. Well eventually our band became more of a focus for me, and I didn't have a lot of time to do that anymore. Instead I had old writer friends interviewing me for small write ups in the magazine, and it was hilarious. And these were people I worked beside and knew quite well, and if I was busy, I could just be like "you know what I'd say, make something up." Okay, I'll admit, I never did that, mainly because I like being interviewed. Anyway Evanesence lost their drummer, and I'm thinking, yeah, that was the final shoe to drop, you already lost your guitarist, bass player, and lemmie see, who's left? Are we going to see Amy replaced by a look alike or something? (laughs) But yeah, they wanted a small write up for the magazine, and I really wanted a chance to question her, because I always thought that people gave her a lot of respect, and not all of it was warrented. I'm not saying that her band, or her writing skills don't deserve respect, but the media was constantly talking about how Evanesence and Amy had to go through all these hardships. And I won't lie, Terry's (Balsamo - guitarist) stroke was definitely a tragedy through and through, and I'm really happy he and the band got through it. But I felt like a bunch of the stuff she was always saying that was dramatic was a result of her own damn poor judgement. I mean Shaun from Seether, like, when he was spitting alcohol on people, pissed drunk, and throwing chairs, you thought it was a good idea to ask him out? I'm not gonna sit here and speculate on the terms of how that relationship came to be, but I just kept hearing all of this stuff like "blah blah blah - Amy Lee went through this - Shaun that - Ben that - horrible breakup - blah blah." And I'm thinking to myself that I want to go and set the record straight about this girl, and expose her for who she really is, whomever that may be. So I lied to the editor and said I was in good with her, and I knew her really well. And then they were like, "well you guys just came off a headlining tour, why don't you interview and talk to each other, I'm sure it'll be empathetic." Because people love Amy Lee. She is everyone's darling, literally. And in that, I've seen interviews that made her look like a scared little girl, where she's constantly reasurring people of her image and her credibility, and I thought, that's bullshit, I don't feel the need to justify myself to everyone. What came back was somewhat of a bitchfest. I felt that I was gonna ask the questions that no one else asked like 'why do you care so much what people think of you' and 'don't you think that a lot of what the media paints as drama that you brought on somewhat yourself?' I was never trying to personally insult her, but for the most part these were questions I really wanted answered. At the end, and it was a joke, and I can go overboard sometimes, I said something along the lines of "do you want to go for coffee now? Oh wait, I'm not fat, tall, stupid or drunk enough to date you." I didn't think she'd mind me poking fun of her ex-boyfriends, since I figured she probably hated them anyway, and let's face it, it really IS her history. But instead that got printed, and people blew it out of proportion. That was the last line, so it looked like I was insulting her. To this date, I've never heard Amy say anything bad about us, and I haven't said that everything I asked, and how I feel about her and the band isn't true, because some of it is. I think that she does bring upon some drama on herself and she is too worried about what everyone thinks of her. Still, I respect her as a person, and her music writing ability.
AP: So you don't hate Amy Lee?
Williams: I think hate is something spawned by jealousy, and no, I don't hate her. I'm sure there's some girls that hate her because they can't be like her, and some guys that hate her because they could never get that type of girl. Hate comes from strange places.
AP: So we've talked about a lot, what about your digs in California?
Williams: Well I always loved Orange County, so I decided when I had enough I would buy a place in Huntington Beach. I have a couple of apartments back in Edmonton. Real Estate is never a bad investment. I know I have way more cars than I should have, or that my girlfriend would like. I also really love surfing, I've always loved the water, so I think it was natural for me to move next to the ocean.
AP: You appeared on The O.C. playing at the "bait shop" with your side project Adequatelydeceivingme. Did you get a lot of flak for that?
Williams: Yeah, naturally. I think I get a lot of flak for just being in that side project, but quite honestly it's something that I had going for a long time. When I had no band, and I had not a lot of gear, it was easy to bang out some simple folky alt-rock songs and just record them on my computer. That's really how it started, and it's still a good project for me, whenever I want to write something, and I can't have the band around. Since it's pretty much mine, and all mine, I can just write and record the parts, and we can do them in studio later for the album or whatever. It's just a good outlet to keep me musically and otherwise grounded. I think people who say I'm not hardcore because I do that type of music don't really know much about being a musician. I think being a good musician means being into all sorts of different type of music, and trying it out too. In the long run you'll have learned more and be a better writer and player or performer because of it. But as for being on the show, well, I was a fan of the show for a long time, and I couldn't really refuse being on it. It certainly wasn't for publicity or to try and get in the mainstream or anything like that. I just really love that show. So now you can say I'm not hardcore.
AP: Is that why you moved to Orange County? Did the show entice you?
Williams: Definitely not. I don't know what part of Orange County that show portrays, but it's not any part that I live in, that's for sure. I used to come down here with my family since I was a kid, so there's a lot of good memories here, and I don't even think any bad ones. Growing up I always wanted to live here, so I made the dream come true as soon as I had the opportunity. I will definitely say that Newport is spoiled though, at the risk of pissing off my own community. But the kids all do get new BMW's, no one doesn't wear designer labels, and they actually use fire hoses to kick homeless people out of the community.
AP: How do you feel about that policy?
Williams: I guess they think the homeless are LA's problem and not theirs? I don't know. I'd imagine that it's not residents of Newport that end up homeless, but I'd never justify fire hosing homeless people because you think they aren't your problem. I'd advise them to work something out with surrounding communties to help those people out. In Edmonton we've always had a huge homeless problem, and I always tried to consider myself as part of the solution, rather than part of the problem. Working at the YMCA there, the one that wasn't a just a rec center but did have a shelter attatched to it, I was right in the thick of things and saw that these people weren't just a "problem" but that they were real individuals that maybe had made mistakes, or maybe hadn't and just hadn't had the opportunities for success that others had. I think in Edmonton people just became to really resent the problem, but after a while, after it had became so huge, didn't know what to do about it, so they just sort of turned their back on its. I guess I feel a little guilty because by leaving my hometown I get to sort of leave it's problems behind too, so I haven't really been active in rallying about the problem as I feel I should be. I mean residents there complain about rising property taxes when they're all making six figures per household, and then they complain about the homeless problem, and the city doesn't have the money to construct a proper shelter because the residents rally the city to NOT raise taxes AND take care of the homeless problem. Well unfortunately, it takes money to solve a lot of problems.
AP: You've still been fairly active in helping out in your community; explain your scholarship opportunities.
Williams: Well, like I said before, education is pretty important to me, and the price of post secondary education is just becoming rediculous. So I made some scholarship applications available through the band's website and I thought it'd be a good way to give back. There are three available, one for high school students in Edmonton entering the U of A, one for undergraduate students of U of A in a humanities or sciences, one for undergraduates of fine arts, and one for a student of any program in any college in north america. It's an essay contest. Basically I like reading some of the submissions. I wish I had the money to donate, you know, so they could name a building on campus after me or something, because that would be really freaking awesome, but that's not why I do it. It's not for the tax write off either. I just know how hard it is with rising costs of living, and post secondary education fees, for students. We had a "wall of debt" on our school, and some people had paid $200,000 for simply a BA. On average, I don't know the exact figure, but it looks like people come out around $50,000 in debt right off the bat. Unless you live at home AND your parents pay for your schooling or you have a scholorship, you're going to find yourself in some sort of debt.
AP: Most people don't know about your education. What did you take in College?
Williams: Well I'd say "what did I take in University" because a College wasn't as prestigous. But I know things are different in the states, you guys call almost every post secondary institution "college" coloquially. But I am an Economics and Philosophy man.
AP: How does this factor in to your writing and music?
Williams: The Economics doesn't really at all. That's just help me be able to be a musician full time and be able to afford to have nice things too. I think everyone should know something about economics and how to be smart with their money. Philosophy I took I think more because of my creative and reflective side, which comes out through my music. But as for factoring in to my writing, I think most of my writing is based on personal experiences I have in relationships and life, so I don't think my academic career really factors into that at all.
AP: There's not much left to say at this point. Although, I'm still interested in hearing about some of your accomplishments in the last few years, which are a lot, and what your future plans are.
Williams: Well I managed to franchise the first hot topic in Canada, in Edmonton, in West Edmonton Mall. I know some are like "awesome" and some people are like "lame" but that was good. I mean more people are into that fashion now, and I remember in the states, being able to find shirts of my favorite bands for cheap, and some other cool fetish style clothing for about 1/4 the price that these small non-franchised stores in Edmonton were selling them for. I think a lot of people were pissed because now there'd be more poseurs, but a lot of people were thankful that they could afford more stuff, and with the store, we sponsor a lot of gigs, so it gave the scene in Edmonton a chance to grow. Me and Grant have our label and have a good selection of artists, and every person I send out of there, every new album, I'm really proud of. Then I've always been into cars, but I think that modifying cars, and selling special parts is more of just a hobby than a full fledged business at this point. But I'd like to see it grow. No one can really stay in this business performing forever. I think that's been said a lot. Just like athletes lose a step in their later years, so do a lot of musicians. And we're going pretty strong right now, but you know, there will come a time where I want a family, I know when that time will be, and I'll probably want to make other things a priority over touring and partying, and work. So for right now, stay the course of music and touring, but in the future, I guess like a player that goes to coach, I'll be more behind the groups on stage and what you hear from them on their albums rather than on stage myself. But I don't think that'll be for a while. We're pretty happy with our situation now, and we still feel like we're getting bigger and we want to know, I think, what it's like to play to a sold out venue the size of a hockey arena, and headline that, and there's a lot of things performance and album wise we still want to do, so just expect from us the same we've been giving.AP
-this interview should come out in about...ohhh...3 years.
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freakpirate:
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