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I think the two best scenes going on right now are the indie-punk scene and the jam band scene - just in terms of what it means to be a scene. Everything else is so convoluted. Look at the blog band scene and how [easily] people turn their back on a band... That does not happen in the jam band scene, it doesn't happen in the punk scene and, if it does, it happens very rarely. I'd say those are the two scenes we would like to find ourselves in between. -Jack Antonoff |
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Given his love affair with continuously progressing artists, the developments within Steel Train fell into place like a story that had already been written.
 Steel Train at Bonnaroo 2006 |
"Twilight Tales was a very dark period in my life, so the songwriting was very depressing. This album is coming from a much different place. It's the same stories, which is the only story I have to tell, about my own life, but it's got a much brighter outlook and a much bigger reflection of where I'm at right now, which I think is important," Antonoff says.
Beyond an update on the writer's mentality, Antonoff's new tunes ring with the pizzazz he's been feverishly striving for. "The music is very upbeat and driving and more like pop," enthuses Antonoff. "This one song called 'Firecracker' is total pop. It's ridiculously pop, but in a cool way. The lyrics are incredibly morbid but then they come around with a good statement. So, I think the record is interesting in that sense."
Of course, drop the word "pop" and critics fire up accusations of "selling out," which couldn't be further from the truth. Antonoff doesn't seem worried. In fact, he remains positive the group's new direction will be universally embraced. "I could be jaded, but the reason I don't think fans will shy from the new sound is because I don't think people were ever really attracted to our songs per se, or a specific jam, as much as a vibe we generally tried to put out there. And I feel like this album brings us closer to that vibe," says Antonoff. "In no way when we were making the record were we saying, 'Let's make a more marketable sound.' I'd say we were thinking, 'Let's make a more universal sound,' but not in terms of selling records. It was just more like we wanted to make a record of songs. With Twilight Tales, we have a lot of preoccupations with that record. There are a lot of things that bug us about it. On this [new] record everything, down to the cover art, is as opposite as we could make it."
 Jack Antonoff - Steel Train |
When one steps back and looks for a clear picture it appears that everything has changed for Antonoff. His sound has changed, his band's lineup has changed, his mindset has changed, and his status in the music industry has gradually changed. And he wants to see change in his fan base as well. Having played multiple jam heavy festivals like Langerado, Wakarusa, and Bonnaroo, a large demographic in Steel Train's fan base comes from the jam band scene. However, with their heart wrenching sound, and presence on indie label Drive-Thru Records, they've managed to attract a following of punkish indie rock listeners that wouldn't be caught dead in tie-dye. All of which couldn't make Antonoff happier.
"I think the two best scenes going on right now are the indie-punk scene and the jam band scene - just in terms of what it means to be a scene. Everything else is so convoluted. Look at the blog band scene and how [easily] people turn their back on a band," observes Antonoff. "A band like Clap Your Hands Say Yeah can go from being huge to having their fans turn their backs on them. That does not happen in the jam band scene, it doesn't happen in the punk scene and, if it does, it happens very rarely. I'd say those are the two scenes we would like to find ourselves in between."
While on the doorstep of an exciting new chapter, Antonoff made it clear that he's planning things with the big picture in mind. Even with Trampoline hitting shelves October 16 and extensive tour plans to follow, thoughts are already afoot for another album.
"I want to be in the studio a year from now. I want to turn around a record in a year and a half, especially if I'm introducing a new sound to people. I want to hold people in terms of what we're putting out there," says Antonoff. "[Still], I do think it would be stupid to push any kind of creative process. We weren't ready to make our record until the very day we walked in. Every day was important."
With the self-diagnosed shortcomings of Twilight Tales in the back of his mind, Antonoff has grown to appreciate the realities of his profession in a way that can only be learned the hard way. Mistakes have been made, and to Antonoff's credit, he has learned from them. With Trampoline, the road seems wide open for Steel Train. With a clear, clean, more pop-oriented sound, Steel Train's commercial potential has risen along with their hopes for the future and their understanding of themselves. Behind their music, performances, interviews and photo shoots lies an optimistic outlook for the future that underlines everything this group does, proof it's going to take more than a couple of bumps in the road to slow this Steel Train down.
Steel Train tour dates available HERE.
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