|
 |
| |
|
When it's really good, when it's on, it's like a no-mind, no-thought thing. For lack of a better word, just being really connected to the inner-being.
--Daniel Sproul |
|
|
| |
|
Photo by Lisa Siciliano
THE OLD SOUL INSIDE ROSE HILL DRIVE
Now the one thing that really hit me right away was that y'all seem to be making a sound that is much older than your years. For lack of a better term, it's like y'all have old souls or something. Is there anything that you sort of attribute that to? You know, you guys sound like you've been a band for ten years, but you're only in your early twenties. That's really impressive to me...
Rose Hill Drive :: 04.08.05 :: Fox, CO by Tobin Voggesser |
Jake: Wow, that's nice of you to say. Cool.
I'm curious if that's just the way it is for you or if you guys feel like you're drawing a certain inspiration from somewhere? Or just exactly how do y'all do it?
Jake: I don't know. Nate [Barnes - drums], Daniel [Sproul - guitar], and I just really love music. And we don't listen to any one thing. Like in high school, rock and roll just really turned us on. And I guess there is certain music that is being marketed to kids in high school that I was kind of turned off to. It's not necessarily because it's music but because of what it stands for. And there's a certain cool thing that doesn't have to do with the partying or like the glam... Like I can turn on the rock radio and hear these stupid songs, just ridiculous, about just weird shit. It's like, "Why did you write a song about that?" And it can obviously be said that that was either how they really felt, which is ok, that's cool, or just totally for money. But the real stuff. Like I got really into early Aerosmith, and Steven Tyler just wanted it so bad. He just loved creating music. And there's just this certain goosebump energy in riffs that are real, and riffs that fall into the groove. And it doesn't matter how on the drummer is because Keith Moon was all over the place, it's just like if there's this total energy it can relieve you of your stress and it can just describe your feelings so well. Not just through the words, but through the music. It can just be three fuckin' notes that just keep getting stronger, and the sweat just keeps pouring out thicker.
Daniel Sproul by Lisa Siciliano |
Daniel: I take inspiration, I mean besides music and my guitar heroes, by experiencing life head-on. Right now we're writing our best music that we've written. And I think it's because Jake and I are sober [coming from a twenty year old mind you], we're not drinking or anything. And it's like experiencing life head-on, facing your questions and fears and the joys of life and all that.
And how about when you are playing a guitar solo - are you thinking about anything, are you drawing the notes from somewhere, are you going blank? What's the process like when you are laying on it for ten-minutes or something?
Daniel: When it's really good, when it's on, it's like a no-mind, no-thought thing. For lack of a better word, just being really connected to the inner-being.
The history of rock & roll has always been tied to social change, and revolution, and uniting the youth and whatnot. In the context of our world right now, which in a lot of ways is pretty fucked up, I'm curious if you see your music sort of as an escape from that, or if you see it as a way to make sense of it all and to channel it into something better?
Jake Sproul by Lisa Siciliano |
Jake: That's a really good question. I've taken it upon myself to be sober, and that's a really tough thing for me to do, because I just love the whole party scene when you are healthy-minded and have fun with friends. It started to weigh on me, and I just started to notice certain things that would pass me by, especially as the world spins faster, and people turn their heads more and more, and the drinking gets stronger and stronger. I was just like, "Fuck this - I'm gonna stop drinking, stop smoking, and I'm really gonna take a look at what's going on." Because there's really, I don't know, there's so much that is important, so many things that are important in life. And music, like I said with the riff, music can describe that. And like with the escape thing, I went to a show the other night, it was Trail of the Dead. Have you heard of those guys?
Yeah, definitely.
Jake: And I flipped out.
Yeah, I think they're fuckin' awesome.
Rose Hill Drive :: 04.08.05
Fox, CO by Tobin Voggesser |
Jake: I was so turned on. And it wasn't an escape. And the guy wasn't going like, "Fuck Bush. We need change." Cause the band before them was doing that, International Noise Conspiracy. And you don't need to hear it, because those are just the thoughts that are confusing everybody in the first place. And I have faith in that innate instinct in people as a whole that if there are good feelings and positive energy, that you know, good will prevail. And without music, to kind of answer the question, it's like, being sober, realizing that selling out the Fox in Boulder is a gift. People getting turned on to our music and us being turned on to it is a gift. In that sense, if we can just keep doing it and let people know it's a safe place to come, a cool place to come. And not to sound dorky, we're all mental. I mean I do agree with wanting things to change. Because you just look around, you know, and there are so many things to get distracted by. Having a strong mind, and being positive and whatnot can help out just that little bit, change somebody's day just that little bit. Hopefully our music does that.
Daniel: We just wrote some new tunes. We just finished them a few couple days ago, and Jake's lyrics are really addressing what's going on [politically and socially], just addressing the problems. It's kinda hard to explain. Everybody feels it, whether they want to admit it or deny it, everybody feels what's going on. And some of the songs we are writing we choose to talk about it and address it head on.
And like I was saying before, how I feel you guys are a little bit older than you actually are, do you feel like touring, and living the life you are leading now, do you think it's sort of caused you, or forced you, to grow up a little quicker than most people?
Daniel: I think so. I mean, yeah. I was pretty heavy into drugs a couple years ago. Our parents divorced and a bunch of shit happened, and yeah, I'd say in the most humble way I could, that I've definitely experienced a lot of life for being twenty.
THE FUTURE OF RHD
Jake Sproul by Lisa Siciliano |
Jake: I want our music to explode. I want it to touch as many people as it can the way it touches us. And I dig our friends and just the way we've developed out of childhood and the way we hang out and just the way we feel about things. And the openness, and kind of like the fearlessness that I see some of my friends convey - I like that lifestyle, and I want it to explode.
Well I think it's on the way.
[Our conversation trails off into a long discussion about The Mars Volta - my interview with Omar a few months back, seeing them at Bonnaroo, and basically why they are the most impressive, important, amazing band to hit the rock world in a long long time.
What's your favorite thing about playing music?
Daniel Sproul and Warren Haynes
RHD :: 2.15.05 The Fillmore, CO by M. Goldman |
Daniel: The feeling when the magic comes. Whether it's on stage or writing a song, just when it's that true connection to whatever-the-fuck-it-is. When you are really just in it. That's my favorite part.
I noticed that y'all got added to Bonnaroo. Are there any bands that are on the schedule that you are excited to check out?
Daniel: Oh yeah man, I can't wait to see The Mars Volta. Obviously the Crowes, Mule, I love Kings of Leon. Yeah, I'm really psyched man.
So in the future what do you want to see happen? Is there anything in particular you are really striving for?
Daniel: My personal goal, and I think I share this with the other guys too, is to be able to go to every market and sell out clubs. Even if they are like 250 capacity, I'll feel like I can die happy after that.
Kayceman
JamBase | California
Go See Live Music!
ROSE HILL DRIVE TOUR DATES
If you are fortunate enough to be headed to Bonnaroo this year, be sure to check out Rose Hill Drive on Thursday night June 9th as the Festival gets underway.
05.27 | Two Frog's Grille | Ardmore, OK
05.28 | River Fest Little Rock, AR w/ Black Crowes, BB King, and more
05.29 | Jubilee City Fest | Montgomery, AL w/ Black Crowes
05.31 | The Nick | Birmingham, AL
06.01 | Smith's Olde Bar | Atlanta, GA
06.02 | The Pour House | Charleston, SC
06.03 | The Neighborhood Theatre | Charlotte, NC
06.04 | Martin Street Music Hall Raleigh, NC
06.07 | The Young Avenue Deli Memphis, TN
06.08 | Proud Larry's Oxford, MS
06.09 | Bonnaroo Music Festival | Manchester, TN RHD plays on Thursday night
06.14 | Viper Room | Cincinnati, OH
06.18 | Wakarusa | Lawrence, KS w/ North Miss Allstars, Wilco, Gov't Mule
06.25 | Westword Music Showcase Denver, CO
08.12 | Louisville Street Faire Louisville, CO
09.02 | Azkena Rock Fest | Bilbao, Spain w/ Queens Of The Stone Age, Gov't Mule
|
