It’s Thanksgiving Day in Canada. So it’s the best moment to publish our interview with Billy Talent from Sziget. America vs. Canada. Success and politics.
► A magyar cikkért, KLIKK IDE ◄
We met Jordan Hastings (drums) and Benjamin Kowalewicz (singer) exactly two months ago at Sziget Festival backstage. It was a very cool conversation and we decided to make a special event today, ’cause it’s Thanksgiving Day in Canada and the most elegant way to celebrate it is with an interview with a Canadian band. So here we are, talking about success, renewal, politics, human attitudes and their latest music video, ‘Ghost Ship of Cannibal Rats’.
You started almost 25 years ago, and you didn’t have any major success in the first 8 years. Then a name change has changed everything, it was a huge boom for you. So you could see both the dark and bright sides. I’m wondering if you don’t have success (as a band), where do you find the strength to do it again and again?
Benjamin Kowalewicz: Well, it’s a good question but I guess it’s non-negotiable. You know, we’ve been playing since we were kids. And it didn’t matter if we were doing it professionally or every three months we had a show that we were looking forward to and then only friends come to it. It’s just something that was in us. Regardless what your daytime job was, you always knew that Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, we’re going to rehearse and then we had a show coming up on Friday, we’ve just always been part of this.
Most people would give up after 10 years (or sooner) if they don’t have at least some success. Why did you not do that?
Benjamin Kowalewicz: Well, for that you should have a couple of kids, get married and then get out of this and get a job! Also, for us, it didn’t really matter if it’s four people or 40,000.
How can you reinvent yourself from time to time?
Benjamin Kowalewicz: I don’t know. I think you just do what makes you feel good. I mean, this record (Afraid of Heights) was definitely Ian’s baby, he was very focused, he worked on it every day for years. We’re a rock band you know, and we like rock songs and we’re gonna play rock shows. The songs that come out might not be the ones which you intended to come out but that’s just what happens, you do what feels right! I think our band is doing well again, it’s because we sound so different compared to everything else that’s happening. Also, it kinda depends on who plays next to you! It’s different if a techno-dance stage is next to you, or for example today we are playing before Pink! She’s awesome. But we are a very different sounding band.
We had an interview with Jeff Stinco the Simple Plan not long ago. I asked him (and now you) that being a Canadian means any kind of difference getting any kind of success in America?
Jordan Hastings: Yeah, I think so. I’ve noticed that Canadian bands tend to get a very polished sound if you will. That’s what I’ve noticed over the years that there’s this very particular limit and there are very few bands that are able to cross the US market.
Benjamin Kowalewicz: I think back in the day, every international band wanted to be famous in America. And now, I don’t give a shit. So we have amazing fans there, who are loyal to us, and we are loyal to them, we met a lot of really great people there. But to become this big brand in America… I don’t care. I used to care, I wanted to be in America, the band wanted to be in America and it just never worked. So yeah, after a while you just have to be happy with what you have, be appreciative of what you are but you are not gonna be f…cking Green Day. People don’t like guitars anymore. America is a really great place for a lot of people but I really don’t care.
We’ve seen that politics is in everywhere nowadays. I’m wondering, and it’s a big question – pro and con – inside the music industry as well: is it important to be political?
Jordan Hastings: Well, politics and music always went head to head to a certain extent, it just happens to be pretty bad right now, so I think music is more important to people now.
Benjamin Kowalewicz: Also we all have these f…cking things, every day you’re getting updates, updates about Trump and Europe and North Korea and Canadian politics and you’re just bombarded with information. So it’s on one’s consciousness. Also, it’s not just politics, it’s socio-economics, it’s people and communities and how they are impacted. We often joke about these, in the record as well, there are so many topics that you just talk about with your friends. The record was written before Trump, before Brexit, before the refugee crisis reached its critical mass but there are always things you can talk about. And we wanted to say that there are these things, these are terribly scary, we are living in a very turbulent time but I do feel that we’re just going through this time and we’re gonna come out of it better, in not as much time as we think. So I think that we just have to stay on course with all the good people who have a lot in their hearts and who are kind, accepting and tolerant. We need to band together and we need to get through this storm, and once we get through, things will be a lot better.
How does your latest song and video, ‘Ghost Ship of Cannibal Rats’, connects to this idea?
Benjamin Kowalewicz: Well, you know, the song was more or less written about that we are on this planet and all we do is just taking and taking and taking and not caring and not giving back. Eventually, we’re just gonna capitalize ourselves, we’re just gonna destroy ourselves. The video represents that. You have your family, you have your kids and then all this chaos happening around you. And then yeah, this is basically it.
EDITED by Károly Gergely
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