MANILA, Philippines - Saosin is the perfect example of how today’s youth — with the Internet on its side and armed with a rabid passion for expression — will redefine the rules and the sound of music by knowing what they want and how to get it. Consisting of vocalist Cove Reber, guitarists Beau Burchell and Justin Shekoski, bassist Chris Sorenson, and drummer Alex Rodriguez, its original lineup was formed in 2003 with a different vocalist.
The band is named after a Chinese word that translates into “small heart” and “be careful.”
Its style is described as “energetic and highly melodic,” though the band is mostly associated with the “post-hardcore/alternative” tag. Think heart-wrenching ballads and lyricism combined with a youthful and energetic musicianship, the perfect combination for adolescents worldwide; exciting but not at all hard on the ears. Audiences worldwide have been known to erupt in humongous sing-alongs during the band’s shows.
With its do-it-yourself, independent-marketing ethic, the band’s success can mainly be attributed to its close on-line connection fans, especially via social networking site Myspace, wherein their debut EP Translating The Name was hailed worldwide, long before its first major label record was released. Saosin won thousands and thousands of fans this early on, and by the year after, was touring the US for the second time, joining the reputable Vans Warped Tour, arguably the biggest show with reserved slots for only the biggest and best bands in modern alternative/punk.
Major labels quickly took notice. In 2006 Capitol Records signed the band, and by the time their first, self-titled major label release (produced by Howard Benson, who worked with My Chemical Romance) was out, Saosin graduated from mere slots in festivals to coveted support-act status for bands like Linkin Park, Coheed and Cambria, and Incubus. Its most recent album, In Search of Solid Ground was released last September.
On Jan. 22, 7 p.m., Saosin will perform at A-Venue in Makati Avenue. Below, Beau and Chris talk about the band and their Manila gig.
Though your music has been labeled mainly for convenience, you can tell by the number of textures and dynamics that the inspiration comes from a varied lot of styles. What were your formative listening pleasures, as well as current?
Beau: I’ve always loved music that can make me feel something. It has to move me emotionally. Bands (and artists) like Mineral, Sunny Day Real Estate, In Flames, Soilwork, Medicine, Oasis, Blur, Third Eye Blind, Megadeth, Bjork, Shai Hullud and Metallica have always done that for me.
Chris: My music listening started around the late ’80s, when a lot of new wave was dying out and more pop was being invented. I loved Motley Crew’s Dr. Feelgood as well as Fine Young Cannibals.
As soon as grunge hit in the early ’90s, I was really an active music listener. I remember getting Pearl Jam’s Vs. record for my birthday one year, and getting in trouble because of the sheep on the cover. After grunge, I really got into punk and hardcore, then more ambient, post-rock-type music. Music like Godspeed!, You Black Emperor and Mogwai.
I think this is the kind of answer you’d get from any of us, except all the bands would be different. That’s what makes us a band: Slight differences with a similar direction.
Saosin met a lot of challenges early on. What kept you going, especially since it was no joke to lose original members, including a front man? Do you find that your fans now are finally comfortable with the lineup?
Beau: I hope so. It’s been over four years.
Chris: It’s just coincidental that we had some success with our earlier work. We played our first show, then a month later we were on tour for two months straight; that’s not how the life of an average band works. Getting that first tour takes years, let alone, one that people actually come to see.
As far as the band lineup was concerned, members of bands — especially those still in their infantile stage — come and go all the time. It just so happened that we had some fans when we figured out things weren’t working. I really hope people have come to terms with it. It’s been almost six years since we’ve had a member change.
You utilized the Internet to its fullest in order to build your band and spread your music. Obviously, the once-feared and reputed haven for piracy has helped you greatly. What are your thoughts and opinions of the Internet these days? Predictions?
Beau: Well. I think piracy helps all bands when their CDs are not available to buy in certain areas and countries. But when the CD does become available, I think people should support the bands and buy their records.
Chris: I feel like, as with a lot of things that are handed to you, it’s very easy to take advantage. I don’t think you realize the specifics to making a record, touring and marketing a band/music, until you are actually in a working group. It’s not cheap to make records, even on a scaled-down and realistic budget — it’s still in the tens of thousands of dollars. And that’s just for the recording.
I feel like the justification of “oh well, I don’t care if they are downloading, as long as they are listening” logic is killing our industry. What makes music real is the emotion and feeling, and power and expression, and at the end of the day, making money off that music is the only way for a lot of us to make more music that’s real.
My predictions are that things will never get better, only worse. And with the advent of faster download speeds and computers, music is not the only industry that will become affected on a large scale. I believe there is no real way around it either, unless we can legalize mind-control and make people realize that it’s not cool to steal.
Though you were successful as an independent act with great Internet-know-how, what led you to decide to sign with a major label?
Beau: We felt that we had taken our band as far as we could on our own, and we wanted to take it to the next level and reach more people all over the world.
Chris: At the time, we just went with the label that felt right for Saosin. We had accomplished a lot on our own and we didn’t want to just go to a label that was going to do exactly what we did and take a big chunk of it. We signed to Capitol because they said, “We like what you did, and want to learn from it and help build it. Instead of putting you into the system, we want to expand yours.” Being on a major has its perks and disadvantages, but so does being on an independent label. But our biggest perk being on a major was maximizing our international reach.
Of all the places you have played, when and where did you have the most fun? How would you describe your live shows, and your fans to someone who’s just starting to listen to your music and get into your band?
Beau: Each show has something great about it; there are crazy mosh pits, there’s crowd-surfing, and super-loud sing-alongs... it’s hard to say what shows are the best. But I am extremely excited for these shows.
As for describing our shows, we don’t have any gimmicks and we don’t wear make-up. We just play our songs and put our whole hearts into it.
Chris: We always look forward to coming to Asia, because the music scene and culture is very unique in itself; most of the shows in the US, Canada and Europe very much have the same type of kids.
I feel like our live shows are very energetic, and we write and play this kind of music because it is an expression of ourselves: The words, the melody, the riffs, the drumming. It’s the only way we know how to speak. Our live shows are depictions of that, I’d like to think. Where there are parts where it seems chaotic, chaos ensues. During parts where things seem ”angelic,” we break ourselves down for it.
Is there a dream gig you’d want to play? With whom and where?
Beau: I really don’t have one; however, I would love to play with In Flames and Third Eye Blind.
Chris: Dream gig… well, I’d love to play with every band that’s given me goose bumps. Probably Tool, Pearl Jam, Sigur Ros, Mogwai, Portishead and Zao (circa 1998).
What’s the best thing about breaking through and having reached a certain amount of success as a band? Frankly, is it everything you’ve dreamed about and aspired for?
Beau: It’s a really great feeling for our music to reach so many people. It’s much more than I could ever dream of.
Chris: The best thing about it is the ability to focus on music all the time. But that can also be very overwhelming as well. We also tour constantly, so it’s always tough to come home after months, and see things that have changed without you there. But, we know we aren’t going to be able to do this forever, so we look forward to most everything we do. I will admit, this lifestyle is way different than I ever dreamed.
Filipinos are naturally sentimental and affectionate, and I think they’d make the perfect connection with Saosin. To the uninitiated, which songs do you feel will Filipino audiences really relate to?
Beau: That’s a hard question. Every place we go I am surprised by what songs people like the most. However, most people really go crazy over Seven Years and You’re Not Alone.
Chris: Yes, I hope you’ll all love You’re Not Alone. It really speaks universally and I think it’s a song that really inspires people to come together. Honestly, I’m not really sure what to expect from the audience though, which songs they’ll like and all.
What can we expect from the show on Jan. 22 at the A-Venue? Have any special surprises for your thousands of young Filipino fans?
Beau: Well if I told you, it wouldn’t be a surprised (smiles) We are planning on playing an extra-long, one-hour-and-15-minute-set with a nice variety of songs from all our releases.
Chris: A lot of energy! And we really enjoy meeting our fans. We’re not rock stars or celebrities. We’re normal guys that happen to make music.
Surprise? Well, we got an e-mail from the promoter saying he wanted to “heat things up” at the show. That should be a nice surprise.
How does the band relax and take a break in-between writing records and playing live?
Beau: We really don’t get much time off, but I normally jump right back in the studio and produce and mix records for other bands, as well as write as much more music as I can.
Chris: We are all constantly doing music. Justin gives guitar lessons, I produce bands and my own music, while Beau is a mixing engineer. Cove has a little electronic side project. We all lead pretty normal, boring lives at home (laughs). But it is nice to just do nothing sometimes.
(Tickets to Saosin Live in Manila are available at Odyssey Music Stores, Ticketnet, Merriam and Webster Bookstores and in Pulp Main Office located at Antel Global Building, Suite 1601, Dona Julia Vargas Ave., Ortigas Center, Pasig City. You can also buy on-line via www.mobiusonline.net by registering within the site and using your e-points to buy e-tickets. Tickets are inclusive of a free general admission ticket to My Heavy Metal Valentine’s: Trivium Live in Manila on Feb. 13 at A-Venue Music Hall in Makati City. For details, call 687-1709 or log on to www.pulpmagazinelive.com.)