Interviews

Interview: A Life Once Lost

Philadelphia’s A Life Once Lost are currently riding the crest of a wave with their latest album ‘Iron Gag’ receiving rave reviews, praise from their metalcore peers, as well as selling by the bucketload. Obsessively hard-working, having already toured with some huge bands, such as Napalm Death and Dillinger Escape Plan, when Himsa’s European tour lost a support they happily stepped in to the breach. We caught up with vocalist Bob Meadows just prior to their Birmingham Barfly gig, popped a few questions, and found out just how dedicated they are to keeping the metal dream alive.

Did you have fun writing and recording the ‘Iron Gag’ album?
Yeah, it was a satisfying record to be a part of knowing how hard you worked in order to get to the recording process and knowing all the shit that you went through. On ‘Hunter’ we worked with Rob Caggiano and Randy Blythe and those two dudes kind of paved the road for us to walk on and then we just sort of jumped off. It was more satisfying knowing it was just us and not other people telling us what to do and how to change something. So, it was more rewarding that way.

I understand you recorded it in-house and then finished off in the studio. What were the differences between the two?
We recorded pretty much the whole record using one main room and an office. In another room there was one kid, Kyle, working on a laptop doing all the drum cuts. Meanwhile, I was in the office recording vocals as they were in the other studio recording guitars. So it was, like, you have three engineers in there that were just constantly working. Even before that we were doing pre-production stuff. We would pump out, like, four or five songs. We’d drive up to Freehold, New Jersey, record everything then come back down and listen to it and analyse it making it tighter, more of a perfect product. It was more of an intense writing process doing it all yourselves.

This interview was set up by your label. Are they treating you well?
Yeah, Ferret treats us good - as good as any label treats you. You don’t rely on anybody else too much though. You have to do it yourselves if you want to get shit done. This whole European tour was handled more through us than by anybody else. Shit will never get done if you don’t do it yourselves and then you’re left their with your thumbs up your asses.

So they give you plenty of freedom then?
Yeah. We can do whatever the fuck we want to do and put out whatever the fuck we want to put out and they just tickle our balls from time-to-time and say “that’s pretty sweet”. We’re from Philadelphia and having the label right in your backyard means there‘s a closeness. Those guys are good dudes, man.

A Life Once Lost. Who’s life?
The band was named before I joined but I always took it to mean that you’ve got a second chance at doing something. Me, for example, I fucked up at school and ended up working in warehouses and factories up until I joined the band. The momentum grows and now I’m touring and this is my second time in the UK and I owe it all to the band.

How’s the Philadephia metal scene?
It’s strong and very diverse. They have Relapse Records there which ups the ante so there is constantly metal available. There’s some awesome venues and clubs that do pretty amazing metal shows. As far as bands go, there’s more of a smaller metal community. There’s a stronger hardcore scene with bands like Reign Supreme which has like an Agony Scene-thing going-on but it‘s pretty pissed and groovin’; War Pigs they have a hardcore Stooges-thing going-on; Left to Vanish, who’ve been touring hard for the last couple of years. Yeah, there’s some good talent out there. I book shows in nearby Doylestown so I kind of have my hands wet in the scene.

Eagles, Phillies or 76ers?
An Eagles fan. I’m not a basketball fan. I wrestled in high school so we hated basketball players so if we were wrestling and they were practising we’d fuck with them a little. What are they gonna do? Throw a basketball at us? We’d pick them up and slam them on their heads! Phillies are weak this year, and like every year, so I’ll go with the Eagles (laughs).

How did Snake get his nickname or do we not wanna know?
He was in school and a substitute teacher asked him what they should call him. So, my name’s Robert so he asked “Do you wanna be called Rob or Bobby or Bob?”. So I’m like, “You can call me Robert.” So then he says to Douglas “What shall we call you?” and he goes “Snake”. So the teacher called him Snake and then other people called him Snake. Then Avenged Sevenfold started up with all those queer names like M. Shadows and Jacky Vengeance and so Doug changed it to Snake Sustaine as a sort of nod to Dave Mustaine. So Snake Sustaine was born and is now living comfortably (laughs).

You recently posted a heartfelt entry on the ‘Headbanger’s Blog’ about certain bands losing sight of why they started in music. What prompted this entry?
I’m not trying to start a revolution or anything but it’s my personal dislike of bands that feel they’re owed something when they haven’t really established themselves yet. I like a work ethic where bands have done everything themselves with no media push or radio-play - it’s just them touring their asses off. Now you have these younger bands coming through that have caught the wave of MySpace or any other internet craze that has lifted them past a series of steps that you need to go through. It’s weird being in a band for nine years, touring for seven, and just seeing these bands gain success. Check yourselves, why are you here? Are you here to push yourself as a piece of merchandise, as a product, to make money off the scene? I mean, like, when I get on stage I’m doing it because I’ve got something to say. I’m not a very talkative person up there but my performance and my lyrics are very important to me. They’re not far-fetched or stories, they’re very real. The blog was just me on a certain day saying “This is really pissing me off”. Bands judge themselves now through MySpace plays, how big their ‘Friends List’ is or how many records they’re selling. What happened to just getting in a van and just playing? If it’s five or five hundred people out there that shouldn’t matter to you ‘cos you’re in a fucking band. How many people would kill to be in your position?

You were particularly keen to register your amount of disapproval of the amount of emphasis put on selling merchandise? Is that one of your pet peeves?
It doesn’t matter to me what we sell. It’s a Catch 22. Since October I’ve had three weeks off and I’ve earned maybe a $1000. The amount of touring I’m doing it doesn’t add up. I love touring but everything starts going downhill, like your finances and your health. I have some crazy cavities going on in my mouth right now (laughs) and my glasses are completely fucked but I can’t afford to get them fixed. It’s just something you have to sacrifice to follow something that you like doing. Maybe someday there’ll be a pay-off but it’s not important. The merchandise doesn’t matter to me. It’s about getting up in front of the kids and seeing their faces and being a role-model.

What is your opinion on the view that file-sharing is harming the music industry?
That’s another Catch 22 because you got to think of the money that you’re taking away from these bands that are touring but then again you’ve got think of the people you’re coming into contact with. MySpace is good because I can find bands that I would never have found. Then going on LimeWire or SoulSeek and downloading it and thinking this is pretty fucking good. If I see it I’m gonna buy it, or I’m gonna go see them play. If you’re still supporting the band in some way then it’s good but if you’re just sitting at home building a collection of music then it’s not. I don’t know. It’s such a fine line and it’s hard to say. It’s gonna happen whether you like it or not.

I guess there’s more people at shows because of it.
Yeah, you really notice it. When someone comes up to you and says “I heard your stuff on MySpace and it’s pretty cool. Now I see you live and I bought both records and a t-shirt” it makes you go “Cool! Cheers, dude!” (Laughs) That makes me smile.

What’s the highest point of your career?
I don’t feel like I’ve reached a high-point yet. If you look at it as a high-point years ago you’re just living in the past. Me being in Europe right now is my personal high-point. Just playing is your high-point. In all my interviews I try to emphasise that you should just be happy and have pride in yourself.

Is it worth me asking what your career low-point is then?
Yeah. I have plenty of low-points. It’s all about not repeating those low-points. Getting too drunk or too sick to perform; disrespecting the crowd. That’s a low-point. I’ll never repeat that again. You’ll never see a low-point from me.

What bands would you cite as your main influences?
Tim Singer who was in Dead Guy and Kiss It Goodbye just had this voice where he would just stand there and scream. His voice was the most powerful voice I’ve ever heard and for a guy his size. It’s been my little evil fantasy to scream so fucking hard I’m screaming louder than the PA. I’m punishing the microphone so hard I’ve screamed so loud I’ve broken the diaphragm inside. That’s a satisfying thing to know I can do that night after night after night. All these “brie” bands who go like “brie, brie, brie” - there’s no feeling, no heart or soul. When I get up and scream I’m screaming with everything inside of me. Intensity and power comes out of my voice. Like Sean Ingram who was in Coalesce. His voice was so powerful it was like another instrument. If you heard the band without the singer it was just like another muddy, detuned hardcore band but when he put his voice into the mix it gave it a whole new intensity.

We’re just a few hours now before gig-time. You sound like you’ve got a cold?
Too Pure To Die brought over the sickness from America and everybody got it! (Laughs) So I’ve been battling this runny nose and a cough but it’s not too bad. We were all in Holland and we’re smelling weed everywhere and you start smoking and there’s nine dudes at the table. One guy starts coughing and then the next and then it goes right around the circle.

You’re looking forward to it though?
Yeah. This show’s gonna be awesome. We played our first show ever in the UK in Birmingham. It’s been wild, man. My life to this point has been such a fucking dream-come-true. I’m twenty-eight, I don’t have a real job, and I just tour round the country in a band. My parents are nothing but supportive and I don’t really have any rules. I’m just a little kid and I haven’t really grown-up yet. It’s real wild.

Band link = A Life Once Lost

Big thanks to Andy @ Ferret Music and the ALOL tour manager, Josh, for helping set this interview up.

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