East West
"This album only happened because of the current guys in the band. "Hope in Anguish" is monumental for us because we were able to prove to everyone that we can do this band thing on our own. We wrote the songs together. Everyone had equal say. There are very little electronics or overdubs. It's just a rock record. It's just us. That's what we wanted it to be,î describes Jon, the latest addition to East West.
Bob continues, "It feels like this is our first record, because it became simply an expression of who we are."
Building a project when you are on the road 200 dates a year is no easy task. Add to that having only 2 weeks to prepare. Mike explains, "Last time around we literally had years to write and pick out songs. This time we came off tour, built a studio at Bobby's house to record the demos and then had to write everything. Maybe itís just because we spend so much time together we know what each other is thinking, but it ended up being very relaxed and low-key. We wrote 2-3 songs a day, and at night called each other and left messages of ideas for the next day. It was a pretty incredible time."
In February 2003, Ocean Studios and Mama Joeís in Burbank, CA were chosen as the studios, and Dennis MacKay (Judas Priest, David Bowie) was called in to produce. "Getting to work with Dennis was an incredible experience. He really helped us solidify what we were trying to do," states JJ. "I think you only get his wisdom from being in studios for 30 years."
After recording all the tracks, the band had three weeks off due to studio scheduling. This gave Mike the opportunity to write lyrics. "I had been writing the entire year, but once we had recorded the music, nothing seemed to work right or get across what we were trying to say. I pretty much had to start from scratch."
Lyrically, the album has a much darker feel, with intense phrasings that seem to reek of dual meanings. "So much of being in a band is a sacrifice. Being away from our wives and families. Trials on the road. A lot of the lyrics deal with our band finally coming into itself, realizing the commitments of music and having the right attitudes. It also has a lot to do with us being so comfortable together that we were able to deal with issues that maybe we wouldnít of touched before," explains Bob.
JJ continues, "When the four of us started playing together, it all just gelled and made sense. We all have a common purpose and a common focus - make great music that can actually help people. That has made all the difference.
"We really hope that our music will inspire people to really dig deep and deal with situations and emotions. No matter what the circumstance - anger, sadness, hatred, depression -there is always options, and there's always hope. Maybe that's what sets us apart from a lot of hard music. We really believe there are answers." |
