We've read that 'Vital' contains new influences for you guys, so can you tell us a bit about what those are, and maybe what other themes we can expect to hear on the record? There are a few things that we have done differently on this record such as having trumpets, a female vocalist, whilst also being heavy on the keyboards and percussion. Our themes are all over the place; from war to love, and from death to the afterlife. It is more a collection of the conscious thoughts that roll through my head on what feels like a daily basis.
How did you guys end up working with Aaron Sprinkle again on this record, and what is it you like so much about working with him? It just felt right, the band and Aaron needed some time apart to find ourselves, gather our own thoughts and develop into better musicians and songwriters. It could not have happened at a better time either, he was just moving to Nashville and it was our last chance to work in the compound in Seattle which is the studio where it all began.
Julia Marie & Christie DuPree both feature as special guests on 'Vital' so can you tell us about how these collaborations came about, and how fun these experiences were for you as a band? Well Julia is my wife, so I basically rolled over and asked her, after much financial negotiating we locked her down for the song, not really! The process was a lot of fun, the whole process seemed very laid back and felt like home, so it only seemed logical that Julia sang on the record. Christie DuPree has an insanely great voice that I felt was perfect for 'God, drugs, & sex' as she has that ruggedly soothing voice that totally matched mine.
We've read that the track 'Someone, Anyone' was influenced by the protests in Egypt, so can you tell us a bit more about this? In a world where war seems an inevitable news story daily it was awe inspiring to watch as a region known for its barbaric taste for violence suddenly turned around and changed their society through non-violence in the vain of Jesus Christ, Martin Luther King jr., or Mahatma Ghandi. I know that war and violence will continue as long as I live, but one less life lost is a luxury in this world. To write a war protest song seemed like something that was long overdue for me, it is as close to Marvin Gays song 'Whats going on?' as we will ever get.
We've read that you feel 'Vital' is your 'most aggressive' record to date, so was this the kind of record you wanted to make when you went into the studio, or did this approach end up just happening naturally as a band? I feel like this is where we wanted to be, our favorite part of any show is when everyone in the crowd is dancing into a frenzy and everyone in the place is sweating profusely, and we’re all loosing our voices in unison. This album was written for the live show. The energy is something we wanted and it’s also something that we planned on from the inception of the idea to record.
Can you tell us about the formation of Anchor & Braille, and also, how do you go about fitting side projects like this into Anberlin's busy schedule? A&B is my alter ego. It’s the antithesis of energy and aggression that Anberlin brings to the table. I formed it out of songs that I knew would never go on Anberlin records because they either didn't fit the format or the lyrics were a little more intrusive than the Anberlin fans have come to expect.
How excited are you for your upcoming UK tour with The Xcerts, and what can attending fans expect? It’s going to be great, I really can't wait. I still remember our free show in London, there was such a great vibe in that place. I just can't wait to get there again and wander the streets and play in some of the greatest cities in the world... I'm ready now!