When New England extreme music outfit Doomriders released their debut album “Black Lightening” it did something few albums have been able to do for me in that it excited me about heavy music again. So much of what come across my desk is either formulaic or boring or some awful combination of both.
Doomriders on the other hand was something I could get behind for many reason. First off the songs are just great heavy rock songs and second the band refused to take themselves too seriously. Lacking the melodrama and posturing of so many bands out today Doomriders was free to not only write great music but also focus their energy on being a real force to be reckoned with live.
Recently the band released their sophomore effort “Darkness Comes Alive” which is a real jump forward for the band both creatively and stylistically. Once seen as just a side project (Doomriders frontman Nate Newton is also in the band Converge) Doomriders show with this album that they are not only a real band but one of the best out there right now. I got to chat a bit with Nate about everything from songs to touring to what the future holds for Doomriders. Dig it!!
CRAVE ONLINE: So give us a brief history of Doomriders.
NATE NEWTON: Chris and I have been friends for a long time. When our previous bands Cast Iron Hike and Jesuit would play shows together in the mid 90's we would always talk about our mutual tastes in music. When I moved to Massachusetts in 99 we began jamming together on guitar in his parents' garage just for fun. We did that for a few years and jammed with a slew of different drummers and bass players before we finally met Jebb and Bev who went on to be the first line up of the band.
After releasing "Black Thunder" Bev had to move to California due to his career, so our good friend JR Connors of Cave In called me up and asked if we needed a drummer...which we did. He joined the band and within a month we were on a plane for our first European tour. The line up has stayed the same since 2005 I believe.
CRAVE ONLINE: Why call the new album Darkness Comes Alive?
NATE NEWTON: The song Come Alive and the album title are based on the idea of taking all of the darkness and negativity inside of you and turning it into something positive instead of letting it bring you down. Instead of letting that darkness kill you, bring it to life.
CRAVE ONLINE: Did the band have a new approach to this album? Were there certain musical goals you wanted to achieve?
NATE NEWTON: Our approach hasn't really changed, but maybe our goals have. For this album I think we all wanted to sort of shed the "party" vibe that we have been tagged with. I still think it’s a fun listen, but it’s also a more serious listen. I think this record gives you a little bit more to sink your teeth into and that was absolutely the goal.
CRAVE ONLINE: The album moves through a lot of different styles but always sounds like Doomriders, how does the band manage to walk that line to effectively?
NATE NEWTON: It’s hard to say. When the four of us play together, regardless of style, it’s going to sound like the four of us. I just didn’t want to write a redundant album that wasn't cohesive. I wanted it to be the kind of record you put on and listen to from beginning to end but each song could still stand on its own. We just wrote the songs we wanted to hear and hoped other people liked them.
CRAVE ONLINE: Was the song writing process different for the new album? Was it more of a band collective? How does it work?
NATE NEWTON: There was a lot more of a "jam" aspect for this record. Basically we had a ton of ideas but no direction for them, so we set a recording date, made a check list of all the ideas and started going down the list until all of the songs were done.
CRAVE ONLINE: Talk to me about the song Heavy Lies The Crown. What’s it about? How did the song originate?
NATE NEWTON: That song is about growing up and accepting responsibility in your life. Basically....if you want something done right then do it yourself. It’s about people who point the finger but never take a risk in their own life; they simply wait for someone else to do it for them.
CRAVE ONLINE: Would you say that Darkness Comes Alive is a darker or more serious album than your debut? Why or why not?
NATE NEWTON: For sure.
CRAVE ONLINE: Fans of Doomriders know how real the band is. Did the entire “side project” idea ever get frustrating? How did you deal with it?
NATE NEWTON: People can label us however they please. It doesn’t concern me; we make music together because we enjoy it.
CRAVE ONLINE: Ever had somebody show up at a Doomriders show expecting a Converge like band? Have you won over any new fans in that instance?
NATE NEWTON: Maybe in the very beginning. Especially being billed as "featuring Nate from Converge", but I think the band has come far enough and built its own identity now that people don’t make that correlation so much anymore.
CRAVE ONLINE: Top 5 desert island records?
NATE NEWTON: Bad Brains – Rock For Light, Deep Purple - In Rock, Entombed – Wolverine Blues, Gillian Welch - Hell Among The Yearlings, Black Flag – Whose Got The 10 & 1/2
CRAVE ONLINE: With both Converge and Doomriders being so successful how do you handle all the touring? Have the two bands ever conflicted with each other?
NATE NEWTON: I love being on the road, so to me the touring is a pleasure. I'm thankful that I've been able to keep going. The bands have definitely conflicted, but thankfully we are all friends with each other so we are able to work it out.
CRAVE ONLINE: Darkness Comes Alive is epic and almost seems like a concept album. Is there anything connecting the songs? A storyline? An idea? A Theme?
NATE NEWTON: Not really, each song has its own meaning. If there is a theme then it probably has to do with using the negative things in your life to create positivity, but I wouldn’t say that theme carries through all of the lyrics.
CRAVE ONLINE: Live Doomriders is an all out good time rock show. Do you think that element is missing with live music today? Why or why not?
NATE NEWTON: Absolutely. I think too many bands want to be admired. No one wants to entertain. I'm not calling myself an entertainer per se, but I believe there is a happy medium between artist and entertainer that not enough people have found.
CRAVE ONLINE: The song “Lions” seems like an angrier song that the rest of the record. What’s it about? Is it an angrier song?
NATE NEWTON: In some ways it is angrier, but overall I think it’s a very positive song. It’s a pep talk of sorts. It's about realizing that the people in your life who have hurt you or done you wrong are forever going to be caught in their own web of bullshit, and that once you acknowledge that and are able to shrug it off and move forward then your life will be better. It's about leaving behind your pain and moving on.
CRAVE ONLINE: What bands are moving you right now?
NATE NEWTON: Amon Duull II has been getting a lot of play on the Ipod lately. As far as newer bands....Phantom Glue is my favorite band in Boston, as well as Mind Eraser.
CRAVE ONLINE: What does 2009 and beyond look like for Doomriders?
NATE NEWTON: Who knows? We're gonna play shows, write songs and get loud.
CRAVE ONLINE: What do you get from Doomriders that you don’t from Converge and vice versa?
NATE NEWTON: It’s just a different creative outlet. I love playing guitar; I love writing lyrics and singing lead. I love hanging out with the guys in Doomriders and I love the intensity of our shows.
CRAVE ONLINE: You recently played shows with Rorschach. What was that like for the band?
NATE NEWTON: It was great. I've been a fan of Rorschach for years. I actually followed them on tour in the early 90's. They were a huge influence on me (especially in Converge). So I was honored to share the stage with them.
CRAVE ONLINE: The riff for Jealous God is one of my favorites of recent memory. Who wrote that song? How did that riff come into being?
NATE NEWTON: I wrote it. I can't really say where it came from.....Just a lot of jamming the practice space. Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night and hear a riff in my head and I have to get out of bed and go play it before I forget it.
CRAVE ONLINE: When Doomriders is finally over what do you want the legacy of the band to be?
NATE NEWTON: Great songs. Great vibes. Great shows.
For more on Doomriders check out:
http://www.myspace.com/doomriders
