La Dispute is currently touring Europe with Former Thieves. While preparing for this tour back in The States, we asked the guys to answer a few questions. Find out what singer Jordan Dreyer thinks about being an artist, touring the world, his ambitions and a lot more right here! If you want to keep updated on the band’s life on the road, be sure to follow them on their website – www.ladisputemusic.com. And ofcourse, make it to one of their show!
You’re about to hit the European roads, are there any particular things you’re looking forward to?
Friends, mostly. This is Euro-trip #3 for us and the opportunity to again be able to see and hang out with all of the incredible friends we made on the previous two is far and away the most appealing part of heading back. Of course, that’s not the only thing. Shows have always been amazing for us over there and the hospitality at squats/venues/etc. is pretty astonishing. Always fed great vegan meals, always given a place to rest, and always treated as members of the family by everyone involved. Looking forward to just about everything about touring Europe, to be honest.
You’ve toured Europe before. Is it much different from touring The States?
In some ways yes, but all the differences are pretty minor when you put it into perspective. I mean, the differences are pretty obvious–language, the scenery, the history, the street signs–but the important things are very much the same. To me, the most interesting and inspiring thing about being able to travel and play shows is that no matter where you are the atmosphere is pretty much the same. The mindset, the community, the feeling. Those things don’t really change no matter where you go.
How do you guys feel about being an artist, touring the world to play your music to kids?
There are pros and cons to everything, I think. But, having said that, I do think the pros pretty greatly outweigh the cons in our situation. We’re fortunate to be able to do what we love: to create and perform music for people as a part of a really powerful community, and to establish legitimate relationships with strangers in different cities, countries, and continents, and to make lifelong friends all over the place. It’s great, really. The downside is that it’s a little difficult to know what home is after awhile and to keep up relationships with people in the places that you have called home. In that way it can be very taxing, but you have to take the risk and do everything that you can to keep things healthy wherever you go.
What were your ambitions when you got together?
Initially, we didn’t really have any ambitions. We just wanted to see what happened, you know, play a few shows in our hometown, maybe record some songs, and just try to have fun in the process. But, the more we wrote and the more we played, the further we went out from home and the more friends we made, the more we realized that we wanted to do it for as long as possible. And to be honest, I don’t really think that sentiment has changed much since then. At the very core this band has always been about having fun, whether it be by writing the best song we can or about playing a show, and about making friends in the process.
Did you ever expect to make a record that got so much acclaim as Wildlife?
I don’t know that we’ve ever expected anything from this band. Like I said, we’ve always focused on enjoying it for ourselves first and foremost and everything that comes from it beyond that is just an added bonus for us.
What would you do if you weren’t playing music?
Hard to say. We’ve all done pretty much exclusively this since we were quite a bit younger so it’s difficult to imagine life without it. If I had to guess I’d say I’d be trying to write in some capacity, so not something terribly far off from what I’m already doing.
Can you name a few bands/artists that inspire you in life and/or writing music?
We have a ton of incredible friends who make amazing art. Pianos Become The Teeth, Touche Amore, Former Thieves, Hostage Calm, O’Brother, All Teeth, Defeater, Loma Prieta–the list is pretty lengthy. There are also a multitude of phenomenally talented people from our hometown and nearby: Jowls, Radiator Hospital, Damages, Cain Marko. The most inspiring people are the ones in closest proximity for us.
Do you have a secret strategy to writing good songs?
No, I don’t think so. We try to put everything we can into what we do. Seems like a cop-out but I really do think it’s as simple as that. We love to write, and we’re perfectionists when we do. The biggest thing for us is just trying to be passionate and as thorough as possible.
After your successful last release, what are your future plans?
Tour, in both the short and the long term. Beyond that, write more, record more, make more friends, and see how long we can do this.
Anything else you’d still like to share with our readers?
Thanks so much for reading and we sincerely hope to see you all soon.
Photo taken by © Jens Quasten • http://loversinnerthief.tumblr.com/
