Interview with Nick Hipa of As I Lay Dying by Aine Brewer
Who founded the band and how did it all start off?
The
band was founded in 2001 by Tim Lambesis (vocals) and Jordan Mancino
(drums). They were the most ambitious members of their respective bands
at the time and had high hopes of taking things to the next level.
They joined forces with some other dudes from the local scene, recorded
a few independent releases, then toured as much as was physically
possible. After a few years of growth and an influx of member changes,
Phil and myself (guitarists) officially solidified the line up in late
2003/early 2004.
How has your band line-up changed since the beginning?
Once Phil and I joined the fold during the touring cycle for Frail Words Collapse the line-up was pretty much set in stone. We added Josh Gilbert on bass/vocals in 2007 and he has been with us ever since. To have had only one member change in almost 9 years is something that I think we are all grateful for, especially Tim and Jordan, since there were well over 20 in the first 2 1/2 years haha.
How would you best describe your music style and who are your musical influences?
I always classify us as a metal band. For people who listen to metal, I have to be WAY more specific and call it something like aggressive melodic metal or simply accept that they prefer to call us metal core. It really doesn't matter to me what the name is; sonically, I'd like to believe we are an intense, heavy, and fast paced band who write memorable songs with tons of memorable parts. Bands who have fit that description and who we sound fairly relatable to are In Flames, Soilwork, and Killswitch Engage… to name a few. I think all of us were influenced by the obvious big metal bands (Metallica, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Pantera, etc.) with the differences in our sound being that we infused some of the punk/hardcore influences we were into as well.
I always classify us as a metal band. For people who listen to metal, I have to be WAY more specific and call it something like aggressive melodic metal or simply accept that they prefer to call us metal core. It really doesn't matter to me what the name is; sonically, I'd like to believe we are an intense, heavy, and fast paced band who write memorable songs with tons of memorable parts. Bands who have fit that description and who we sound fairly relatable to are In Flames, Soilwork, and Killswitch Engage… to name a few. I think all of us were influenced by the obvious big metal bands (Metallica, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Pantera, etc.) with the differences in our sound being that we infused some of the punk/hardcore influences we were into as well.
You are due to release your new album ‘Awakened’ on 25th September. Can you tell us more about it? Is there any particular message or theme you are trying to get across?
This is our 6th release on Metal Blade Records and we couldn't be more excited about how the album turned out. To me its just a solid collection of heavy jams. Our gradual improvement in songwriting yielded a very concise collection of songs that are each memorable in their own specific way. On our last album we tried pushing the limits of what we could do and to see how far we could expand our sound. With this one, we simply tried to refine it. As for any sort of theme, the title Awakened represents a shift in view—a new awareness—and moving beyond what it is that you were or may have been. Tim deals with this theme by addressing a lot of the changes he has found or hopes to find in himself. Since they're written pretty personally, our fans have a lot of room for interpretation.
This is our 6th release on Metal Blade Records and we couldn't be more excited about how the album turned out. To me its just a solid collection of heavy jams. Our gradual improvement in songwriting yielded a very concise collection of songs that are each memorable in their own specific way. On our last album we tried pushing the limits of what we could do and to see how far we could expand our sound. With this one, we simply tried to refine it. As for any sort of theme, the title Awakened represents a shift in view—a new awareness—and moving beyond what it is that you were or may have been. Tim deals with this theme by addressing a lot of the changes he has found or hopes to find in himself. Since they're written pretty personally, our fans have a lot of room for interpretation.
Who takes part in the song writing process and how does each band member get involved in writing a new album?
Every member in the band is active in writing on each record. The process usually begins with individuals recording thorough demo's at home and sending it out for everyone else to mull over. Once we get a solid batch of demo ideas we start discussing which are the strongest contenders and end up jamming those ideas together for days on end. It is during this time that everyone adds their unique touches and we combine our respective strengths to complete a full fledged As I Lay Dying song.
Every member in the band is active in writing on each record. The process usually begins with individuals recording thorough demo's at home and sending it out for everyone else to mull over. Once we get a solid batch of demo ideas we start discussing which are the strongest contenders and end up jamming those ideas together for days on end. It is during this time that everyone adds their unique touches and we combine our respective strengths to complete a full fledged As I Lay Dying song.
Cauterize is a one of my favourite songs off the album so far, what is the meaning behind it?
Cauterize uses the metaphor of a patient in need of an operation, implying that there is a clear need of help. Surgery is delicate, requiring a trusted hand, in the same way that confiding in somebody intimately requires a level of trust as well. The nature of what we do keeps us at a distance from virtually everyone we care about literally and figuratively, so the lyrics of the song ended up being a letter to a hypothetical friend. The message to this friend is about the need for help and patience.
Cauterize uses the metaphor of a patient in need of an operation, implying that there is a clear need of help. Surgery is delicate, requiring a trusted hand, in the same way that confiding in somebody intimately requires a level of trust as well. The nature of what we do keeps us at a distance from virtually everyone we care about literally and figuratively, so the lyrics of the song ended up being a letter to a hypothetical friend. The message to this friend is about the need for help and patience.
Do you have a favourite song off the album and why?
We haven't gotten to play a lot of these live yet so I'm still undecided. Currently, its the song "Defender" because its an action-packed riff fest.
We haven't gotten to play a lot of these live yet so I'm still undecided. Currently, its the song "Defender" because its an action-packed riff fest.
How has your style of music changed from when you first started out and how do you feel you are progressing together as a band?
There's notable change in the bands sound from our first release to Awakened,
and I feel like most of that can be credited to us improving in all
areas. We've never stopped practicing our instruments and have never
shied away from trying to write different songs. When the band started
out, the arrangements were pretty basic and the riffs were the height of
what we were capable of. As time went on we tried getting more
elaborate with our song structures and more intricate with our riffs.
Once we got that out of our system, our only focus became writing
strong and memorable songs. This is the page that we all exist on
together now.
When did you first sign to Metal Blade Records and how has this benefited you?
The band signed with Metal Blade in 2003 and it has been a tremendous pleasure working with them. They are extremely supportive of our band and have always shown their trust by giving us a lot of space to go in directions that we felt to be honest. Also, Metal Blade is responsible for a lot of the genres widespread growth, so to have that sort of credibility behind us was extremely helpful when we were young kids a lot of people would have otherwise been quick to write off.
The band signed with Metal Blade in 2003 and it has been a tremendous pleasure working with them. They are extremely supportive of our band and have always shown their trust by giving us a lot of space to go in directions that we felt to be honest. Also, Metal Blade is responsible for a lot of the genres widespread growth, so to have that sort of credibility behind us was extremely helpful when we were young kids a lot of people would have otherwise been quick to write off.
How do you feel about your upcoming tour with Trivium? Have you ever played with them before?
We're
pumped about heading over to Europe with Trivium. This will be maybe
our 4th or 5th tour with these guys and at this point it's just nice to
be touring with some long running friends. Our bands work well on a
bill together so I'm sure the shows turn out killer!
What are you looking forward to most this year? Is there anything else in the pipeline for As I Lay Dying?
Thank you for giving us the time!
I'm
most excited about our fans hearing this new album. We've been
marinating on it for months now so I'd just like for it to finally be
out. From there, we're probably just going to tour the world until its
time to record again.
It has been a pleasure interviewing you, I have discovered a great band here for sure, Is there anything else you would like to share with us?
Thank you for giving us the time!
Interview with Nick Hipa of As I Lay Dying
By Aine Brewer
