Consisting of Gabriel Marin on guitars, John Ferrera on bass, and Jeff Mann on drums, Consider The Source's work is a dynamic and mesmerizing experience. Over the weekend, they graciously lent me their conversation in the Nietzsche's green room to discuss their new live album, influences, and inspiration.
A: As far as composition process goes, how do you go into the studio? Is there a specific motive, intention?
John: It never really happens in the studio, the studio is when we're finished writing, we go in there and it's already on paper. Gabe and I have the initial ideas, sometimes we'll have a whole piece or a part of a piece--and also because we write together a lot we'll just write pieces that work well together. Independently, we'll both write something and it's a match made in heaven. Over time, songs come together really quick, sometimes it takes years. There's no formula, it's not always a song is going to be a certain way. Ideas come, an inspiration comes, we write a song based on that inspiration.
Gabriel: If we bring something in it always turns into something else. That's just better. If this is going to be a short song, then it'll turn into a ten minute song.
A: You were talking about inspiration, where do you draw inspiration from, not just in music but anywhere, any form? What influences you, lately?
Jeff: Traveling for sure. We get to see a lot of different cities and go to new places, especially when we went to Germany and Israel. Being really far from home makes you feel like you have to represent. Know what I mean? It's different than driving a couple hours. Getting on a plane where everyone's talking in a different language, then you're gonna get up and play your music, being in that different place is really inspiring. A lot of movies and books, all those things.
A: Anything specific?
John: There was one tour--well, we all read a lot. We get made fun of for totally not being rockstars. We don't do drugs, drink really, very little bit. What we do is we read, a lot. There was one tour where I was reading a bunch of dystopian novels, 1984. So all the shows that we played during that time period were very colored by that, solo sections, and any writing that happened during the time. That's kind of for all of us.
Gabriel: It's different now that we're a little bit older--I'll say we can all be very dramatically emotional people, especially when you're younger. Oh, I'm so depressed, and then write this epic thing. And now, songs just happen. I'll be sitting there and I'll start writing something, and it's good that I can get that across without being like, sigh. It's a good part of aging.
John: For a while you don't want to lose that depressed edge because you write some cool stuff from it, but you want to be happy too.
Gabriel: Being happy is far more badass. Anyone can be depressed all the time. It takes effort and skill to rise above that.
A: Can you elaborate a little bit more when you were saying how traveling brings inspiration? Where are some of your favorite places to travel to and how do you think the place affects the kind of performance you put on, as in venue, or ambience? Does it affect your setlist at all?
Jeff: Well, sound is a huge thing.
Gabriel: And the green room, if there's no place for us to do this before, it affects us. If not, you're distracted and everything, here it's calm, your stuff is set up downstairs.
Jeff: A lot of times our sound is good and the content is especially good if you hear every detail of the band that you usually don't hear and that's definitely really inspiring. Audience wise, we like playing a packed room, big rooms and what not. If the crowd is really into it, that inspires us in that moment to try and have fun and be awesome.
John: We went to Germany last year and we played, decent crowds there. Very different energy. Say there's a hundred and twenty something people--here it's like jumping around screaming things, getting drunk off the wall and that's cool, it's a cool energy. That'll probably happen tonight. In Germany they are very different, respectful, and quiet while you play, and then they'll applaud in between sets. When we first did it it was very off-putting. Ultimately, it was good.
Jeff: Yeah, during the song we weren't sure if they liked it.
Gabriel: The second you're playing it's dead quiet. When you were able to get quiet, you couldn't hear people talking. Sometimes you get quiet and someone's like "Oh my god!" and you're like "shutup!" and it messes your concentration up.
John: It allows us to access a whole different part of what we can do. Certain places, like we did festivals all summer, you can't do that at a festival. You cater to that differently, on a subconscious level.
A: What was it like playing at CosM?
John: Amazing. One of the best things that ever happened.
Gabriel: We play with painters all the time and it's something very special, looking over there, seeing Alex grey dancing.
Jeff: We got to spend the night there, and it was a full day and night, the full taste of that whole environment.
Gabriel: We had a talk with him and his wife, there's a video of that online.
A: It's definitely an amazing house, you take your shoes off and you're like, okay, here I am!
Gabriel: We did a class that day and a lot of people showed up. We started off the day and taught a class, had a break and had a conversation with the Greys, then we played, pretty fun.
A: Wonderful. Can you guys talk a little bit about the Source Academy and how that came about? Anything special that has really come from it?
John: It came about organically. We were submerged in the music thing, especially in a touring band you have to teach to make a living. Besides that, we love teaching. We started doing master classes years ago and now we're getting asked to do more and more of them. We get asked a lot of times for private lessons and decided to make it more of an official thing.
Gabriel: We play shows now where student's bands have opened for us and that's always really fun. We've done master classes as John said and it seemed to be a good thing. They'd ask me or him or all of us to do a master class, like, does anyone teach? Yeah. Then it's gone. At any show five people want lessons, and out of every ten people who want lessons you'll get a student. Then we would put this online, so when they're not drunk, or not at the place anymore.
John: You still want lessons? Haha.
Jeff: We're doing the music school, and a festival, we have one coming up at the School of Rock, that'll be fun for the kids. We enjoy doing it, and try to do a lot more of it.
A: That's great. As far as tips for new musicians starting out in the studio? You guys are gaining a steady following, how did you keep your positivity? Moments of doubt? How do you deal with that?
Gabriel: About a year ago I had this big realization what we're doing is crazy, we were so single-minded, we're going to play this music and do our own thing, that's it. So, we decided to be in an instrumental group that plays crazy long songs that at odd times doing crazy stuff...well, that's nuts from an outside perspective. We did it, we love this music. We realized it's going to take us longer, we don't fit into a scene. The music has always been fun, even if you play a show for no one, it's still so fun to play, I'd much rather play this music for no one than thousands.
John: That's something we have in common, we want what we want out of playing and we bonded over that from day one. So yeah, for people who are starting out and doing whatever be happy with what you sound like. Strive, of course! You'll get better and better, but your voice is your voice, don't try to be something else.
Gabriel: Practical advice--always practice with a metronome. And if you're starting off, there's no money about the fifth fret.
Jeff: Add to that, play as much as you can with as many people as you can. That was always it, before I joined with these guys I never said no to anyone. If I had time, it was never I'd rather stay at home, I said, yeah what's up, I'll be there soon. Go for it.
A: You just dropped a new live album. Tell me about the idea behind that and why you're releasing it tonight.
John: We wanted to put out a live album. This is volume two so it's a series.
Jeff: Last one came out in 2012, this one 2013, so every year a live album.
John: It's called Fuck It We'll Do It Live, Volume 2.
Gabriel: Each position is a new position, we just have a picture of people engaging in sexual activities.
John: For a long time, people would like our live stuff, when we do live it's something cool, I'm going to use the SAT word of the year, symbiotic, with the audience. A live show is very powerful, putting out live albums is close to that experience. Our studio is a different approach, the live is it's own thing . We like to put out albums where people can get a sense of that.
Gabriel: Only one of the songs did we know we were recording. The last track of the album is from that show, the rest is from shows we had no idea we were recording. If you know you're being recorded you play a little safer and certain parts could be tighter. Some of these songs have a lot of energy and some we listened to, and said that song has this intensity.
John: They have that abandonment you can't have if you know you're being recorded.
Jeff: We decided to release it here because we got back from a two and half week tour out in Tennessee, Ohio, Chicago, and these are our first shows back in the North East, so we're happy to be home.
A: Well, we're glad to have you here. Thank you guys for your time, this answered all my questions really well.
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