Show Preview & Interview: Angels & Airwaves @ Showbox SoDo – Sun. 10/3
~Dagmar
The always awesome Angels & Airwaves just released their sixth album, Lifeforms. It really rocks. Like really really rocks. “Timebomb,” the first single, would be worth the price alone, but then there’s also “Automatic” and “Spellbound,” and you know what? Every damn song is great. The tracks will be so cool live. Recently I sent some questions to drummer/songwriter Ilan Rubin, an accomplished musician who’s also been part of Nine Inch Nails and done solo work as The New Regime. Thank you, Ilan for taking the time to chat with me.
Angels & Airwaves (from left to right: Tom DeLonge, Ilan Rubin, Matt Rubano & David Kennedy) – photo by Jonathan Weiner
Q: You’re a singer, drummer & songwriter. What are the different rewards in each craft?
Ilan Rubin: They all compliment each other very well. Strong sense of melody, rhythm, and music in general make for well written songs.
Q: You’ve been in several notable bands – that includes Angels & Airwaves. How does being in Angels & Airwaves compare?
IR: Every group is different because the personalities are different. Every band also runs its ship differently. AVA is a bit looser and very humorous.
Q: What’s it like working with Trent Reznor?
IR: It’s great. We work hard and the shows definitely bring that across.
Q: “Spellbound” mentions Halloween as an intervention. It’s coming up. What are your memories of Halloween over the years?
IR: Halloween isn’t a special day on my calendar. I don’t dress up or do anything fun. My wife, however, loves Halloween and I’m sure it will become a more and more important date as the years go by.
Q: The bands you’ve been in are very intense, and moving. Have you been drawn to this element? Or do you think it’s sort of unconscious?
IR: It’s unconscious because I’ve been doing it for so long. It’s what feels natural to me.
Q: Wikipedia lists one of your influences as Cream. Can you talk a bit about what it was about Ginger Baker that made him so significant?
IR: Ginger Baker is actually my least favorite part of Cream, although my favorite drumming of his is far and away “Born Under A Bad Sign.” His playing on “Toad” is nice as well. It’s just within the format of that band, Jack Bruce and Clapton were so good that I think Baker always wanted to be as up front as they were in the jam/solo sections, which to me seemed a bit much. I feel the same way about The Jimi Hendrix Experience.
Q: And what’s it like working with the guys in Angels & Airwaves? You worked with the addition of Matt Rubano and readdition of David Kennedy. How has that changed the elements of the band for you?
IR: The song writing has largely been Tom, Aaron, and myself.
Q: You cowrite with your brother, Aaron. Did you write songs growing up with him? Did any kind of issues arise or was it easy?
IR: We did not write songs growing up. He wrote songs for his band and I didn’t really start writing until I started The New Regime.
Q: Can you talk a bit about the development of “No More Guns”? Is this one you cowrote on?
IR: This is a song that changed quite a bit from its inception. I tried to “Who” it up a bit because it seems like it needed that energy. It initially sounded very “Monkees” if you can believe that.
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**Head over to Showbox’s event page for the show and more information – and to get tickets. Show is all ages!**
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