Stereoboard Talks To A Place To Bury Strangers About Their New Album 'Worship' (Interview)
Friday, 06 July 2012
Written by Ben Bland
A Place to Bury Strangers guitarist and vocalist Oliver Ackerman is a renowned creator of some of the most interesting guitar music to hit eardrums in the last decade. With new album 'Worship' having recently been released, Stereoboard got hold of the man himself for a chat.
So, 'Worship' has just come out. It’s been a bit of a wait for fans after 2009’s 'Exploding Head'. What is it that makes the record a unique new addition to the band’s discography for you?
There are a lot of things. Firstly, this record was co-written by me and Dion Lunadon and it is one of the first records all with different drummers recording the songs! I feel like it is a real step forward in the maturity of the band and in what we have actually been able to capture by playing. The other records I feel where a bit more processed and calculated and this one we just followed our subconscious to create what it wanted us to create.
The pop sensibilities that have always been a part of the band seem a bit less prevalent this time to me. What are your views on that?
That could be. Maybe we are getting tired of pop songs? I think it might even be a reflection of what is going on in the music industry today. There is a huge 80s revival and I think that might make us lean further and further away from that. The bands that were popular in the 80s were all liked by douche bags. It is always strange when you see punks playing the music they were revolting against years ago.
Obviously there’s a fair dash of experimentation in what you do. How do you go about blurring the lines between writing a good song and a good, interesting piece of music?
I don't think of those things as being exclusive at all. There are things that I like and I don't really try to separate or dissect them so much. There is a time and a place for certain sounds but variation is always key so I think that being able to adapt to how you feel is crucial. Doing this also enables a certain dynamism which is a good reflection of life.
I was meant to go and see you in Leeds recently but had to cancel. However a few friends of mine went and they were absolutely blown away by the performance despite being completely unfamiliar with your music. With that compliment ringing in your ears, how crucial do you think your live shows have been to expanding the band’s fanbase?
I think that our live shows are just as important as our recordings and perhaps one of our most impressive elements. There are a lot of people who can record good records but playing a live show like ours means putting yourself in a very dangerous situation and reacting and enduring it. So perhaps our live show is a lot more unique and so it gains us fans.
You’ve toured with some amazing bands (I’ll be predictable and admit that Nine Inch Nails spring to mind). How different is your approach when you’re opening for other acts? After all, you’re a pretty sonically overwhelming band.
We think about each show and situation as we get into it so it is always different. Sometimes it is radically different and sometimes not so much but I guess that depends on more than just our band. It also depends on the crowd, the environment, the other bands that are playing and so on and so forth. When we open for other bands you have to sometimes get real crazy, real quick so we do things which take us to that place faster.
With such intense live shows I can’t help but wonder what it’s like to be on the road in APTBS...what sort of things do you get up to? Is it something you genuinely enjoy?
It really depends on the tours. We like to spend as much time checking out places and hanging out with people from local towns but we don't always get to. Plus sometimes you have a concussion so you can't as well! We do it because we love it though. We get to travel and piss off sound engineers and trigger fire alarms all over the world. How could that not be fun?
As a guitar geek myself I cannot help but ask...are the Death by Audio pedals you yourself are responsible for a big part of the band’s massive guitar sounds?
Yes they are but we could be making sounds with the same aesthetic with other pedals etc. It is all about what you do with what you have. I spend most shows listening to what sounds are coming out of my amplifier and reacting to that. I don't even know what is going to happen we just play for the moment. So if all I have is a bunch of DOD pedals I will ride the DOD to the end.
Would you say that being a band with a reputation for being very loud and very into guitar effects has helped or hindered your career?
I don't think that being loud or into guitar effects is a cool thing so I feel like it has hindered our career but that is fine. I feel like you have to rise above your weaknesses and do something about it. I think our music speaks for itself if someone actually comes to see us or buys a record.
There are some amazing textures on APTBS album as well as just noise. Is that perhaps from an interest in the hazy worlds of ambient and drone music, for example…or am I miles off?
We don't really listen to a lot of Drone or Ambient music so I guess you would be pretty far off I’m afraid! I think it is perhaps from bad dubs of cassette tapes and poor mp3s that has sparked our interest.
Do you think you can ever foresee a point when APTBS make a record that isn’t, shall we say, a ‘guitar record’?
I don't think so. I have sort of made it a rule that we don't ever use synthesizers or even any other instruments other than guitars and drums. Maybe it will happen but I don't feel any limits within the constraints that we have already set out for ourselves.
Where are you hoping 'Worship' will take you over the next couple of years?
I don't really know, I guess I am thinking too much about future projects but I guess to be able to travel and have time home to see my family and friends as well.
Thanks for taking the time to answer these questions. Hopefully catch you on tour next time! Thank you!
'Worship' is out now via Dead Oceans.
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So, 'Worship' has just come out. It’s been a bit of a wait for fans after 2009’s 'Exploding Head'. What is it that makes the record a unique new addition to the band’s discography for you?
