Posted 9/15/2009 by TeamIGA
The details
Who: One Republic opening for Rob Thomas
When: 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 25
Where: Hard Rock Live, 6050 Universal Blvd., Orlando
Admission: $40 to $110
Information: 407-351-LIVE (5483)
New single: "All The Right Moves"
On the Web: www.onerepublic.net
Seven years into their existence, Interscope Records' recording artists One Republic caught on fire with their debut CD "Dreaming Out Loud." That CD included the smash first single "Apologize" with Timbaland, which shattered digital sales and airplay records worldwide. The second single from that record, "Stop and Stare," catapulted the record to platinum sales status. Now, with a new CD "Waking Up" due out in November, and a new single "All the Right Moves," One Republic is set to embark on a nationwide tour opening for Rob Thomas. The tour includes a stop at the nearby Hard Rock Live, 6050 Universal Blvd., Orlando, on Sept. 25.
The band consists of Ryan Tedder (songwriter/vocals/keyboard) Zach Filkins (guitar), Drew Brown (guitar), Brent Kutzle (bass/cello) and Eddie Fisher (drums). After previewing tracks for the upcoming CD, I can attest that the band is destined to repeat the success of their debut release.
I spoke with Filkins about the new CD, their evolution and the changing music industry. So let’s “Shake, Rattle & Know”: One Republic.
SRK: How will "Waking Up" differ in style and sound from your debut CD "Dreaming Out Loud"?
Filkins: That's a great question because they are so different. I think the main difference is in the amount of years we had in between to write this CD. "Dreaming Out Loud" was actually written before we even moved to Los Angeles and really had a full band. It was done almost a year before we were "officially" formed. That CD was a beginning place for us and was reflective of the things we listened to at the time and basically who we were at the time six years ago. Now after two years of touring, the new CD reflects where we are in our lives and who we are now, and how we've grown. I would say it's an updated version of us on and off the stage. We incorporated a lot more influences, hip-hop tracks and backbeats. We made this record with a self-imposed rule of only putting the very best of what we were writing on the record and re-invent what we can without losing site of the type of artists we are.
SRK: With such a successful debut CD, did you feel pressure from the business to be conservative and stick with a formula that worked?
Filkins: Yes. We did feel that pressure to be conservative and not change too much, but we are always going to stay true to ourselves. This new CD isn't a 180-degree switch for us, it's just an evolution like every band goes through. We didn't give into the pressure, in fact, we stepped up our game. We wanted to keep the fan base we had built with "Dreaming Out Loud," but add a new dimension that would also attract new fans as well.
SRK: Which do you prefer, the magic of the whole recording process or the thrill of performing live?
Filkins: Man that's a tough one because artistically they are so different. The whole process of getting in a studio and banging out a song is incredible. You go through peaks and valleys with a song and when you reach a high point, you get excited for the result of your hard work. It feels like a real accomplishment. With all that said, though, there is nothing like the energy of playing live. There's nothing that compares to it. Connecting with any audience, whether 50 or 5,000 people, is really special. The studio can be a somewhat stale environment, and lacks the energy of performing live.
SRK: Comparisons are inevitable and people are always comparing you to the likes of Coldplay. What are your thoughts on those comparisons?
Filkins: You know, we have gotten that one (Coldplay) from the very beginning. It's something that just happens. I see why it happens. People want something to compare music to. I do it myself. If I like something, I want to know what else might be similar so I can check it out, too. People will always ask, "Who do they sound like?" "Will I like this?" People will always say, "if you like band X, I think you will like band Y." It doesn't bother us at all. It causes us to be careful in the studio because if we find that we are starting to sound too much like someone else, we change it to avoid a direct correlation. We're going to keep making music we want to make and not worry too much about that sort of thing.
SRK: What is one thing people would be surprised to know about you personally?
Filkins: Oh, gee, that's a good question (laughing). I guess if I wasn't a musician I would be an author, a marriage therapist or study theology. Those are all things that really interest me and probably what I would have done with my life if music hadn't worked out for me.
SRK: A lot of people think you guys basically came out of nowhere not knowing how hard you really worked to get where you are today. How hard was it to actually "get discovered"?
Filkins: It was really hard. You could say that it was a little easier for us than most would have it because we didn't go to L.A. with nothing. Ryan was already working as a songwriter with Timbaland and others. We were dropped by our first label, and we had to work hard. In L.A., there were so many bands playing that our audiences were sometimes sparse, and we practically had to beg people to come see us. It wasn't uncommon that we had to pay a club for the honor of playing there. You would play these clubs and hope for some kind of movement of ground swell behind the band; it was all very humbling. We went through over four years of the grind before we finally got a break.
SRK: The music business has changed so much with illegal downloading and such. Has that forced bands like yourself to change their approach to their product?
Filkins: You know, we are all still trying to figure out where the industry is going now. There isn't one solid direction. The business used to move unilaterally from "make a record, sell a record, tour from record." Now, music has this huge fork in the road and things aren't so streamlined. It's sort of all over the place, and you can't predict what it's going to do next. We just have to focus on making songs that can make it on radio, but stay true to us and be balanced. We don't set out to write a Top-40 song, but we don't get disillusioned into thinking we are something more than we are. We just want to be straightforward and express ourselves artistically and hope that people are on board with that.
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