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Interview by Christopher Mygrant
Phil Labonte
Photo
credit Jason Joseph from
theundergroundscene.net While driving to a recent Florida performance in support of the band’s latest endeavor (This Darkened Heart), Phil gave World of Fandom a call and here is what he had to say. World of Fandom: With regard to achievements, is All That Remains satisfied with its accomplishments thus far? What goals have yet to be met? Phil Labonte: I guess there's like short-term/small goals and then there's like big old' overall goals. Like right now, our short-term/small goal is we're hoping we can get Ooziest in the summertime. As for like a long-term, overall thing, I think if we can just go ahead and make enough money to support ourselves and work just on the band and not have a day job and support ourselves and make all our payments and stuff, I think really that's the best and anything else is just icing on the cake. I would love to be in a position where it's like I'm making tons of money playing music, but it's like the goal is really just to go ahead and say, 'You know what? I'm a musician; it's what I do for a living. I make an okay living. I can afford to pay my bills. Maybe have a family. We tour and it's self sufficient.' Stuff like that. The rest is all gravy. Anything else is like a bonus. Because this really is the best job in the world. WOF: What downfalls of the music industry have you experienced? PL: It's just like any other job in the fact that there's stuff you don't like about it. I mean, I miss home. We've been out for seven weeks, so I haven't seen my family in seven weeks. It's hard to have a real relationship with a girl while on the road. You only get to see them a couple of weeks then you're gone a month or two months or whatever. The business side of it is ugly and dirty, but if you consider all the pros and cons, there is no job better than this. There just isn't. I mean, I'm 29-years-old so I've had some different jobs, you know, and I mean playing in a band and being a musician is just one of those things that's really in your blood. WOF: Well, it may be in one's blood, but to remain in an industry that is rather cut-throat and one that is filled with uncertainties, a person must be able to stay focused and on task. What led you down the rocky road of music and what methods do you use to remain sane? PL: I guess what led me to try it and want to do it was just listening to music when I was a kid and I started playing guitar like 14-years-old. I guess you can say I started playing in a band before I was smart enough to know that you don't succeed being in a band. Before anyone could tell me differently, I had already started and I was just like, 'Nah, you're all wrong, I'm gonna do it' It's been a longtime. At 29-years-old, a lot of people aren't getting their start at 29. A lot of times, a lot of bands get their start when their 21, 22, 23 and by the time their 30, 35, their career is over. So it's like the fact that I've been working so long and that I've been doing it all of my adult life, I almost feel like I don't have any choice. This is it. Some people, when they find what they love to do, they get defined by their job and it becomes apart of who they are. I don't want to sound facetious or make it out like this is some big important job because being a musician is of a very little importance kind of thing when you're talking about the big picture. I mean, there's people out their saving lives. There's people out there that are working on important things. All I do is make music and entertain people for 45 minutes a night, but it's who I am and this is what I do. I go home and I live All That Remains. When I'm at home, I'm working with our management, our label and booking agent and stuff. I almost feel like I don't have another option.
WOF: It appears you are the individual who wears a variety of hats in order to keep the band going and successful. Do you find yourself, at times, having a hard timing focusing on the music itself because you have to deal with the other aspects of the industry? PL: Fortunately, I haven't had that problem because of the fact when we wrote our first record, it was our first record and we had all the time in the world to write it. We just focused on the music and worried about everything else later. That album, Behind Silence And Solitude, came out in 2002. We went on one tour and basically half the band fell apart. Then it turned into rebuilding. So again, I wasn't worried about or focusing on the business, I was focusing on getting the band back together. Then after getting new members and getting everyone solid, it became like almost writing our first record again where we had a bunch of time to write. We sat down and I made sure that I was doing everything right with the music. Now that we've got a solid touring history and we're going to be looking to write new stuff in the next three to six months. It might become a little bit more of a challenge, but at this time we're gonna be a little bit more of a band on the next record. We're gonna have more input from other people. Last record, it was really all me and our guitar player Oli. Right now, I think that everyone is a little more focused on the band and I think it's going to be less of a singular thing or a two person thing and it's going to be more of band collaboration. WOF: Now that you have gone through the rebuilding process and have found replacement bandmates, what did you find in each that All That Remains can now be defined as a strong band and one that hopefully will not fall apart again? PL: I don't know if I can say it's one thing in particular. I know, personally, I am really really driven and considering all the stuff we have been through, I'm pretty solid that Oli ain't going anywhere. I'm pretty solid in the fact that nobody is going anywhere. I think the drive is what will really make sure we stay together. It really boils down to drive and really wanting it. WOF: Seeing as how you are so driven, have you ever been confronted with another band member that did not equally match your will to succeed? Do find yourself ever having to play the role of motivator? PL: Sometimes yeah, but that's just the way it goes. Just because you believe in something doesn't mean everyone else is going to believe in it, even the people that are around you and close to you. So there are times where you have to go ahead and demonstrate and say, 'Look, I believe this and you should believe this too because...’ There's also times you have to be like, 'Well, even if you don't believe it, trust me and stick with me and you'll see.' Those things kind of things, I think, really have shown through this band because there were some dark times where I thought we would never get a second record out. Where we weren't gonna have a band. We kicked our guitar player out, our bass player quit and out drummer broke his arm all in a two month period. So literally, half the band fell apart and me, Oli and Mike still managed stick it out and stay together. WOF: Some perseverance you have.
WOF: Does the energy and sound on the CD equal that of what a person will experience at a live performance? PL: I will say that it's really impressive to watch our guitar player Oli play. It's like he does some stuff on stage live that you wouldn't think he'd be able to do. Like when you hear the record and then you see him do it live, there's time where I look over and it's like I can't believe that kid can do that stuff. Overall, we're a pretty high-energy show. We try to entertain. We try to keep in mind that we are not only musicians, but we're entertainers. Very in your face, very much a high-energy show. Speaking of in your face, an open invitation from Phil is on All That Remains website (http://www.allthatremains.cc/ ) for fans: “If you see us on the road don't be afraid to come on up and say hi. Without you we wouldn't be able to do this and we are far more grateful than I can express. See ya on the road!” If you have the opportunity to see All That Remains
live, by all means do so. You will not be disappointment. |
