The Dillinger Escape Plan
Hailing from Morris Plains, New Jersey five piece outfit The Dillinger Escape Plan are bringing their unique brand of heavy rock down under at Soundwave for their third appearance. With new album One Of Us Is The Killer in the bag the band is itching to play it to fans in Australia according to Ben Weinman (Guitar / Programming / Vocals / Keyboard).
Happy New Year, are you getting an opportunity to take a break from touring and contemplate what will be in 2014?
Yeah, it’s cold here in New Jersey! We’ve got a couple of things planned and obviously we’re coming to Australia for Soundwave. In April we’ll be doing a headline North American tour and then head over to Europe to do some festivals over there. All the time in between is filled up with side projects and just living life you know.
2013 was a big year with the release of One Of Us Is The Killer, were you happy with how that album was received by the masses?
Every time we make a record we have no idea who is going to like it or hate it and when you’re a band who have been around as long as we have you’re looking at people who maybe are thinking I’m done, I’m sick of this band or those who still think our band still has it. We just take it all and we’re stoked that we’re still here and still relevant. The biggest compliment of all is that after all these years of making records a lot of people like journalists and music people that I generally respect keep saying that we sound fresh like a new band, exciting, full of energy and have purpose. I think that is the thing I’m proud of most.
Does it make it hard when people start asking about the follow-up release in the works as soon as you’ve got the new album out?
We’re an active touring band and the best inspiration is to go out and make a record; when you’re making a record you’re in this creative space and you’re in the zone and not really seeing people and when you’re done you go out and present this to the world. It takes two years playing shows all over the world in small quarters, close to each other, on top of each other, playing this music night after night then after a while you feel this need to create again. A lot of time is spent waiting around to play a show, playing a lot of old shows and there’s a time when it feels just right to make new music. It’s real easy after touring as much as we do to go home and let the creativity come out of us. When you’re excited with that you’re ready to go out and present that to the world again, so it’s just a cycle.
Do you think having side projects it makes it easier for the band to reconvene and focus on making a new Dillinger Escape Plan album?
Yeah, definitely! Every time you collaborate with someone else you pick up something else which definitely helps for writing a new album.
Is there anything unexplored from a side project perspective that you want to explore further?
I really want to continue to work with a lot of other people and there’s always more stuff that I would like to do. Right now though I’m pretty happy and there’s now a lot of time free to do other things.
Are you looking forward to playing Soundwave again?
Absolutely! This will be our third time and every time it has been great. A lot of our friends are playing in bands at the festival. There are a bunch of friends bands that we’re excited to see like Australia’s own Thy Art Is Murder whom we did a US tour with. Also I’m excited to see our friends Mastodon and it has been a while since we’ve seen those guys, they also played Soundwave the last time we did. It will be interesting to see Stone Temple Pilots and our friends in Alice In Chains who I first met at Soundwave.
A lot of people are talking up Stone Temple Pilots with Chester Bennington.
It’s weird you know, to me it’s interesting to see and what is cool about it is that it is really cool for him. Being in this massive and important band like Stone Temple Pilots has really inspired him to get up on stage and play those songs which would have influenced him. I have no expectations of being won over and honestly I don’t even care. I think it definitely is cool for him to be playing with them.
Is the set list for Soundwave leaning more to the new album?
We are playing a lot of songs from the new record and we haven’t decided on what we’re playing at Soundwave yet as our set is a little shorter compared to when we play our headline shows. The new stuff has really translated well live so that may be the majority of the set.
Do you have a favourite city in Australia?
I love them all! Every city I’ve found has its own personality but obviously Melbourne and Sydney are great. Just as well we have the days off there but the shows are exciting everywhere and the band will go nuts.
Catch The Dillinger Escape Plan at Soundwave right around the country.
Website: The Dillinger Escape Plan
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dillingerescapeplan
Whether it is rummaging through vinyl at record stores such as Clarity and Title finding hidden gems to scouring the internet to find that album by the next big thing or chasing bands to get that elusive autograph and photo his passion is music all the way.
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