Prior to Copeland's Aug. 8 performance at In The Venue in Salt Lake City with The Rentals and Goldenboy, I had the opportunity to correspond with lead singer Aaron Marsh. Aaron kindly entertained my lengthy questions and here is the unedited Q and A that came forth as a result:
You're on tour with The Rentals in August and September. What should people look forward to on this visit? Will there be anything extra special about this tour?
We're playing a few songs on this tour that we haven't played out before. That's not as exciting for the audience as it is for us. It's fun to play some new material.
What is the best part about coming to Utah? Do you have a favorite stop you make when you come through Utah?
I think my favorite thing about Utah is the landscape. The drive in and out of SLC is so beautiful. Those moments are quite memorable.
During May and June you toured Japan, Australia and Singapore with Anberlin. How receptive were the fans in Japan and Australia? What city was your favorite to play on that tour? Had you played any of these places previously?
It was a great trip. All of the audiences were fantastic. This was our third time to Japan and second time to Singapore. We get a little bit more comfortable and a little more fascinated with the culture every time we go. The Singapore audience was easily my favorite audience ever. They're pretty hip to western culture there. They know lots of music, but it's so rare that anyone comes to play for them. Australia was awesome. We'd never been there before. We got to play for lots of new people and made loads of new friends.
Some critics have said that Copeland's live performances are kind of boring. What is your response to people who feel your live performances are a bit stale?
Maybe next time I'll bring my tap shoes. I don't know. I think calling a performer boring is a pretty stock criticism. Anything can be boring if you don't want to enjoy it. We're definitely not doing back flips on stage; so if you're looking have your senses electrified, a Copeland show might not be your thing.
After releasing Eat, Sleep, Repeat in last October you were picked up by Columbia Records. What has been the biggest change switching over from The Militia Group? How has the switch affected your fan base? What kind of affect has it had on Copeland as a band?
Columbia hasn't done anything. The only change has been the fact that we have no media presence now. I don't know why. Maybe our time hasn't come yet?
How would you describe the overall message Copeland is trying to achieve as a band? With Eat, Sleep, Repeat?
People ask us this type of thing all the time. When it comes down to it, I'm just a musician and "Eat, Sleep, Repeat" is just a record. There are a million musicians just like me and just as many records out there just like ours. They all have the same platform to convey some message. It's a powerful platform for a moment, but the message is here today, gone tomorrow. We're just trying to enjoy the chance to create something beautiful while we can.
Recently it was mentioned that songs are in the process of being written for the next album. When should fans look forward to a new release? What, in your opinion, should fans look for in a future Copeland release?
Yeah, we'd love to do another record. We have a couple promising little tunes in the oven. Right now we're at the mercy of label politics for our future plans. For now, we'll just write some songs and whenever we get the chance to record, we'll do it.
Copeland has a very distinct sound. What have been the biggest influences in achieving that particular sound that is Copeland?
I'm not sure. I think it's the blend of the playing style, taste, and personalities of the band members, just like any other band. We pay great attention to detail in our recording process and great attention to melody during our writing process. We take influence from artists like the Beatles, Radiohead, and The Cardigans.
In your opinion, what has been the biggest change that's taken place with Copeland since the band formed?
I think the biggest shift came when our drummer, Jon joined the band. He really has a distinct feel and it changed the way we approached lots of stuff in terms of writing and recording.
How do you all get along as a band? What other bands do you consider close? We get along very well. We've really perfected the blend of professionalism and friendship after 6 years of touring. As for other bands, we really hit it off with Lovedrug, The Working Title, Pilot Speed, and Mae.
What other projects are members in the band currently involved in? What have been some of the past projects that members were involved in before joining Copeland?
Bryan had a bunch of solo songs before he joined Copeland. He hasn't really worked on them in a while though. Jon was in a band called Denison Marrs in his younger days. I have been in bands since I was high school age and have been writing songs since I was even younger.
As for other projects, I have a studio in my home and I produce when we're off tour. I've been working on a project called Anchor & Braille for a while, and I have a few more projects lined up as well when I get home from this tour. Bryan is a real good mix engineer so he does that whenever he has the chance.
What is your involvement in the non-profit organization To Write Love On Her Arms? What is it about the project that has drawn your support? Why did you pick this project of all the non-profit organizations out there?
I don't know that we've picked that project over any others. I think that project might hit close to home to some of our fans though.
What's the next big step for the band?
Getting through this tour. It's a long one. 2 months. That's a long time to be away from home.
