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New Device is a new band from England and they really surprised me with their strong debut. Time to learn more about New Device! Thanks to guitarist Robb for answering my questions.
Please tell us a bit about how New Device got started!
New Device was pretty much an idea that Dan, Phil and I came up with whilst on tour in our previous band. For the majority of that tour it was just the three of us in the van listening to the music that we had all grown up with and loved, which were predominantly Hard Rock bands. The transition from our old band to the point where we begun to write for New Device was pretty organic and just felt right to us. So we just kept on going.
Usually bands do some name dropping when they have an active past. Why did you decided only to name some bands you toured with? And which bands have you been playing in?
Dan and Phil where both long time members of Days In December they released a couple EP's which received rave reviews for each. They went on the road with big bands like Bullet For My Valentine and Funeral For a Friend. I did a brief stint in that band before starting New Device.
Before that I was in a band called Through Silence. We toured with The Used and Story Of the Year along with others. Rozzy was in a Red Star Rebels and Andy was in Cry For Silence who toured with major label bands including My Chemical Romance.
We've all earned our chops on the road.
New Device... Why this band name?
New Device is a lyric from our first single and title track from the album Takin' Over; "We are the New Device, We're Takin' Over". When we where coming up with band names New Device was one of the ideas put in the pot, but we weren't sure whether to go with it or not.
Ryan Richards was listening to the demos and suggested we call ourselves New Device, which was the final push towards using that name.
Are the songs written by the whole band? Or do you write individually?
The debut album was written by me, Dan and Phil. The writing was finished before Andy and Rozzy joined. Normally one of us would come up with an initial idea and then whoever felt most inspired by that idea would then work on that song. We all put our own individual spin on each song that made it onto the album. By the time we finished the album we had forged a solid song writing relationship with each other.
What inspires you when you write music? Lyrics?
I find inspiration everywhere, whether it is a great movie, a gig or a major life experience. After that it's kind of like a chain reaction. For example, I'll write a cool riff then that will inspire Phil to add to it and turn it into a song then that will inspire Dan to start the lyrics. So a whole song can be brought to life from the smallest experience.
Tell us how do you got the deal with Powerage Records!
We recorded a 4-track demo in late 2007 at Long Wave studio in Cardiff, Wales with Romesh Dodangoda and then released it out into the music industry to see, if it turned any heads. We had a call from a label called Abstract and had talks regarding signing with them until they thought it would be better for us, if we signed with one of their new labels, Powerage. Powerage was the perfect label for us. Their mission is to get new classic / hard rock bands, which don't get the exposure and promotion that they deserve out in to the public eye.
At the album Ryan Richards played drums... How come? Haven't found the right drummer in time? Or scheduling conflicts?
We parted ways with our drummer, which was terrible timing, because we where booked to go into the studio a few weeks later. So we had to find a drummer within a very small space of time. Phil came up with the idea of asking Ryan, because it was looking like we would have to cancel with the studio. So Phil gave Ryan a call and he pretty much agreed there and then to record drums for the album as long as it didn’t clash with any FFAF commitments.
Luckily for us Ryan had some time off and learnt the whole album in about 2 weeks. He did a great job and was a complete professional throughout the sessions. We thank him for that.
The mixing was done by Cameron Webb. Why did you choose him?
The label said they managed to get Cameron on board to mix the album and we jumped at the chance. We are big fans of his previous work and after speaking to him on the phone he seemed like a great guy to work with. We conducted the whole mixing process over the phone due to the fact that he was in California and we where in the UK, but that didn't stop him doing an awesome job with the album.
You do have a video clip for Takin' Over... A good way for you to get some attention?
Of course. A music video is a promotional tool and it has worked well for us. The video for Takin' Over turned out better than we imagined.
Will there be more videos? And which song would you like to do a video for?
We just received the final edit for the 2nd single from the new album called In The Fading Light. We will be promoting that video very soon. It will be available to stream on YouTube.
New Device is active on communities like MySpace, Facebook, YouTube and you twitter... Is this part of the job these days? A necessity?
Most definitely. You can’t start a band these days and not set up a Myspace or youtube account. They're normally the first port of call for any music fan to check out what your band is up to.
All these sites are designed for you to promote your band, if you don't use them you are always going to be one step behind the band that are. It's the same as fly posting back in the eighties. You have to get your band name and logo in the publics faces and if you sit at home on your arse your not going to get any exposure and all the other bands will. It is ironic however that you can now promote your band whilst sitting on your arse at home.
I guess you already got some feedback... Are you satisfied?
We have received great reviews for the debut album and our live shows. Pretty much every UK music magazine that has reviewed the album has 'got' what we are trying to achieve and given us high ratings.
The critics see that we are a hard rock band with an old school sound, but we are adding a more contemporary edge to it. The one thing a lot of bands lack when trying to pull of this sort of music is integrity. We manage to keep ours and the press recognizes this too.
For me your music sounds like it's best live... Its too early for a tour, but one-off shows... Are you working on something?
We are playing Sonisphere Festival on Sat 1st August this year. Plus we should be touring very soon.
Your album came out too late for the festival season... Do you regret it? Or did you focus on festivals 2010?
Releasing the album when we did, hasn't seemed to effect us on the festival front at all. We have already played Download festival and we are booked to play the brand new Sonisphere festival on Sat 1st August this year.
Which band(s) would you like to tour with? And which bands influenced you?
It would be beyond a dream to tour with Aerosmith, so I'm very happy to hear they are recording a new album and showing no signs of retirement as yet. Also doing a tour with Velvet Revolver would be awesome as long as they manage to find vocalist.
Bands of the late eighties / early nineties hugely influenced me at a young age. The first band I into was Guns'n Roses. Slash's guitar playing is the reason I picked up guitar in the first place. Metallica, Skid Row, Pantera, Mötley Crüe are all massive influences on my style of writing and my attitude to the music industry. I also listen to a lot of Classical music to find inspiration.
What's on your schedule for the rest of 2009?
Our plan is to promote the new album on the road and in as many countries as possible. We can then grow as a band and start working on material for our second album. We are also nominated for a Classic Rock Magazine award this year in the 'Best New Band' category and will be promoting that.
Sounds like there is a lot to come from these English youngsters! I really hope they can tour extensively, coz this music is made to be played live!
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