Howard Jones (Killswitch Engage) interviewed

Posted June 22 by Chris D.

Two self-titled records by the same band? It may be a shocker to some, confusing to most -- especially when referencing the titles in conversation --, but rock bands have been doing this stuff for ages. Led Zeppelin's first four albums are self-titled. Though each one has a nice Roman numeral appended. Van Halen did the same thing. Roman numeral appended as well. And, yes, Santana opted for the self-titled/Roman numeral configuration early in his career. Shit, even pop icons like Duran Duran and creative bellwether Peter Gabriel self-titled two or more albums. So, Killswitch Engage is simply following the chosen few.

Five albums in KsE still sounds like KsE. Though there are changes from the first Killswitch Engage to the current Killswitch Engage, sonically this is still very much the same group you slavered over when they rolled through your town at one point or another or watched on YouTube late at night. The Massachusetts-based quintet is as heavy and melodic as ever. And Frontman Howard Jones still screams like he's in the midst of a root canal (without anesthesia, of course) and continues to croons as if his girl just tossed his music collection out of a five-story window. Fact is KsE has matured. They’re songwriters now. They’ve learned from “Rose of Sharyn” and “My Curse” the respect of the dude nod and the power of the panty drop. Two things you can't fault them for.

dB nabbed Jones in-between two tours to get to the heart of KsE. Well, close to it anyway.

Tell me a little bit about your second self-titled effort. What are you doing differently and why did you decide to self title another record?
Howard Jones: The first self-titled record we put out was really an EP. It had seven or eight songs. It came out on Ferret. We really tried to make some changes without completely changing everything. We’re not going to be a pop band or anything. We’re also not going to be Necrophagist. We are who we are. We felt the need to push things. The songwriting, the vocal delivery, the lyrics. It was time to push. We really wanted to go as far as we can with what we do. Some people enjoy what we do. Some people don’t like the verse, chorus, verse, chorus thing. That’s called song structure. [Laughs] Considering we went with an outside producer for the first time, it’s like let’s just call it Killswitch Engage. There it is. It’s not a real big deal. We tossed things around. Some things were good. Some weren’t. In the end, it’s just Killswitch Engage.

Why did you want to push for improvement? Were you going for Elton John-level songwriting?
HJ: I’ll go on record and say Elton John is amazing. That man can write a song! It was time for us to make a change. Try and switch things up. We didn’t change all that much. We focused on songwriting. Focused on the lyrics and really focused on the vocal delivery. I sang like I never have on an album before. I’ve been in bands for what seems like an eternity now. We are still Killswitch. We still scream in the verses and sing in the choruses.

Was it Brendan [O’Brien] that pushed you or was it self-realization?
HJ: Number one, honest, it was a time to try and do something different. We didn’t want to do Daylight again. It’s done really well, but we didn’t want to make the same album twice. Brendan was of the same mindset. That really helps.

How did you pick Brendan?
HJ: I had mentioned Brendan before. I’m a big fan of his sound. Not just of any record, but his sound. The record label’s also a fan. Our management is, too. No joke, Brendan had told me when Adam [Dutkiewicz] and I met him while he was recording AC/DC he was playing them “My Curse”. He told AC/DC how much he enjoyed the band before we had even spoken to him. Call it fate, kismet or whatever. Things just fell into place.

Why do you think he felt you were the right band to work with? To look each other in the eye and say, ‘This is gonna work.’
HJ: Number one, Adam still played a very pivotal role in what we do. He co-produced it. Actually, he handled almost all the guitars and bass work in Massachusetts. The drums were all played live together. I did my vocals with Brendan. I walked away with a friend from this. He’s a really good guy. His abilities? Like his bands or not. You have to respect this guy. He’s in the Top 3 or 5 for rock producers right now. He’s the guy. He has a good vision for things. He’s open to other people’s thoughts and ideas. We thought, ‘Hey, let’s go for it!’

At what point did the new material exceed your expectations?
HJ: I really have no idea. My work was constant. The music was done, they gave it to me and I wrote in the studio. I re-wrote in the studio. And re-wrote. That’s sort of what I do. I had a lot prepared. When I demoed what I had done, I wasn’t really feeling it. There are certain songs I wrote six different times. I had nothing some times. I had written so much stuff I was tapped out. What could I write that’s not just re-writing?

What topics did you explore?
HJ: That’s for the listener and reader of lyrics to figure out. Crack open the cellophane and check ‘em out. Download them from iTunes. Whatever. Adam was like, ‘Hey, I know what you’re capable of writing.’ We’re largely a positive band, but there are days when things aren’t so happy. If we’re gonna change things, I’m gonna do it. There are positives and negatives. That much I’ll give you.

More of the emotional or personal perspective then?
HJ: Some of the lyrics are personal. Some of them are just storytelling. They’re up for personal interpretation. That’s the fun of it really. Trying to figure out what the lyrics are about or mean. It really takes the fun out if somebody tells you flat out what the song is about. Or if kids think it’s about some really deep thing and they find out it’s about something stupid. That’s really not fun. [Laughs]

OK, you have one Gold record and one on the way. Did you have any idea when you put out the Ferret album you’d be where you’re at now?
HJ: No! [Laughs] None of us had any idea we’d end up with a Gold album. Let alone being on the verge of another one. That is crazy! I don’t know. We’re completely grateful. How did that happen? Have you seen us on stage? We’re goons! We take what we do seriously. We try to sound at least halfway decent live. Let’s be honest, we’re just silly on stage. We’ve been surprised just as anyone else. I don’t put any expectations on it. It can be here today gone tomorrow. The music industry is so fleeting. I don’t expect much with sales. I put expectations on myself. As long as I’m happy with what I’ve done, then I’m OK with it.

Can we expect another cover along the lines of “Holy Diver”?
HJ: No, no covers this time around. That was a one-time thing. Kerrang! had asked us. Hey, if you would’ve asked us we would’ve done it, but no. [Laughs] The song turned out well in our eyes. Then the label put it on the extended version. The label asked us to do a video, but we said no. We started to get some submissions from people to direct it. Then Adam said, ‘What if I was the princess?’ It’s like, ‘Oh yeah! It’s on now!’ Once that happened we were totally into it. There’s a silly outtake on the album. That’s all I’ll say.

The CNN theme? What about “Suicide is Painless”?
HJ: It’s an outtake. I’ll leave it at that. It’s pretty goofy. It’s us. We like to have fun. [Laughs]

What do you think of the tag metalcore?
HJ: I remember having an interview a year and a half or two years ago. I said, ‘Metalcore is dying a slow death.’ People got angry with me. Music is very cyclical. It’s true. Something kind of clicks, a band does it right and before you know it there’s a ton of bands re-creating the sound. Hair metal, grunge, pop punk, nu metal, metalcore…It happens and will continue to happen. If people want to label things then so be it. I don’t care for labels. We’re a heavy band with some singing. Or heavy music with melody. That’s what we are. We do what we do. If people like us, then great. If they haven’t heard us, hopefully they will like us. Metalcore was heavily saturated and quickly. There’s a place for everything in music. I’ll say that.

Are you a digtal music guy? I’ve talked a few musicians who digitize everything now. Then again, I’ve talked to several who are vinyl-only guys.
HJ: All my music? No way! It’d take so much time to convert my stuff.

What if you had a team of interns digitizing your music collection? Hot girls.
HJ: Maybe then. [Laughs] I’ll listen to things digitally, but I love the physical product. There’s something to cracking the plastic and taking a peek. It’s a fun thing. It’s like Christmas! I’d love to eventually have all my stuff on my iPod. I’ve got so much music. I’m looking at my CDs now. I’ll never get around to putting this on my iPod. I have a couple of iPods now, but I have so much music I’d have to get a few more. Everything will go digital. I hope it doesn’t. I really do like things in my hand. It’s so convenient it’s understandable if things go digital. Such is life.

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