the CONVERSATION starts here
Hi gang….
I know it’s not the old IME board but we can get at least get some quality QandA action happening here. Think before you ask so you’re questions help others get information that they don’t already know.
Whether we talk History, Songwriting, Future Plans, Equipment, Recording, Industry, etc., It’s all fair game, so let’s have at it….
Jt
Hey Jag,
is it possible for you to send me an email? I have a special request.
thanks my friend
I noticed that in the March shows you brought along a keyboardist. Would you bring him along for all your future shows to add that extra texture to certain songs, while also being able to pull out those rare ones (Universe in you)?
And on the note of keyboards, I thought the live rendition of Passenger was superb.. a totally different vibe from the album.
Hey jag, ive always been curious what the original arrangement of “no one” sounded like. I recall you mentioning it used to be some twelve minutes long. Do you think that is something you would incorporate into the live setlists?
When we were playing it before getting signed it just went on and on…. The jam in the middle was more of a “i’ll nod when i’m finished” kind of thing, so it changed all the time! When we went into record, we had to find a way to get the point across in a shorter amount of time….
Not too interested in stretching it out live at this point, staying in F# for that long gives me a rash.
Been a fan forever! So pumped about you guys coming to Moncton! This is great news. Please come to Halifax too. Hope there’s an album in the works.
Hey Jag,
Its great to see more shows coming up. Im curious as to the show in Bellville w Slash. How long do you think your set might be for that show?
Being the opening act and all, hopefully longer than usual opening band.
Thanks
I am definitely interested in knowing your set length for the Slash gig in Belleville too. I bought myself and five friends tickets for that show today just because you guys were added to the show! Can’t get enough since your rebirth last month – the same group of us were at the 2nd show, simply amazing guys! If you don’t feel like driving back to Peterborough after your set, I’ve got a sweet bar in my basement! LOL Never partied with a real rock band before, had to throw it out there!
Since I couldn’t make it out to Toronto last week, I waited by my computer refreshing the IME page like some super nerd IME stalker at 4:59 PST so I could be the first to hear the new track. I am pretty sure I was the first (or at least one of) to hear “We Got the Love”. I’m pretty sure this qualifies me for IME supernerd status and I’m damn proud of that fact.
My question is since we are indie brothers now (haha sort of not really)…indie bands ask other indie bands to do shows together. So…if and when you return to Vancouver, we would be honored to be on a bill with you guys. Ok…stop laughing. I figure it can’t hurt to ask right? Especially since you are doing “everything” different this time around 😉 Here’s my shot in the dark…
http://marchingmind1.bandcamp.com/album/the-sickness-and-the-theory
Can’t wait to hear the next IME song. Keep those coming!
Chris Neo
marchingmindband@gmail.com
So…now that that was awesome. WHATS NEXT?
Hey Guys,
Great job on the Friday Show. It was amazing!! Opening with that countdown clock and “the Mothers” just blew my mind.
I also really enjoyed the Bright Light Social Hour … and have done some homework on them. Really cool stuff. I gotta get their album now.
Keep it coming lads … we are all behind you
For those who went to both shows, which one did you like better? Personally, I thought Thursday was much better. The guys seemed more excited and put on one hell of a show. The second night had better production value and more jamming (which I loved) but did not compare to Thursday. Would love to know how others felt. It was great seeing the band again.
Jag et al. Shows were fantastic! Thanks to all the band members for making it happen! Sounded great and can’t wait to see you guys do it again. Any thoughts about playing your hometown?
how to get registered on openmouth? The show Friday was superb. Worth the 120 miles we drove for it, ,and then some. I only ask that you come back, keep recording whenever possible, and come to Buffalo/Rochester if you possibly can. Thanks for being.
Jag and the rest of The Mothers,
Gotta say that the 2 shows were incredible and long overdue. I had seen you guys live numerous times before the hiatus from the early days of S&F to the opening show at my University Bar at McMaster U. to the Hamilton show right before the Georgian College show. I had tickets to the Georgian show however all of my plans got messed up and fell thru and I missed the show…. still have the un-used ticket in my QSMD cd case…. Missing that show was one of my biggest regrets and a reason why I was even more happy to be able to see both shows this past weekend. The Friday show was the first ever concert that my wife went to…. I think the bar for a concert has now been set for her…
Quick question regarding the circular symbol with the points on the inside of the Dig CD…. does it have any meaning or symbology? Would love to know…. it’s tattoo’d on my left shoulder.
Thanks again for 2 wonderful shows!
Cheers,
Patrick
good for all of you who were able to make the show(s)…i gave in and checked Tube and found quite a few tracks there..sounded awesome as I anticipated!!! Looked like a great time for all!! Damn!!! Ok…so c’mon–the rest of us are looking to get the new music into our possessions. I’m willing to pay up whatever it takes. Can’t remember where i saw it but was there a mention of a 12 minute opus lurking about also?? Y’know..if thats the case Jag with that much material you guys are entering the realm of an EP..hahaha!!! Either way congrats to you guys you sounded and looked great!! Very happy for you guys!! Right on….!!
Just a short post about last night’s show…
First, opening bands were an eclectic mix Dinosaur Bones, DZ Deathrays, and Blackie Jacket Jr, well eclectic may not quite be the right term.
IME, well let’s just say that the countdown banner was welcome, and really amped up the crowd! Once the boy’s got through Listen to the Mother’s, the mosh was on… I’m too old for that shit… but I’m glad I tried & survived.
You guys honestly sound like you picked up where you left off, better. everyone was so tight, Brian’s vocals were better than before, (all that Ontario singing) and the sound was as good as it gets!! Thank’s again for doing this.
Can’t for the “TBA’s” to be reality!
Holy crap, I’m living all the way over in London, and you guys are playing live shows in Canada. That’s enough to get me to move back!! Love you guys, seriously, so stoked that you are putting out great new music!!
g’morn!! I figure at some point soon it will be crunchtime where you might have to abandon the Q/A so I’m trying to get a couple last shots in here. Hope its all coming together there on the musical end!!
1) love your use of the jazzy type chords(maj/min 7ths etc.) in a rock setting. Are those your faves to incorporate if the material allows for it?
2) Nigel from the Spinal Tap claimed Dminor to be the “saddest” key of all…agree? Is F# the heaviest? I know rock lends itself to some standard keys– You have any preferences for keys/modes?
3)Ever get the opportunity to meet any of your musical inspirations or just general rock vets? Ever meet one that you regret afterwards?? LOL!!! no namedropping necessary there if you do answer.
4)…”once a better friend than enemy….” I love that line from “No Coma” any fave lyrics from Chris? Any favorite musical performances by Bruce,Bryan, or Chris that particularly stand out for you over time?
Thanks once again Jag!!! Take care and again wish you all well!!!
oops!! a footnote–are there still plans for the Recording Diaries”?
p.s.–I had a long stretch where I was able to jam on 3 or 4 of your discs straight thru at work on my wifes iPod (Quicksilver, BGO,and Scenery). Luv em all but I wanted to single out the rideout section of “Autumn on Drugs”..great chord sequence with the piano/guitar melody over it–one of my fave IME passages
Hi Jag,
Today I was going through old file folders and found a print out of an email from you written to me. It was just before QSMD album came out and I was scheduled to interview you. You emailed and politely told me you were running late and asked if I could call you a bit later instead, because you were just finishing up jamming. I remember it well, getting an email from my favourite guitarist and then getting to chat with you a little later. People told me you opened up more than usual in that interview and I was proud that conversation happened with me and my little magazine about art and music. I was also happy to meet you at the Opera House after a show, though I’m sure you don’t remember that.
Finding this email from you prompted me to check, once again, if I Mother Earth had any plans of getting back together and wow! This is great news!
Hope you’re well, and wish you all the best.
You must participate in a contest for the most effective blogs on the web. I’ll recommend this site!
Thanks!
Hey Jag! I’m not sure if you are familiar with comedian Louis C.K but he recently filmed a live performance and offered it to his fans for $5 on his website. From what he has posted, he made LOTS of money. Would you consider going this route if/when IME releases a new album? No labels or iTunes involved, just on your own?
Way ahead of you….. We are approaching every single thing we do “differently”. Stay tuned for sure.
Hey jag!
Hope the writing process is going smoothly. Really looking forward tomthe new tunes! Do you think firing Wilson and hiring Carlyle will help your leafs make a playoff push to get them in the top 8??
8?
Hey again Mr Tanna!!! ty for all previous replies to my general nosiness!! I hope things are running smooth on all the assorted prep work you guys have been enduring. I have a couple comments/questions as usual.
1)you love VH- heard any of the new material?? I dig it–pretty heavy stuff-i think their most rocking-not as much melody as I expected but still very cool. If you have whats your take on it??
2)Ever heard Michael Hedges?? excellent acoustic guitarist that had this bizarre combo bass harp/acoustic that he used alot-awesome player with great songs. I met him a couple times when he came to play summer festivals here in Oklahoma . Unfortunately he passed on in like 1997 from a car accident. Just curious-very inspiring player. Check out “Breakfast in the Field” or Because its There” I think you would dig it.
3)Totally serious here but laugh if you choose– is “Another Sunday” about a social outcast who has experienced extraterrestrial abduction and wants to remain with them? haha!! to me theres lines in the song that indicate such but either way…wondering
4) how do you pronounce your first name? I cant find any audio where someone does LOL!!! Ya/Gory? Zhag-ori? Jag rhyming like Tag? maybe I’ve been butchering it for the last 18 years….
Well there you go..nice and concise –a few minutes you cant get back from your life HAHA!! Thanks again for the replies. Ive discovered so much cool stuff from other comments ( a cover of “46 & 2”??? wow!!! my fave song from one of my top 5 all time albums).Again hope things are going well and that you all find this to be a rewarding experience. Totally bummed its so far away(there in spirit ) and hopefully you still have plans to post some of your “Recording Diaries” Been stoked for that. Oh and you mentioned Segment X that you will be talking about at some point. Love to hear more about that as well!!! OK later guys!! have a good weekend and keep rocking Namaste!!!
So far so good with the VH. I have it but havent sat by myself to really listen. Need to get my own crap out of my head first. From what I have heard, Eddie is still the king. Putting solos aside, his rhythmic playing is a HUGE inspiration to me…. So perfect.
Michael Hedges was a really special player. Just one of those guys tuned into a whole different part of the instrument that most people miss. Used to check him out all the time as a kid when Guitar Player/Guitar World used to really feature players vs. What is commercially popular.
Another sunday. Yep. Sometimes the grass is definitely greener elsewhere. I think a lot of people would rather be somewhere else because they consistently face such a mundane existence here. Seems like the only logical place left to go is “up”.
jah-GOR-ee
All good. You can totally have those minutes btw. I was just sitting here in my pajamas eating this uber-blueberry muffin and chugging coffee before heading down to record.
I’ve bought scenery and fish four times since it was released and either lent it out never to be seen again, lost it myself, or played it until it broke. It is getting tougher to find each time i need to replace it. Any plans to release it on iTunes??
I would release it immediately if i could. I was going to harass the record labels to see if they would put them up. I have absolutely no idea why they overlooked the opportunity for them to cash in on old music… We have fans from all around the world who end up just being forced to steal it.. (which im cool with btw) as long as they get the tunes… All that matters to us.
Hey Jag,
In addition to your production duties on Sarah Slean’s album “The Baroness”, did you play any little guitar bits on the album too? Listening to that album, it sounded like there may have been a few hints of your guitar stylings in the background on a couple of tracks, but I could be mistaken. I really dig the production you did on that album. Sounds great.
Actually i think all of the guitar is me….Except one song that was a fingerpicked acoustic arpeggiated thing… My nails werent long enough! Yes, very subdued but thats what it was calling for. Anytime it actually sounded like me or it felt like i was having fun, we took it out! Lol!
Sorry if this has already been covered… I heard there’s a new song that comes with a ticket for the Mar. 22/23 shows. I can’t get to the shows, but I’d love to get the song. Is that possible? (Is this even true?)
yep! song is for everybody!! first for the concert folk, then we’ll figure out a way for all to have access to it! can’t wait for you to hear it….
Hey Jag,
I was wondering what kind of baritone guitars you have? I thought I read somewhere that tQSMD was done mostly with a baritone (please correct me if I’m wrong). Got a favourite one?
Thanks!
Hey Steve… yep, love baritone. I use a Jerry Jones beast with huge strings on it! i’m looking at some others currently but for now it’s working. You can best hear it by itself on the last track of tQSMD called ‘a moment of extreme violence”… just a little improv thing…
Ahh nice! Yeah I remember that track. That CD inspired me to try and pick one up. I spent a whole whack of time researching them and then trying to find a Fender jaguar special hh. Hard as hell to find at any store though (at least back then). Maybe I’ll take another trip to the music store one of these days… 😀
Thanks for the reply!
There is actually a really cool fender tele baritone that is around $599! Might be worth it to get your feet wet with one….i think its called the “blacktop baritone”
Sweet! I’ll look into it. Thanks for the tip!
Hey Jag, so incredibly stoked to hear that one of my favourite bands of all time is back playing together again! I have been playing guitar for 16 years and I’ve gotta say you are one of the few guys who I can’t figure out. Is there any way you could post a video or something to show how you do that pseudo/bass slap stuff? You do it in quite a few songs but the song I most want to learn is Earth, Sky and C. That song is one of my favourite songs of all time. Please help me solve this mystery that has eluded me for so long…………
awesome! thanks! yeah there are different ways of going about the slap thing… earth sky and C is more of a claw hand pluck thing I do vs. thumb pluck. I can’t really explain it, I can only do it and hope it comes out ok! lol! i’m sure there will be enough vids out there soon so i’ll make sure I play it nice and clean and don’t embarass myself!
Thanks buddy. I’ll be clawing at my guitar until I find some vids!
Hello There. I found your blog using msn. This is a very well written article. I’ll be sure to bookmark it and come back to read more of the CONVERSATION starts here | The Openmouth Blog . Thanks for the post. I’ll certainly comeback.
So Jag … when might we hear some new IME news/plans? Regarding anything.
Im sooo Impatient, and bored at work. lol
Actually pretty darn soon!
darn tootin!!
Ahh!!! So vague jag!
Hey jag! Are you Considering playing bad by u2 again ?? I remember getting goosebumps listening to you and the boys play that one..
Ha! Probably not! We dont plan those things, somebody just starts playing a song and we make it as far as we can until we mess up! I would love to play a cover song if we have time but have no idea what one we should mess up this time! Lol!
Hahaha, that’s funny because Brian at his Ottawa show started playing it and I don’t remember it ever finishing!
Lol, Brian does a really good Bono.
Jag, what is the one pedal you couldn’t live without? From what i’ve read in prior posts, you seem to be constantly searching for new sounds with different gear, but is there one main stay that you couldn’t/ wouldn’t get rid of?
I always say that worst case scenario and everything blows up, i can do the whole set comfortably with 3 things. Phase 90, wah, and delay. Im always on to some new things but those are the staples since day one!
Hey Jag, In the later days, you guys would play a song live that had a percussion intro/background. It was a softer song, had a deep slow bass/keys that’d join in, and almost a U2 feel to it. I think there was even a lyric in it “hope to hell….” or something along those lines. It built very gradually to a nice little climax before fading off quickly. Does this song ring a bell – what was it? You guys should definitely do a recording of it – it was a beautiful tune. Couldn’t be more pumped about March 23!
I do remember it, but it was an improv type thing that didnt have a definite shape. Ill ask the guys to see how many parts we remember of that. I remember likng it too!
Hmmm This is the same song that I have been trying to find out about. You played it a few times. Christian starts with an electronic drum percussion. I have a poor mans recording of the song (I am pretty sure others do) titled “Untitled, live at big bucks. Its all keyboard, percussion and some bass with brian singing… does that help?
I definitely remember it…. Just cant remember what we played! I was on perc with daniel and it was just bass and brian mumbled a bunch of lines with a cool melody. Send me the recording (email is on fb) and ill definitely figure it out!
I have a copy of it in MP3 from a show you did in Barrie if you want it.
There are so many more pressing matters than this, but I have to ask…
Does anyone else feel like they need to grab a beer and move to the front of the stage when they hear ‘fatboy slim is fucking in heaven’?
I get it, the crew knew where to be when, before you came on stage and it was all timed and coordinated. Shall we take bets on what it’s going to be this time?
That is, if Jag will confirm its not Fatboy Slim…?
Jag, is it worth watching textuality?
Absolutely not.
Lol ok thx.. Guess I’m more curious about the soundtrack than anything.
Some cool things in there if you like that kind of music. A couple jems in there for sure…
Any working titles for the new material? Any thoughts on how you think the response might be? Hope no internal pressure to play it safe– I always loved how each release was fresh yet had the IME stamp
We always have working titles…. But its kind of like naming farts. You just come up with something as dumb as possible and use it until there are some lyrics! Not caring too much about a response, we wont make it available if we dont like it, and if we like it, why worry about what people think? We want nothing to do with “climbing charts” through radio or sales, or feel like we need to be the biggest and baddest band in the land… Just not interested anymore. So far nothing sucks so we look at it like a really good start! Its been a lot of fun up to this point and thats all we’re counting on… If it’s not fun, we’re stopping. If fans arent interested in what we have to offer, we’re done etc. Hows that for a fucked up and fresh concept?
Amen to that…
Hi jag! Thanks to you and all of IME for the amazing music ! I learnt how to jam from listening to you guys! Was wondering who are your guitar idols? I’m guessing this might be a tough question but top 3 if you can decide, take care man
Thanks! For me as a kid it was alex lifeson, eddie van halen and my dad. That was it for many years…. Absolutely nothing else mattered to me more in the early days than those three. My world opened up further with SRV, jeff beck and bb king… I enjoy a lot of players for different reasons though. Not sure at all anymore who to listen to so i go back to some old faves…..
That’s pretty cool, saw BB live recently was one of the best gigs I’ve ever been too, Thanks for the reply man, if you can tell Bruce that the bass fill before the last chorus of choke is favourite fill of mine
I’d love to hear earth sky and C on the 23rd.. PleAse
Can you ass hats post more shows? Can I just design a quick tour page for you that you can login and post upcoming shows to?
London!
Are you producing/engineering the new tracks solo or is there any co-credits yet to be mentioned?
Sidenote, still recording at your studio or is that long gone?
Producing/engineering like always…wax on wax off….not too interested in having anybody else involved. Too much effort and stress in trying to make other people comfortable. The whole “listening to other peoples opinions” got old fast for all of us… Stopped doing that after the first record actually. There are definitely moments where i enjoyed a sort of comraderie with others outside of the band, and much love and respect goes out to all, but i just suck at listening. Why pretend? Nobodys fault but mine. I prefer to work one on one with whoever is tracking and we all just work better that way. Drums and bass were a little different where i would rather pace around the room and absorb it all…I do like to get an outside ear to listen at times to see what kind of reaction happens and if it isnt the reaction that i want, try and figure out why… We’re kind of loners that way. Nobody outside of the band was ever allowed to hear anything until it was finished. Same goes for present tracking. Cut drums in studio with my sonic partner in crime Steve, then at my home studio until mix time…. Simple.
Hey jagori, just wanted to say that I’m a big fan of ur writing. Very informative, intelligent and quite comical.. Imagine If you wrote a book… An I mother earth tell all. But lets start with new rocking tunes 😉
Im on it!
How about just a Music/Tab book…*cough*beenaskingfordecades*cough*
That’s pretty sweet. I’d actually love to witness a mixing in process. Any time I watch any special or doc involving a song coming together and getting mixed I’m captivated.
Nice to see your approach on things. Though based on how you like to be so hands on, did you and Bottrill bump heads during it or was it a good feel working together
No bumping heads at all. Im very upfront or should i say obvious about how i like to work, and how the band works the best. Its easy to get along with anybody once the dynamic is set, and if youre on the same mission, there shouldnt be a problem.
Gear, gear, more gear.
Ecstatic to hear the trifecta is almost complete with Big Wreck back, now you guys, so just Big Sugar left and I will loose what hearing I have left from some of those gigs! I remember one gig at Canada’s Wonderland in like ’94, not sure Scenery came out yet and you guys were ripping it and I kept cheering you on and I asked for your pick, which you graciously handed to me over other screaming adoring fans. Much thanks dude! Still got it tapped to me strat.
Speaking of me strat, I’ve had my bridge and neck pick-up wired together and it sounds really f@%$*ing cool. The bridge is a SH55 Seth Lover duncan and the others are Rio Grande’s, not sure which, not too hot just beefed up fuller singles. Get some really cool heavy but twangy throaty clean sounds through an original budda stringmaster (no master, but killer load) 2X12 combo (rentable for gigs!)…anyway….maybe something you haven’t tinkered with.
Also, I remember you used to use a Quadraverb….is it still alive some where in a closet? What’s your foot stoppin situation like these days…any MIDI set-up?
Cheers
pm
Wonderland! Holy crap!
Gearwise im starting from scratch i think. So expect a huge yard sale of all my equipment! Time to purge…
I have had an original Budda Stringmaster head as part of my rig for ages and it rocked for my bluesier tones. Sadly its on the block too! Lol! Im still looking for the perfect set up, but actually dont expect to find it… As you and all other guitar players know, the thrill is in the chase. Im still trying to figure out which way to go with things and plan on doing a gear run through with some vid as it comes together…..
Ha, the old quadraverb. Still have a graveyard of them in a closet. One left although sometimes i have to punch it on top like the fonz to stop the buzzing! Makes me feel pretty cool actually. MIDIwise i only ever use one unit for delays…. Any weirdness usually comes just from pedals via a GCX switcher. I have started talking/working with a company called Pigtronix out of NYC that is making really sick pedals. I plan on using them on the new recordings and the upcoming shows. I have also been using a delay pedal from the guys over at Empress effects which is such a great pedal. Its called the superdelay (vintage modified)… Amazing.
So still working on amps, cabs and what shirt to wear…..
Hey jag, I’ve got a favor to ask. Is there any way you can ask Brian what the chords are to “Jen’s song” for me. Big fan of the song and I would like to learn it. I’d ask for chords to an ime song but that’s not so simple.. Much appreciated.
Jag,
Brian did not take long to win over most IME fans when he first came on board, and I definitely saw the change as a positive. Ive seen you guys 8 times live and wow, Brian just brings so much more to the show.
How was the tension on that last tour with Ed? After recording a BIG/Successful album like S&F and knowing that he was leaving after the tour. It must have been a bit strange.
This is more a message for all the fans going to the shows. Curious how many people are coming to the concerts all by their lonesome and couldn’t find someone to bring along. I can’t be the only one!
LOL … I would go alone if that’s what it took, but I managed to get my fiancee to come with me. =)
I’ll be there by myself, at least on the 23rd. I have an extra ticket for the 22nd so I am still on a quest to find someone to bring with me….which is hard to do since I’m from BC lol.
so far, going alone on the 22nd but still have an extra ticket and “high” hopes lol…all good for the 23rd so freakin excited ! :)))
Hi Jag. As someone who’s never been out to a show at The Sound Academy, the online reviews are a little worrying. Have you ever played there or seen a show there? Are you worried at all about the sound of the show not doing you guys justice? I’m sure the gig will be nothing short of amazing nonetheless, you guys could play in a dirty rest stop bathroom and I’d still show HA!
Also, have you guys put any thought into a meet and greet before/after the shows? I know, considering the number of people attending, the idea of that might be a little overwhelming, to say the least. But it’s worth throwing it out there, just in case!
We are already plotting and planning that… As much as the viral connection rocks, Its really important for us to reconnect personally. Its always been our style to be available to talk to folks. We’ll figure it out….
Great to hear!
awesome news !!! I’d be marble mouth for sure lol
The room itself is the best in the city. Best production, perfect size etc. You cant blame a venue for a completely incompetent sound guy…. And there are plenty of those. We’ll do the best the night of and aim to please…. Its all we can really do right?
Absolutely. There are great sound guys out there that can make shitty artists sound good, so of course the opposite is inevitable at times. If you’re not worried, I’m not either Can’t wait for the shows, gonna be an epic 2 nights!
Van Halen related…on their new album I know for sure a couple of the tracks “tattoo” and “shes the woman” are material that was pre-1st album stuff. Whats your take on this approach? Would IME do this or do you think if something wasnt good enough to put out then dont use it as major material? ty for any insight sir.. also pass on to Bruce that his bass lines on “Infinity” are totally sick in a good way!!! HAHA
We actually only ever write and record whats going on the record. Wrong was an exception as it was supposed to be on SandF but we dumped it to fit the CD rom portion onto the release. The “everything” release was an abomination. Basically mixed and mastered farts.
What about the material recorded pre-QSMD that you threw out? Anything there worth salvaging or that you have a low fi version of for the fans?
None exist! I was serious when i said i just started hitting delete! Absolute garbage! Lol!
Lol… I bet most IME fans would have a hard time believing that anything you guys do would be considered garbage
Myself included
you are so right Will ! As one of those IME fans I plead guilty in loving every single note, beat and word that they have produced…and would always be open to listening to anything they have to share. We’ll forgive you this time Jag 😉
By the way…I’m stressing out over trying to choose songs for the gigs !!! Too many to choose from, can I just say please play them all ? lol
If nothing else it sure would have been interesting to hear.
How would you describe that material musically? Heavy? Soft? Obscure? Mainstream? Are there any comparisons you’d draw to other bands? Just interested! (like many others on here…)
I just wouldnt even describe it outside of “not right”. We dont really look at anything we do and classify it as “this is the heavy one, this is the light one” etc. We just go for it and if we like it, we continue on the song… We are however always looking for “weighty” if that makes any sense. To me, a song like “beautiful deep end” is just as heavy as “choke”. Ridiculous i know, but its how i look at it. Those tunes that were deleted were non-songs.
Can’t say I disagree with you there, the song almost has a feeling of schizophrenia, where it’s serene, and all of a sudden there’s an intense tension. Building up to a climax, and settling back down into the serene.
Not to mention the lyrics perfectly describing the feeling of the song….
cool news with the 2nd show and all that–you mentioned making it fresh etc…I know that this is not a new concept at all but have/had IME ever done acoustic live sets before? any consideration to that? You sounded down on these two tracks but they would be rarities for sure– “Wrong” (sorry but i think its a killer tune) and “Sense of Henry”(you mentioned never having played it live before..killer tune as well and sounds like it would transfer well as an acoustic track)–anyways just my opinion!!! Lastly if any merch ends up available online to sell I for sure am on board!!! make some XXXL or at least XXL!!! Some of us followers are big dudes LOOL!! cool….take care as always and hope all is going and flowing well..
ok sorry…yes youve done acoustic before(the “Everything” compilation cd) which also included “wrong” and “subterranean” haha!! cut me some slack its Saturday morning!!!!
Totally into it… Funny but me and Brian had this discussion yesterday. Our music doesnt easily translate and if i can find a way to present it in a totally cool and unique way i will. I just wouldnt want to do the obvious and focus on the sweeter tunes…zzzzzzz….Can you imagine Choke or Meat Dreams acoustically!? I can…..
Heavy songs played acoustic: that’s a very cool idea; against the grain maybe, but too interesting not to be cool.
At this point, everything has to be against the grain… Makes it more of a sport! Why not find ways to challenge yourself just to see if it can be done? Along the way we might find some new inspiration, so its worth a shot!
You need a song with a didgeridoo and bagpipes, just sayin…
This is more of an open message to the entire board. Does any one know where to get some decent IME guitar tabs? I’ve checked out all the usual sites, but I want to get some deep catalog stuff. I’m specifically looking for a Hell & Malfunction tab if anyone has the know-how to transcribe it. Thanks!
Have fun with that. Lol! If you find one for that song let me know…. I haven to relearn the damn thing by the end of march!
Hey Mark, I tabbed a co-tabbed a few (Songburst & Delirium, Like A Girl, Soft Bomb Salad, Juicy and 0157:H7) years ago. The official IME site and board were down by then (I went by “Cybrid” on the board), so I uploaded them to . Powertab is one of those guitar tab programs that allow MIDI playback. To be honest, I was never a great guitarist…it was more a personal challenge and a way to get other people posting more accurate transcriptions to correct my crappy interpretations, haha. If you can’t get them from the original site I uploaded them to in 2004, apparently people have since taken them and put them at other sites like Ultimate-Guitar.com. The latter site also has every other IME tab in existence (to varying degrees of quality). I’ll also put in my vote for some Jag approved IME tabs! In lieu of posting full tabs or a tab book, I’ve also seen some bands post vids on their websites demonstrating how to play just a main riff or lick….even that would be amazing to see!
I maintained a fan site for years, there was a few of us from the old forums who went through trying to Tab Jag. I’m sure if Jag ever saw them he’d say they weren’t accurate, but if you want them you can have em… email me and I’ll be happy to send em along: adamlake at gmail.com
Ha! One day i’ll see one and it’ll be spot on! So far though, still in “sounds like” world.
and the search begins…
Hey jag, I was wondering what kind of kit Chris is playing now? Is it approaching mike portnoy proportions for the new music?
Actually the opposite. We’ve always been kind of minimalist with regards to gear. Just whatever it takes to get something done. That and chris really HATES reaching! We are still figuring out the gear list for the shows…. Anybody out there have a freakin huge gong we can use.?
Hey jag, have u checked out the new VH album? I’ve heard some good things so I just picked it up. Gunna give it a spin right now
Cheers
Cant listen to anything until im done this one song. Brain full. Dying to though as you can probably imagine…
Lol ya! Well I must say, I’m a couple tracks in and I’m pretty impressed so far. Good luck finishing the new song. Can’t wait to hear it!!
Hey guys very happy to hear of the overwhelming response you’ve had! You all deserve it. When the first show was announced i could see many others eyes opening as wide as mine with happiness upon the news.Think it’s a fair way of doing things as you said with the second show, wish I could go to both! Just wondering Jag if any swag esp. t-shirts planned for the coming show…as its been 8 years,and as you can well imagine mine has disintigrated since then! btw our Petes haven’t been rippin it up lately although they did win tonight…I’ll take it!
I was at the game too! A nice overtime win…..
We are currently making a special merch plan too just to mark this night… Im also about to announce something special ive been working on for that night that I’ll need help with from all creative fans across the country. Pretty excited about it.
Jt
Now this sounds exciting. Curious as to what it is
Hi IME
I’ve found your music about 4 or 5 years ago. A friend played me some songs from the QMD album, it started slowly, but your music grew on me and today it’s some of the most played tracks in my media player. Your music speaks to me through the lyrics as well as the melody, which I find is a rare combination.
Since I live in South-Africa, my question is: Would you consider doing a show here? I’d love to see you play live.
Hi Louis… Im glad you found us! Playing south africa would be really great although being as we are now a truly independent band, and just making our own business as we move along, it would tough to make it over! Great idea though for sure….all the best.
Jt
Hi Jag. Thanks for the reply. Keep the idea in the back of your mind. You never know, maybe one day…
Good luck for the future, keep on enjoying what you are doing!
Hey Jag,
Regarding the upcoming shows; I was curious if the set-lists for the two shows will be identical? I have tickets for the 23rd and my gut instinct tells me to just go ahead and get tickets for the 22nd as well 😀 (especially if there’s any chance of hearing something that may not be played on the 23rd). Although if they’re going to be identical, in terms of the songs you’ll be playing, I may decide to not be an IME hog and just go to the 23rd so someone else can enjoy the show on the 22nd.
Let me know what you guys are thinking.
We’re hoping both shows are really different. Once we hit rehearsals and talk to fans, we’ll have a good idea of what required for each night. We have over 4.5 hours of music… Thats why we will be asking for help in making each night special.
… you had me at “really different”. I will be at both shows! Can’t wait!!
How did Levitate get in the video game Rock Band? Were you approached by the label or the makers of the game? Any odds on getting any other IME favorites in the game. Song was a blast to play!
We werent asked. Thats the problem with being attached in business with certain entities… No permission needed, or granted.
On the other side, did you collect any royalties?
My wife and I have always been a fan of Christians writing and references to classical and modern literature. Can you tell us if there is somewhere we can get more of his poetry?
So THATS what hes been writing about all these years…. Ive been bugging chris to put his stuff into a form where people can read it without the burden of having to listen. As far as i know, poetry isnt his thing (i kind of stifle him by making him write “lyrics”!) but i remember him having a really solid pile of short stories that ive been bugging him to publish. Im on it!
Ahhh the burden of listening. It is a burden us fans must bare!
From everything I’ve heard from Chris, you can find more of his poetry at the bottom of a bottle of red wine
Exactly! Lol! Actually, his lyrics probably come from a place that red wine may help him forget!
So as a guitar player, I’ve always been super impressed with your sound (Blue Green Orange literally changed the way I looked at guitar effects). I’m going amp shopping in the spring, and I would ask from your experience what you would recommend for a head that allows for both a searing overdrive and a bright enough clean tone. My problem is I get bored with a lot tone that “owns the industry” and am often drawn to more unique sound. Obviously there are some variables when choosing amps and its often personal choice, but what would you recommend? Or what did you use to record BGO and Meat Dream?
Actually, the search continues for me as well. Im dying to just be content you know? Not sure it will ever happen. Im currently trying to get more out of the amps that i have in hand. Even though some are basically one trick ponies, i feel like it forces me to use the guitar in different ways and makes me really work on getting different tones from my hands. Its kind of fun actually. Im just not sure ill ever find an amp that has 2 perfect channels. the past three albums have basically been my original series Naylor amp, and i keep the same settings almost always…. And just use different hands.
Clean heavy sound, gritty clean sound, and loud. Heaven….. Is it out there? If somebody finds it, let me know.
Thanks! And if I find it I’ll let you know! haha
Do you use the Naylor live or is it just for the studio….?
Just studio. I used to use it live all the time and might still for the upcoming shows, but basically its come to mean a bit too much to me. Ive been tracking with it all morning,…
Fuck I’m excited for new tunes!!!!!….what have you used for live shows in the past? Yeah Im gonna be that guy and ask more annoying questions while your busy trying to record new tunes for all us fans…….
For amps? Every tour was different… 5150s, the Naylor and Budda, Rivera etc. Onto a few new ideas which i might pull the trigger on soon. Havent decided just yet….
When were Subterranean Wonderland and Love From Revolution recorded? Apart from promo CDs (and an apperance on some other unmentionable non-album for the former of the two), is there a story behind these tunes and why they were left on the studio shelf?
Those songs are just us fucking around in the studio sounding like ass…. It was horseshit that they even surfaced. We were at phase one, i remember it sonically sounding just plain bad so we went “extra bad” and put all the drums on one side and compressed the hell out of it. Shame on whoever thought it a good idea to charge people for that. Thats actually why we were mad about it. Maybe i could get hold of some of their high school photos and show everybody.
I remember asking to hear Love from Revolution at a soundcheck in Prince George, BC…..sounded kick ass. You and Chris kept busting into “The Trooper”. I thought it fitting that a giant Gargolye decended from the ceiling (for some reason the bar had a big gargole hung from the ceiling…) with all that Iron Maiden going on. And there is my IME story lol
Oh my god! The fucking gargoyle! I remember that! I have to tell bruce! It was the bars ‘goyle…we should have stolen it… And Maiden rules.
Gear! You said your gear never showed up when you played in NL. I’ve got a crowd recording of that show, and your guitar tone is fantaaaastic in that show. Do you even remember what you were using that night?
Thats hilarious! Nope, have no idea what I used. I think the only thing that showed up was my board with a bunch of midi controllers on it…. Almost positive i was using a strat that had humbuckers in it, and really thin strings! I also think somebody got me some pedals to use. Cant remember at all…. I do remember me and bruce just trying to keep it together and not break anything….
Haha Well that explains why the Bonehead won’t do it after all, then.
The bonehead worked great live… Actually wish i still had it for at least one more show! Ill have to use the budda for the cleaner stuff… That is unless it gets sold or something. Lol!
You can have mine for a weekend if you want it…
P.S.- emailed you re: Budda. haha Let’s work something out.
Hey Jag, i just learned Rain Will Fall for my cover band, but, i think i’m playing the chord for the intro riff not quite right, could you tell me what it should be? Thanks.
Since DIG we’ve been asking for notes, tabs, hell even a slowed down video of WTF is going on. I second this…with a continuance to all other IME tunes.
Hilarious! There are tabs out there i think, although every single one ive seen has been wrong. More of a “kind of sounds like..” tab. I might consider something like that if it was done properly by someone who knows how to in a top notch kind of way. Havent found that person…. The only problem is i cant remember how to play the songs exactly like the record so i would be no help whatsoever! Lol!
Jag! Damnit we tried to write them for years dude! We gave up, because you hit the nail on the head…’a sounds like’ version is all we could come up with! Seriously there were at least 5 of us replaying videos of live shows or whatever we could find to figure it out in slow-mo. The only one I felt mostly comfortable with was the intro and main riff to So Gently…it’s slow enough for us amateurs to follow! hah. But that’s probably still wrong =\
Yeah ours were crap, but we tried. Please find this person who can magically make tabs appear, many of us would be greatful!
Did you at least put Gently in drop D? Lol! I wish i could have sat with you guys while you were figuring this stuff out.
Yeah dude, SGWG was in drop D. Actually I think you’d be proud of the first about 8 bars of it! It was a team effort, really. I couldn’t even sucker Bruce into trying to teach me any of them when he came by, so the secrets still lie with you.
If you ever do a privately recorded show, just for the fans to download from a website somewhere, can I at least request that there’s one camera dedicated to your left hand during the show?
done!!
Haha that’d be sweet.
A dedicated fretcam.
I remember getting so frustrated with SGWG that I gave up and went and learned Flying in a Blue Dream!
hey again..just finished watching last intallment of Metal Evolution where the guy covered Prog rock on VH1 Classic channel..informative stuff. Rush were of course featured prominently as kind of the bridge between genres.Never considered them straight up metal per se but-Tool were featured and hearing your admiration for them I thought i would mention this to you. Since the guy couldnt hook up with Tool to speak directly he instead spoke with Dave Bottrill to identify their appeal and he had some interesting comments. He noted that their primary focus was not to just be flashy just for the sake of it but to emphasize the development of the music -“construction” -the sums to achieve the whole piece of music. Knowing he worked with you guys I thought it was an indirect testament to the quality of IME’s music and to the crafting of your music. Just a FYI there anyways..haha..
1)Regarding Bottrill– for whatever recording you choose to do in the near future is this going to be a DYI affair?? Any outer collaborations discussed? Do you keep in touch with any previous collaborators?
2) I imagine you think genre labels blow but I will ask anyways–where do you find you stand in previous works and would you venture a “flavor” to describe what is coming of your brain onto the fretboard nowdays??
3)Another Canadian band that werent featured but listed on the prog-rock timeline on that show was Voivod who I dig alot still. Were you familiar with them or ever cross paths with them? I know they were quite heavy but still .. RIP Piggy aka Dennis.. so there you go!!! another coherent concise submission here LOL!!! as always thanks for any insight and hope all is well in the Motherland..take care!!
correction..the show segment was Prog Metal.
Hey Jag,
What are the crazy things that are put backstage on IME’s rider?
Nothing crazy at all. We dont really try and prove how “rock” we are with anything ridiculous… Just the necessities. I actually think we were pushing the envelope once asking for ivory soap and socks! But hey, when your in a bus travelling across the country, the two unforgivable things on our list would have to be body odour and smelly feet… And of course the 3rd unspoken rule of “no crapping on the bus!”. (seriously, its like dumping in the middle of someones living room!)
I want to thank I Mother Earth for getting me through the tough times. The last 3 years has been really tough on my family. My son was born 3 months premature, suffered a stroke and required multiple brain surgeries. In 2010, at the age of 2, he was diagnosed with liver cancer and was given only a 30% chance of survival. My husband and I have gone bankrupt trying to keep up with the demands of having a special needs child. He has been in remission for 1 year, and just learned to walk this fall. We have both found solace in your music (more specifically BGO and QSMD). I am not sure what we would have done without the escape you provided. I am eternally grateful. Thank you.
Hey Jag, I was just wondering how big of an influence adam jones from tool had on your sound from tQMD? Were you a fan of the band or is any resemblance just coincidence? Also, I hear Santana, SRV, EVH, and Jimi’s influence in your playing, but from whom did you develop your taste for Funk? Thanks
Guitar sound or band sound? Im actually more inspired by drummers, so tool is a great place to start! Lol! I love that a band like that just does what they do, with zero in the way of rules. I think if anything, that would have been the most valuable thing at that time for me. Conceptually, adam jones is king for sure, but danny carey floats my proverbial boat.
In that case are you a Pearl Jam fan I have always respected that band for just doing it for the music and the fantts. Not to mention Matt Cameron!
Yep. You have to respect what they do and how theyve changed the business model for a band of that size… Love it! Btw : brian can do a spot on eddie vedder!
I hear a cover in the making!(I can hope right?). He also kills Blind Melon (Shannon Hoon) I saw him cover mouthfull of cavities at a bar in oshawa a couple of months ago KILLER!!!
A band that does what they want to do with no rules: Sounds a lot like what you guys are trying to do right now and I hope it works. I think as long as you are free to let your personalities flavour the new music us fans will be in for a real treat. My expectations are irrelevant because I know I will like any new tunes…even if they suck lol
Hey Jag
Do you find the writting processes changed when brian became part of the band?
Not at all. Songs for us from day one, even day -1, have always been done the same. Without going too deep on it, im the structure, riff and melody guy, and chris writes the lyrics. That being said, bruce is a huge part of it as well. Riffs can quickly come up in rehearsal, and if we’re all digging it, then i just keep going after the fact to put what we have together as an outline to a song for next rehearsal. Once it feels right i start singing on it to see where it leads me for melody…clear it with the fellas, hand it to chris and bam!! One IME song.
It only ever changed in spirit. With brians energy a part of what we were doing, everybody was motivated and the riffs were flowing. It was great seeing him develop. You have to remember, he had basically never been in a studio before, and we’re suddenly going ” ok kid, start tracking Summertime in the Void!” Its funny actually thinking of what he must have been going through! Im going to ask him about that today…..
LOL he must have had his mind blown! Thanks for response.
Hey Jag,
Would you and Brian like to play an acoustic set at my wedding this summer in Ottawa? HaHa
=)
We’ll have to pass, but im sure i can find you one of these other reunion bands that would do it for a little sfogliadelle and some beer…lol!
hahaha … right on!
P.S. … pastries are not included … LOL
Thats a dealbreaker for some….
Hey Jag,
Obviously when a band replaces a noticeable piece (ie a singer) it can be a difficult transition. Brian was definitely a great addition to the band, so my question surrounds the last 2 discs. With BGO it seemed like you guys tried to make an album that was very bright and positive and then Meat Dreams was like the opposite of those emotions.
I remember back when Meat Dream came out that either yourself or Chris (it was a long time ago, can’t remember who lol) said that Meat Dream was how IME had always tried to sound like, like you had finally put out the best representation of the band.
Altho Dig had it’s heavy moments it’s hard to see that considering Dig,Scenery, and BGO were nowhere near as dark; add to that the fact that you guys stopped as a band after that disc came out.
What does the new stuff sound like? I can’t imagine it’s as dark as Meat Dream is it? Not that I care, i’ll buy any music that you put out, but maybe you could shed a bit of insight into the direction of the new tracks pls and thanks
Very much anticipating you guys coming to Winnipeg,
Billy
No difficulties at all. It’s funny but I find both records fairly uplifting. The concept of Light vs. Dark may hold an entirely different meaning to me. I find such heaviness in the perfect sad song, and sweetness in dark and brooding sounds. Both of those records are just snapshots of one style at one particular time. No thought has ever been put into a particular ‘sound’. Whatever happens at that time for better or worse is what we put out. It’s no different at all this time. Just let it flow and if it connects with people in some way great, if not, oh well…. moving on. That being said, I remember being extremely happy and excited recording both of those albums. I smiled all the way through Meat Dream.
The shit always enters the picture after the fact, when you offer it up for sacrifice to the business.
Hey Jag/Guys! I apologize if a similar question has been asked already, but here goes.. Have you ever considered having fan-attended rehearsal sessions? I can’t remember which band I heard was doing it, but basically once in a while the band would schedule a rehearsal in which some fans would be able to attend. I thought it sounded like a really cool idea. I’ve always been interested and curious about the jam/writing process of some of my favourite bands (IME obviously included) and I always wondered how amazing it would be to be a fly on the wall at one of your jam/practice sessions. You’ve already hinted at possibly documenting some future writing/recording sessions of the band which I think is F’ING SWEET! But being able to see it live would be that much more amazing.
Let me know your thoughts.
PS. Can’t wait for the show!!!!! 😀
Actually the 23rd is a rehearsal….. With a couple thousand people coming, lol! Actually even writing my recording diary is a big step for us. Sometimes its good not to know what goes into it…. Like sausages.
I have some other ideas about getting fans involved in some really unorthodox ways, but im still working on it. Gig first, and if we make it through that, ill have some time to figure things out.
Works for me! Thanks for takin the time! : )
Thank God and the baby Jesus!! Absolutely thrilled to hear that you’re back. For the past several years I’ve been trying to explain to my girlfriend the live IME experience (we started dating just after the last show in Barrie), and now she will finally be able to experience it for herself…we just have to avoid a break-up until Mar. 23rd. Not to disrespect other musicians, but it’s been borderline torture listening to the radio lately…I’ve been forced to turn almost exclusively to satellite radio and the net to find decent music. It’s so rare to hear a beautiful and unique variety of notes, beats, and lyrics. It’s refreshing to know that there are still a few bands out there that will put everything they’ve got into each and every song without a care for the pressure of the masses. Thank you IME for being one of those bands! I can’t wait to see you live and to hear your new stuff. Jag, don’t be afraid to show off your talents as much as possible on Mar. 23rd.
Guitar Question:
Was watching a great documentary, VH1 Metal Evolution, saw a scene with the judas priest guitar player, he had the same upside down/left handed neck on a right handed Strat. Wondered what prompted you to do that? in my generation that is your signature thing. its awesome, i would be lying if i said i havent pondered getting an alternate neck for my strat. Just curious, if it was a thought out thing, or you saw it somewhere or if it just was on a guitar you bought somewhere.
Hey Jag,
Just an Idea … I have heard of groups getting the fans involved in putting an album together. What do you think of letting the fans help with donating towards making a new album and releasing Independently? Is this something IME could do? maybe a 4-5 song ep.
Thanks
We would probably do that. As i had mentioned, all it takes is a little faith and trust between a band and the masses, and anything can be achieved. If we had enough people interested, its totally worth looking at.
Count me in.
Nice!! Maybe we should start a seperate blog/thread to see how many IME fans would support this idea. I know id throw down some $$ Molah
Count me in too! Great idea. I’d love to contribute in any way possible…I’m starving to hear great music from a talented band like IME. I’ve been listening to “the Quicksilver Meat Dream” for almost 8 years now (along with their previous work, of course) waiting for IME to come back, so let’s make this happen!!
Great–I’d help if that’s the route you take.
I know a few years back Marillion did that where fans were invited to submit donations to fund their album “marbles” …the band said it went great and that was one of their strongest works in my opinion. Sounds achievable methinks!
I like!
ditto
Good idea, just name the price. I will do what I can to donate as much as possible.
I’ll donate!
On “Juicy”, during the pre-solo breakdown, you did a little tapping technique. Was that a two-handed thing? What I mean to ask is, that whole hammer-on thing that morphs into several hammer-on things – was that all one track or did you do two?
Either way, so amazingly killer!
Thanks, Jag!
HELL YA! Juicy is an amazing song all around. Maybe even a PERFECT song.
Hey Jag,
First off i just wanna say I’m in edmonton WISHING i could make it for that show man. I’ve never had the pleasure of seeing IME live, BUT now I can be optimistic that you’ll make it out west in the future. It’ll be inspiring to finally see it live.
For years there have been a few songs that i would have killed to get the guitar and even the bass tabs too. Is there any reliable or accurate source? Or would you be ok with posting some? or all?
I have a totally nosy question, so feel free to ignore! I’m curious, do you guys still make decent money from royalties and stuff? Do you get a certain amount every time a song is played on the radio? I hear OMA and NQS all the time. I’ve always wondered how that works!
Oh, it’s so incredible to have you guys back! In the later days, you guys would play a song live that had a percussion intro/background. It was a softer song, had a deep slow bass/keys that’d join in, and almost a U2 feel to it. I think there was even a lyric in it “hope to hell….” or something along those lines. It built very gradually to a nice little climax before fading off quickly. Does this song ring a bell – what was it? You guys should definitely do a recording of it – it was a beautiful tune. Couldn’t be more pumped about March 23!
Was it Ed yelling the 4 count in “Hello Dave!”?
It took me close to a decade to not only realize I knew what that sound was but that I also KNEW the language it’s in. One of those little things that hit you without even realizing it.
Yeah, hes lebonese. More languages in Infinity Machine. One of the funniest memories i have while recording BGO.
So am I… It took till the turn of the century for me to discover this haha.
I wish I understood Infinity Machine… The argument just sounds absurd… Maybe in 10 more years…
good morning sir!! heres some more general nosiness for you if deemed worthy!! ty once for previous replies!! oh yeah..very cool info about when you developed the “slap/pop” approach and the circumstances that led to it..very cool technique and very cool how you integrated into some of the tunes w/o it coming off as general guitar geek ‘wankery’ LOL..ok i digress.. here goes…pick n choose..
1)what in the world is the time signature during the verses of “Moncton” haha!!! variations of 6/8 and 7/8s??? very cool i love it and it flows really good with Chris’ groove under it.
2)working with Dave Bottrill(?) and Peter Northfield. were you a fan of their works with Tool/King Crimson and Rush or other cirucumstances
3)arranging songs –I may be wrong but i had the impression that you composed the music so i ask this… when presenting material to the band is there freedom for the others to create their own parts for the finished product? are there certain sections where it may be ” ok this is what I’m looking for..” example: “3 days old” where toward the end of the solo Bruce comes up and doubles your lead line in unison–very cool move and one of my fave instrumental moments from you guys!! whew!! ok sorry!! lotta stuff…ok last has Brian always been free to come up with his own vocal melodies and lines to sing from the lyrics that Chris had/has written?? Thanx and appreciate any info you provide and hope all is going well for all the Mothers!! have a good time with it!!!
Here goes:
1) time sig is just 3/4 throughout. You can count in 6s, but during some guitar moments its 9s (a 5 and then 4)
2) well, of course fans of the bands they had worked with! You never really know how to be a fan of engineer/producer types until you work together. Im a bitch to work with and they put up with me quite nicely. Actually, a lot of good times with both… Nothing but fondness!
3) im always open to contributions, its not a closed conversation. A lot of stuff happens when we are together but i still need to sit and mull it over so by the next rehearsal i have more to add to the conversation. Even when im writing alone i still have to present to the guys so we can flush it out as a unit…they have to like it! Thats our sound…. Us playing together. We do things a lot in the moment. So for three days old its just a matter of me saying follow this, or vice versa… You try it and if it sounds cool, you go with it. Melodies are tricky. I always hum and sing when im playing at home and things just pop up. Ill sing it to brian and get his thoughts and if hes digging it, ill keep going. If he likes things more than others ill focus on that, or if he prefers a different strategy altogether ill have to adjust. Lyrics are absolutely the last thing that arrive. Chris writes them to these crappy little awful sounding la la tapes i make. But that would be after only both me AND brian like it.
The way we go about things is really unorthodox but it actually seems to make us sound like us. Im okay if i never write another note, as long as it sounds like us im good.
First of all…..can’t tell you enough how happy I was to google IME yet again and get led this page! Best music news I’ve heard in years! I look forward to whatever direction you and the band decide to travel in and I will be with you every step of the way. Whatever format you decide to release your music in….I will be buying it whatever the cost! I just want you guys to keep making music! I can’t count the hours I’ve sat listening to all your stuff with headphones getting absolutely lost in the tunes, or the time spent driving around with said tunes on crank beatin the crap out of my steering wheel to the time of the music and coming home hoarse from singin along!!
Coupla questions if you have the time…..seems like 2011, 2012, has seen a number of “90’s rock bands” that went on hiatus anounce that they were getting together to either make more music or play some shows. Why do you think this is?? Is there a hunger that exists now in Canada for music that features people playing actual instruments to fill the void thats been left empty by the departure of bands like IME? Why is the time right now? Whatever the reason…..I’m just glad it’s happening!!! I’ve been waiting long enough!
Are there any live shows or venues from the past that stick out in your head as being particularly memorable for all the right reasons? I am lucky enough to have seen you 3 times in NL…..Salmon Fest in Grand Falls, Summersault in St. John’s, and outdoors for George Street Fest during the last tour. I have seen many bands in many places…….nothing I have seen has been as memorable to me as Prince Edward Plaza on George Street! I remember going down super early ( all the while explaining to my GF how awesome this was going to be) to get a good spot right in front of the stage for best viewing and sound. You guys did not disappoint! I’m hoping that if you continue to play shows this year you will consider putting a trip to St. John’s on the itinerary! I’ll be there!
Again……thank you for giving me some good music to look forward to!
Ill quickly explain why IME loves Newfoundland and about one of our absolute favorite gigs:
We showed up to play the George St. festival a day early to relax a little and of course go a little crazy. We arrived only to find out that our gear didnt make the flight at the same time and would arrive later on in the evening… No worries.
Later that night our road manager gets a call from Air Canada saying that the gear cant come until first thing in the morning. Alrighty then….
The crew is getting ready to head out for soundcheck and asks the simple question: uh… What are we setting up? Still no gear. We are hoping for the gear to arrive on the very next flight and are preparing for the chaos of getting it, getting it set up on time and making the show happen.
No gear.
The crew heads down anyhow to George st. to figure something out. We are now officially bumming out… Especially Brian of course! Then we get the call…..
No it isn’t gear. Once everybody found out that ours went MIA, the locals scrambled around to borrow from everybody they knew. Guitars, basses and amps were showing up and we started thinking that we might be able to pull it off! Somebody brought down a couple of strats that seemed like they could work, bruce found a fender jazz or something that would work and some drums showed up for chris. We even used whatever strings were on the guitars! I dont even remember what amps we ended up playing through, we just cranked everything and went at it full out!
Best….gig…..EVER
This represents what the East Coast is all about to us, and we’ll never forget that night.
Btw: our own gear never even got off the ground.
I remember talking to you that morning at Sound Check about all of that stuff…
Very cool for you guys to stick around at sound check and talk to the groupies! I’m almost 30 now and that still sticks out as one of my favorite days! Brian used my NL flag to screech in your tour manager (Bruce I think?) – he should still have it somewhere!
needs a like button. that’s just awesome.
Wow…..that’s awesome! Glad you were looked after….had I knows I gladly would have offered up some gear and could’ve helped round some up! What a charge it would have been to see you rockin my Strat to some IME! I was at that show and had no idea! I remember trying to size up your setup to see what you were using having no idea it wasn’t even your gear lol. I absolutely enjoyed that gig and like I said before it was one of the best bands in the best venue I have ever seen! Hope to see ya there again some day! If I’, not away at work, you see me down in front singin my brains out!
While we’re talkin about gear……what pickups do you use in your strats mostly? I have a California Strat circa ’97 that came with Jimmy Vaughn pickups. I replaced the single coil in the bridge with a SD Hotrails and split the coil with a toggle and got the sustain I was looking for. What are you using in your main strats for the neck and mid? I was thinking about trying Texas Specials. I love the tone you get when using your neck pickup! What body wood do you prefer in your strats and find better suited for your sound? Thanks for taking the time to talk to us…..it’s awesome getting to know one of my favourite bands better! Hopefully see you on George Street! If you need any gear I’m sure you won’t be stuck lol.
The sound check was still great.. I was a lil hungover when it all took place. But yes Newfoundlanders do know how to pull shit together in a short time. I’m glad I got to see both the show and the sound check earlier that morning. By far the best experience ever. Especially hanging out with Bruce and Christian the night before. Amazing time!
Are you still using DR 10-52 strings? If not, what are you currently using?
I have found much less use for picks as I get older and my style changes. How about you?
Got me VIP tickets and am stoked for the show! Can’t wait to see you all again!
Cheers!
Im all fingers these days. Very rarely do i use a pick it seems. Im “relearning” the pick thing for this show! Lol!
10-52 any brand! I was up to 11-56 for a spell (with a 46 for an A) but my guitars seemed to hate it. Nuts kept cracking, and the necks just didnt seem happy about it. We dont tune down and after awhile touring with those gauges, i was really starting to have some hand issues. I thought, “why the hell am i killing myself?” and went back down…
guitarist to guitarist Jag, whats your favourite guitar solo you’ve ever done?
I hate to say it but none of them! Live its different, but i cant actually listen to any of my solos. I get so wrapped up in doing the rest of the record that solos seem to be an afterthought, and i always leave them to the last minute it seems. A lot of times while we’re mixing, im still adding solos on the fly, and just kind of bash through them. I have a long list of ones i would love another crack at!
You could start a whole topic page on which are your best solos. My favs: Juicy, Hell & Malfunction, Meat Dreams, Soft Bomb Salad, The secret track on The Passenger, Summertime in the Void, Black Sox, Autumn on Drugs, Infinity Machine, My Beautiful Deep End (both), Levitate, Earth, sky, & c (from earth sky & everything), OMA, shortcut to moncton, raspberry, songburst, sense of henry, The Mothers, Rain will fall, not quite sonic, production, no one, undone, and the universe.
In terms of playing the songs live, I think (unless I’m mistaken) it would be fair to say that you had been using a click track and backing tracks to fill out the missing parts from the albums (Like the Sun, I Is Us etc. etc.). Is that the plan going forward? How do you find the performance of the band with / without the click? Do you find it limits the bands ability to feed off of each other and the crowd? Or is it all the same to you as you’re just following Chris’s tempo?
We had used a click for some songs off of tqmd as we were dabbling in some loops, crazy synth sounds etc. A necessary evil unless we hire another dude for live! Absolutely hate doing the click thing. We definitely like freedom live so we if we feel like heading in a different direction at any point, we can! Even within those songs we still have freedom to play what we want, just at the proper tempo!! Lol! Maybe this is a good thing actually!
I say ditch the click! You’re all so good playing together that when your energies feed off of each other it builds to something bigger – the click forces detachment to an extent.
Now…how to grow a second set of hands to play those other instruments…can’t help you there!
Ha! Its only a handful of songs. But we still find a way to keep them loose…
who were your favourite bands to tour with back in the day?
i only ever saw IME as part of an Edgefest or that type of show, so it always seemed like there might have been some great camaraderie. or hate.
We pretty much got on well with everybody. A lot of those bands we still know as friends and bump into now and again. But i remember good times with finger11, olp, moist, billy talent etc. I mean, how can it not be fun. No time for hate… Plenty for indifference. I would take playing with a bunch of bands who are just good guys vs. idiots. Takes the fun out of a tour.
Back in 1994 you guys toured with Dream Theater…and there are some awesome youtube videos of you and Petrucci jamming out an extended version of Rain will Fall, which is just amazing. Couple questions….had you ever played together before that? And have you ever remained it touch with the DT guys?
Ha! A lot of fun! Portnoy used to play perc every night! Playing with John was a real treat. Guys like that just amaze me and absolutely humble me. Technique and precision are definitely not one of my strengths and John has that and more. Better yet, he’s a real quality person which to me just adds to him as a musician. I wish we were still in touch but sadly we aren’t. If anybody ever talks to him, say hello for me!
great question! i was wondering that as well
Any chance for some kind of online viewing or something? i would love to make the show but don’t think it’s in the cards. Obviously its not ideal but i cringe at the thought of missing the show and not hearing the new stuff ASAP. Not sure what kind of work it would take, or if it’s even possible. but anything to get me in that room would be amazing. I’d pay anything!
We’re definitely considering about a million strategies for a million things. I wouldnt count on it, but dont count it out….no plans though just yet.
Even if someone (a fan, or someone with the band) can go in with a decent cam and get a full track or 2, to give us a taste. *crosses fingers* I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s going out of their mind wishing we could be there but can’t. On that note, I know that it’s uncertain whether or not you guys will tour again but if you do decide against it, maybe you could get together once or twice a year in different parts of the country? Hit a major town on each of the coasts, the prairies…and T.O., of course. Just a thought, for what it’s worth.
Im liking that idea…. The whole thing will play itself out and we’ll kmow what is actually possible! We are definitely loving this though…
If there is a next gig or rehersal, how about a fan cam? Give a handy cam to someone and record some of the session. Perhaps with commentary from the members at the end and post it. Whatcha think?
Hey Jag,
The last time I saw you guys was George St. Fest in St. John’s in 2003. Christian was nice enough to drink beer with me both the night before and that night.
What’s the plan for the show on the 23rd? Will there be an opening band? How long of a set do you anticipate? (Personally, I’m down with an Evening with IME if that’s possible…)
Cheers and see you on March 23rd!
Nice! No plans for the actual set just yet, but my guess is that it could be fairly lengthy. A lot of our songs are obviously longer so even to play a solid number of tunes, it can still be a long night! We’ll push as hard as we can though for sure!
A radio station in Kingston was recently talking about a supposed lawsuit involving I Mother Earth. What the heck was this person talking about? **I understand if this gets modded out but I am curious to know more.
No lawsuits on the horizon! We’re not even in the biz!
Right on. More to the point. What can we expect from this iteration of IME? Are you guys jamming and taping what ever comes out or are you attempting to head in a specific musical direction? Given that it appears you guys are not especially concerned about marketing and labels, I expect that your new material will likely be more artistically focused and expressive as opposed to being hook laden riff rock. More of the same or something completely different and unexpected?
Its unexpected in the fact that we havent even jammed together yet as a complete unit. I cant wait for that, thats when things really get cooking. For now, ive been developing some riffs from the jams ive been having with chris. Some are just huge guitar riffs and definitely hearken back to our earlier days, while others are completely fucked up and seem like a continuation of what we would have done after TQMD. So as we move along, its anything goes. No themes…. Very much a “what do we feel like playing today?”… Sometimes thinking about the “art” of it gets in the way of just having fun. Art happens when it decides to.
Interesting. I agree that intending to sound a certain way often prevents the real sounds from coming through. If I have read this correctly, you are saying that it is more of a “riffs and beats first, lyrics may likely come afterwards” sort of approach. I have always thought of you guys as rather technical and virtuous yet deliberately subdued. Kind of like (in no means meant to be a comparison) Rush deciding to play three chord wonder type stuff seemingly for the sake of appealing to more consumers. At least for the first two records… Personally, I would love to hear more dare I say “progressive” styled material from you guys seeing as you now are without the contracts and constraints of recording contracts. Given the styles that you have always gravitated toward with previous records, it would seem like a natural next step for IME.
I’ll comment with a ‘sort of’ to most of your points. There is never a deviation in the actual timeline of our writing a song. I write/think like this; beats (closet drummer here and i always hear rhythm first!), riffs (either by myself or with bruce and chris), arrangement (i like the song to feel like a complete song whether there is singing on it or not) melodies (i sing on demos using la las and shapes/rhythms of words that work, etc.) THen the big handoff to chris who then disappears and comes back with lyrics that fit. song done.
Zero calculation. If the song calls for some jape it’ll pop up and flow out naturally… A lot of times the more jammy things are written on the fly with us standing in a room and yelling out changes.
While the idea of “going off” and being more progressive permeates everything we do, we really arent that kind of band. The fun we always have comes from writing good songs that have elements of progressiveness in them sometimes in a very sneaky way. Not too many bands during our time competing on the charts sneaking in bars of 5 or 7 or just plain weirdness. That was always our goal. Challenge the norm to see if we could pull it off. We made a career out of it. Being progressive just because “we can” just doesn’t hold any water for us collectively. Like a guy flexing his big arms all day long just because he has them… Without the contrast of seeing his arms un-flexed, the excitement in his audience is short lived. I get bored very easily playing music and always feel the need to add things that keep me on my toes. it just has to be unpretentious. I see new material going off in million different directions. Some songs just pound while others are full of flex.
Yeah.. IME does not really strike me as the kind of band that would go completely against the grain and make an appearance with a “prog” record. It’s always great to hear rock bands such as IME who appear to have produced songs based on guitar riffs that compliment heavy and often complex drumming. Weird that you guys have not jammed as a complete band yet with all that has recently transpired. At least you aren’t touring with Kool & The Gang.
Do you feel like the IME sound will likely evolve into something new and perhaps unrecognizable? Is there a set of musical notions (be it more exotic, more major or minor, funkier, jazzier, bluesier, more cowbell, etc..) that you feel most comfortable in comparison to previous records? Are you conscious of what notes you intend to access as you composed these new ideas?
Which songs have never been played live?
I think we have never played Sense of Henry. At least that i can remember! Universe in you maybe?
two of my favourite songs, should definitly be played live (along with the rarely played 3 days old). I seem to recall someone mentioning that you and Edwin sang sense of henry at a radio station during the S&F promo in the states…never heard such a recording
Dont recall that at all…. But then again, thats no surprise. I didnt even recall a promo thing for SandF! Thanks for reminding me! Ill check with bruce! He remembers all of that stuff!
i was lucky enough to hear 3 Days Old at Edgefest one year
Really? Cool… I remember it being a fun live song.
Does anyone recall if “My Beautiful Deep End” was ever played live?
I don’t recall ever hearing Godrocket live.
Sense of Henry would be remarkable. It contains some of my favorite lyrics. An all time feel good song
I would love to hear Sense of Henry, it’s always been one of my favourites. I always loved seeing you play All Awake, with Daniel and Christian jamming. Will you be doing the intro with 0157 like the last tour?
Hi megan!
At this point we have no idea of what we will be playing, let alone how to open the show. We’ll start feeling that out really soon, and will be looking at the fans to help us decide. Too many songs!
Make it for the die hards!
God Rocket!
Hell and Malfunction!
Autumn on Drugs!
Pisser!
Shortcut to Moncton!
Exclamation Points!!!!!
Soft Bomb Salad!
More like mixed green salad…..at least for the next while.
With all respect to your creative control and musical mastery, how would you feel in the future about a promotional event where fans selected your set list? Nothing stupid, all tasteful and with your approval of course…maximum of 1 cover or something like that. I think you’re the only band to have the ‘cojones’ to not only offer it AND pull it off…
Funny you mention it…. But we were already thinking that. Not sure if we will as we’ll have a “set list” meeting next week. We’re confused about it so why not let people help us! Stay tuned for that….
Jag, over the years I often wondered about the thought of IME playing music again live or on records. How fresh it would be. Like fireworks going off and having you guess at the color and size of the sparks. I never would have thought that IME WOULD in fact be playing again. When real, good, energetic music is created it often at times stops at its peak. That what I felt this was but when I read the message that IME is back I became slightly stunned, had goosebumps, and my eyes slightly watered. If the Toronto show was even two weeks later than it’s planned date I would be going but I can’t make it on the 23rd. I’m sure you’re familiar with bad timing. This upsets me alot but I know there are many more out there in my position. I am happy that there are people who ARE able to make it. Is it possible in anyway to be able to get some type of recording of it, or a few more dates so people like myself can be able to celebrate with you and not just from our computer? I never, ever, would have thought I would get the chance to see IME live. If there is one band I could choose out of any, IME is that choice.
Hey Josh! Thats pretty heavy and im bummed that you cant make it! Who knows what the future holds, but i have to say that the fan support is over the top! It definitely goes a long way in helping us decide on what to do next…. Remember, we had no idea how this thing would roll out. Hopefully soon things align and you can make it to another show if it happens……
As for recording and all that jazz, who knows? So many possibilities?
Jt
Thanks for the reply! Much appreciated.
Hi Jag,
Thanks for being open to answering our questions. Us fans really appreciate it. That said, I have a follow-up to my previous question about some early IME history. Can you take us back to those first 13 shows. Were there any songs that you used to play during those early shows that never made it onto Dig? Were there any tunes on Dig that were written after you got signed and headed to LA to record? And for the other fans out there, are there any bootlegs in circulation of any of those first 13 shows?
Cheers!
It’s great to have you guys back! I feel badly about it but I won’t be making the 23rd unfortunately due to other commitments. Yeah, in theory this should have priority since it’s been technically in the calendar since forever as “Date TBD”.
Anyways, my question is with the resurrection of the band must come a resurrection of some fan sites. I’ll be bringing mine back up, hopefully looking less like the ’90s. I’ve currently got some links to audio tracks that I ripped with permission from you guys (probably Bruce). (How have I not received a DCMA takedown yet?) To show how old, the tracks are in Real audio format. Will I be in violation of the publisher’s license to repost these in some other format? I get the feeling that I should just take these down and link you Youtube or something.
Hey! We actually dont care how people get our music, as long as they do! The stuff you have is all over the net anyhow. I doubt you’ll get hassled about a player with some old bootlegs on it… Just dont profit from it and you’ll be fine! And if SOPA passes, dont worry, ill bail you out of jail! Can you send me some copies? Cringing aside, I would love to see what you have!
Holy snappin crap I’m excited….the idea of new IME tunes and possibly getting a look at the recording process is gonna make my head explode. I have to say IME has been the most inspirational group of musicians I have ever met (most kick ass day a kid of 17 could ask for I might add), I couldn’t think of better news in the music world than this. Jag if you read this and the possibility of some sort of tour is getting tossed around, think Northern BC….just sayin. *sniff* this is so bad ass…
Hey Jag, the “infamous leg” here (haha, not sure if you’d remember me or calling me that). I’m absolutely elated that the hiatus is finally over! I actually squealed out loud when I heard the announcement, and subsequently nearly drowned my iPod in the shower fumbling to hear Bookie better (multitasking at its finest lol). I wish I could make it to the show in March, but unfortunately $600 airfare isn’t in the budget right now. Considering the mass fan response since the announcement, I am going to keep the faith alive that there will be more shows to come (and preferably a little closer to the Pacific….just throwing that out there…) Needless to say, my ears are eagerly awaiting the sweet nectar of rock that is IME!
My question for you is, is there an IME song that you are most proud of, individually or collectively as a band? And if so, why? (be it lyrics, guitar riffs, tone, etc.)
Good luck in March (not that you need it). I hope you guys have a blast being up on stage together again!
Hard to be too proud of old songs. Cant listen to them! I tend to be more proud of maybe the weird way something was constructed, or if we could pull something off on a whim. A funny one was shortcut to moncton. We had the song mapped out and could play it well enough, but we didnt have the middle section. That song is ALL middle section! Chris, bruce and I knew the feels that we wanted but didnt know exactly the notes, the beats, or for how long. So chris cut the drums not hearing any music. Just a click track. I stood in front of him and he would play one feel for x amount of bars, then i would sort of point and make faces at him to change to the next feel and so on and so on. So we had the music done for the song but a gaping hole in the middle, and not knowing if it would work, just starting making a middle section. Just going on guts….We/I had a crazy habit of getting to the mixing stage (which is the pricey bit at the end) and still not have whole sections recorded.
Enter studio B. Just me in any room stuffing all of the missing bits in while the mix was going on. Like the Sun was another funny one. The song was basically mixed and then i would hear “any guitars done yet?”, “are there vocals supposed to be here? Where are they?”… We hadn’t written the ending, so chris is writing lyrics in one room, i have brian in another tracking them as he dropped them off. After every part, i would send the file into the mix room and dave would slide it in. The entire middle out part was done on the fly…. All of Meat Dream was done the same way. Most of the solos for the record were done on the fly during the mix too… I always say “never again!”…. It wont change….
It’s so insane and amazing to hear that, especially re: Meat Dreams – on the album, the song sounds so tight and calculated and precise to me. To hear that you threw stuff together “on the fly”, yikes.
(yikes in a good way, btw, haha)
Does it make me less of a man to admit that this re-onion has made me giddy like a little school girl?…. I’ve dreamed about new IME music, but I’ll be honest, I was starting to lose hope that my dreams would come to fruition. Then BAM! Can’t wait to hear the new stuff from you guys!!
A couple questions for you (and forgive me if they are repeats, you have answered so many already).
Jag, I know you have mentioned that you (surprisingly) don’t listen to much music and that your kids are more up to date on the music scene than you are. That being said, do you have any bands or artists that you’d love to collaborate with?
Do you have a favourite song to play live, and if so, why?
Do you ever play acoustic guitar or are you strictly an electric guy?
Thanks for taking the time to reach out to your fans Jag! It may seem like a small gesture to you, but it really means a lot to us fans that we can bounce some Q&A off to you!
Actually, ive thought that i am more open now to collaborating than i ever have been. We’ve talked to a few people but it was pre Bruce saying yes! Now that things feel really solid, i feel a bit more confident reaching out. I havent figured out who but im working on it. There are some more obvious choices of course, but i did have an idea about working with perhaps songwriters that are about as far away from us stylistically and see if we can IME-ify their ideas. Can you imagine that? It would prove an interesting point about music i think…. Good is good, doesnt matter who writes it. If anything it would be a really fun exercise.
Live songs. Tough one. I love/hate all of them equally for different reasons. At this point ill love everything. I havent been on a stage in 8 years. How about “any song i didnt fuck up” is my new fave…. The best thing ever is when the crowd sings with us. You have no idea what it sounds like on stage. Epic. Hope people remember the words and where to start yellin them out! Can you imagine if people sing the new one… Its perfect for that! Btw: that is a hint to all!!
Love playing acoustic. Most things i write are on acoustic…. If you can make it feel like a good song just sitting on the couch, its a good feeling. If i play electric, i almost never plug it in.
Jag, any chance of getting the true story about Franz/Dig? Who was he, did he really play bass on Dig, and where did he go? Thanks man.
Franz was a good friend. Me and him lived together actually. It was just a strange time for all of us going from having absolutely nothing and finding creative ways to survive, to being down in LA for a seemingly endless amount of time and actually having money. The combination didnt go so well for some of us and by the time we got to tracking bass Franz wasnt physically able to. I wont go into crazy details because its unfair to Franz. He wasnt a bad person, just got into a bad place. I ended up tracking bass (and tearing up my hands!). It was sad but you just have to keep going. When we finally made it home Bruce joined us and thats that.
This isnt a question necessarily, but seeming as though i got my tickets today i wanted to relive a past IME concert memory i had of years ago and how awesome these guys are.
There used to be a concert in London Ontario outside in a park called “Balloon Fest” it was quite rinky dink, but always had good shows. In 1999, IME played but the organizers had baracaded off around the stage to only 19+ people, and seeming as alot of IMEs fans were under 19, this was dumb. Me and a large number of people during the set before IME were side stage in a forest basically hoping to chat with a member or even get a security guard to let us in. Christian came over, and i will never forget this. He was 1. astounded by how many people were just lurking in the forest hoping to hear some tunes, and 2. shocked we werent allowed in. He said “let me see what i can do” after taking the time to talk and shake hands with everoyone he could see. So IME went on, played roughly 3 or 4 songs, then Brian randomly says something along the lines of “if you guys (pointing to us) can get in here, come on in”. A stampede of underagers plowed through the fence and joined the rest of the fans. i personally can remember being front and center between jag and brian jumping up and down to the ending of Used To Be Alright.
I bring this up to remind us and the band how amazing and how big of a part of our lives they have made. I cant believe that was over 10 years ago, but i remember it like yesterday and it is one of my favourite concerts ever. this is what kind of band IME is. Made such a huge impact.
Out of curiosity, Jag. Do you remember that show at all? Get in any trouble over that situation? if so…sorry!
Thats hilarious! I DO remember that, and yes we got in all kinds of shit! Still a lot of fun though. Playing those kinds of things always have rule after rule….. Fun messin’ with them! Thanks for reminding me about that.
i find it amazing you remember that! and awesome. Ya, there was a hint of a look in your face of worry when all that was going down. it was so stupidly organized. Thanks for the great memory! that was one of the first times i saw brian and holy shit, was i blown away!
Hey Jag,
Any chance of you guys doing some kind of meet and greet before the show on March 23rd?
I met Bruce once at Aj’s hanger in Kingston. We had a big discussion about how he thought I looked like “Marky Mark” Mark Wahlberg. LOL. Too Funny.
Thanks
We sure hope we can figure some stuff out like that. We havent quite figured everything out just yet. For now we are just focused on recording and then will switch into live mode! A lot to do…..
Hey Jag,
Quick question: Back when Quick Silver Meat Dreams came out, there was a video posted of you guys playing a live set..and I believe it was on sympatico. I have been searching endlessly to find that video. Do you know if it is kickin around somewhere? Ill be at the March 23rd show. Really pumped!!!
Funny you mention that! I have a copy but its a crap flash file. I was already thinking about “giving it to a friend”…. It’ll turn up, no worries.
I’ve got a copy of that vid. If ANYONE wants it.
Everyone can email me @ michaelmarucci@gmail.com
Provided that’s cool with you Jag?
Totally cool! Thanks for asking. Is it Better than my crappy flash file?
HAHA. It’s pretty decent quality, albeit 4/3 standard def! Where have you guys been?! Let’s go HD!
Thanks man…emailing you now!
Hi there, the video is on youtube. Search- i mother earth 2003
I have a DVD of the sympatico show. Mostly tunes from tqmd
Which effects pedals did you use on Dig?
I had to think about that for a sec… On dig i only used a wah. Straight in to the amp always, add a bit of delay or verb, but as far as i can remember, it was straight in!
Thanks. There are some phase and rotary tones that appear as well. Were those from rack equipment or built-in amp effects?
Forgot. A lot of organ sounds (outside of universe in you) are actually guitar. I was using a steve morse prototype ernie ball with all high strings on it… It was a rack mount leslie thing.
quick answer types..any particular albums that inspired you to take up the guitar when you began? any album that you love/loved that would have been fun for you to wipe the prev. guitar tracks clean and throw yours on?? My album was Queen “Sheer Heart Attack”(older bro’s 8 track at that!! LOOL!! still my personal fave too) . Also any consideration being given by the band to incorporate YouTube into all this activity going on now and leading up to the show?? as always thanks for the responses and ty especially for the music!! Take care Mr Jagori!!!
The first record that ever caught my imagination was hemispheres by rush. My older brother had the red vinyl one and side two destroyed me. He also had all the worlds a stage on 8 track, and it would stop and change tracks right in the middle of Working Man. Hilarious. Then came EVH. That was it for me for many years as a kid. Then stevie, jeff beck and a bit of santana…. Inspiration complete.
ahhh…good ones!!! my older bro had “Fly by Night” and “Farewell” on 8 track as well…Hemispheres btw..do you guys get the FX tv show “Archer” by chance?? Funny animated show about a spy agency..anyways the agencies resident freak scientist Kreiger has a van with the Hemispheres cover painted on the side with him as the naked figure pointing…HAHA….gut busting stuff..just a fyi for anyone there…take care!!!
Hey Jag. Do you have any ideas as to what songs you will be playing in March?
Not at all. We know itll be a long night but havent figure out how to choose. Next couple of weeks might see us ask the fans to help us. We’ll see….
Hey Jag,
Can you provide a history of how IME began. In your first blog post, you mentioned about having been going at it hard since 1989, yet Dig wasn’t released until 1993. Can you take us all back to 1989 and provide some insight into how it all began. What inspired you to start a band in the first place? How did you first start out in creating I Mother Earth and how did you get your first few gigs? Takes us all back to 1989.
Cheers!
Whew, thats a long one. In a nutshell: my brother and I were living in toronto, just trying to survive really. We lived together in this one room apartment that had room for 2 mattresses end to end with a 4×12 in between! Eventually we found a jam space and just kind of played like we have always played, no real plan to conquer the universe or anything, it just felt good making noise. We stayed like that for quite some time and started writing. We were looking for other guys but were having no luck so we did the best we could. The lack of a bass player is what pushed me into the whole slap/pop technique thing…. Just using it to fill out some grooves so chris could have a bit of fun. Eventually we found a bass player and really started developing a sound, and some solid riffs that would eventually make it to the record. Long time later we found a singer and finally decided to book our first gig. It was cool because we didnt do covers, only originals with new ones added every show. The following grew because we were doing crazy things like reading poetry over crazy acid jams, live painters etc. A really fun time when i think about it! Every other band was dressing like guns n roses, so we stood out as a band for at least trying to do something different. 13 shows later we got signed… I think it took until 1990 to solidify the lineup and then one year to get signed… A lot more to it…. its all in the book.
Great to hear that IME will be doing some more tunes and shows. Maybe you can find your way over to the UK if this unconventional continuation goes well. Good luck!
What are some standout memories/stories of the early shows? Wikipedia mentions that sometimes poetry readings and mural paintings occurred. I’m intrigued.
Its true! Good times. A lot of fun back then… No business, no pressure, just fun trying to figure it all out….
In November I was listening to IME and I wistfully posted on Facebook that I wished IME would get back together. I also wished (separately, but in the same time period) that TOOL would tour again and that both would happen while I was living in Toronto. Due to the nature of my career, I will be leaving Toronto soon and am not likely to return.
Well, I received an email from a friend about the show while at the TOOL concert last night.
I cannot wait for the opportunity to see you guys play again.
Looks like everything is coming up Milhouse!
Serendipity-doo. I should probably thank you for wishing that. (especially the tool part!)
Ha, thanks for the response.
I am a member of the CF and I am one of the “old guys” in my trade at 32. I have introduced a bunch of the “kids” your music and told them about the awesomeness of your live shows. Now they will get to see I wasn’t making shit up (no pressure or anything).
Fantastic! Game on!
Hey Jag,
Great to read your blog. It’s great and informative. I hope that you guys are able to make it out to Winnipeg again in the near future, as I won’t be able to make it to Toronto to see you guys play in March. If I could arrange it, I would.
I have a question, but before it, a quick preamble…
… In response to Joel’s question about rights to music created pre-hiatus, you’ve mentioned about having to deal with paying a license fee to the publisher if you were to release them in some format, for example a live album or concert video. It sounds like you don’t have full rights to a portion of your back catalogue of music. I gather it has something to do with how record contracts are setup for artists signed to a label. To the layperson, one would assume that if you write a song, it should be yours to do with as you please, but that’s obviously not always, if ever, the case.
Question: For those of us not in the know, can you explain how music publishing deals work (or at least did work) and what kind of challenges budding young artists should be aware of when it comes to publishing rights of one’s songs?
Cheers from Winnipeg!
Its pretty straightforward. If you write a song, you do indeed own it. 100% without question. If you enter the biz and start working with labels and publishers, youre actually just whittling down that 100 and assigning percentages accordingly.
If you sign to a label and they pay for you to record it, they own the “recording” of the song. If you then sign to a publisher, they become partners on the song and share in any $$ the song can make, however it is used (radio, tv, videos etc.)
If we start releasing our own live stuff, we would need to obtain the proper licenses from the publisher including permissions, video sync licenses etc. If we used the actual master recording for anything, we would need permission from the label. Just because we have a business relationship on those songs.
Its not impossible and a lot of times, labels and publishers are pretty reasonable. After all, they actually want the songs that they are partners on to make money. So again, we could do it, we would just have to ask permission and get the right paperwork done. Its nothing evil or anything, its just business…..
Hope this has not been covered but so many comments . First off , expect a Gardens if Gargantua relaunch very soon ! Old school fan site , Bruce may remember . Anyways, im from SJ NB and will be making the big trek to be at the reunion show and still have to keep reminding myself that this is not a dream …. Anyways, I was a poor young Maritimer who could not get his broke ass to Barrie for Live Off the Floor . Any chance we will ever see or hear anything from this ? Hell, ill take a private viewing in a dimly lit van ! ;p.
Thanks
Dave C
Makes sense. Based on what you mentioned, I assume the publishing company provides some type of marketing of the song to other forms of media (such as movies, video games, television, etc.). Is that accurate? Basically, what service should the publishing company provide in order to justify their percentage of fees?
Do you own the copyright to the songs though? Say an up and coming band wants to record a cover of, I dunno, Basketball. Do they need YOUR authorization to record a cover or must the go through who owns the Masters/Publishing Rights?
You can re record any of our tunes without issue. If you try to “use” the song, the publisher would come a knockin depending on the use. Would probably cost you next to nothing though unless it was a major release or in a movie…..
Can’t tell you how excited I am to hear new IME songs! I’m sure the show in March will blow everyone’s minds and lead to more shows (hopefully something a little closer to home for us West Coasters!).
My question for you is: How does it feel knowing what a huge impact your songs (musically and lyrically) have had on your fans? I’ve always wondered how much a mindfuck it must be for an artist to have other artists cover their music, or fans getting tattoos of lyrics permanently inked on their bodies must be. I’m sure after the band’s hiatus, the response from the your fans in recent days must be somewhat overwhelming.
Completely overwhelmed, shocked, elated, grateful, confused, nervous….. It doesnt matter what line of work you are in, to touch someone elses life in any positive way is extremely gratifying. The world can be nasty at times and if music is where they find sanctuary, we are very humbled to be a small part of it.
Excited to see what the future holds for you guys! Saw you play at a small bar in Windsor (Changez) touring for Dig. Friend and I showed up early to grab food next door and you guys were all sitting in the corner booth fuelling up for the show. You came over and introduced yourself and asked us what channel the hockey game was on so you could watch it at the hotel before your set. Fun times!
If you had to compare/contrast the new stuff you’ve been writing, would you say its sound was closer to your early albums, later, or sort of a mix? Looking forward to checking it out either way!
Hilarious!
New stuff…. Who knows? Theres no plan to sound like anything. We still enjoy the older crazy melodic heavy percussion stuff, and the darker weightier stuff from later on. We dont really have any boundaries so i guess you could expect us to have fun in styles from the past, and pushing our own limits along the way. Dont really expect any style, just new music…..
Hey Jag,
A little off topic from IME, but curious, have you ever met Gordie Johnson?
If so, thoughts, impressions or stories?
No and no
Sorry to be so short on that one. Actually never met him and not familiar with any music. So hate to tell you i got nothin’ in the way of stories!
haha, no worries. He is another Canadian musician I really respect. Big Sugar has also re-formed recently and the new album is pretty cool.
Thanks
While I’m on a roll,
I know as fans we had plenty of these, but are there any songs in your back catalogue that you wish had been singles? Are there any songs that were singles that you wish weren’t? Earlier you said that No Coma was given the working title “A.F.S.” (which is really hilarious); did you resent having to make those singles instead of releasing songs you thought were more truly IME?
(As a note, I think most of us wished to death that Cloud Pump had been a single in the BGO days. Did you ever have any say in what got fed to the lion that is Top 40?)
Ha! Always had a say of course… But summertime was the obvious choice first.
We would never finish a song we didnt like. Its just funny that you can have an album that is really solid and its met with this blank stare because its not “obvious”, and “wont fit on radio”… We understand that totally but why not have fun with it while youre doing it!
Meat Dreams could have been a great radio single. Let the DJ go for a bathroom break for god sake. =)
“It seems a lot of people have misspoken on our behalf throughout our career”
I thought this quote on the front page was a really interesting thing to say. Honestly, I am probably totally guilty of this on a small scale – defending singer preference with friends, album song superiority over singles, that kind of thing. Are there any specific things that you often hear, or have heard, through word of mouth or what have you that you wish you could address?
I dont wish to address anything specifically because i dont really think about it. We arent preoccupied with our own history, of which we have never really addressed directly. There are SO many things floating around about us that are extremely untrue, but we simply dont care. If somebody asks, i have no problem answering, especially if its a half truth or something…but really, if somebody I dont know has an issue or opinion about us, am i supposed to care, or go on the defensive? Whos got time for that? People are pretty brave online… That being said, the positives far outweigh the negatives, and by a huge margin, so its all good with us!
Hey guys! So happy to hear the news I’m a long time fan and have been waiting ( like many others) for some new tunes just wanted to know if there will be any other shows? Im living in Israel and obviously won’t be able to make it to the march show, any chance you might do someore shows this summer? (preferably in Winnipeg)
Thanks and again I’m so excited that u guys are back I even pulled out my old “truley sonic” magazines and listened to all 4 albums the other day lol.
Awesome! Well, as we’ve stated, this one show is really testing the waters and seeing if a)the fans still have interest, and b)that we can play at the top of out game. If things go well, we get together and discuss what to do next! In a perfect world, things go terrific and we get the chance to go back to winnipeg. (always wicked shows there!)
So nobody is getting this new song until after the show? is this what im understanding?
Hey Jag, quick, easy question if you see this! I’ve just purchased, and printed my tickets for the show – coming out from Regina to see it, and can’t wait. Just wondering how long of a set you guys might be thinking of? Being from Saskatchewan, I missed out on the last show, and do not want to make that mistake again… I saw the set list from that show and couldn’t believe it – unreal! I would imagine you guys wont’ say much about what songs you are playing… Just curious if it’ll be a longer set as well?
It will be as epic as physically possible! Promise.
relating to IME’s experience during “Quicksilver” that you referred to earlier here I would ask–as an established recording artist if/when you think back on your previous work how do you relate to it now or judge it..? Is it based on how your personal life/band life was going career wise or the record company running interference with ‘singles’ etc…or just based on the material alone? the recording/mixing process…etc? hope this does not seem to cluttered..haha…appreciate any insight
Thats an easy one. I never look back on or listen to anything i have ever been a part of. After its finished i kind of become indifferent and focus on the next challenge. Im sure all the guys feel differently though. The process of making a record usually drains me and right after its mastered, im done. I cant change anything at that point so its time to move on. Case and problem in point: after 8+ years I hadn’t heard any songs from tqmd. I heard one song and was horrified, so i started to remix the record. I remember talking to brian and he asked me what i was up to, i said ‘currently remixing hell and malfunction’… He told me i was crazy. So now i at least have some versions of those songs that i can actually stand. Its a sickness.
We were never really bothered by the labels at all. We were always pretty fortunate to just be left alone. It was always after the fact that little hurdles start popping up on the business front. We dont actually have any bad feelings toward any labels. We met and worked with a lot of great people through the years and i think i can still call most my friends…. But with the market turned upside down at that time, people in the business were scrambling to adapt, leaving many casualties of course…
8|
Maybe “somebody” will leak those remixes… Just sayin… sometimes that kind of thing happens.
Never
That’s just cruel! Haha
I always find it awesome when artists suddenly decide “Let’s remix this” It shows how their personal style has changed and is always fascinating
Hey Jag. First off, I’ve been a fan since seeing you for the first time at the Salmon Festival in Newfoundland way back in 96 and havn’t heard an IME song I didn’t like… honestly. My question is, from a musicians point of view, how do you view the musical landscape/industry today. It seems to me that real bands, with real instruments and talent have started to be overlooked and thrown under the bus for the more autotuned, overproduced garbage that seems to have taken the forefront. Just wondering if you feel this is just a cycle in the industry or if this is a sign of things to come and what it means for I Mother Earth (outside of not getting into contracts and having freedom), which seems to be the only way for bands like you to do it these days. Thanks for everything you’ve given us.
Great question: im actually going to do a feature blog about this subject. Its a big topic and really hard to dive into it quickly. Be patient for just a little bit… I promise, it’ll be a good read and more than a little surprising.
Any chance of hearing some ‘B Sides’ in the future? In 100+ shows I’ve seen IME, never once have I heard you play “Subterranean Wonderland” or “Wrong” live for example. Actually I think Brian’s vocals are much more suited for them than shithead, and are easily 2 of my favourite and most underrated IME tunes…
To further that, what about hidden gems like the 30-second “Acid Butterfly Tree” clip that floated around Napster waaay back when, or the live recording unofficially named “Hope to Hell”? Any B-side talk tagged onto the above question!
I actually have NO idea!
Some discussions sparked after Earth, Sky & Everything in Between was released by EMI, which rightfully angered the band as they were now signed with Universal at the time (and overall timing was poorly chosen).
I may be wrong, but my guess is that Jag and the band are tired of dealing with labels and getting permission for stuff they did but don’t own. That seems exactly like the opposite of what they want to try. I would be surprised if anything unreleased from previous times surfaced now.
But they can still play it live. I already have recorded copies of the B-Sides, i’d love to hear some of their lesser known tunes.
In the S&F sessions listings, there are three songs with working titles: Creambox, Until Number Nine and Unit #4 (Instrumental). I always felt Unit #4 (Instrumental) must have been Hello Dave!. I am guessing Creambox and Until Number Nine are Three Days Old and Shortcut to Moncton (though I don’t known which is which). There was also Wrong, which was eventually cut to make place for the Enhanced CD.
I was never able to get proof whether Creambox and Until Number Nine were merely working titles for above-mentioned songs or if they were full-fledged songs that never made it.
Maybe Jag or Glock could help me with this.
Separate songs…Creambox was a killer riff but shit song in the end so it didnt make it very far in the process. I dont remember any unit #4, there was only unit#9. Good tune but didnt make it past a quick unfinished demo. Wrong was an okay song but once we got the album together it didnt feel right.
There was also Peace Messiah from the original 5-songs demo. Not my favorite song from the band, but including for completeness.
Just another shit demo and a shit recording of a band trying to figure it out.
That whole timing thing was extremely fishy but what we were more angered about if i remember was that some of the songs were just fucking around in the studio playing songs that werent even complete. We didnt even know they existed anywhere as a ‘master’. I know i didnt have a copy of them. Little tricks that happen when signed to a label. If you fart anywhere near a microphone and its recorded, its owned by somebody. Actually we did a killer fart tape during dig that was absolutely insane… Kept a mic going for the entire session. Im kind of surprised that it hasnt surfaced anywhere on a compilation record.
Now, in the labels defense, its 100% within their rights to do that so i dont blame them for trying to make some dough. We signed up for this, so its actually our own fault. Cest la vie!
100+ ?!! Wow, you were more hardcore than most Dead/Phish Heads!
Greetings again Jag…ty for ur previous response!!! Heres another if you have the time and deem it worthy–how do you feel about the “digital ” era of music? did it kill the old fashioned album format?? pros and cons on that?
Hey Jag,
Just wondering if there is a chance that once you guys have so many songs recorded you put some kind of Album together. I too am a collector of music (but I open mine, haha), and digital downloads just dont look the same on my bookshelf as a nice full length album.
Thanks for doing this!!
Hard to think about currently. I never look back or listen to anything we’ve ever done. It would kill me.
LOL … so this is similar thinking as John Lennon when he rcorded anything. He hated most of what he did.
Thanks a lot for doing this. Reading all all of the questions and responses has been fantastic.
My question for you, or any of the band members, is what inspired the change in direction when it came to writing TQSMD? All of your guys’ albums were different from each other sonically, but TQSMD seemed to be a very dark record both instrumentally and lyrically, especially when compared to the previous ones. Was this a conscious effort on the part of the band basef upon what you were going through personally at the time. I know that may be a hard quedtion to answer because I know you said you normally write the tunes and then Chris would write the lyrics, but regardless both definitely seemed to come from a darker place which was a welcome surprise.
Anyways, thanks again for being so accessable and taking the time to answer all these questions. Really is appreciated.
P.S- Also, not to brown nose, but since I know there’s a good chance you’ll probably read this, and since I’ll probably never meet the band in person, I just wanted to give a big thanks to the entire band for writing that album. I know it cost everyone in ways that it never should have, but as a fan, it was and still is one of the most influential albums for me of all time. Any time a piece of music can affect your mental being enough to influence and change your physical actions (for the better too) you know you owe the people who made it a debt. God Rocket, Like the Sun, and Hell and Malfunction did that for me. So yeah, for what it’s worth, thought I’d share that.
Cheers.
Writing it was actually a lighter experience than you might think. When we went back in to write after BGO, we just let it happen as usual, some really good tunes but it was missing something. (Brian still sings some of these to me now and again to remind me that they were pretty good!). But this was a time that the “outside forces” seemed to have infiltrated our jam space. I think we had about 6-7 tunes written if im not mistaken, but we just didn’t look happy jamming them. Im not sure exactly how it went down, but i recall coming in one day and just hitting delete several times. Thats it… Songs gone, no record of them anywhere. I always felt that if a riff is meant to exist, it will always come back to me. Never did.
I feel like we made a group decision to just get back in touch with being ourselves, locking the door, phone off the hook etc. First song was Choke. The rehearsal room had a different energy and the songs just started flowing out. Tracking it was really fast (for us) and there was a really good energy. The whole album was actually a happier record in that sense than all of the previous ones combined. No thought beyond just letting it happen…. There is never a real intention to sound like anything, we just have to like it. Choke set the benchmark for the tone of the record… Then the concept of the record started taking shape lyrically. Chris had many dreams of meat and off we go…..
We also wrote the whole album as one cohesive thought first, before even talking about singles. The record company was nervous and frustrated im sure which was totally understandable, but if we were going out we were going to make the record we wanted to. I basically wrote Like the Sun at the very end in one evening as a response to the label asking “is there a single.” One day it didnt exist, the next we had the lead off track. Btw: No Coma was written just before with the working title “A.F.S.”… Stood for “another fucking single”.
Codenames for tQSMD songs:
– TSRD
– Sayadasou
– Shot Song
– Brianburst
– Juicy (obvious!)
– Butterfly’s Revenge
– Baritones of Home
– A.F.S.
– Eddie Shore
– New Creepy
– Cliffs of Insanity
I am pretty sure that, through a collective effort on the board, we had matched to the actual song names, but I don’t recall all of them. Although I am pretty sure TSRD is Meat Dreams.
Taken from an archived version of the Captain’s Log (between January and May 2002). Available on the Wayback Machine (http://web.archive.org/web/20040814014220/http://www.imotherearth.com/archives/log_content.html) or, for an unformatted copy: http://pastebin.com/0n5wCQSF
Hey Jag, your #1 fan here..
Thanks so much for all the music and shows over the years, and I am so happy to hear that IME is back! I was wondering if it would be possible in any way to get an official message board up and running like the old days? I mean no disrespect to your blog of course, I’m super grateful for that!
And excuse my geekyness, but what is your favorite time signature?
We’ll get to it im sure, but for now we have a ton going on. It would be great to have a big launch party in toronto for “members of the board”!
Let us know if we can help with that. There’s a lot of members of the old community forums that could probably pull something together relatively quickly…
Rest assured most of us regulars have been in talks over a group shot from Barrie and excitement over having tickets finally that it will happen. We’ll probably invite the band too 😛
Yes!
That sounds like the best idea since the re-onion!
I recall you saying at the Ottawa listening party way back when you had considered re-recording the first two album’s material with Brian on vocals and you got a unanimous response in support of it.
Any interest or is revisiting the past not a high priority for now
Ha! Havent thought of that in a long time. I think we just keep looking forward and have really forgotton thoughts like that. Also it would take way too much time and effort! ( we seem to be lacking both all of a sudden! )
Jag, you joked somewhere on your blog that you had to relearn “Not Quite Sonic” or “Summertime In The Void”, can’t remember which one you said. My question is, do you just listen to the recordings and it all comes back to you or do you have all the music written down somewhere and you just reference that? Thanks for taking the time. See you at the show! I’ll be the drunk one…..
I just need a quick listen and it comes back pretty quickly. But with so many gtr parts mashed together in our songs, i have to figure out how i pulled it off live. A lot of times its a whole different way of playing the song but still ends up sounding like the record.
1) Will the set at the Sound Academy be the same as the “last show” set in Berrie?
2) Is Adrian still teching?? Im an audio engineer and looking for work… HIRE ME!!! i can build you last rig with sh!t in my basement. GCX,ds-1,DOD envelop filter, phase 90, Radial JD7… ORIGINAL whammy!!!! rack wah…
…alesis fx rack (cant forget that baby)
At this point, i cant even remember what we played, or even how to play most of it. Not that far yet. No tech for me, just a pod direct into the board.
Riiiiiiiiight…..
I have the set list… LOL
here’s the setlist: http://www.setlist.fm/setlist/i-mother-earth/2003/georgian-college-barrie-on-canada-3bd07020.html
I say Fractal.
Lend me yours! Lol!
Opps, now check your email.
Hey Jag welcome back! Can’t wait to finally see you guys live. I just got an e-mail stating that tickets sold tomorrow come with a free download of one of your new tunes. I assume edge pre-sale wont be getting this download. Will those of us that bought tickets today be able to get our hands on new material tomorrow as well?
Im not sure but the way i heard it, if you come to the show, you are handed a download card or something. Go home, and download. A ticket equals download. Shit, reminds me, i better get this one done!
Cool! Thanks for clearing that up for me. I’m sure ill get to hear the new one live before i download it.
One more…
What have you all been listening to in your time off? Any new music that influences you? I understand you haven’t been playing as much, but i’d like to peak behind the curtain of the kind of sound we can expect.
One thing about me that people find strange is that i NEVER listen to music. I collect music and never open it. Seriously. My kid knows more about current music than i do! Nothing but talk radio and reddit! Inspiration comes from so many different places and for me, music isnt one of them. If im in the right frame of mind, i can write song after song, riff after riff, but if i get bummed out its over! I think its an OCD thing. When im in, im all the way in. If I tune out even for a sec, its over!
As for new music, whatever falls out of me is what you get. I think this is why we sound like us…. We kind of just let it happen. I can definitely say that within 2 seconds of the first song we are working on, people will know who it is. As for the second song….. Just plain weird and cool. No rules. The project should be called OCD actually.
Upvote for reddit!
Jagocd – thanks I look forward to hearing it all again live. Surely the past decade has changed a lot of things, I guess that as much as I love every song the way it is – and if we hear them all perfectly as we’re used to at your live shows – that’s awesome. But if there’s a new vibe to the songs, a maturity if you will, that’d be welcome too. Either way.
And your Uncle “Frip” probably still maintains its all King Crimson influences.
G’day sir. Thanks for doing this guys, by the way. For whatever strange reason, if IME were to ever do a set of covers, what songs would it contain? Also, Jag – would you please give us your current “rig rundown”? Cheers!!
Have no idea on the covers. I would have to sit and argue with myself for days on that one. I havent even thought about a rig just yet. Im in recording mode so theres crap all over. I might go right back to basics for the show. Minimal everything except volume. Big, clear and full. Really thinking about using my recording head for that, which is my naylor. I’ll make up my mind eventually.
Cool man. One more for you. Digital downloads are great and .flac files are usually pretty nice to listen to compared to CD’s and MP3’s etc… This may be odd and obscure but re-issuing the IME back catalog as well as the new material on LP vinyl would be nice to see. Thanks again.
I wish!
Always loved some of the covers that would be thrown in at the bridge during some of the songs IE 3 Days Old / I Will Follow (U2), Levitate / Unchained (VH) etc… very tasty and cool
Holy crap! I think now just to get the set over with, we’ll put 2 Of our own songs inside 3 days old!
IME would do some serious justice to Hendrix – Voodoo Child.
I’m imagining some congas in there.
Hey IME
First point, this whole blog/networking/Q&A thing is just awesome.
Question. Personally, Quicksilver was my favourite album by you guys and one of my favourites ever. I can go into detail (and would love to) about what i love about it but dont want to steal the page. My question is, after seeing you play over a dozen times now what I noticed alot about your playing is your attention to detail in tone. Particularly a show, nearing the hiatus time, at a club in London. The Drink/Cowboys. It was a great show, and you would constantly fiddle with your floor gear, changing delays and eqs and what not. I was severely impressed and entertained. now to the question. On Quicksilver, HOW DID YOU GET THOSE TONES? haha, specifically on tracks like the tastiest strat tone in soft bomb, the huge tone you acheive in the chorus to I is Us (great song) even going back to gems like Pisser and love your starfish and the gigantic intro tone of No one, mainly wondering your technique on Quicksilver as a whole and maybe some tips in achieving some cool tones.
again, this blog is amazing, keep it up we love it!
Wow… Biggie question!
First off, im an extremely lazy guitar player. I never have a master plan for tones, and tend to use whatever guitars are within arms reach and that are intonated for the parts im playing. Amp wise, i think my one amp has been on the same settings since scenery and fish. If you come to the show, i use the same settings live on that amp as well. Funny story on TQMD and BGO…. Engineers spend all this time auditioning and placing mics, making sure the mics are perfectly in phase, trying different heads and cabs etc. Its a lot of work actually…. Then we end up using a bunch of demo tracks i already cut playing direct into protools. Pisses them off but in the end it works. I mix it up between my naylor amp and various direct configurations and stack the chords in different ways for each tone to give it depth….
Dear Jag, Christian, Brian and Bruce.
Such great and exciting news. there’s nothing more I would like to do than to show my support.
I Mother Earth means so much to so many people. Being my favorite band since I discovered you in the mid 90’s I have had so many amazing IME experiences. Living in Ottawa I’ve seen you countless times in Ottawa and Toronto including Barrymores, Carlton University (Olivers?) when Daniel played on the pipes to honour Johnny Cash’s passing, Some random cowboy bar, Guvernment, and even the parking lot of the Nepean City Hall where I remember someone falling from a crowd surf and you guys stopped the show to get them help. It was amazing how professional you were handling that situation, coming back out telling us to have fun but be careful, thinking you would start us back up with something mellow, no you bust right into Cloudpump. I also met you all briefly backstage after a Mike Bullard taping (When Did you Get back from Mars). I even bought a Sterling because Bruce plays one!
I have bought my tickets for the 23rd and can’t wait. All these memories, your music and more, have had an impact on me (and as we see on these forums, so many others) in one way or another. I can’t thank you enough for being honest with us and yourselves.
When my wife told me that your website had popped up earlier this month with a countdown to an announcement, it was the happiest day of my life….but don’t tell her that 😉
Thanks for everything and no matter what you guys do, you’ll have us fans behind you all way, all time.
Cheers,
Dan A
Very much appreciated. Thanks! We’ll do our best on the 23rd for you!
Okay… Recording question… I have often said that the guitar tone about 3/4 through “Meat Dreams” is the best distorted guitar tone I have ever heard… What dark magic produced that terrible beauty?
Hilarious. Just the usual. Same amp, same guitar thats in the rest of the song i think. I also mix in a ton of really weird distorted tones underneath… My black strat also has a weird faulty wiring thing that ive never corrected… Kind of like it for weird sounds.
Another question that’s been bugging me for years. What’s the story behind No Coma?
I dont really know. Actually i couldn’t even play it right now. If i figure out what chris’ hippy lyrics mean i’ll let you know. What you think its about is more important than what it actually might be about. Hell, raspberry was literally about holding your wang at a urinal…. So your guess is as good as mine.
No coincidence then that it comes directly after Pisser?
Hey guys! Will Daniel be back?
Oh geez, I missed the below.
“I was too busy using my intelligence trying to come up with a question.” (THIS ONE’S FOR YOU, GREG.)
-Calla, circa 2000.
Of course…. No fun without him
Hoooray!!! The re-onion is complete!!
Jag, can you finally reveal what the lyrics are that you sing in the background of One More Astronaut from 4:21-4:32? If you’ll recall, a bunch of us on the old site were bugging you over ten years ago to tell us, and I have to be honest, this question has burned in my mind ever since and every time I listen to the song. Can you put me out of my misery? It’s not nice to torture someone for so long!
Come on! You cant ask me that! Dont want to burst anyones bubble. I remember singing it though and thinking my brother was a dumbass, or perhaps a genius!
Fine, fine, at this point I think you might take it to your grave, so I will have to find some way to let it go. Haha.
It’s terrifying to think that Greg’s crude theory behind it is what stands out :S
I recall NIN giving the source material for their live footage as a free download to their fans via nin.com, and the result was a bunch of crowd-sourced edits readily available. It’s a neat way to involve the fanbase in the band’s process, give them a variety of options as per how to experience the material, AND frees up the band’s time so they don’t have to worry about it much.
Not saying they should or shouldn’t, but it’s a neat proposition that seems in line with the kind of modern, social, online business model IME is interested in harnessing.
I’m sure part of that depends on who recorded the material in the first place – that footage could be owned by someone else. Hopefully not, though! That would be a great idea.
Not as simple as that. When there are other people involved in the ownership of your music, it all becomes about permissions. Im through with asking permission to do anything. If we could we would. Ill find a way to really get people involved in the new stuff though. Would love to enlist creative people to be a part of this and show off their skills….
Well I’m in for that one.
Hi Jag, some guitar questions for you….
1) Is your black reverse headstock strat a custom shop or a piece together kind of thing and what kind of pickups is it rockin?
2) What colors are your evh ebmm guitars and will you sell me one?..haha
Thanks so much for your time to answer these questions!
Larry Brooks from the fender custom shop made 2 matching ones. There was also one with a maple neck that existed. I was dumb enough to lend it to some turd for a show and the moron lost it. We found it years later in quebec and i didnt have the heart to demand it back. The guy bought it fair and square and he would have been out a bunch of dough. He didnt know it was mine.
I switch pickups alot. For now i have fender texas specials, and a tom anderson h2 in the bridge. Always looking for something new though…. Never stops.
The ebmm guitars are flame purple and flame grey. Funny story about what led me to these that ill share in a blog sometime but its a doosy!
Jag,
Regarding amps, what were you using, and what are you using now. Also, where is the dirt coming from, the amp, or are you using an over-dirve / distortion pedal.
Im still using my old first gen naylor. As soon as i plug in, it sounds like me. It reacts to my fingers really well, cant explain. Ive used everything and can feel pretty comfy on most things in a couple of minutes. Im cursed with sounding like me for better or worse! Trust me, i’ll try a ton of amps looking for somebody elses tone because i like what theyre doing and it always comes out the same. Some of my techs could attest to that… We get excited to try a new amp just to be disappointed it still sounds like me give or take 5%! So live ive used, 5150, naylor, budda, rivera, etc. Usually a mix of 30s, 25s, and 80s for speakers… Always getting grit from the amp. Sometimes ill go clean and add dirt from a pedal though when it works…
Another request to see the Barrie show.. you guys teased the hell out of us about it being filmed.. that show needs to see the light of day!
Just dump it in the hands of a willing fan to put it together if you don’t have the time!
Agreed! Quite seriously, I’ve been waiting for this since I first heard you were recording the show…way to keep a bother hangin’! 😉 I could never convince Bruce to get you guys to play Shortcut To Moncton, and I know you played it that night. I’m sure the cost of manufacturing and distributing this may be unrealistic at this point but maybe you could sell it via download…individual tracks and/or, the show as a whole?
Not to be a “bother” but that should have read “way to keep a brother hangin’!”
I have everything. But again, a lot of legal stuff prevents us from doing much with it. If i actually had it complete, i would probably just give it away….
nice if it were “leaked” then =) what a cool night.
I would love to know what you’re using in the studio these days. Macs, Pro Tools, Nuendo, mics?
I have a feeling you’re still rocking out the Naylor and Budda cab.
😉
Cheers!
Nate
Well, kind of the usual. Im a pro tools guy, after making the switch post blue green orange. I do remember my first music comp was an old G3 that we bought for demoing up on stoney lake, i installed logic and the very first noises i ever made via Midi and in logic, is basically 80% of Good for Sule. Just fucking around to learn how to use it and that song popped up.
One hundred percent rocking my naylor, budda, and a modded plexi! The naylor=everything.
hey again!! My question relates to something you said in your initial blog about the previous 8 years up to now. You indicated that you had not touched the guitar for awhile and I had the impresssion that Chris had not played regularly either..so what interested me is this…
Did it take awhile to get your “chops” back to your satisfaction? How did the downtime affect the compositional process? I guess in general how did the whole time away affect you all with regards to the whole process….?? This struck me since IME’s music has always had many layers and depth to it in my opinion…hope you find this a tasty subject and I look forward to hearing about it—tons of things I could/would ask but this one jumped out immediately!!! Again…hope things are going well Namaste !!!
Good question. Sometimes you have to step away to understand what you are, what you are not, but mostly what you feel you can be as a musician. Even a little bit of success can get in the way of your desire to get better. Ive always wanted to ‘be better’. I found that I was playing shows totally disconnected from my guitar and thinking about hockey and italian food…. Right in the middle of a concert! All those stupid faces i was making was actually food or sport related. Seriously though, i wasn’t growing. Taking the time off gave me a hunger to just play again. Took about an afternnon to get the chops back, (if you even call what i have “chops”) but i found i had a whole new skillset as a player. I never plug into an amp when i practice and it really makes me feel the guitar differently and i feel way more connected to the wood…. Cant explain it. Thinking outside of the box i put myself in. It also helps me reconnect and play the old stuff better…..at least i hope so!
Now Chris is a whole other story…. Actually hes doing good, but drumming is a way more physical thing so a lot more things to think about. Hes still an ornery ol hippie in the studio though so I went easy on him…
This is more of a personal question so I don’t know how comfortable anyone might be with answering it, BUT, around the time of the hiatus there were some rumours that Chris’s back was giving him a lot of trouble and making it hard to drum. IF he was indeed having back problems, how’s the back doing? We care about you guys!
And if he wasn’t having any back problems, or doesn’t want to answer, um, you can ignore this one and I’ll just go back to feeling awkward.
How do you guys find out about this stuff. Actually hes good to go. When we recorded the last record, we actually stopped tracking drums because his shoulders were basically shot. He couldnt even hit his cymbals. We were finishing ‘meat dream’ and he just said, “thats it, im done”…. We just kind of looked at one another and i knew to leave well enough alone. (i have a bad habit of pushing a wee bit hard!) we just hoped we had what we needed to complete the song…
He got it back together although still felt the effects of those sessions. His back gave out on tour and was really scary. It was right in soundcheck and the drums just stopped! Chris wasnt even moving…..
Thank god its just one night!! Actually, he’ll be just fine…..
Follow up question, does it wierd you guys out that people sometimes know more about you than they probably should? Haha. Sorry to have been “that guy.” Crazy story… how did he manage to get through that show? As someone with sporadic back problems I’ve had my back sieze up and if I had to say, play hockey or something directly after I’d be shitting my pants. Hope the hiatus has been good to him in that respect at least.
I think the guys are just so open that one person hears from another and it’s common knowledge.
Last week Brian told me about his headache and how he was feeling during the Barrie encore break. I cannot stress how remarkable all your performances were that night. It was something special everyone truly felt honored to be a part of
Ha! Yeah its weird but we actually forget about this stuff sometimes… Its good to have you guys around to remind us!
Hey Jag – Stoked that IME is back at it! You guys were always one of my favourites. My question: I was at your massive concert-in-the-round show at Georgian College, which to my understanding at the time was recorded and meant to be released in some form – Will the video/audio from this show ever be made available? It was one of the most impressive shows I’ve been witness to… It would be amazing to relive that night.
Thanks! Looking forward to hearing the new music!
Tim.
Wow, just now saw that I’m not the only one asking about the Barrie show! Haha.. It WAS impressive, gents.
Will the show or new songs have Dan Mansilla on percussion? Love his groove!
Daniel is going to be on the album, if I recall correctly
I can answer this one, Daniel is back with them, but there will be no album. Just possibly a boat load of new music being released through imotherearth.ca.
Awesome! I still have a signed stick from Daniel from the TQSMD release show at Club279 (Hard Rock)
What album is this?
LOL .. the new one?? haha.
Sorry, I meant to say the new music but I’m a 90s kid 😛
Any chance of IME releasing live tracks from years ago? Did you guys keep any audio or video recordings from shows long ago?
Any future plans regarding that recording from the Barrie gig? What needs to happen for that to see the light of day?
Your previous blog entries made it quite clear that the band is not coming back the traditional way with, let’s say, a contract with a label. This is the path many bands (of various degrees of popularity) chose to take also and, as a music consumer, I will be more than happy to buy directly from you – either online or at venues – instead of going through legacy channels. And if you happen to have a way to record the continuation concert in good-enough quality (à la Radio3 Concerts podcasts), I would definitely spend good money to get it.
My question is about rights to music created pre-hiatus. Are you allowed to distribute live recordings of songs (let’s say a concert podcast, or whatever the vehicle) that were written while you were under contract with your former labels?
We wouldnt be allowed to without paying a license fee to our publisher. We should probably just give them away…. I like that better.
Can I have the Barrie tapes? 😀 I can easily see the fans putting together a package for everyone to save you the trouble
….what Riley said. Ill help him carry that big stack of Mini DV tapes back to Ottawa for editing