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Interview with Phil by Janee'

January 9, 2005 at CBGB's in New York City

Janee`: For those visitors of BacStagePass.com who aren’t clear on who you are, could you please introduce yourself.
Phil: I’m Phil. I sing for a band called All that Remains.
Janee`: Now some people may remember you from Shadows Fall, what inspired you to start All that Remains as a second band in 1998?
Phil: Um, well initially I wanted to fucking just play guitar again, and then it turned into I didn’t have a job because they kicked me out *smiling* so it was much easier to go ahead. We already had like three or four songs written and we had started to like to get the band together and stuff like that. Like we had our old guitar player and bass player, and then they asked me to leave Shad and I was like um well I already have this project started so I might as well just put all my time into it instead of just part of it.
*laughing*
Janee`: Is this lineup All that Remains has now, the original lineup?
Phil: No, actually we’ve had a couple of different members in the band. Um we have a new guitar.. a relatively new guitar player. They’re not really new dudes anymore. It’s like the newest guy has been in for a year and a half. Our bass player Matt has been in for a year and a half. We’ve had some bass players, a couple different bass players just trying to get someone solid. Our first bass player quit after the first tour, um and then we went out and on the first tour and our first guitar player was kinda difficult to be on the road with. So we just went ahead and were like all right we’re gonna have to find someone else. So we got that taken care of with Mike Martin who’s playing guitar now. He’s been with us for about two and a half years or so.
Janee`: Okay. When it comes to the music that All that Remains produces, you have been quoted as saying that the band pleases yourselves first. Was pleasing yourself part of the reason that you opted to leave Shadows Fall.. Or as you said you got kicked out... and take on vocal duties for All that Remains full time?
Phil: Well, um... that’s why I started writing in the first place. It’s like I was... I had talked to our manager, who’s ours All That Remain’s manager, but at the time he was managing Shadows Fall when I was in the band and umm I talked to him, you know about 6 months before they asked me to leave. And I was like you know [I'm] not really happy. It seems they want to go one way and I’m kinda looking in a different way. And he was like nah stick around. Things are gonna be really good. And I was like okay. He kinda talked me back into sticking around. And uh, I was like, I at least want to do something that’s really what I want to do. It’s not that Shad wasn’t what I wanted to do it’s just that I didn’t feel that, they weren’t covering what all I wanted to do, and so um I just decided I’d play guitar again ‘cause I hadn’t played guitar in a band in a while. So I just started writing stuff and it just so happened that about the time I got things started was when Brian from Overcast became available and so... *shrugs*
Janee`: I think it worked out nice. So do you think that the reason...or part of the reason a lot of other bands have so many lineup changes or that band members often come out and express displeasure with their band, is because these bands are always trying to please someone like record labels or something, other than themselves first?
Phil: I don’t know dude, to be honest with you. I don’t even have any idea. I can’t say or speak for anyone else to be honest with you.
Janee`: Fair enough. So other than the lineup change, how has All that Remains grown since the release of your debut album “Behind Silence and Solitude”?
Phil: Well we focus. Like on this record we really focused on writing songs as opposed as to writing..It’s like you..we... I say we serve ourselves first, but there is a point where you can get too self serving. I think on our last record we let solos get a little bit too out of hand and didn’t really focus on writing songs. Well, not on writing good songs but we didn’t really sit down and ask does this bring anything to the song, and have the balls to cut it out when we should have. A lot of times your like it’s cool that way, it’s a cool part and we just go ahead and let parts be parts as opposed to being songs.
Janee`: For your current release “This Darkened Heart” All that Remains chose Adam Dutkiewicz to produce the record. Why Adam?
Phil: Cause we trust him. He’s a lot of fun and I’ve known him for years and years. I used to fill in on guitar for AfterShock, and everyone felt comfortable with him. Like he knows how to get the best performance out of a band. Ya know? Like he polished up this turd pretty good .*laughing*
Janee`: When you first went into the studio what were your goals for this album?
Phil: *pauses* To be honest with you I don’t really know if we had any specific goals. I mean we thought, at the time when we were in the studio, its like we saw what was going on with metal and were like okay, it’s gonna be... like people have been talking for a long time metal’s coming back, metal’s coming back. And now it’s like metal really has been coming back and making a real strong showing. I mean you have bands like Shad and Lamb of God charting top twenty on Billboard, on regular rotation on radio. So it was like, we were always thinking it would be cool to be able to do that type of stuff. It would be cool to be on MTV and to be able to do all this shit. Um. I don’t know if we had any specific stuff that we were like we gotta do this and we gotta do that aside from the same things that I always wanted when I was a kid. Like “oh I’d love to be on MTV” ya know?
Janee`: Mhmmm.
Phil: So I guess it was really nice to see other bands doing it and to say you know what, it’s now a time when metal can really go ahead and actually make a living. Even if you’re not going to make a million dollars you can go ahead and pay the bills and you don’t have to worry about that stuff. Which hopefully we’ll be at the point where we can pay our bills someday soon! *laughing*
Janee`: All that Remains has toured with a number of great bands on the scene. Was there any tour or show in particular that you just had an exceptionally good time?
Phil: We did some dates with Shad, some dates with As I Lay Dying and HIMSA and those were really cool. The As I Lay Dying/HIMSA shows were really cool the Shadows Fall shows were really cool. Um Metal Fest last year was really good, the New England Metal and Hardcore Fest.
Janee`: That’s where you guys lost power right?
Phil: What? Oh yeah! That. We played the day before so we didn’t have to sweat it. But they did lose power the next day for like 3 hours it was terrible. But it worked out and everybody played. Or just about everybody played. I think only one or two bands couldn’t actually play. So it was cool.
Janee`: What is one band that you haven’t toured with that you would like to tour with in the future?
Phil: Oh jeez there’s a slew of them! We’re going, like next week we’re leaving to do ten days with Killswitch in Europe and we’re really psyched about that because Killswitch is a great band and they are tons of fun to hang out with and stuff so we’re pumped about that. I mean I would love to tour with *pauses* someone like Iron Maiden or something like that. You know? I mean I don’t know how likely it is, but it would be cool to tour with a band that really had an influence on most of the people in the band and stuff. So... I mean I guess there are SO many...This is Mike our drummer. He’s quiet.
Janee`: Hey Mike.
Mike: Hi.
Janee`: I’m Janee`. You know you can talk if you want.
Phil: Yeah dude...
Janee`: If you have anything to say..
Mike: Definitely Iron Maiden.
Janee`: Iron Maiden?
Phil: Yeah.
Mike: DEFINITELY
Phil: There’s a lot of bands. Like there’s just a ton of cool people. Aside from the fact it would be cool to hang out with people. I mean we’re psyched because we’re gonna tour with Killswitch and we’re gonna play in front of a lot of people. But at the same time they are our friends. So it’s gonna be cool to hang out with them and such.
Janee`: Awesome. Could you share with me some of All that Remain’s plans for the New Year?
Phil: Just to be on the road as much as we can. We’re gonna tour through... pretty much probably through till like October. Then November, December we’re going to take some downtime and hopefully have a new record out in the beginning of 2006. I know we have some dates with As I lay Dying and Throwdown, so we’re going to be going out on that tour. We’re going to be going out with Gwar, then there is that Killswitch thing I was talking about. We got three dates with Slipknot, Lamb of God and Shadows Fall which is going to be really really cool and those are like in Virginia and Georgia. It’s going to be really cool and those are going to be really good times, but I mean we just want to be on the road as much as possible.
Janee`: All right. One of the big music news items in the last year or so was the merging of larger record labels. In what ways do you think these merges are going to effect the metal scene?
Phil: Um. I would hope that it would be positive. I don’t know that it will be, but I would hope that it would be positive. You can still make money and still have bands that are on your label that are true to what they want to do. You don’t have to sit there and be like go do this, go do that go do this. But then again as soon as you get big labels and stuff like that, a lot of times they are like well it works with this band so we’re going to make the other five bands that are similar to them use exactly the same formula. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. So I really don’t know if it’s going to be positive or negative. I guess you just wait and see. *laughs*
Janee`: Just one of those things. Where do you see yourself, your band and the metal/hardcore scenes in about ten years?
Phil: Ten years?
Mike: In the Caribbean... retired.
*laughs*
Phil: I’ll be like 40 by then! Or in ten years I’ll be just about 40. It would be cool if we were still relevant. You know it would be cool if we’re still playing shows and people are still coming out and people still care. And we’re not the laughing stock.. Like that old band that doesn’t know when to quit...
*laughs*
Janee`: No that’s Kiss. That will always be Kiss until they finally do quit!
*everyone laughs*
Mike: That’s true. And I used to be a Kiss fan.
Janee`: No! I love Kiss but you know it’s like each time it’s their “Farewell Tour” and I’m going to it to say goodbye and then they come around the next year and it’s like.. Wait... didn’t I? Ehh never mind!
Mike: Like don’t people get sick and tired of saying good bye to you guys?
*more laughter*
Janee`: It’s like I said goodbye... now leave! *laughing*
Phil: Yep good bye! I mean I don’t know. It would be cool if we can still make relevant music and still you know tour. That would be great.
Janee`: I’d love that. Okay next question.. Could you take me through a day in the life of you on tour? What’s your general schedule like?
Phil: Wake up whenever we wake up. Pull into the club usually around 4, load our stuff in. If we’re...like most of the stuff we do we’re supporters so usually we wait for the headliners to get their stuff squared away and then we set up our stuff wherever they want us to. Then we wait until we play, play, get done. Hang out in the van and play some video games, maybe check out some of the show.
Mike: We hit the dollar menu.
Phil: Yeah hit the dollar menu.
Mike: Or subway...
Phil: Yeah or subway or something like that and then we go to bed, and go to the next show ya know?
Janee`: All right. Now here are just a bunch of random questions that we ask...
Phil: Okay cool. Those are more fun than the other questions... we’re not that interesting of a band so..
Janee`: Well.. Well I gotta ask the music questions first...
Phil: Then the fun ones!
Janee`: Then the fun ones. If I were to steal your disc man at the moment what CD would I find in it?
Phil: Like right now?
Janee`: Yeah right now. If I was just to take it from you.
Phil: I think it’s my warm up CD. If it wasn’t that it probably be something like Killswitch or something like that... or maybe Sarah MacGloughin. Or maybe the new Eminem CD.. I really like Eminem a lot so something like that. You never can tell.
Janee`: Yeah that’s how it tends to be with me.
Phil: Yeah. And to be honest with you that’s how it’s like with most people. Like all those metal kids out there, they are like yeah I like metal. But none of those metal kids are listening to JUST metal. They may not admit they listen to other stuff, but you never can tell.
Janee`: What was your craziest fan experience?
Phil: *silence*
Mike: The downtown...
Phil: Hm? OHH that chick! I don’t know if I’d call her a fan. I think she was just at the show, and she was just a little... well a LOT more drunk than she should have been. She walks up and I walk up to the front of the stage and I’m singing and she starts rubbing the back of my legs like this.. And she had to be forty or thirty five or something and I was NOT... I was just like all right and I just kinda stepped away. And I look back at him and our other guitar player and they are laughing. And I walk up to the front again, and she walks up and again, arms around my legs like this, and puts her mouth on my dick. Like if I wasn’t wearing clothes, I would have been IN her mouth. And so I step back and I was like Holy Fuck! And then in between songs I told her that if you touch me again I’m going to kick you in the fucking face. Then she ran out and left.
*laughing*
Janee`: The Downtown attracts some interesting people.
Phil: Yeah. We’re playing there Wednesday so...
Janee`: Yeah I know.
Phil: It’s going to be a grrreat show.
Janee`: I’m actually going to that one as well.
Phil: You’re going to that one too?
Janee`: Yeah.
Phil: Sweet! Cool.
Janee`: I love you guys!
Phil: Awesome. Thank you. So much!
Janee`: What was your first concert ever?
Phil: Dr. Feelgood. Motley Crue. Yeah it was the Motley Crue Dr. Feelgood tour. It was with Faster Pussycat and I don’t remember who else was on the tour. That was the one where Tommy Lee slid down the fucking thing and fell off and they had to cancel half the show!
*laughing*
Janee`: What was the last show you went to, not as a performer, but as a fan?
Phil: The Acacia Strain last Sunday. They are playing second tonight. The Acacia Strain, they are on prosthetic. Really fucking heavy. Yeah that was probably the last one I went to where I was like yeah I really want to go and check out this band. It was really fun.
Janee`: ATR has been described as a Boston/ Mass. area metal core band. What do you think about the NYHC vs BHC rivalry?
Phil: To be honest with you... I don’t know enough about it to even comment. It’s like we’re a metal band. I guess... it’s cool. I guess. I really don’t even know. *laughing*
Mike: There’s a Boston/NY hardcore battle?
*laughing*
Phil: Do they get together... do they like meet in Connecticut to fight?
Janee`” No seriously.. that’s kinda what happens. Because I go to school up in Connecticut
Phil: Oh really? And they meet and fight?
Janee`: Kind of, it’s not a battle it’s a rivalry and it can be pretty intense. It’s kind of like the Boston and NY world series rivalry happened. And that was pretty bad but then I went to my first CT show shortly after and it was even worse. The BHC kids vs the NYHC kids shouting about I think it was Diecast and Agnostic Front or something like that.
Phil: Really?
Janee`: Yeah it was amusing. Anyway... are there any local/ unsigned bands that you think everyone should take a moment and check out?
Phil: There’s a band called Under Falling Skies that everyone should check out. I’m not too sure what their website is I think it’s Under Falling Skies.net or .com. Um...
Mike: Ligia
Phil: Ligia. Yeah! They are real, real good. I just went and did some vocals for their record which should be out in the next couple of months. I don’t know what’s going on with them. Like I don’t know how people can check them out. I don’t know if they have a website. I don’t think they have a website. I know they have a demo out. But yeah keep and eye out. There’s a band called Ligia coming out of Western Mass that you should pay attention to. They are really good. Really REALLY good. Their singer Keith is awesome. A wicked good singer. Real good.
Janee`: Will do. Now thank you so much for doing this with me.. And in closing is there anything you’d like to say to your fans?
Phil: Go to our website and talk shit on our board!
*laughing*
Phil: http://www.allthatremains.cc
Janee`: Yeah if you try All that Remains.com you get some Palestinian thing...
Phil: Yeah. We tried to get that and he just doesn’t want to give it up at ALL!
*more laughing*
Phil: Like seriously he does not want to give up that domain at all. He’s like fuck you. So what are you gonna do?
 

Official Site:  www.allthatremainsonline.com

Myspace:  www.myspace.com/allthatremains