Interview: Mellowdrone

ARTICLE BY CHERYL CHENG
PHOTOS BY CHRIS MOLINA

The start of the new year typically means the promise of New Year resolutions and the exploration of possible life changes. For Los Angeles-based Mellowdrone, 2008 will be a definite marker of change, as the band looks forward from what they were in the beginning to what they will become in the near future. The most immediate change is the lineup itself. Now a three-member band, Mellowdrone is comprised of singer/bassist Jonathan Bates, guitarist Tony DeMatteo and drummer Brian Borg. The trio also faces another change: The band is currently working on the release of its second full-length album without a record deal, after the band’s contract with Columbia ended this past year. But in spite of all the unexpected, Mellowdrone remains upbeat and excited by what 2008 has in store for them, promising a busy year of touring in support of the new album.

Mellowdrone was originally conceived by founding member Bates, who had an interest in music early on while growing up in Miami. His talent playing the guitar eventually led him to a scholarship at Boston’s prestigious Berklee School of Music, and as he mastered the instrument, he also developed a keen interest in songwriting, soon relocating to Los Angeles, where he met DeMatteo and Borg.

The band then released a series of EPs, starting with Boredom Never Sounded So Sweet in 1999 to 2004’s Go Get ’Em Tiger. And in 2006, Mellowdrone finished its debut album, Box, which was released by major label Columbia. In support of Box, the band spent eight months touring extensively throughout Europe, Japan and the U.S. with such bands as The Killers and She Wants Revenge. “We worked really hard on Box,” recalls Bates. “But we’re a different band since then.” The Box tour proved exhaustive, and at the end, “we wanted to return home to be normal.”

In early 2007, Mellowdrone was dropped by its label, which Bates describes as the “stereotypical band experience. Thankfully we’re no longer on Columbia. It was the worst experience.” And rather than worry about the unknown future, Bates says having no record deal “gave us creative freedom.”

“We’re trying new ways of recording. Our point of view has changed. Everything has changed,” says Bates. “We’re more evolved,” DeMatteo adds. For instance, for Box, Bates wrote the majority of the tracks and co-wrote only two of the songs, but for the upcoming album, set for release in 2008, Mellowdrone has engaged in a more collaborative process, co-writing about half the songs. When asked to describe the new material, however, Bates smiles and says, “I see chrome, glass breaking and orange and purple juices.”

Fans can decide for themselves though, as several new tracks can be previewed on the band’s MySpace page, which also welcomes fans’ feedback. As for how much these opinions ultimately affect the finished product, Bates explains, “We aren’t like, oh dude, we don’t care what people think. But it’s what we want that is how it ends up at the end of the day usually.”

Mellowdrone’s direct relationship with its fans also reflects the changing musician-listener dynamic. As record companies are viewed by some as becoming obsolete, Bates reflects, “It had to happen. Record companies acted as a filter.” And although the future of such filters remains in question, 2008 will likely continue the trends of Web-savvy listeners and such commercial avenues in which to hear new music as TV shows and commercials. Mellowdrone itself has enjoyed some TV exposure, with such shows as Project Runway and Six Feet Under featuring its music.

Right now though, the band is enjoying its newfound creative freedom, and the biggest challenge at the moment is “choosing the new songs for the record,” according to Bates. With a bright and promising 2008 ahead, for Mellowdrone, change can certainly be a good thing.

To view a photo gallery of the band, click here.

Comments

[katie]

dreamy.

[paulag]

kick ass cheryl! bombastic pics chris!
mellowdrone i will see you when i get back home!!
yaaaaaayyyyyyy...

missed out on the miami performance, but then again, i am not a fan of acoustic sets.

hope all went well.

[amy]

oh wow Great INTV Cheryl. Great photographs Chris! rocking team. had a chance to check out Wherever You May Go, pretty sweet tune.

[mychelle]

Nice interview! Great photos! :)