Du glaubst, das, was die aus Boston, Massachusetts stammenden Constants mit "The Foundation, The Machine, The Ascension" erschaffen haben, binnen eines Atemzugs in Gänze verstehen zu können? Pah, das schafft niemand, und zwar nicht einmal mit der ergebnisorientiertesten Auseinandersetzung mit diesem dreiteiligen Epos der US-Amerikaner. Das liegt allerdings nicht einmal an der thematischen Unterteilung des hier Dargebotenen, sondern an dem mächtigen und erhabenen Breitflächen-Sound der Band. Wir sprachen bereits vor der Veröffentlichung von "The Foundation, The Machine, The Ascension" mit Rob und Will von Constants:


SJM: Who am I talking to? Could you please shortly introduce yourself to our readers?

Will / Constants: I'm Will, I play guitar and sing in Constants.

Rob / Constants: I'm Rob, I play the drums.

SJM: You are still a quite unknown band here in Germany. Your earlier records have found their way as an import through Germany. What SHOULD the people - not knowing Constants so far – definitely know about your band?

Will / Constants: We are a loud rock band from Boston, MA. We write really dreamy, ambient rock with lots of gain and volume dynamics, odd meters and melodic dissonance. We've been called shoegaze, post-rock, metal-gaze, post-prog, neo-prog and all kinds of other things. What should you know? I have no idea...

SJM: Because at this point Constants is not that popular here in Germany, I´m really interested in your status as a band in the states. I think it differs a lot. What can you tell us about that?

Will / Constants: We have toured a lot in the US in DIY circles and well as doing club tours here. For me it's hard to tell how 'popular' we are. I just live my normal life and sometimes meet people who are really excited about our band. I'm also very curious to see how we are perceived in DE and Europe in general. In my experience touring with Caspian in Europe, audiences there can be much more receptive than here in the US.

SJM: What about the overall feedback on your new album "The Foundation, The Machine, The Ascension" so far? How was it like?

Will / Constants: Well, the record is not out yet, but initially response has been really good. We've been playing the songs out live and our fans have said we've never sounded better, which is always great to hear. It's definitely a huge step forward for us - like you said our previous albums have pretty much only been available in the US or through small DIY distributors in Europe, Japan, etc. This time the album will be released worldwide, so that alone says we are doing something right. it's exciting for sure.

SJM: Listening to "The Foundation, The Machine, The Ascension" makes me wonder about the intensity of the songs. It´s definitely more than just music. It´s also the atmosphere Constants create. It reminds me of a perfect mixture of bands like Oceansize, Appleseed Cast, and Isis. Are these bands you adore or look up to?

Will / Constants: I think you are right on the money with that. Intensity and atmosphere are good keywords. I should have used those to answer the first question... We've been compared to all those bands and that is definitely a compliment for me. I actually used to work at Hydra Head when they were located in Boston so seeing how Aaron Turner operated was a huge influence on my decision and ethics when pursuing being in a band and running a record label (Radar Recordings) full time. Seeing ISIS come up over the years has been a constant source of encouragement. Also, The Appleseed Cast - we got to play with them a few years ago, and that was really cool for us. Low Level Owl was a big influence when we started this band.

SJM: Let´s talk about your new album which is about to be released officially here in Germany: Are there major differences when you compare it to the recording process of your former full length? What about the budget and possibilities?

Will / Constants: We still do things on a very DIY level and budget. We take our music seriously, but we don't take ourselves too seriously. We are not one of those bands with an over bloated sense of self worth. We have never stood around waiting for a handout complaining that we don't have enough money to record an album or to tour, so in that regard, this record was done the way we have done all our albums. We recorded drums and bass with Daryl Rabidoux at Strangeways Recordings, and then we took those tracks back home and took months to layer guitars, synths and vocals. The biggest difference recording this album was that we took our time rather than trying to rush the process. We went through several member changes while writing this album, so we wanted to take our time getting the end product to sound like one cohesive album, that contains three different movements. Once we finished recording, we enlisted our friend James Dunham to help mix the record, just because I was so engrossed in it, that I felt like I needed a fresh set of ears.

SJM: Every band has a vision of how their album should sound like after the recording it. Listening to "The Foundation, The Machine, The Ascension" right now, would you say that this was a successful mission or would you even say that the band was able to surprise itself in the studio? If this is the case – in how far?

Rob / Constants: We wanted to make something that sounded really wide open and expansive, but still focused and concise. We had the luxury of being able to record most of the record on our own, so we were able to take our time with the recording without worrying about time constraints, money, etc. . The hard part with having that much freedom is walking that fine line between making art that is honest and a fair representation of the people involved and producing a product that's totally self indulgent. I think a lot of good records have been totally wrecked by artists having too much time on their hands. We tried our best not to do that and I'm really proud of the end result.

Will / Constants: It took us three years to write this record, and about six months to record and mix. When you spend that much time on anything, it can be difficult to have any kind of perspective on what the final product should sound like. I'm just now starting to be able to hear the songs as songs and not as individual guitar parts or drum sounds or vocal takes. Personally, I achieved what I wanted to achieve on this album, which was to experiment with how electronic elements can co-exist with the more raw, indie rock elements of our music. I learned a lot about our process, and for me every time we record an album, it makes me even more excited to start writing the next one because our ideas become that much more focused.

SJM: Thinking of the vision in your songs: What do the lyrics mainly deal with and what´s the main intention behind the songs and the lyrics? Do you want to change something, is the band “just” a release or is it by far more than that?

Rob / Constants: To me lyrics play an important role in moving an album forward. It can be the difference between an album feeling really cohesive and finished, versus just being a bunch of ideas thrown together. I try to write and create mood with broad strokes. Rather than forcing every single word down the listener's throat, I'd rather they pick out a piece here or piece there and be able to interpret the idea themselves. Nothing dissapoints me more than reading a lyric for a song I love and realizing what they are saying is not the vision I have in my head. It really takes me out of the music. For Constants I want to set the listener up with an idea: "The Machine" - that puts a certain image in your head before you even press play, and everything after that helps paint a larger picture for the listener. The lyrics absolutely tell a story, but it is how the listener interprets the story that can make the album a more personal experience.

SJM: For the people who do not know Constants and "The Foundation, The Machine, The Ascension" so far: What can these people expect? What should we be prepared for?

Will / Constants: On first listen, you can find yourself hearing a loud rock record. Those surface layers of melody and rhythm are definitely there to be enjoyed. But if you want to sit down and really listen to what is going on, and the ideas the album presents, that is there too. Live, we try to bring as much intense energy as we can, so it is loud and in your face and is as much a release for us as it is the audience.

SJM: Just one or two personal questions: What are your lives like when you are not busy with Constants? What are you doing when you are not involved into music?

Rob / Constants: I work at a bar and lately i've been sharpening my culinary skills, especially with new mexican cuisine. Aside from that, there isn't a lot of separation between band and "normal" life these days. I like it.

Will / Constants: I am always busy with music and Constants! I also co-run a Boston based record label called Radar Recordings with Mike from the band Junius. Other than that, I paint houses and do finish painting to make extra money. I've also been getting more into film creation and editing. Orion is starting a veggie oil conversion company called Greaseaholics.

SJM: Let´s have a look into the bands´ future? Where do you (wish to) see Constants by the end of this year? Where would you wish to be and what do you wish to achieve

Rob / Constants: I think Will has said it best: "I want to tour until i physically can't anymore." I'm pretty sure we're all on the same page. We hope to have the better part of our next record written, maybe even recorded if we're feeling really ambitious. Expect us to tour our asses off as usual.

Will / Constants: This year we plan on touring a lot to support this new album. We begin our first European tour in two weeks, and will be doing a 10 week US tour in the Fall. At the end of every year we do an annual Boston event with our friends Caspian called "The Last Night on Earth" - and this will be year seven of that. Other than that it is hard to say. We've already begun writing new material, and have some big plans for the next couple of years, but I try to focus as much energy on the 'right now' rather than wrap myself up in thinking about the future.

SJM: To sum it all up: What can we expect of Constants in 2009? What´s gonna happen right after the release of "The Foundation, The Machine, The Ascension"? Are there any plans to hit the streets of Germany?

Rob / Constants: We're beyond excited play everywhere we can and drink your delicious beer.

Will / Constants: We'll be there playing shows May, June and July!

(Dennis Grenzel)