Die aus Ontario, Kanada stammenden Alexisonfire sind seit Jahren nun schon das, was andere Bands stets gerne gewesen wären: Untergrund-Ikonen, ausgestattet mit einer eigenen musikalischen Identität, die man gut und gern auch als unverwechselbar bezeichnen darf. Doch woran liegt es schließlich, dass vergleichbare Genregenossen zu bloßem Screamo-Einheitsbrei verkommen und Alexisonfire noch immer an vorderster Front zu finden sind und Songs zu schreiben vermögen, die einem jeden das Gefühl vermitteln, es hier mit etwas Neuem und vor allen Dingen Unverbrauchtem zu tun zu bekommen? Die ehrlichste Antwort auf diese Frage ist: Ich weiß es nicht. Vielleicht liegt es schlicht und ergreifend an dem gelungenen Wechselspiel von George Pettit, Dallas Green und schließlich Wade MacNeil am Gesang, vielleicht liegt dies jedoch auch in der Tatsache begründet, dass man immer dann, wenn man das Gefühl hat, Alexisonfire wären besonders wütend, der festen Überzeugung sein muss, diese wären in der Lage, all ihre Instrumente sogleich in Grund und Boden zu stampfen. Dies zeichnete bereits das 2004er Durchbruchs-Album "Watch Out!" aus, dies zog sich wie ein roter Faden durch das Nachfolgewerk "Crisis" und stellt nun auch die Basis für das nunmehr vierte Album "Old Crows / Young Cardinals" dar, für das die Kanadier bei ihrer neuen europäischen Labelheimat Roadrunner unterschrieben haben. Wir hatten die Möglichkeit, Dallas Green ein paar Fragen per E-Mail zukommen zu lassen und ihn zum neuen Werk seiner Band zu befragen:


SJM: First of all: Who am I talking to? How are you and what are you doing in days like these, when the recordings of "Old Crows / Young Cardinals" are finally done and you're finally about to release your fourth album worldwide?

Dallas Green / Alexisonfire: THIS IS DALLAS AND I AM SITTING IN MY HOME ANSWERING YOUR QUESTIONS!

SJM: I suppose a good place to start is with the new record. The release date in Germany is set for June 19th, and is entitled "Old Crows / Young Cardinals".. Now I'm pretty interested in this sort of stuff, so I was hoping you could shortly elaborate on where the title came from, and how you think it relates to the rest of the record.

Dallas Green / Alexisonfire: ORIGINALLY, WE WERE GOING TO CALL THE RECORD "YOUNG CARDINALS" BUT AS TIME GREW ON, WE WROTE THE SONG "OLD CROWS" AND IT SEEMED TO FIT PERFECTLY WITH THE CONTRAST BETWEEN LIGHT AND DARK THAT SORT OF RUNS THROUGH THE RECORD.

SJM: What, in your opinion, after playing the songs of "Old Crows / Young Cardinals" over and over again, is one of the most exciting aspects about "Old Crows / Young Cardinals"?

Dallas Green / Alexisonfire: I REALLY LOVE THE BEGINNING, MIDDLE AND THE END. I THINK WITH THOSE THREE SONGS "OLD CROWS" "THE NORTHERN" AND "BURIAL" WE REALLY BROKE NEW GROUND FOR US AS A BAND.

SJM: This may seem like a strange question, but are the members of Alexisonfire into reading philosophy? A lot of your work seems to combine conscious thoughts and different aspects of life, so I thought perhaps you were into studying these topics.

Dallas Green / Alexisonfire: I WOULDNT SAY THAT WE ARE CRAZY PHILOSOPHERS, BUT WE ALL OCCASIONALLY READ BOOKS LIKE THAT. GEORGE WAS VERY INTO A BOOK CALLED "THE REBEL" BY ALBERT CAMUS WHILE WE WERE WRITING THE RECORD.

SJM: The lyrics of "Old Crows / Young Cardinals" have – as far as I could understand them - a quite melancholic, but also optimistic viewpoint on life. Am I partially right with it? We have all faced tragedy in our lives at one time or the other; be it the loss of a girlfriend or the death of someone close to you. What's the biggest tragedy you suffered and how did you overcome it?

Dallas Green / Alexisonfire: WHEN I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL, I HAD A TEACHER WHO WAS VERY INFLUENTIAL IN MAKING ME CHOOSE MUSIC AS MY WAY OF LIFE. A FEW YRS AFTER I GRADUATED, HE DIED OF CANCER. IT WAS A HUGE LOSS FOR ME, BECAUSE IT WAS AROUND THIS TIME THAT THINGS STARTED HAPPENING FOR ALEXIS AND HE WASNT THERE FOR ME TO SHARE IT WITH. I JUST LEARNED TO DEAL WITH IT, AS YOU HAVE TO WHEN THINGS LIKE THAT HAPPEN.

SJM: One of the most impressive sentences on "Old Crows / Young Cardinals" is: "We are not the kids we used to be!" As for Alexisonfire – in how far do you feel older than the people who recorded an album like "Watch Out!"?

Dallas Green / Alexisonfire: I THINK WE FEEL LIKE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT PEOPLE. WE HAVE TRAVELED THE WORLD AND SEEN MANY THINGS, GOOD AND BAD. IT JUST SEEMS LIKE A DIFFERENT BAND NOW. IN THE BEST WAY POSSIBLE!!!

SJM: A lot of bands change their sound over time, but much to your credit the band has kept the successful sound your fans have grown to love. Concerning "Old Crows / Young Cardinals" - is it hard to stay true to that sound or do you guys just play what feels right?

Dallas Green / Alexisonfire: WELL, THATS GREAT THAT YOU SAY THAT!! BECAUSE IM SURE THERE WILL BE PEOPLE WHO THINK WE HAVE GONE AND CHANGED EVERYTHING AGAIN! WE JUST GO INTO OUR JAM SPACE AND WHATEVER HAPPENS HAPPENS. ITS JUST ABOUT WHAT MAKES US FEEL GOOD.

SJM: When I pull out my "Old Crows / Young Cardinals" in ten years to force my kids to listen to it - how do you want to be remembered?

Dallas Green / Alexisonfire: AS A BAND WHO TRIED TO DO THINGS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY THAN EVERYBODY ELSE.

SJM: What is the main difference between the messages portrayed in the lyrics of "Crisis" and "Old Crows / Young Cardinals"? What different thoughts are being brought out through your music? Have you mostly stuck to the same topics, or have you progressed to another subject matter?

Dallas Green / Alexisonfire: I THINK THAT WE AS A BAND HAVE A VERY ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIP WITH THE IDEA OF THE APOCALYPSE. WE TEND TO WRITE SONGS THAT HAVE A DARKER FEEL TO THEM.

SJM: Hardcore has always been an emotional genre, but there has been a surge if more emotional hardcore bands such as Thursday, Bane, and Rise Against. How would you classify the state of hardcore right now compared to it's early days? Where do you think it's going?

Dallas Green / Alexisonfire: IN THE PAST IT WAS A LOT MORE UNDERGROUND AND NOW IT SEEMS LIKE ITS ALMOST MAINSTREAM. BUT I GUESS THATS WHAT HAPPENS TO EVERY GENRE AT ONE POINT OR ANOTHER.

SJM: From being out on the road, what is one of the things you've come to realize? I'm sure driving to and from a venue almost every night leaves you ample time to sit and think about things. Unless, of course, you're too tired to do so. Do you think it's made you a stronger person at all? It's difficult to maintain friendships with people back home, I'm sure.

Dallas Green / Alexisonfire: BEING ON THE ROAD CAN BE THE WORST THING AT TIMES. BUT IT CAN ALSO BE YOUR BEST FRIEND IN THE WHOLE WORLD. IM SURE ITS MADE ME A STRONGER PERSON IN MANY WAYS. ESPECIALLY PHYSICALLY!! GUITAR AMPS ARE HEAVY!!! HAHA

SJM: What do you hope to uncover in the future of Alexisonfire? There must be more the band has in store to unleash to the public, it’s only a matter of time until it’s all said and done. What else would you like to try and stress to your listeners through your work?

Dallas Green / Alexisonfire: THERE ARE NEVER ANY SET PLANS ON WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO DO NEXT. WE JUST LET IT HAPPEN. IM SURE OUR NEXT RECORD WILL CHALLENGE OUR FANS JUST LIKE OUR PREVIOUS ONES.

SJM: Growing up, was there anyone that you would look up to and say “Oh I wish I could be like so and so…I wish I was as cool as him?” If not on a famous level, do you remember seeing any local bands when you were younger that you looked up to?

Dallas Green / Alexisonfire: I REMEMBER GOING TO SEE THE MELVINS PLAY WHEN I WAS 15 AND WISHING I HAD HAIR LIKE KING BUZZOS.

SJM: Lastly, what is your most proudest moment being in Alexisonfire?

Dallas Green / Alexisonfire: THE FACT THAT WE ARE STILL MAKING RECORDS AND TOURING MAKES ME VERY PROUD.

SJM: I always leave the last statement to the band. Is there anything you´d like to mention that hasn´t been mentioned before? Anything you want to add or just say. If so – be my guest:

Dallas Green / Alexisonfire: I DONT REALLY LIKE TALKING ABOUT MYSELF SO I WILL JUST SAY THANK YOU VERY MUCH TO ALL OF THE PEOPLE WHO SUPPORT US.

(Dennis Grenzel)