Band: Amplifier
Interview by: Lykle
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- Insider - Lykle
Amplifier is an English band storming the rock scene with their wall of sound and two excellent albums in the pocket. After getting to review the second album "Insider", I had the pleasure to talk about it with lead singer/guitarist Sel Balamir.
I take you're satisfied with the new album, but press reactions haven't all been as positive as for the first album. What do you think about that?
Well, of course we're very proud of "Insider", but I can understand what you're saying. When we released our first album, nobody ever heard of us, so were like an unexpected party guest. And when nobody knows you, it's much easier to impress. Now there were high expectations and more pressure, so it's like fighting a losing battle. The only thing you can do is fulfill your own expectations, be honest and be proud of what you do. Of course we had much more time for the first album, because we had like five years for songwriting. In a way it's easier to have a couple of years before getting a record deal, but this was a new challenge. We had three months to come up with the songs now, which requires a more direct and faster approach, it's just different. But we worked hard and pulled the rabbit from the hat. It's kinda like picking up a girl from a nightclub, compared to having a long term relationship, it's different, but it can be nice.
You even used a typewriter as an instrument, where did that come from?
It's a matter of inspiration. Our bass player Neil came up with the idea and we were like "sure, why not?". Then we found out that it's hard to play, because of the timing, he had to jam along with us to get it right. I don't think we'll be using it for liveshows, may be a little too hard to make that a successful experiment.
Experiments like that remind me of Pink Floyd. Have they been an influence for Amplifier?
Yeah, I love Pink Floyd, they have the power to inspire, more than anybody else, which is a really special quality for a band. We're obviously influenced by rock bands from the 70's, but I wouldn't want to make music in that time, it's much nicer now. Back then you didn't have so many options and you were kinda forced to play one style, but nowadays there's much more room for experiments with mixing styles etc... I also think it's an inspiring time, because sometimes the world seems to be coming to an end. Just think of the war on terror for example. It creates fear, which is the most inspiring thing there is, together with desire. I'd even say that fear and desire are what gets us inspired to do what we do.
How do you create that huge wall of sound with just three people?
I have a special way to split the guitar signal. I use six amplifiers to create that wall of sound, they all sound a little bit different, but in the end it sounds like one big superamplifier. It works even better with live shows, because in the studio it's more difficult to emulate the noise. Records are more reflective anyway, while live shows are more about really getting into it, so it fits the huge wall of sound more.
There is a huge difference between recording an album and live shows anyway. Recording is hard work, but gives you a long time reward in the form of a record. A live show gets you instant gratification. It's like the example of picking up the girl in the nightclub again, it's just different. Both ways are fulfilling though, so I can't say that I like one better than the other. I'd say they are complementory.
Can you tell something about the lyrics?
We don't write very concrete lyrics and I am not going to explain too much about it, because it's up to the listener to make up his own mind about it. The lyrics should just fit into the vibe of the music, so they're not be seperated from the music. You don't even really have to hear them, you'll just hear some words that should fit to the music. Sometimes a song starts with a title though, then we try to find a good riff for it and a fitting atmosphere.
I can't find any information about who produced "Insider", can you tell me? Was it the same producer who did "Amplifier"?
I produced it myself. On the first album, our friend Steve Lyon (The Cure, Depeche Mode) helped us a bit, but I did most of the work myself. This time we didn't get any help, we just did it ourselves to save time and money. We're not as rich as Coldplay, so a cheap solution is always good for us. We're not really famous in England yet; despite of the good reviews we're getting, we're still playing in small clubs. Somehow we're hot in Switzerland though, so I assume they're a bit crazy there. Our shows are selling well there, maybe it's because they're rich. Maybe we should go and live there, but then we'd have to pay a higher cost of living as well, so I guess we're stuck in England.
So can you live from making music?
Yeah, we do live on our music, we don't need dayjobs to survive. It doesn't make us rich at all, but it's something we have to do, because we are fully dedicated to the band. We work hard, every day, talking to the press, rehearse, play live shows etc... but we also take time to have fun and read a lot of books to get inspiration. I couldn't get any inspiration from working for some rich guy all day and then come home tired to fall asleep early and do this over and over again. If you want to have ideas, you need to communicate and think a lot. I'm an independent thinker and I'll always be that way, I don't want to waste my life by making money for other people.
Thank you very much and I'll see you live in Den Bosch in November!
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