Doommantia interview March 16th, 2013 Mar 16, 2013 Killing Everything: Interview with DEVIL TO PAY ... Hi guys. Thanks for granting this interview. The Devil to Pay is an old song sung by Johnny Cash-is this where the name of the band comes from? Steve Janiak (guitar / vocals): I wish! We had put the band together pretty quickly and needed a name. I was throwing around ‘Brontosaurus’ and ‘Hog Leg’ as options but the guys hated them. I have a book of phrases and took it to my forklift job, scouring through it on my breaks, looking for anything. Devil to Pay is one of the few things I wrote down. Shortly after, I signed us up for a battle of the bands and we ended up with a show two weeks later, so it stuck. Could you name a few bands that have inspired you-and maybe name a few favorite albums? Steve: We could probably go on for hours, but the main inspiration for DEVIL TO PAY was always rooted in the classics: Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, ZZ Top as well as stuff from when we were teenage metalheads: Metallica, Anthrax, Slayer. Throw in some Soundgarden and Mudhoney, and top it off with C.O.C., Orange Goblin, Kyuss, Queens, Goatsnake, Clutch et al. But honestly, we all love all kinds of music. I think my favorite record of all time is Reverend Horton Heat’s ‘Full Custom Gospel Sounds of’. Rob Hough (guitars): Recently inspired by UFO and Rainbow, as I started digging into the 70's rock/metal vibe. Two of my favorite albums would be Metallica's "Kill'em All" and Slayer's "South of Heaven". I can still listen to both of those pretty much any day/night, non-stop. How did the band get together? Where did you guys meet? What bands were you playing in previously? Steve: At the time, I was playing in a band called the Pub Sigs. Myself, our original guitarist and drummer decided to get together and ‘jam some heavy shit’. Once we had a show lined up, we asked Matt to play bass. After two shows our drummer quit and Matt called Chad. They grew up getting into trouble together and played in the same bands in high school. The new album is out-could you tell us about recording the new album. Did you guys enter the studio with all of the material written ahead of time? Rob: We usually have 90% of the songs done before we hit the studio, and make adjustments as we go. Lyrics, solos and minor arrangement changes tend to happen in the studio as you start hearing things quite a bit differently in the confines of the control room versus the rehearsal space. Steve: As far as writing goes, almost all the songs start as a riff that’s thrown out at practice. Occasionally I will lay down some ideas at home and bring them in, like “Yes Master” and “Ten Lizardmen”. Then they get fleshed out. While we’re trying to arrange them, I will throw out vocal melodies and we’ll record everything, soak it all in. Sometimes Rob will be playing something on his guitar while we’re discussing another topic and I’ll stop him and make him play it again. I’m pretty sure that’s how “Prepare to Die” started. “Savonarola” was something we had worked on for the last record, but it never came together for whatever reason. We picked it up, dusted it off and gave it an entirely different treatment. Who writes the bands' lyrics? What inspires your writing? Steve: Up to this point I have written all the lyrics. That could change, who knows? I am big into improvising melodies so it’s difficult to put words in them sometimes. For inspiration, this record deals mostly with my slowly morphing view of reality. I had this epiphany one night, out of the blue. From that point on I became obsessed with this power-of-the-mind, what-is-real, why-are-we-here sort of stuff. I was reading all these books, videos, and podcasts and checking out eastern philosophies, quantum theory, multiple universes, out of body experiences, life after death, channeling, and pretty much any new age idea you would ever come across. It’s a bit hard to explain, as I had a cursory interest in all of those things growing up. But this was more like divine inspiration. It was all very heavy and uplifting at the same time. Long story short, I feel like a liberated spirit and of course, a bunch of that ended up in the lyrics. Not like a religious nut though, more like a metaphysical student of the mystic arts. Is the band going on tour with this album, or playing any rock festivals this year? Steve: We’re planning on hitting the road this summer. Right now we’re scheduled for Indy Metalfest in September. Stay tuned! If you are asked is "Devil to Pay" a rock band, or metal band or both? You have combined many influences. Rob: At the end of the day, metal is rock (imho). Though I've met quite a few individuals that would want to fight me over words like that! To them, I would say... We're a hard rock band with metal roots. Steve: Yeah. We are definitely a rock band with a few different roots. I don’t know if it’s wrong to be weaving in and out of genres on an album (or a song), but that’s part of who we are. Some people spend a lot of energy defining music and limits and barriers. I understand that on a communication basis, for accurately describing something, but I’ve never thought“we must be metal!” On some levels it’s a bit weird. For a typical rock fan, we are pretty heavy, but for a typical metal fan, we’re more like easy listening. Are there any bands from Indianapolis that you like or champion currently? Rob: Heavy Lies the Crown, and Dead Birds Adore Us. Steve: I’ve always been partial to my bros in Goliathon and So Sayeth, but there are many talented bands in and around Indy. The new Teenage Strange blew me away. What has kept the band together over the years? Steve: Great question. I guess it’s because we all enjoy the music? I am not sure I know how to quit. It’s one of those things I decided a long time ago, “I’m doing this, come hell or high water.” At some point we let go of the bullshit and made a conscious decision to go with the flow. I think that was key. Thanks to Doommantia for taking the time! Interview By John Wisniewski