Live-Metal.Net - Interviews: Allele

December 3, 2006

With a critically-praised debut album (Point of Origin, released in 2005 on Corporate Punishment Records) and a heavy touring schedule, Jacksonville, Florida ’s Allele has worked hard to earn their fans, a devoted group the band refers to as the “Allele Army.” 2006 has seen the departure of the melodic hard rock act’s singer, Wally Wood, and the introduction of a new frontman, Andy Toole. In an email interview with Live-Metal.net, drummer Giancarlo Autenzio and guitarist Lane Maverick discuss the lineup change and more.

Giancarlo Autenzio: Wally did leave the band. It wasn't that we wanted him to leave, he just had his mind made up when he told us that this wasn't working for him. He had his reasons for leaving and even though they didn’t make sense to us we had to respect them and there was nothing we could do. So yeah, Wally did leave the band. Now, all that is important to us is keeping the band alive with our new singer, Andy Toole. We are very excited with how things are going now in the band all the way around.

Lane Maverick: I think that Wally just put too much energy in places that didn’t need it and not enough in others where it may have needed it more in his life and he became stale. It was wearing on our band and him and our lines of communication were pretty much gone, so the decision was mutual. Plus, Andy fuckin rocks and it's like a brotherhood now more than ever. It was meant to be.

Was there ever any doubt that the remaining members would continue as Allele?

Gian: Not really. We felt that since Wally is leaving Allele, there is still 75% of Allele left. We are going to continue this same band and work harder and harder to keep it going. Nothing is holding us back and with Andy nothing will ever get in our way from making more music and touring for as long as we can.

Lane: Never! I have been doing this my whole life. Wally is gone for a reason. Just like there’s a reason that we have and will continue to play and never stop!

Lane: This girl I dated and Andy’s girl at the time knew each other from Texas where Andy’s from and they have always stayed in touch. We were in Jacksonville and they were in Longview . Well the band I was in at the time, Slikk 50, me and Tim needed a singer. So our girls started talking on their own and my girl was telling me, “Hey, there’s this guy in Texas and he sings and wants to come to Florida to try out.” I don’t know why really, but I didn’t take her seriously. Andy had tried and tried to reach me, but I never got back to him and he never reached me. So Andy, after weeks of trying to get in touch w/ me, finally just got in his car and drove to fucking Florida ! He got there and waited for hours and didn’t get the chance to try out because we were trying out other people, which we weren’t happy w/ any of them. So then we were all about to leave and he was like, “Are we gonna do this?” So I got everyone in the room and let him do it because he had come all that way. And our fucking jaws dropped. We were like, “Holy shit! He almost didn’t get a chance to sing!” And the rest is history. But after the way things were going w/ Wally, I myself had been looking for another singer. Then a month later, Wally tells me that he doesn’t know if he can go on. So then I turned right around and called Andy and there you go. That’s how Andy was reintroduced into the situation.

Gian: Lane, Tim and I all knew that he was an amazing singer, so once Wally told us he was done, we did not hesitate to give Andy a call. Andy dropped everything he had to move to Florida within like 2 weeks. It was a fast move and everything is moving fast now that he is here rehearsing with us. We got real lucky with the whole deal.

Lane: Yes. We are all intense players and Andy’s taste in music is a lot more broad in all directions compared to Wally’s and it influences us to play with more power and melody and at the same time, so that alone will contribute to our sound. But I’m still writing so it will all be relative.

Gian: All I could say is “Come to our shows to see it.” That is what will determine to our fans that we are still serious about Allele. The only change I see is that Wally is not on stage with us. Andy is killing the vocals on our songs and bringing it up another level. I know the fans will get into it as much as before, if not more.

Gian: It was fine. I wasn’t worried at all. I mean, he only had 8 practices with us before our first show, that’s it. He actually pulled it off way better than I expected. We all knew it would be hard that first time, but since it happened and he nailed it, we don’t have anything to worry about. We have the singer we want in our band. Andy saved this band.

Lane: It was cool. Andy and I are like brothers and it just felt like a total full circle when we did that first show with Dope.

Gian: Not really. We haven’t had time for that lately. As soon as he arrived to Florida , we had to rehearse nonstop and stay focused on our goals. Now that we are all sure that Andy is gonna work, there might be some hazing of some sort. I just make fun of his redneckness.

Lane: Sure. We’re working on some concepts for our next album right now and we have a few tunes down. Plus, since we played in the past, there is a lot of ideas to reference from, so it’s working great.

Gian: Hopefully, as soon as early 2007. We all have so many ideas for our new songs. Ii think that we will have no problem writing a better record. Having Andy with us now makes writing a lot better. He has so much musical talent. He is not just a singer, he is a musician.

Lane: Kelly is a brother to us. I talk to him all the time. He’s ready to do some more writing, he said. We'll see what happens in the future.

Gian: He is a brother.

Gian: 10 years, of course. Those guys and their crew were so cool. We learned a lot with the whole tour. It was probably the best time of our lives, playing in front of a guaranteed crowd every night and exposing new people to us was our dream.

TOOL, of course. To be able to see them play every night would be a dream.

Gian: Too many to sift through. No gunshots, but plenty of fireworks.

Lane: Meeting everyone we did.

Gian: I think the 10 Years tour and the band growing now more quickly with Andy in the band.