Live-Metal.Net - Interviews: Matt Bachand of Shadows Fall

More than a year has passed since the release of Threads of Life, Shadows Fall’s first release after making the controversial jump from Century Media to Atlantic Records. And here they are, still standing, having toured the world and now gearing up for the Monsters of Rock festival this summer in Canada and the one-day Ozzfest in Dallas, Texas. As the band finished up a two-week East Coast tour with Kataklysm, The Showdown, Arsis and Droid, and prepared to head home and start writing for the next album, guitarist Matt Bachand sat down with Live-Metal.net’s Greg Maki.

Live-Metal.net: This is a short tour; it’s coming to an end tonight. How has it gone?

Matt Bachand: Great. I’m just winding down, looking forward to getting back into writing mode and getting back in the studio.

Did you get to pick the opening bands?

Everything just kind of fell into place. A lot of people are really busy right now, too. There was not too much there on the table ‘cause a lot of people are already tied up. It fell together pretty easily, really.

Are looking forward to getting back up toward your home turf tomorrow for the New England Metal and Hardcore Festival?

Yeah, get that done and then I’m actually looking forward to laying low for a little while.

So after that, you said, you’re gonna start writing?

Yeah, shut down for a little bit and start writing. We’ve got a few things coming up randomly here and there but no major tour or anything, just a couple random one-off shows.

Have you written anything yet?

Not really, not really. Bits and pieces, just riffs and ideas. We haven’t really had a chance to put anything together yet.

A year after Threads of Life came out now, looking back on it, how do you feel about that album?

Oh, I think it’s still a great record. It’s one of those things where the label’s gotta be behind it, too, to make anything matter, and if they’re not behind it, it’s time for something new.

Before this tour, you hadn’t played in the United States since last fall. Of all the places you played since then, which did you enjoy the most?

They’re all fun for different reasons. I think the biggest surprise, though, was in the Philippines. We hadn’t been there. A lot of bands don’t get a chance to go there, so we didn’t know what to expect so much. It was really surprising how well it went.

I read [vocalist] Brian [Fair]’s blog about the giant “Rootman” thing they made.

Yeah, that was cool. It was crazy. We didn’t know they were doing that. It was hilarious. It was funny.

It makes me think, what do they do with that thing after you guys are gone?

It was just made out of like chicken wire and newspaper. They did a cool job with it, just slapped it together and painted it. It was neat.

So you’re here in Towson, Maryland, today. What kinds of things do you like to do with your free time on tour?

There isn’t a hell of a lot of free time, really. But I usually sleep in most of the day. I just got up, in fact, four o’clock, you know? That’s usually my thing. I usually stay up late, sleep the day away.

So what goes on at night, then?

Not much, man. [laughs] Just drink a shitload of beers, sit in front of the TV. There’s really not a hell of a lot to do.

What’s the drink of choice?

Well, for me, it’s nice, cheap beer. The cheaper the better. Busch Light, anything like that—right up my alley.

One of the things you’re gonna be doing this summer is one of the Monsters of Rock shows up in Canada. Are you excited about that?

Yeah, it should be great, should be great. Looking forward to that, for sure.

It’s kind of a different thing, since Ozzy’s usually doing Ozzfest.

Yeah, well there’s a lot of competition out there now, especially with the Rockstar Mayhem thing going on and everything else. It’s just too much to do a whole summer like that. Why not just do a few select shows and just make ‘em kick ass? That’s what I think they’re trying to pull off, which will be great.

Obviously, you guys aren’t on Century Media anymore, but they’re still getting you out there. They did the reissue of Of One Blood and a best-of compilation. How involved were you guys in those?

Not too much at all, really. Not too much at all. It’s one of those things. They wanted to do it, so OK and it kinda happened. The best-of, I don’t know that much about at all, to tell you the truth. As far as the reissue of Of One Blood, that’s a great thing because when we did that record, the budget was really low and the quality of the gear that was out there at the time doesn’t match up to using Pro Tools and all that like today. So it was nice to be able to take the old tracks and just make ‘em sound a bit more modern. So that was pretty cool.

And you’ve been playing a couple of those songs on this tour.

Yeah, yeah. We’re doing a few of the old ones in the set here.

Is it fun to do those again?

It is. Some of those songs we haven’t played in years and years, so it’s been different. It’s been cool to mix it up a little bit.

I know you were nominated, so did you go to the Grammys this year?

I did go, yeah.

How was that?

Interesting. It makes for a long, boring day. You get there at 1, sit there and wait, no food, no drinks, no nothing, really. You just sit there. But it’s a different experience. It’s cool to check something out like that not a lot of people get a chance to do. So it was pretty cool.

What does something like that—awards, in general—mean to you guys in the band?

Well, I mean, it depends on what it is. Certain ones mean more than others. If it’s more of like a fan voting thing, that means a lot more than one person’s opinion that makes all the shots. So it’s hard to say, but I mean, those are all really cool. It’s always great to be recognized for what you worked so hard at, trying to get anywhere. That’s always a cool thing.

A couple years ago, you guys released a DVD with a lot of footage from the road. Will you ever do an actual live concert DVD?

I’m sure that’ll happen. I just don’t know when. There’s not really any particular plan for it yet, but that could be in the works at some point.

Who are you listening to these days? Any new bands that we might not be familiar with yet?

I’m pretty out of touch with a lot of that lately, to tell you the truth. I just keep going back to the old catalog, but new records from older bands. I like the new Testament record, things like that. Always going back to the old dogs. There’s a lot of decent stuff coming out now, so I think it’s a good time for music. Hopefully people will go out and buy some.

Obviously, you’ve toured with lots of different bands, but who’s out there that you haven’t toured with yet that you would like to go out with?

I guess the last band on the list that we haven’t toured with at all would be Metallica. That would probably be it. We’ve done all of ‘em, the Maiden tours, Sabbath tours, a lot of ‘em. So that would be the one.

Are you planning to go to any of the big tours this summer?

Yeah, maybe. I guess it depends on how lazy I am, if I can drag myself out of my house. That’s really what it comes down to. I tend to get a little lazy when I get home. [laughs] I don’t really want to do anything.

Are you a sports fan?

Not particularly. I like baseball, but I’m not really into anything else so much.

How are you feeling about the Red Sox this year?

So far, so good. It is what it is, you know? I don’t get all heated about it like some people do. I have fun when they win, but I don’t freak out and break shit over it. [laughs] A lot of people get a little too involved in their sports.

Is there anything you want to add?

No, just thanks a lot for the support and we’ll see you next year with a new album.