Line Up:
Michael Jake Gutzwiller On Guitar
Timo Beeler On Bass
Selina Maisch On Piano
David Preissel On Drums
Well,Friends Of Aristocracy!
We speak again of our newsroom, where in a little while, we will have in all its emotions, the interview 208 of the Aristocracy.This time, we talked to an instrumental band with a dynamic but super intimate atmosphere. from Glaston and this is his second album titled with I Am Whole.The Guitarist Jake Gutzwiller answered our humble but necessary questions and we want to thank the band and the Italian production company that is our great partner for presenting this interesting work.Let's go to one of their songs before Jake answers.
A1:Good morning guys. Let’s talk about the composition work in “I Am Whole”?
Jake Gutzwiller:As a musician, you often move within your own comfort zone. With "I Am Whole" we tried to approach the songs a little differently. Each of us brought very good input and initial ideas to the songs. We wanted to create something warmer from the beginning and we are very happy how the result came out.
A2:Judging by the album title, can we say that this album has a psychological or philosophical context?
Jake:The album title is inspired by the artwork done by Chantal Convertini.When we saw this picture together with the title "I Am Whole", we thought, this is exactly how our album must sound and look. Psychological or philosophical context did not consciously enter the concept. Of course, there is a story behind every song and melody. But we want the listeners to create their own story.
A3:Of course, for the listener, it's difficult to have a fixed opinion. But, for the band, what feelings did you want to put in your songs?
Jake:I always say it's easier to have an opinion with post-rock because the music doesn't tell you specifically what to feel and think.The emotions come automatically with what you feel at the moment. That's the beauty of it.A lot of personal and intimate emotions went into this album. We wanted to give the listeners a warm, personal and honest album.And we are happy that we succeeded as we imagined.
A4:Some literature or film inspire the band?
Jake:There are very different influences from each individual band member. Literary inspirations are not known to me right now. For the films, we were certainly inspired by Hans Zimmer, Yann Tiersen or Olafur Arnalds, for example.
A5:Not that I don't like it, but why is there a cinematic influence in the band?
Jake:As mentioned earlier, there are some notable artists who have inspired us. We like the warm and abstract in the music world. Also we like the possibility to add an orchestral composition in our music. Originally it was not intentional, but it felt natural.
A6:Was it a lot of work to give the band an orchestral tone?
Jake:It's always a lot of work to work on new songs. We put a lot of heart and soul, passion and energy into our songwriting. Most of the time, someone starts with an idea or the rough draft of a lick/riff. Then everyone contributes to the idea with their instruments by recording multiple demo versions which we then share via Dropbox. We provide feedback and then develop the songs further.So that when we get together in person to practice new songs, we already have a solid baseline to build on. While some of our songs may sound on light and Jamy, they're actually carefully orchestrated, almost note by note.
A7:Why does the band have this name?
Jake:It's a play on words between glass and tone. And we thought it would be a good fit for us.
A8:How did the band arrive to Sixteentimes Music?
Jake:Before the album release of "Inhale/Exhale" we were looking for a suitable label. Since I personally had been following some bands from this label for a while, I knew they did a good job and always seemed very likeable. Then we approached Rudy and talked to him and it was a match from the beginning.
A9:How is Glaston different from your previous bands?
Jake:Complete. Compared to the bands we had before, Glaston is more than just a hobby. We put so much heart and soul into this band. Each of us invests a lot of time in songwriting and rehearsals. We also invest a lot in expensive equipment. We try to make everything more professional. Even though we have spent more money than we have earned so far. {Haha! }
A10:Is this album conceptual?
Jake:Not consciously. As mentioned at the beginning, the name came from the album after we saw the picture of Chantal Convertini. At that time, we had already written about four or five songs. The story of "I Am Whole" was built around the album cover.
A11:Why do you say that this is the band's most personal album?
Jake:We all know that life doesn't always seem as easy as it should be. We have also been through a lot in the last few years. These personal emotions were transformed into many melodies and stories, which are now in this album.
A12:What vulnerability are you referring to on this album?
Jake:All the vulnerability that can happen under the skin. "I Am Whole" is about our inner-selves as humans and the infinite range of emotions. At first glance, you see a laughing or crying person. Yet feelings are highly complex. There are an infinite number of layers of feelings that can accumulate over a period of time. At the same time, the many feelings are so difficult to assess for the person himself. We want people to understand themselves and their own feelings better. There is still so much to feel.
A13:What kind of sound wouldn't make sense for Glaston?
Jake:We are always open to new experiments. We have always combined a lot of different musical genres in the songs we have written so far. Sometimes obviously, sometimes more discreetly. We stick to the fact that we don't want to set ourselves any limits. Never say never.
A14:The band feel differences between “Inhale Exhale” and now in “I Am Whole”?
Jake:Absolutely. We wanted to develop as musicians and also move outside our comfort zones sometimes. Also, you are always the biggest critic of your own work. In retrospect, there are always some details in the songs that you would have done differently a few years later. Not that we regret it, because "Inhale/Exhale" is an important part of us. But we realized after this album in which direction we want to aim our songwriting.
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