US Progressive Metalcore outfit MISERY SIGNALS will perform four New Zealand shows in February 2009. Dale Wallath from 95bfm’s Hard Fast and Heavy Show gets the lowdown from vocalist Karl Schubach…
Dale: How’s your slice of paradise?
Karl: It’s pretty good right now, man, no complaints at all. We just got off tour in the U.K we spent 3 weeks there, playing 21 shows and then we got to go home for about 15 hours before flying over here. It’s been pretty hectic, but at the same time you can’t complain, you’re out here seeing the world.
Dale: You’re coming over to New Zealand soon, have you heard of anything from NZ before now?
Karl: We haven’t at all, actually, even last time when we were here in Australia for tour in summer we were trying to find a way to come over there and play a few shows, even so we could just see the country, but it didn’t pan out. But now we have the opportunity to come over there and we’re more than excited to be able to do that.
Dale: MISERY SIGNALS only got together in 2002, so for a relatively new band doing some major international tours- it must be pretty mind blowing…
Karl: Well, especially for me since I joined the band in 2006, so things have progressed at a very rapid rate, just from even when I started with the band like how things have taken off from there, but I can only imagine the other guys from when they started out as a band that no one had ever heard of, to now playing across the world.
Dale: How was coming on board as a front man?
Karl: It was tough for me because I’d never sung for a band before, I never thought I’d ever turn out as a front man for any band really – I play guitar, that was my specialty, and basically when your favourite band, when they’re looking for a singer, you become a singer over night, is basically how I can describe it. So, yeah, I mean, that’s another reason why every thing is, as you said, mind blowing to me ‘cos I never ever expected to be doing this.
Dale: Were you a fan of the band, or friends with them?
Karl: No, I didn’t know the guys before this all came about, but every band that I was involved in like locally, in my own towns music scene was really heavily influenced by them. Actually, even one of my bands it was our goal as a band, wasn’t to tour the world, but to open up for MISERY SIGNALS, so times have changed a little bit.
Dale: Your last album ‘Controller’ came out last year, produced by Devin Townsend, who I am personally a big fan of…
Karl: I think a lot of people are.
Dale: Yeah, it’s not easy to get hold of his work here in NZ, but how was working with him?
Karl: It was really, really easy. He made everything stress free. In comparison to when we were recording ‘Mirrors’ the difference is night and day. Dev, He kinda creates this environment in his studio that, you know, the ideas just flow and everything is just positive, the way he sets the mood in there, it brings out the best in every body, so therefore what you hear on that disc is a collection of what he created, basically.
Dale: As I mentioned, you are playing a few dates in NZ, so what can New Zealand fans expect from a MISERY SIGNALS show?
Karl: A lot of energy, a lot of positive energy. We’ve been told, that, if people listen to our records after a show they’ll come up and say “I can not believe a band can sound like their record, live” but basically you come to a show, we’re all just trying to have fun, all the people coming to the show we hope they come with the same attitude, and it’s just a good time, really.
Dale: Of your previous tours overseas, obviously MISERY SIGNALS is well received in your home towns. How has the reception to you guys been over seas?
Karl: Really, really well. Even this last time we went over to the U.K that was by far the best time that we’ve ever been there. You could definitely notice the band’s grown since the last record that we put out, and a lot of kids have come up and they know every word to the new songs and to me it blows my mind – to be able to travel thousands of miles from home to have kids singing along, it’s like you never left home. Australia has always been like that too, the last time we over here it was insane. We’re kinda hoping and expecting it to atleast be on par with that or even better. Can’t say we’ve ever had a bad experience travelling.
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