Silverstein – 13-04-2013

Interview with: Paul Koehler and Paul Marc Rousseau
By: Sabine van Gameren

The Canadian Silverstein is touring intensely. Not an easy job to keep the 925000+ likers on facebook happy with a show in their area after all. The band released their album: “This Is How The Wind Shifts” earlier this year and we spoke with the band about this release. Drummer Paul Koehler and, newbie in the band, Paul Marc Rousseau (Guitars) joined Tempelores for a conversation.

The latest release of these guys is having a concept of which two songs are matching. Also the band released an albums with concepts before so obviously the guys are into that. Both of the guys admit to like albums with a concept. “This album we went so deep into the concept; the music, the words, the lyrics. The does not need to be like that but it is cool to have this additional meaning to it” Paul Koehler tells. When we ask whether the guys are taking some inspiration from Prog Rock bands which very often work with themes and concepts for their albums it becomes clear that the band does not feel that way. “This kind of records, like Prog Rock bands tend to be much like a musical. There is a character which fictitious. Here she does things, there is a world that they can create like a whole movie” Paul explains. Silverstein however chose a different way of creating their concepts. According to the guys it starts over a sound, a tone when they are working on something with the addition of a lot of coffee. “We have a lot of coffee” they explain while laughing.
“We wanted something meaningful but that is not necessarily like a story. We present the skeleton of a story and you put it together. Is this you, is it someone you know who experienced this. And how does this sounds make you feel” they continue and make it clear that the band likes the audience to have their interpretation of the concept rather than writing out the whole thing for them. The band claims they don’t even speak about it at all, but it just comes up in some way and every one of the band just gets it.

That makes it interesting as the band has a new guitarist for this album, we wonder what his influence was in the album, but it is obvious that the guys have known longer. It turns out that Paul Marc Rousseau has been working for the band some years already. Selling the merch, stand –in at some shows, the man is obviously not a new face for many of their fans. “I have been around, being really close friends. I have worked for Silverstein since 2007/2008 and filled in sometimes” he tells. So since the guys have known for a long time it was obvious that working together on the new release went quite natural. The band had a lot of benefits of having a new guitarist in the band according to Paul Koehler. “Having him, really broadened our song range capabilities and also gave us a fresh perspective”, he tells. And with this new perspective the band took his lead at some cases as it seems which translates into that new perspective. “The four of us, the rest of us have gotten better over the years, where he learned things and developed at his own so when having him around it all advanced differently and more mature, more complex than we have before. I think also that he keeps us all focused on the same course as a leader” Koehler continued.

During the tour the band is obviously joking around a lot. Also the band Funeral For A Friend with whom they share the stage this night is getting along. When asking the band what kind of tips they could give their fans and the Tempelores readers the Funeral For A Friend guys can’t resist to interrupt the conversation of shouting “Push-ups”. According to the Silverstein guys they have been showing off a bit. “They think they are really strong, but they are not!” Rousseau tells laughing. It seems all a bit of a joke between them.
Then they come with a very good advice to the fans. “You need to practice, and practice a little more. Practice makes perfect” says Paul Marc Rousseau which was summoned to come with something first while Paul Koehler was thinking of his words still. When it is his turn he comes with following tip: “Make as many mistakes as you need to make. But don’t release them all”. He explains that while writing songs you need to be critical on yourself and not just show off everything you made before you are truly satisfied with it. “It probably sucks, wait till you have something good. I probably have written in my life like… 400 songs. And maybe only released 10. I started and stopped so many times. You have to be happy with the actual song and not just happy that you made a song” he says.

This being said he comes with a final message to the fans: “If you suck at music, you might not always suck, you have to practice and make sure that you are good. I believe in you. We are Silverstein and we believe in you!”

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