I love this dude. Met him back when I was 12 and he was what.. 14? We met when we were messing with people on some website. Been complete bros ever since, even if he does look like Guy Fawkes. Great guitarist, easily in my top five, and this interview was an honor to do.I'm here today with Dylan Lawson of The Goose, A Call To Glory, and his solo project, Asylum. How are you today, Dylan?
I'm doing pretty nifty. Had somewhat of a dull day but it's nothing to complain about. Thank you!
You're very much welcome. For those who don't know of you, why don't you talk a little about yourself, and the musical projects you're involved with?
Well, I myself am a really chill, kind, honest, and admittedly odd guy. But I think anyone who knows me or hears my work with music can immediately pick up on the fact that I have a huge passion for it. I don't even really consider myself just "a guitarist" anymore, because I hate to limit any kind of creativity to something like that. I've dabbled with all different instruments and sounds and I try to involve myself in practically any project of any genre I can.
I love to collaborate with people, though I've noticed with a lot of the bands I'm in people end up loving my material and I feel like I become a song-writing nazi in a way. Also, the whole metal thing is always gonna be fun for me, that's why I started The Goose and still am trying to keep us going, and also why I'm in ACTG (A Call To Glory), but I get tired of doing the same thing over and over and get inspired to make stuff other than metal, sometimes even mix genres and just make this odd song that you can't even really put a label on, ya know? Even if it sounds absolutely terrible, it's experimentation. And even then, I can gain something from it, by knowing what sounds NOT to mix I guess, haha.
So you're sayin' you're (as your father puts it) into 'that screamin' shit'.
Hahaha, yeah, what can I say? Once a metalhead, almost always a metalhead. But I try to keep an open mind with music because you gotta respect everyone's creativity if you expect anyone to respect your own. I'm not gonna pretend to like something if I don't, of course, but I'd hate to reject something just because it doesn't appeal to my usual taste. And sometimes you just gotta let it grow on ya.
Exactly, man, and I hate to ask this question since so many people get asked similar things in interviews, but what motivated you not only to just pick up a guitar, but learn to play it?
A couple of things, really. My dad, for one, who always loved to play it to relive the old jam sessions he had with some friends of his back in the day. I remember he'd try to teach me so many times, all I'd do is just find all the weird noises I could to make on the guitar and he'd grow weary and say "I guess you aren't interested in it..." And sadly enough, at that age and time, I wasn't really. Up until I turned 13 I gave not a single bit of concern for learning an instrument. I did listen to music but I never thought for once about making it myself. Then I turned 13, started messing with my dad's guitar, wanted to learn a Foo Fighters song or two, along with "Smoke on the Water" and "Back In Black" after watching "School of Rock", and my dad caught me and basically said "That's it, we're getting you lessons."
The other thing that really inspired me to take up guitar I guess would have to be watching Jack Black be a goofy son of a bitch in "School of Rock" with it. Seems a bit cliche and all, I know, but hey, you see a guy do something on TV or in a movie when you're a kid, and you say to yourself "I wanna do that." and next thing you know, years later, you're doing it!
Yeah, kind of like how I watched American Psycho and now all I do is fantasize about raping and killing prostitutes all day. Strange world ain't it? But who would you say are your musical influences? Not just for one band, but you as a person. You don't have to throw every influence ever, just the ones that immediately come to mind.
There are so many things I could list off as musical inspirations, we'd be here all night if I tried to think of 'em all, so I'm glad you're only going for the immediate ones I can think of. My biggest inspiration, artist-wise, would probably be Buckethead. He's what really further surged my musical discipline (other than my guitar teacher, of course) and made me want to practice 6 hours a day and get as good as I possibly could at guitar. But I also draw majorly from Hendrix, Devin Townsend, Petrucci, Vai, Paul Gilbert, Guthrie Govan, pretty much every Jazz guitarist ever, and a bunch of Indie/Alternative artists.
I like to listen to bands of a style I'm not even really into to get inspiration sometimes, too. Just to, ya know, add that kind of original, foreign edge to whatever song I end up writing after. I also draw a lot of inspiration from guys that have little to NOTHING to do with music at all really. Like Albert Einstein, Edgar Allan Poe, George Carlin, Socrates, John Carpenter, Voltaire, Mark Twain, Stephen King, and a bunch of philosophers, authors, actors, poets, and directors.
That's a great list, might I add, Devin Townsend being one of my favorites, and Buckethead definitely being in my top five guitarists, but would you say you have any non-metal musical influences that directly affect your music?
Oh definitely. Zooey Deschanel, Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, Scatman John, Vampire Weekend, Feist, Tegan and Sara, more recently some Badly Drawn Boy (just discovered him like 2 days ago), Solar Powered People, Silversun Pickups, The XX, hell, you name it, I'm more than likely inspired by it in some way. Oh yeah, and need I mention: Tyler The Creator and Biggie Smalls. But it's hard not to be inspired by two geniuses like them, even if you aren't fond of their music or them as people at all.
Much love for Tegan and Sara, and of course Tyler, the Creator. How is the music scene in Virginia, and would you say you've been influenced by it?
I think the music scene in Virginia, at least nowadays, is a bit underrated. There are many good bands here. I do think there's a bit too much pop-punk and deathcore bands, but I don't plan to hate, and that's mainly here in Richmond where I live, so I can't speak for the whole state. But we have produced a lot of amazing bands, and there's so many creative musicians here that just NEED to be heard and it's truly a damn shame many of them aren't or break up before they really...get out there, ya know? I don't care if it is a deathcore, pop-punk, indie/alternative, techno, dubstep, modern rock, or hell even country project that gets signed from here. If they get out there? I'm gonna be damn proud of them.
But to more directly answer your question; Yeah, I think our music scene is pretty snazzy, and I would definitely have to admit to taking some inspiration from a good lot of the bands I've heard/seen live around here.
The music scene around here, in my opinion, mostly sucks, so I'm actually happy to hear that for you, man. It sounds like a fun town when you get to hear the right music, but here's a little question I bet I can already predict your answer to: What is your opinion of dubstep-metal? Will you ever take a trip into it and make a track?
For the sake of not contradicting my earlier statement and because I do truly wish to avoid being an asshole to creativity: I'd probably give it a listen just to say I did give it a try, and I actually think I have listened to a dubstep-metal band or two once. But I can't see myself ever incorporating dubstep into my own music, simply because I don't know how to do it and think there's already plenty of others taking care of that. I could probably try it, but I don't really know how different it'd end up being from what everyone else is doing with it...
What if I hopped on it with you? I could do the WUBWUBWUB noises and do little girly cat-screams.
Well yeah! I'd love to do something like that maybe for fun. But in a serious, like, "OH YEAH GUYS THIS IS GONNA BE 'THE ONE', WE'RE GONNA BE THE GREATEST AND THIS IS GONNA BE SO DIFFERENT AND EVERYONE WILL LOVE IT" creative state-of-mind, I don't think I'd be able to do that. Just isn't something I can see myself taking that seriously. No offense to dubstep fans of any kind, just personally not my thing, and I'd be a total poser if I started putting out dubstep metal songs as if I were really into it and all. I'm sure they could respect it regardless but...I just don't wanna deceive anybody or look like a cheeky bastard.
"Cheeky bastard" may not be the proper term for someone who makes music they don't even like or whatever, not sure how to explain it. But oh well! I think you get what I mean.
Yeah, I think I do. Still, it seems rather easy to do the WUBWUBWUBs, it'd get you famous, and in the pants of every pre-teen girl in America. Consider that for a second. Combining hip-hop and metal: Good idea, terrible idea, or great when done right? And do turn-tables have a place in metal?
People may disagree with me entirely, and I will totally understand. But the best way to explain my opinion on hip-hop metal or metal with turn-tables of any kind, is that I am completely okay with it and have no disliking for it whatsoever. I may not sit here and make a big deal about how great I think it sounds either, of course, but I think hip-hop metal can exist and can be done right.
Top five metal albums, throw 'em at me. Screw the essential classics, this is all you and what you think.
Personally, I think my top 5 favorite metal albums would be:
1. "City" by Strapping Young Lad
2. "Enter The Chicken" (not entirely metal, but it has plenty of metal on it) by Buckethead
3. Periphery's debut album
4. Adversary's debut album
5. "None So Vile" by Cryptopsy
Absolutely adore City. I think it's the epitome of just how heavy metal can be, but don't hit me, because I'm sure somewhere in an underground Swedish basement, there's a heavier band. Music has always been around you, be it a radio, someone playing a CD, or what's on TV, but what would you say is the band or album that really got you into music?
Jimi Hendrix's greatest hits, hands down. I did have other CD's before then that got me into music, so I supposed I should mention those: "One by One" by Foo Fighters, "Good News For People Who Love Bad News" by Modest Mouse (forgot to mention them in my non-metal inspirations, they'd probably be top of the list, even now. Love them to this day. First band I ever saw live, actually!), and "The Battle of Los Angeles" by Rage Against The Machine".
But in terms of what REALLY got me into music to a point where I just HAD to start writing my own stuff, good stuff, and HAD to learn how to play the songs on it (like you know, when you hear one of those songs or albums and just HAVE to learn to play it because you get that in love with the artist), that'd definitely go to Jimi Hendrix.
I remember I got his CD, was amazed beyond words. I still regard him as one of the greatest that ever lived. I even sat down and learned every song off of that album. I probably can't play every song for you now, it's been awhile. But I know most of his hits still on guitar and love playing them from time to time.
Didn't you mention once you're even distantly related to Jimi Hendrix?
Well, that was something my brother was checking into, like our family ancestry and all. He said there may be a possibility we were...but honestly I believe that to be folklore. Not to be a Debbie Downer and reject it entirely, just there are many "Lawson's" out there, and just because his mom or grandma had the same last name as me before she married, doesn't quite explain me being related to him.
I'd love to believe it, but I also gotta be reasonable with this kind of thing. It would definitely explain my similar love for music and where some of my skill came from, though, haha.
That'd be really awesome if you are related to him, because you're an awesome guitarist and I've called you the "Jimi Hendrix of Death Metal" once. Who do you dream of collaborating with?
Well thank you for that! You're an awesome interviewer, perhaps the "Devin Townsend of Interviwers"? I'd honestly collaborate with just about anybody. But to specify? Definitely Buckethead, Devin Townsend, Mike Patton, All the guys and gals in The XX, Silversun Pickups, The Kills, and other groups sharing a similar sound, and (you may giggle, judge me as you will but it's a dream, damnit):
Please don't say the Beatles..
Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, Jay-Z, Tyler and all of OFWGKTA, Adele, Zooey Deschanel, James Durbin (yes, that singer from American Idol, i thought he was a god), Amy Lee, Muse, and plenty of others that you may not expect me to admire.
Hey, ain't nothing wrong with Gaga, OFWGKTA, Muse, or Jay-Z, but for the rest I start to worry for you. What was the first CD you ever bought, and does it hold any influence on you at all? Also, thank you for the compliment earlier!
Foo Fighter's CD "One by One" was the first actual CD I ever owned. And I'd be a liar if I said them boys don't inspire me anymore. I can't help but listen to the power and energy they have in some of their songs and not draw something from it. You can say what you want about them and Dave Grohl, and you may be right! But I personally think they are a really good group and work together very well to make some pretty fucking interesting music and kickass sounds. Maybe not the fastest, most shreddin', most amazing thing out there? But they'll always have a place in my heart.
I still need to check them out. We're starting to close up a little bit now, coming near the end. Want to describe your projects a little bit?
Sure! The Goose started as just my "solo thing", it was the alias I was gonna use for my songwriting project when I actually began writing my own material I thought sounded somewhat decent (it was pretty shitty, but oh well!), trying to make it all progressive/neo-classical/shred/metal-like. I also started using that as like my online alias as well. Became sort of a nickname for me I guess. Kind of like Misha Mansoor with "Bulb".
But eventually The Goose turned into a 3-piece instrumental band when I heard about this fundraiser thing at my school called "Rockin' 'FUR' a Cause", which was set up to help out animal shelters or something to that effect. Suddenly, I was actually getting ready to perform my songs with an actual band live! My buddies Zach (who did bass) and Garrett (who did drums) both agreed it'd be a fun little thing to do. So we did it, and I can honestly say we did not sound the greatest at all. But we surely did impress the crowd. We got claps from a bunch of fellow students and parents who came out, and a teacher or two.
After that, we decided to become a semi-serious band (I say "semi" because we probably could have taken our practices a lot more seriously) and began coming up with more songs and playing live. People were kinda baffled because we were this instrumental metal band that you normally hear vocals with, but I spent so much time trying to make us sound "different" from the "usual metal" and add some kind of ambient edge to our music. Not sure if I ever favorably achieved that, but we did continue to get people to like us here and there.
We had plenty of really embarassing shows, and hardly ever played with any actual "metal" bands, mainly ones that sounded nothing like us or were our exact opposite genre. I even remember one show we played? There were literally only all of 20 people there, most of them elderly and over the age of 40. And not fans of metal, not at all. Needless to say, we went on...and they were not happy. Awkward smiles, awkward claps...the whole nine yards.
Over time, of course, we matured more, got Serg (our rhythm guitarist) and Hunter (our vocalist), and lost Zach and Gary (so now i'm the only remaining original member), but I haven't really focused as much on making the music "different", so much as just making actual music and making it good. I'll be honest, we're a traditional metal group, there's nothing here you've probably never heard before, but if you like metal, heavy metal, you'll like us.
And the other two projects?
As for A Call To Glory? That's what they decided to call the group after I joined and they booted Storm, the previous vocalist. We're another metal group that's trying to incorporate a somewhat poppy sing-along edge to our heavy sound. I joined on when they decided to get Michael to do bass and my buddies Patrick (the drummer) and Joey (other guitarist in the band) asked me if I'd be down to join. I was all over it, of course, because I needed something to do with music at the time, always good to be busy, and because I thought they had something really cool going on. It was more than just a thought, too, thankfully!
Our practices may not have been the most organized, but damn we had fun and damn did we practice. I contributed about 3 or 4 songs to that group in the time we were frequently practicing. Unfortunately, though, we only played 1 show as "A Call To Glory" (and also the only show we played when I became a member) and after that we haven't practiced since...kinda miss it. Was really fun. Patrick's been talking about regrouping everyone in the band recently, but I can't say anything official on us coming back quite yet.
But yeah, A Call To Glory was a lot like one of those sing-along, catchy metalcore bands, with a hit of technical guitar and drum riffs, djent, and fast shreddin' solos here and there. Really enjoyable music. Doubt if you'd ever hear us on the radio, of course, but if you could get into that kind of thing you'd definitely enjoy us.
hint*
not hit, god forbid we get charged with assault.
already had to talk to the same cop 3 or 4 times because of noise complaints, which is one reason we ended up not practicing, had to find a new practice space. was a pain in the ass. even the cop thought whoever was complaining was just being an asshole. but you know, cops have a policy to follow, and we, as respectful citizens, gotta abide by it and throw our hands up and say "alright! we'll go with it!"...
i'm not gonna be one of those cop-hating band members. cops aren't bad guys usually. just really wish whoever kept complaining could have been more reasonable and had the balls to come actually talk to us about it and work something out, damnit! but enough of that rant, what was your next question?
And what about your solo project, Asylum?
Oh yeah! Asylum! Asylum came about over the summer of last year when I decided there were songs I was just recording on my own that didn't fit with The Goose or anything else I was in. Asylum is basically a musical playground for me, among many other things. I make all kinds of songs under it that don't pertain to any particular genre constraint. My most experimental project, indeed.
For those who want a very good and general demonstration of my musical capabilities, not even just as a guitarist or even a musician at all really, but also as a recording guy and just really what I can do on my own with the business side of music (which I'm terrible at, Asylum has been horribly advertised...which means my album hasn't even sold one copy yet.), Asylum would be best for that. Asylum is pretty much the embodiment of my musical mind.
I'm actually about to start work on the second album despite how little I've had the opportunity to advertise the debut... It's gonna be entitled "Decadence" and be VEEERYYY lengthy. Definitely won't be done for a long time, but I plan to put up some demos I made awhile ago for some songs on it soon. And actually, a year today (technically it's 10/30), October 10th, 2010, is when I finished all recordings and finalizations of "Asylum", the debut album. So happy anniversary to my solo project!
But yeah, there isn't as much of a story to Asylum as the other bands, but I do continue to work with it, hope to get it out there, and have really personalized it. If you email me, add me, send me messages, or whatever over the facebook page for Asylum or any of the networks I frequent and actually have a page of Asylum for, I'll respond to it just like any regular old pal you add. Way I see it, I'm just a regular guy with a sort-of regular life that happens to love weird music and make weird music. I'm not above or below anybody, really. So I'm all about getting to know people, listening to any music they've made, or just chattin' it up.
If you like my music and support me? I truly appreciate it, love you, and will hug you when I get the opportunity someday. If not? I still love you, but at least try to make up some appealing story to your friends to get them to listen to me and buy my CD so I can use the 10 dollars to feed my starving belly! But I'd hope everyone can find at least ONE song to enjoy from Asylum. But I can't control what people like, I just make music, hoping people will enjoy it. Just what I love to do, ya know? But yeah. I think it's best I quit my rambling here.
That's very interesting, Dylan.. But I just have to ask.. Which would you kill, screw, and marry? Casey Sabol, Devin Townsend, and Mike Patton. Go!
damn. that's a very tough decision. this is gonna hurt. I'd kill Mike, because of The Darkness, and I still haven't forgiven him for what he did to Jenny. And Jackie is basically my brother now after quite literally viewing life through his eyes. So I plan to avenge that brother. Sorry Mike, you're a great vocalist, but Jenny didn't deserve that.
I'd probably screw Casey, just because he's that beautiful, charming guy who likes to come in, make everybody gawk at how great and nice of a guy he is, then quickly be gone with, at most, a week's time. Just ask Periphery! (yar dee har har)
And that leaves the wedding bells for Devin, simply because I'd want him to sing "Kawaii" to me every night and he's that man you could trust to spend your whole life with. You know, the charming husband-material type. The one who you know is gonna raise your children right, be the best to settle down with, and always make you smile somehow.
Wow, I think it's kind of creepy how much I detailed that as if I really thought about it and have some kind of hidden feelings for Devin. PLEASE DON'T BE CREEPED OUT, BRO. TOTAL HYPOTHETICAL SITUATION, MAN. I SWEAR I DON'T CUT THE FACE OF YOUR WIFE OUT OF PICTURES OF YOU AND HER AND ADD MY OWN IN.
But yeah, I think that about sums up my answer to that one.
Dylan, I have to give it up to you for this interview, I've been interviewing you for two minutes short of two hours now, and I think we really have learned a lot about you and your musical projects, and I wish you the absolute best of luck with your current adventures into music, and the ones you choose to pursue. Any parting words for our readers?
Well, this is the part where I try to sound all inspirational and end up just sounding like a cheesey bastard: Keep doing what you do, and do it well, stay confident, never doubt yourself or beat yourself up, and remember that if the same dipshit that's typing this to you can do it, so can you. Never hold back, full throttle is what made everyone want a Dodge Charger in the 1970's. Never let anyone bring you down, you're worth more than you know, and there may be over 6 billion people in the world, but nonetheless, what you do makes all the difference. And, I love you and thank you for taking the time to read all this about me! <3
And that, my friends, is my brother Dylan Lawson. Thank you for reading, and be sure to keep up with him and his musical projects, because one day, he might just be in your stereo.
http://www.facebook.com/themusicofasylum
http://www.youtube.com/themusicofasylum
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/asylum3
Might I add I paid him for this interview with this publicity, and I shall link him to around 125 Periphery demos soon.
