Josh of The Chariot took some time to answer some questions for Indie Vision
Why the change from Solid State to Good Fight?
Nothing more than just we fulfilled our contract and we went looking for other opportunities. At the end of the day, we just shopped around and felt that Good Fight was the best home for us. We have no beef with the good folks at Solid State.
How has the transition to Good Fight been?
It has been very pleasant and smooth actually. I feel like they really see things like we see them and they are very punk rock minded which helps, it’s not just a bunch of heads in suits that can’t relate to driving in a van for 7 hours. They really seem to know this world that we (The Chariot) live in.
How does your faith influence your music/lyrics? Is it difficult tomaintain your faith while on the road?
Well I am sure it affects my music/lyrics in the same way that all art comes from the inside of a person. The best art comes from the inside. It is not hard to maintain my faith because it is who I am; it is truly, what I believe. Doesn’t matter whose around or where I’m at, that doesn’t change who I am.
What kind of bands/shows/whatever influenced your crazy live shows? At what point did you decide you just wanted the shows to be as nuts as possible?
As with everything in this band, it was never a real conscious effort. It just evolved to this. I think it comes from having severe A.D.D. and getting bored way too easy. As far as influences it is always been the “GREATS” Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, James Brown, gems like that.
How do you (Josh) maintain a family with so much touring? Any advice?
My advice is don’t marry. I just happen to be married to the perfect girl, but those are few and far between. I am truly confident that artists should never marry. (That is way too deep of a conversation to fulfill on this but I am only half joking)……..In all honesty, it just takes two to tango so the band person has to be legit as well as the significant other. It is that easy and unfortunately, it is also that complicated.
How did you end up having Timbre play with you at Cornerstone 2010? Was it awkward when her harp was damaged?
She is a friend of ours so it was easy to get her to play; she is actually on our new album Long Live. As for breaking her harp, we were bummed and a little stoked. Never broke a harp before…….(joking)…….in all reality we paid for it and made sure she was taken care of obviously. Our goal is never to break anything, but in freedom, some things happen from time to time.
What kind of mind-blowing excitement should we expect knowing there is an incredible harpist on a Chariot record? Any other things new on the album that might blow our minds?
Hopefully you will just clear your minds and expect nothing. We want no preconceived notions coming in. It smells like The Chariot, it feels like The Chariot and yet it hopefully offers more.
How does the writing process work for The Chariot? How do you decide what works and what hits the cutting room floor?
Our cutting room floor is littered with ideas for sure. The Chariot’s writing is very spontaneous and very impulsive. It is always evolving and always growing. We give birth to these songs but then we let them tell us where to go, everything feels more like a puzzle……….it is all supposed to fit perfectly, we just have to make sure we aren’t forcing anything somewhere that doesn’t belong.
How did Josh get the opportunity to do guest vocals for Bring Me the Horizon, and what was the process like?
We are friends with that bunch and they just asked me. I really liked the song itself musically as well as the content. Lyrically it felt very redemptive and very “light at the end of the tunnel-esc” in its own cryptic way, so I went for it. I could relate to it and I felt like I could contribute good towards it.
Do the new song titles include the Wars contest winners?
It does, we totally wanted to just have a complete “community” feel with this record, even naming songs after real people, so we went with the contest originally and made it work for the record. Fun.
Can we expect any crazy pre-orders that will out do the hot sauce and hand stamps?
It would be hard to top hand stamping 30,000 CD covers but we are always looking up. So we will see.
What bands are you currently listening to?
Can’t put down Arcade Fire right now
Any chance of a Luti-Kriss reunion?
No, probably not.
Thanks so much
Josh
The Chariot