An email interview with Lovedrug guitarist Jeremy Gifford. Read on to hear about the new EPs and future full-length album, being without a label, and where music is going today.
You are currently without a label home. How is that going for you? Are you looking to sign when the right deal comes along, or do you now prefer being independent?
At the moment, we’re enjoying freedom from a contract. With the way the industry is going, it seems like not many “biz” people get what a band like us is capable of doing. So we make the calls. We release what we want….when we want. Straight to the fans. It’s nice at the moment. Who can say what the future holds for us. I will say, major labels are like little girls with daddy’s credit card…but daddy’s credit card is pretty full these days. And they don’t know how to function without his card.
How is it that you left The Militia Group in the first place?
We actually fulfilled our contract with them upon release of The Sucker Punch Show…which was at the same time of the label’s collapse. So that was cool.
You’re about to release the third and final album in this year’s EP trilogy. I’ve interviewed other bands (Mae, Straylight Run) who are trying similar plans of frequent but short releases. Do you think this is where music is going today?
We’re doing a series of 3 EPs. We’ve released the first 2 already. The final EP will be released in January. This will be it for our short releases…as we will be finishing the next full length. It’s pretty evident that the single is more popular than the album these days. But I would be a bit uncomfortable with artists only releasing 3 song EPs ..or whatever. There is something about the way an album flows from song to song that I love. It’s interesting to hear the way a band visions the album and the sequence of the songs. blah blah blah.
What are your plans after the third EP is released? Will you continue the pattern or go back to full LP albums?
Yes, we will hit the studio in March to record our next full length. The EPs are more so a taste of what is to come on the actual album. The EPs were actually demos of songs we got excited about…we wanted to share them with our fans. The combination of being labeless and having new songs kinda urged us to release the EPs while we figured out our next step.
Your new full length is in the works with a lot of bonus options focused on fan involvement. This is something else I’m seeing more bands do lately, looking to pre-orders and fan support for the financial backing needed to record and produce a record. Tell us about your own experience with this plan, how it affected the recording process, and whether you think it is a viable option for the future of the music industry?
“I AM LOVEDRUG” is the name of the campaign we are doing to fund the album, and doing this campaign is great. We’ve teamed up with a site called Pledge Music. It’s people like them that hold the future of independent bands. It is allowing us to connect with fans in a way that we wouldn’t be able to if we were on a label. A lot of the things that people can pledge for are very personal. Things that we make specifically for them on an individual basis. It’s awesome. It allows artists to take music STRAIGHT to the fans. There isn’t a label breathing down our backs telling us what we should do….worrying about their next paycheck.
How does the new music relate to your previous material? What direction should fans expect?
It’s upbeat and groovy. It sounds nothing like our last record. It has the honesty and mentality of our first record. But it is very much it’s own thing. Like I said, the EPs are a LITTLE hint of what is to come.
And what direction are the new songs going lyrically? What themes do you address on the record? What thoughts and experiences have influenced your writing this time around?
Mainly about WWF.
As a band that’s played both Christian and general market circuits, how do you handle that balance between faith and popular music?
Honestly, we aren’t a faith based band…at all. Some people have been confused about our stance on that in the past. We are just 4 best friends in a rock band..and we all have very different beliefs. We admire people who truly live what they believe though…whatever religion it may be.
What advice would you give to a new band just starting out today?
You have to really want it. It won’t be easy. Don’t do it if you are looking to be wealthy. Only do it if you want to inspire people and live an abnormal life. It’s fun but exhausting. Frustrating but rewarding. If you have a “plan B”…you’ll most likely quit “plan A” ….
Thanks for taking the time to answer these questions. Is there anything else you have going on that we should know about or anything else you’d like to comment on?
Thank you to everyone who is supporting us during this new period of our career. We’re excited to experience the future of the band with you all. You are Lovedrug. Drink egg nog.