Stereokill.net Interview with Brian Bell - February 19, 2009: Difference between revisions

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Stereokilllers, today I give to thee an interview with one of my personal heroes, Brian Bell from Weezer.  
Stereokilllers, today I give to thee an interview with one of my personal heroes, [[Brian Bell]] from [[Weezer]].  


Alongside his guitar and vocal duties in Weezer, Brian fronts The Relationship: a band both crunchy and melodic, with influences from rock’s many corners. The band’s MySpace profile simply states: “Longtime Friends Start Rock And Roll Band And Make Record…Hilarity Ensues,” so I got in touch with the man himself to discuss The Relationship, and their debut album, in a little more depth.
Alongside his guitar and vocal duties in Weezer, Brian fronts [[The Relationship]]: a band both crunchy and melodic, with influences from rock’s many corners. The band’s MySpace profile simply states: “Longtime Friends Start Rock And Roll Band And Make Record…Hilarity Ensues,” so I got in touch with the man himself to discuss The Relationship, and their debut album, in a little more depth.
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{{Interviewer|Stereokill|Why did you initially decide to form The Relationship, and how did the other band members get involved in the project?}}
{{Interviewer|Stereokill|Why did you initially decide to form The Relationship, and how did the other band members get involved in the project?}}
{{Brian|I don’t know the exact date but it initially started as a song-writing partnership with my long time friend, Nate Shaw. The Relationship, was the name we called that partnership. We approached it like a 9 to 5 job, except we started at 11. The first song we wrote together was a tune called “Sweet On You”, then a song called “Oh, Allen”. We wrote many songs together for about a year, and unfortunately nothing really came to fruition with those songs, but we realized that we had a good working chemistry. It was the following year that we recorded the first Relationship LP. We recorded at Jason Hiller, our current bass player’s, 8 track analog studio, in the guest house of his parents Beverly Hills home. The record was very good, but in the end I felt it wasn’t cohesive enough for my liking and I scrapped it. The next year I worked on the record that will be The Relationship’s debut.}}
{{Brian|I don’t know the exact date but it initially started as a song-writing partnership with my long time friend, [[Nate Shaw]]. The Relationship, was the name we called that partnership. We approached it like a 9 to 5 job, except we started at 11. The first song we wrote together was a tune called “[[Sweet On You]]”, then a song called “[[Oh, Allen]]”. We wrote many songs together for about a year, and unfortunately nothing really came to fruition with those songs, but we realized that we had a good working chemistry. It was the following year that we recorded the first Relationship LP. We recorded at [[Jason Hiller]], our current bass player’s, 8 track analog studio, in the guest house of his parents Beverly Hills home. The record was very good, but in the end I felt it wasn’t cohesive enough for my liking and I scrapped it. The next year I worked on the record that will be The Relationship’s debut.}}
{{Interviewer|Stereokill|How is that album shaping up?}}
{{Interviewer|Stereokill|How is that album shaping up?}}
{{Brian|The album is everything that I wanted it to be. The record is completely finished, and I’m in the process of going to meetings etc. to put it out. I know we’ll find the right home for it. I’m working everyday on it, so it shouldn’t be too much longer.}}
{{Brian|The album is everything that I wanted it to be. The record is completely finished, and I’m in the process of going to meetings etc. to put it out. I know we’ll find the right home for it. I’m working everyday on it, so it shouldn’t be too much longer.}}
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{{Brian|It’s a musical journey spanning many emotions, including joy and heartbreak.}}
{{Brian|It’s a musical journey spanning many emotions, including joy and heartbreak.}}
{{Interviewer|Stereokill|With so many songs appearing on the The Relationship’s MySpace, do you forsee more albums in the future, perhaps featuring songs that didn’t make the final cut?}}
{{Interviewer|Stereokill|With so many songs appearing on the The Relationship’s MySpace, do you forsee more albums in the future, perhaps featuring songs that didn’t make the final cut?}}
{{Brian|Possibly, there might be some that resurface, but I’m sure we’ll have many new ones too. With the addition of Eric J. Dubowsky [keyboards] to the band, the song-writing should be even stronger.}}
{{Brian|Possibly, there might be some that resurface, but I’m sure we’ll have many new ones too. With the addition of [[Eric J. Dubowsky]] [keyboards] to the band, the song-writing should be even stronger.}}
{{Interviewer|Stereokill|Will The Relationship version of “Thought I Knew” appear on the album? [Weezer recorded a version of the song on their most recent album, Weezer (2008)]}}
{{Interviewer|Stereokill|Will The Relationship version of “[[Thought I Knew]]” appear on the album? [Weezer recorded a version of the song on their [[Red|most recent album]], Weezer (2008)]}}
{{Brian|Yes, sir.}}
{{Brian|Yes, sir.}}
{{Interviewer|Stereokill|There have only been a handful of Relationship shows thus far. Are there plans for a tour following the album’s release?}}
{{Interviewer|Stereokill|There have only been a handful of Relationship shows thus far. Are there plans for a tour following the album’s release?}}
{{Brian|We’ll do them when they make sense for us to do.}}
{{Brian|We’ll do them when they make sense for us to do.}}
{{Interviewer|Stereokill|Can you discuss why Space Twins [Bell's project prior to The Relationship] disbanded?}}
{{Interviewer|Stereokill|Can you discuss why [[Space Twins]] [Bell's project prior to The Relationship] disbanded?}}
{{Brian|I felt like it was time.}}
{{Brian|I felt like it was time.}}
{{Interviewer|Stereokill|I think that “The End of Imagining” [Space Twins' sole studio album] is an underated classic, how do you feel about that album now in 2009?}}
{{Interviewer|Stereokill|I think that “[[The End of Imagining]]” [Space Twins' sole studio album] is an underated classic, how do you feel about that album now in [[2009]]?}}
{{Brian|Thanks. I think it’s a fine album and one that I’m proud of. I feel I’ve grown considerably as a song-writer and hopefully will continue to do so.}}
{{Brian|Thanks. I think it’s a fine album and one that I’m proud of. I feel I’ve grown considerably as a song-writer and hopefully will continue to do so.}}
{{Interviewer|Stereokill|Do you still wish to release a “psychedelic children’s record” featuring Space Twins songs and newer compositions with [Space Twins bassist] Tim Maloof?}}
{{Interviewer|Stereokill|Do you still wish to release a “psychedelic children’s record” featuring Space Twins songs and newer compositions with [Space Twins bassist] [[Tim Maloof]]?}}
{{Brian|Sure, in a perfect world. The Maloofs are my closest and oldest friends.}}
{{Brian|Sure, in a perfect world. The Maloofs are my closest and oldest friends.}}
{{Interviewer|Stereokill|As a musician, who are your main musical influences?}}
{{Interviewer|Stereokill|As a musician, who are your main musical influences?}}
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{{Interviewer|Stereokill|Where do you see yourself in ten years time? Is there anything that you’d like to achieve?}}
{{Interviewer|Stereokill|Where do you see yourself in ten years time? Is there anything that you’d like to achieve?}}
{{Brian|Hopefully very happy and healthy. I might try scuba diving into the Bearing Straight by then.}}
{{Brian|Hopefully very happy and healthy. I might try scuba diving into the Bearing Straight by then.}}
{{Interviewer|Stereokill|Are you aware that you’re affectionatly known as the “Sass-Master” to fans. Do you think that you’re particularly sassy?}}
{{Interviewer|Stereokill|Are you aware that you’re affectionatly known as the “[[Sass]]-Master” to fans. Do you think that you’re particularly sassy?}}
{{Brian|I am aware. I usually hear the word, “sassy”, referring to an independent woman, so in the future my goal is to change that to “Style-Master.”}}
{{Brian|I am aware. I usually hear the word, “sassy”, referring to an independent woman, so in the future my goal is to change that to “Style-Master.”}}