The Birthday Massacre – Yearning For Childhood Fears!

Veröffentlicht am von

The Birthday Massacre are back, with the fantastic new album HIDE AND SEEK and a big yearning for old childhood fears such as werewolves and blob monsters – Why that – go and read the interview with Chiby, singer and songwriter of the Canadian band!

SiN: Hey The Birthday Massacre, congratulations to your fantastic new CD HIDE AND SEEK! Certainly it is a thrilling time to release the new album and waiting eagerly for the reactions of the fans and media?

Chibi: Hi! Yes, we’re really excited. Hide and Seek has been a labour of love, probably one of the most intense writing and recording experiences I have had, and we’re very excited for the release.

SiN: The album title refers to an old child play, seems to be a kind of invitation to tle audience, isn´t it?

Chibi: Yes, hahah. But also the concepts of hiding things/hiding from things can be very sinister. So while the playfulness is implied, there’s definitely a darker meaning there as well.

SiN: In my opinion the song titles seem to refer to each other, opening for example with „Leaving Tonight“ and ending with „The Long Way Home“. Is this a kind of concept album? Are you telling a complete story with this new cd? Some details, please :)?

Chibi: I wouldn’t say it is a concept album, but there are definitely some running themes present. This time around, while writing lyrics, I was getting very personal with it. I’ve always been interested in true crime, unsolved cases, that sort of thing. So there are some references so these mysteries, disappearances, in the songs. And going back to the idea of hiding things – the idea of there being a darkness within a person that you can’t see. Like a monster hiding in plain sight. We’ve all encountered people who you think you know, and you find out you really don’t. Or maybe we’re that person – hiding something from the people we love. For me this record is very dark and thematic.

SiN: This is your 6. studio album so far, all of them are concentrating somehow on children and childhood. This seems so important to you, do you try to reprocess your own experiences within your childhood? Good as bad ones?

Chibi: I think it’s a yearning back for those times when things just seemed so simple. It’s very easy to romanticise elements of your childhood. And, for me, it’s as though looking back, everything seems like it was amplified. The sun seemed to shine brighter, you could entertain yourself by playing with a blade of grass, you could make up games – and the things that scared you seemed truly, overwhelmingly horrifying. And now, it’s like, you aren’t afraid of a monster under your bed anymore, you know that’s not true. But you know about the real horrors in the world. And it’s like – I’d give anything to just be able to genuinely be afraid of a werewolf or blob monster or something again. I’d love the luxury of those being the only fears.

SiN: Again (we all know „Blue“!) there is a track called „Cover My Eyes“ starting quite „relaxed“ and atmospheric – but having an agressive Nu Metal Part in the chorus (great, love it!). I guess Chibi loves these moments to freak out? And the guys, running around gloomy with their guitars on stage (you see, the visual effect got me ;))?

Chibi: Haha! Yes, I think we all have parts that we look forward to performing and keeping things energized while on stage. “Cover My Eyes” was written for a movie soundtrack, actually, that didn’t end up working out. So it was sort of a stand-alone song at that time. But it ended up fitting seamlessly on the record, which is perfect. And yes I am looking forward to ‘freaking out’ onstage – but this time around, I have to be cautious with my voice. I’ve had some issues with it, which I never thought would happen, after so many years of performing.

SiN: In the media you are described as a music project with focus on visual effects. The integrated concept is to combine music, styling, art and perfornance. This is quite ambitious – why is that so important to you? Why not only „playing music and doing some concerts“ as other bands do ;)?

Chibi: It’s because our interests definitely expand beyond music. I met Rainbow while we were both in college taking Fine Art. My first passions have always been drawing, painting and writing. So those elements were naturally going to become part of the band. Everyone in the band has other creative pursuits we’re passionate about, and it’s lucky that we have the band to utitize them.

SiN: Purple seems to be your favourite colour, isn´t it? I like that (noticed my Funkelglanz logo ;)?)! The artwork of all your albums focus on shades of this colour and there are always children and rabbits…What does these images mean to you? And are the rabbits good or evil..;)?

Chibi: Purple is the best colour. Well, that and blue, haha. And the rabbits are good. I think at one point there was an image of a bunny with blood dripping from its mouth. I think that rabbit may have been evil. But for the most part, they’re our pals.

SiN: Worldwide you are quite famous within the Gothic scene – your styling and attitude seems to match the ideas of the „dark ones“. Could you imagine to reach more „normal looking“ people (but maybe with an open-mind) as well? Do you even have fans like that, maybe in your homeland Canada?

Chibi: I think that while we definitely fit in with the gothic scene, we’ve always had different types of people coming to the shows and being part of the audience. Ravers, metal heads, little children, older folks – I feel lucky because we have an appeal to lots of different crowds. And we’ve always appreciated that. I mean, within scenes – I’m sure there’s plenty of people within the goth scene who think our music is crap. You like what you like. I mean, here I am, right now I’m wearing my skull jumper and black tights, and the last song I listened to was “Green Grass and High Tides”, which I think is a genuinely good song despite the fact that it’s country music and “are goths ALLOWED to like country music???” Hahaha!

SiN: Any dreams you have, maybe a cooperation with Tim Burton;) or something like that?

Chibi: At this point, my dream is just to keep doing what we’re doing, together. Collaborations happen and exciting stuff comes up sometimes, but – as we have learned – more often than not, the cool opportunities are nothing but talk. The real satisfaction, and the real excitement, now comes from continuing to get along, moving forward, and writing music together that still gives me goosebumps.

SiN: I´m quite sure you are thinking about a big (European) tour, now the album is released? Must be part of the overall concept, isn´t it :)? Any plans, dates, stage concepts for that already?

Chibi: Oh we would love to. It’s been a while since we’ve been out that way. We’re definitely talking about it. Going over the money issues. When it comes to touring, money is the limiter. It sounds so trite, but it’s true. The bottom line is, we want to come back to Europe. We’re trying to see if it will be financially possible. It’s pretty expensive!

SiN: Thank you for your time and all the best to you. Looking forward seeing you on stage soon!
Chibi: Thank you so much for this. It was great to (kind of) talk to you again! <3

(SiN)

Bandpage: http://www.thebirthdaymassacre.com/

Kategorie: English Version
Kommentare sind deaktiviert