Chad Bowar: You've been back in the band for a couple years now. What's different this time around?
Peter Dolving: Well for starters I'm IN the band on all levels this time. And I think it's the first time since we started the band back in 1996. It feels like it's something we all share in the band this time around, the fact that for one reason or other everyone in this band at one time or another have been or perceived themselves as not being IN the band. I think maybe that's our biggest achievement - to be five people with different backgrounds, who want to be together, work together and do whatever this is together. In my eyes that's a big part of what rock is about.
How has the band's sound progressed from Revolver to The Dead Eye? ?
I hate this type of question because they force me to dissect what I do and it honestly takes some of the joy out of it. But to give you a simple straight answer I'd say we've become more confident and trusting to each other as a band. I know it doesn't sound very dramatic and it's cheesy, but it's real and that has been a struggle for everyone. We did 250 shows around the world on rEVOLVEr, and it was a big deal for everyone in the band. In a way it's like going back to square one when there's someone new entering, or someone coming back to a band as it was in my case. The whole pattern of communicating changes; all the roles change. That and the fact that touring changes you as a person immensely. It's shellshock to the system traveling that much in such a short amount of time, exposing yourself to that many people and impressions.
So not only did we have to get to know each other all over again to catch up with each other as humans, but at the same time go through the whole spectra of what touring does to you as we were trying to. I'd say we came out on the right side of things. Closer as people and tighter and more determined as a band.
Tue Madsen mixed and mastered Revolver. You must have been happy with his work to have him produce The Dead Eye.
I loved working with Tue. We all do. He's this cool dude who IS music and he's funny. I enjoy working with people who love their job as much as I do and he is so passionate about what he does. No fear, instead it's "Hmm, let's try it and see where it leads..." I think it's a privilege to get to do this with like minded people.
Did anything in particular inspire your lyrics?
I read a lot. Everything from fiction to really tedious fact packed crap about anything - politics, psychology, gay sex specialties, forging steel, horse breeding, why the atom moves, etc. etc. I'm curious and pretty humble to the fact that I don't know a lot. In many ways I guess reading is a kind of escape too, a drug in a way. But it doesn't hurt much. That and the fact that life's been a damned roller coaster ride so far. Art or whatever you like to consider music as, is therapeutic. It's kept me alive and motivated since I was a kid and it keeps doing it.
Also, either I'm stupid or it's just my ADD, but I have a hard time learning other people's lyrics, which is the main reason I started writing lyrics. I wanted to play music so bad, but I don't know how to read sheet music and initially I used the lyrics to kind of understand where the hell I was in the song. I always got a kick out of coming up with alternative lyrics (with various results) in the school choir too, just to (mess) with people. It's been a while since I started, and these days I write mostly because I find stuff in me I need to write since writing somehow helps me understand things. Where it ends up all depends on the situation.
