by JOHNSON CUMMINS

"You're not going to ask me about us breaking equipment, are you?"

So asks Jason Reece, drummer and singer of ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead (henceforth, for the sake of brevity, plain old Trail of Dead). Although it's been a while since this Austin, Texas, band has trashed a stage, they can't seem to shake the image of flying drums and guitars reduced to splinters.

Luckily, their recently released fifth album Worlds Apart is such a stunner that it can easily offset their rep for smashing a guitar or two. As dense as any Phil Spector recording, Worlds Apart takes chances every step of the way, merging string sections with operatic back-up vocals and skewed punk rock with bubblegum pop, to unfurl a panoramic, politically charged vision that breaks free of claustrophobic pop confines. The Mirror talked to Reece (who, along with singer/guitarist/drummer Conrad Keely and guitarist Kevin Allen, is the core of the band) over the phone from a tour stop.

Mirror: The songs on the new record definitely reach some epic proportions - was buying your own studio a contributing factor to the dense sound?

Jason Reece: Yeah, we're like those pretentious bands from the '70s now (laughs). This record is like our Tusk, but with less cocaine. Having our own studio really contributed a lot. We had been out on the road for a long time and after a while, you don't really write anymore, you become this animal that just repeats things. Eventually you will hit a wall, and we did.

M: So the new record was a reflection of you guys wanting to be creative again?

JR: Yeah, once we were done touring, we had to reevaluate what it is to be a band. Getting a studio together was therapeutic for that because you're suddenly getting back to the creative process. When we got the studio up and running, and added instruments, suddenly the writing appeared and you start getting into the art of what it's really about. Basically, we wanted to stop running ourselves into the ground. We did the things that bands do, like firing your management, and made some heavy decisions to be what a band is supposed to be about, like being creative, moving forward and putting meaning into the idea of expressing oneself. We didn't want to be a product or a commodity. Sure, we're on a big label and they probably think that we're just a product, but for us it's important to fight against that. It comes down to we're artists and that's about the only thing I can do with myself.

American nightmare

M: In the title track, the lyrics take aim at American privilege. Can you tell me a bit about that?

JR: We were listening to a lot of that bling-bling bullshit and that celebrity culture bullshit on the road. We were starting to think, is this really what we represent as Americans? There is a war going on in Iraq right now and that kind of music and culture just seems almost comical. Is that what America represents? This vain, arrogant and shallow culture? In that song, we were really questioning artists and trying to get them to step up and give back. Be political, be aware and at least say something - that there is more to life than nihilistic partying. Right now, it seems that people just don't give a fuck.

M: Pitchforkmedia.com criticized the song, saying that you were railing against the American dream while being privileged rock stars on a major label.

JR: Yeah, they were saying that we were up on a soapbox and being judgemental and pretentious. To me, the American dream means that if you are an artist and you can succeed doing your art while bringing something positive to the culture, then that is a hell of a lot better than some corporate ogre who just rapes and pillages. Everybody should have the right to speak up, but artists should really get it out there and maybe it will provoke a discussion.

M: By being label mates with Eminem [Trail of Dead are signed to Interscope], you seem to be able to reach more people.

JR: Well, that is what the deciding factor was for leaving [independent label] Merge. We could stay there and be this obscure band, or we could leave and have the opportunity to have a dialogue with more people. In the end, we could have more people being moved by what we do.

M: But you guys aren't your typical major-label band. It's not like you have a hit and then the rest of the record is filler.

JR: I notice at shows that younger people are grasping on to what we do. A year ago we were playing to more college people. I would rather have an influence on high school kids than older kids, because they're just so innocent about music, and more willing to embrace different forms. When I was a kid and I saw Fugazi, that was a big, big turning point for me. It just washed my brain over with all of these ideas and was completely inspiring. If a major label is going to help us reach younger kids, then that's cool with me.

M: You really pride yourselves with having direct contact with fans.

JR: It's just natural. I guess it's kind of important to show you aren't this fucking rock star sitting on a pedestal. I think that it's awesome that somebody would want to talk to you because of what you do, and they believe that you do it honestly.

Animalistically ballistic

M: You guys have been critically acclaimed for your records, but you are probably best known for your live shows. Why are they so important?

JR: Well, both are equally important, but they're totally different outlets. Being in the studio is about digging in the trenches, rediscovering music and peeling off the layers to find out what it all means. That can be tumultuous but once you get somewhere, it really feels like you've accomplished something. Playing live is this expression of being a bit more animalistic. You don't think and analyze, you just go and try to feel the moment. It's energy.

M: What sets you guys apart from other bands in the live setting?

JR: I don't know, we just always felt that you should completely physically and mentally let yourself go for the hour you're on stage, and just not think.

M: Okay, I've got to ask. Are you still smashing your gear on stage?

JR: Oh man, that's such a trivial part of the show.

M: Well, you are known for it.

JR: I guess we kind of brought that on ourselves, but we don't do it all the time.

M: So you're not smashing stuff anymore.

JR: (laughing) Actually, we just did it a couple of weeks ago. At our last show in London, we didn't actually smash anything, but gave all of our instruments away. We gave them the drums, guitars and everything, and just let them bang away. I guess there is a real primal satisfaction in breaking your instruments. It's kind of like a celebration that the night is over, and the kids can go home and never forget about it.

With the Sword and the Black at Cabaret
on Wednesday, April 13, 9 p.m., $20

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