PlanetMosh Keeping it Metal
Email interview with the Chris, Rob & Gregg from Lets Play God, who introduce the band and gives us an overview of their self titled demo.
When did Lets Play God begin & what made you choose the name?
Rob – Lets Play God began in the summer of 2005, I had been in a couple of bands, and everyone seemed to be doing the same thing, so I started my own! The band name had been kicking around my head for a while, so when we settled on a line-up, I mentioned it to the others and they loved it.
How would you describe your band in 2011? What has changed since you started out in
2005?
Chris – I think this line-up has cemented the band as an actual group; we have worked very hard in the last year to build up a brand for the band. This time it’s about taking it to the level where people understand us and what the music is about.
Rob – Absolutely, this line-up are a hardworking, passionate bunch of guys. The difference I’d say between Lets Play God in 2011 is a much more stable line-up, everyone is on the same page, and it feels like we are a ‘team’.
Chris – We are always learning but there are no other 3 guys I would rather be in a band with, and i think that is evident when you see us live.
Where do you see yourself/the band in 5 years’ time?
Gregg – I see myself doing what i do best; i don’t want to work a 9-5 job. I want to see the world and tour with some awesome bands but mainly I just want to have a good time.
Rob – I see myself doing the exact same thing, just on a bigger scale. Everything from day one has been a slow build, and hopefully in 5 years we’ll be established enough where I can buy a decent phone.
What is your most memorable gig/studio experience?
Gregg – The most memorable gig experience for me would have to be when we played the Cathouse for the first time since the new line-up. The crowd were insane that night the sound was great and the gig was for charity so it had a great vibe and everyone was having a good time.
Chris – Mine was definitely the launch of Mayhem Underground, just because everything fell into place, the crowd were great we played well and the energy was surreal. There was a real buzz about that night that I’ll never forget.
How the response to your debut is self-titled EP? Can you give us a general overview of it?
Rob – It’s classed as a demo. It just turned out to be a really good demo! We’ve made a few before; this is the closest one to capturing us live. We are a live band, and that’s our greatest strength. Reaction wise, this has actually been amazing. The most common reaction I get is ‘ It’s not usually my kind of music, but I really enjoy your band’. The older metal head bands that we’ve played with along with our own crowd all have good things to say about it, so we’re proud of it.
Chris – Ya it’s been quite surprising. We knew we had to get some tracks out there but decided it was best to bring out a good demo as when we recorded we were very limited in time (2 days actually) so we made the best of it, all the demo was recorded live in the studio and we done a couple of dubs for second guitar etc. We felt this kept it raw and real, anyone can sit on pro tools for hours and perfect an album but we tried to bring it back to what we are and that’s a live and raw band.
Did you have any influences for the new tracks, who/what are they and how did they influence you?
Gregg – We don’t want to be or sound like any other bands out there. We all are each other’s influence we all like metal but we all like other genres. That’s why in some songs you will hear a touch of blues, others a little more progressive like in songs such as Faded in Time or a song like Forsaken that has this heavy rock feel to it. If you listen to the demo you realise that each other’s ideas and influences are in there.
Rob – For me, honestly, no. Considering we do take the band very seriously, we don’t over analyse things, particularly the songs. We fire them out so rapidly there’s no point, and I honestly believe there’s not one weak song on there. The one thing that I do tend to avoid is doing what everyone else is doing, be it lyric wise, drum wise, everything, we’re not trying to get scene points for being ‘brOOtal’.
Do you have a particular writing process for songs or is it different for each song that you
come up with?
Rob – It usually starts with me having some riff, vocal/ drum idea, and we start there, or convincing Gregg that riff he has lying around isn’t just ‘meh’ ha-ha. Chris and I tend to talk about the sections a lot. I usually have a vision of the whole song when I hear the first part, but recently Gregg’s really been coming into his own, giving us pretty much whole songs. It’s a simple process haha.
Gregg – Ya it’s a lot easier than you may think. We come up with a few riffs and then get the vocals to match. When that’s done then it’s up to John from then to add his magic to the song. I usually record twice a week and send them to the guys and recently it’s been a much quicker process and working out great.
What is your favourite track & why?
Gregg – A difficult question but mines would have to be Pride. I just love that song; it has everything you need in a great song great riff, great chorus and not a bad solo too. I think it’s when i look at the crowd’s reaction that i love it more. They all look like they are enjoying the song, so it feeds me the energy I need.
Chris – From the tracks we have I think Forsaken is my favourite although I can see that changing when some of the new stuff comes out because they’re sounding sweet!
Rob – My favourite song is always the newest one, and on Demo 2011 it would’ve been ‘Force Fed’. We finished that song in about a week. I still get a kick out of playing the oldies, especially ‘Let’s Play God’. That was the first song I ever wrote, it still makes me smile, and it’s such a ridiculous song ha-ha.
Upcoming Gigs – Where & when?
Chris – This year we have gigged as much as we could and really built a solid foundation for the band. In that time we have worked our way to the regional final of the Surface Festival which will be held on the 11th of Sept in Classic Grand. But we have high hopes for the band and see this as the tip of the iceberg for where we want to go.
If you want to come and experience Lets Play God live join us on Sun 11th in Classic Grand for the Surface Festival Regionals. We promise you won’t be disappointed.
Thanks for your time
Thank you to Chris, Rob & Gregg from Lets Play God for taking the time to fill this interview out.
Band Links
http://www.facebook.com/LetsPlayGod
http://www.reverbnation.com/letsplaygod
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Surface-Festival-Scotland/164234270269417
http://www.surfacefestival.com
