ControlMAG: The Sanctuary of Rock An interview with BARONESS John Baizley Frontman announced on their official web site will work again on the production that were working on a new record… of the new record... You didn't think Baroness was formed nine Can you tell us how the recording about work with another producer years ago. However, there are process is going. The album is or do you think that John can already finished? When are you contribute a lot of new elements to people in South America that going to record…? the band and he perfectly still hasn't heard about the understands your sound too and band yet. John Baizley: The album is done and in brings another thing to the table? production. It took a couple months to get all the music and art together, but its all Sanctuary of Rock: Could you please John Baizley: I think you get something done. The process went as smoothly as really special out of a producer the tell them briefly about the band's any of our recordings go. beginnings? second time around. It was important for John Baizley: We started in 2003 in I think you get something really special out of a Savannah, GA. We wrote 6 songs initially producer the second time around. It was (the first two EPs on Hyperrealist) and hit the road with those osngs for 4 years, important for us to stay with john for this record. almost never taking a break. We played hundreds of shows a year, for next-to- Sanctuary of Rock: Relapse recently us to stay with john for this record. He is nothing and totally comitted ourselves to announced that a new album will a great engineer, he understands what we touring. After recording a split EP with come out this year. So, do you have a are trying to achieve, and his personality Unpersons, Relapse Records picked us up, release date planned? is a really nice compliment to ours. This is and we have been recording albums and a record that required a lot from the touring ever since. John Baizley: I am not sure yet. We will be engineering and production standpoint; releasing that information very soon. and john was just the right person for the Sanctuary of Rock: Well, to start… A task. He keeps things moving along really couple of months ago, the band Sanctuary of Rock: John Congleton in the studio, which can be an important elsantuariodelrock.com/april 2012 follow a similar idea or the concept John Baizley: We took a year off from will be total different? touring. We hadn’t don that in 11 years, and it was time. I came up with a fairly John Baizley: I can tell you, but I am not ambitious idea for the record, and we going to, good try though. spent our time making sure we ALL agreed on and got into each of the songs. Sanctuary of Rock: Could you please There’s no real reason for the difference reveal us some titles to the new in time, it just took that long to write. If album or Is it too early? Any specials we had finished sooner or later, it guest on the new album? wouldn’t have made a difference. You can rush things, or spend too much time John Baizley: Its not time to let the cat out on them; we tried to make sure we of the bag. You’ll just have to be patient. weren’t doing either for this record. Our “John Congleton keeps things goal was simple, to write a better record moving along really in the studio, Sanctuary of Rock: It will be your than our last record. which can be an important attribute third release with Relapse. Have you when tackling so much material.” ever thought to change label or the Sanctuary of Rock: A few months band have just a contract ago on the Baroness's Facebook was attribute when tackling so much material. obligations? posted that you are working on a Congleton is a pragmatist, and made sure new artwork for the band (it not we mad e the most of our time with him. John Baizley: We are contractually obliged surprise me, knowing your great He also has a distinctly different feel on to relapse for this record. Relapse have talent and the meaning the visual art heavy music than more “obvious” choices, been a great fit for us, and have never in your music)... so we can expect some surprises from steered us wrong. We feel like family him. there, and a have a personal relationship It will be for the new album? If it is with the label. They have never right. You will return again to Sanctuary of Rock: With the arrival intervened artistically, and have always collaborate with Orion Landau? of Peter some years ago, the band been fair to us. It doesn’t get much better seems to have found their other than that. That’s all I can say. John Baizley: There are some surprise permanent guitarist who also sings and gives more dynamics to the songs…How is he involved this time around on the writing process compared to "Blue Record", which he had just arrived and just had the time to contribute a little bit on it? John Baizley: Our writing process has always been pretty similar, though it has been a long time coming to find the right lineup. I usually start off by writing the skeleton of the song, and we all flesh it out together. I spent extensive time this year demoing the songs, either in my home, or our rehearsal space. I was more interested in overall composition and individually pure songwriting, such that each song should have its own distinct arc and purpose on our record. Everyone in the band contributes in their own way; we have not ascribed to any sure-fire method Sanctuary of Rock: Your first two collaborators on this record, but again, of writing. Each song is individual, and album releases had almost two years you’ll just have to wait and see. needs to be treated as such. Whatever of difference between each one. works, as they say. However, this one broke the habit… Nowadays, some bands includes visual imagery to the live shows, for Sanctuary of Rock: "First", "Second" Is it a simple coincidence? example Neurosis... Knowing the then "Red Album", "Blue Record"… impact that your designs have. Have Right now, what's comes? Maybe It has been a consequence of a busy you ever thought explore this visual "Green Disc" (hahaha)…? schedule or just because the writing process and pre-production has been element to the Baroness's shows? Can you tell us if the band will more deep? elsantuariodelrock.com/april 2012 Red Album? John Baizley: Our original guitar, Tim Loose, left after we recorded our third EP, a split with The Unpersons entitled “A Grey Sigh In A Flower Husk”. We brought in Allen’s brother Brian and wrote “Red Album” in-between tours. We had just signed to relapse, so all the sudden, after 5 years of subsistence- touring, we had some support and a decent budget to record a full length. We recorded this one with Philip Cope (who had recorded all of our records at that point). We spent a week and a half in the studio, which was a luxury. Blue Record? John Baizley: Brian left the band after the “Red Album” tours. Pete Adams, a friend of ours from childhood, joined the band. We were still in Savannah, GA at that point, but we decided to use a different “I can find influence anywhere, and I have learned to always keep my ears and producer, someone outside the metal mind open to receive new sounds/thoughts/ideas.” world. I was a huge fan of John Congleton’s recordings with Black Mountain and The Paper Chase, so we John Baizley: Yes, we are keen to start my apartment at the time. The cops were began our relationship with him. He was adding some new layers to the live frequent visitors; luckily we never really much different than the engineers and experience. It will take some work though got shut down for too long. producers we had worked with; and we to get there. I think for a band like adopted more of a co-production role, in baroness, some added visuals would Second? order to more accurately present our really push the show forward. The trick is music. John’s inclusion on “Blue Record” coming up with something engaging that John Baizley: As I mentioned, second was was great for us. He helped us break out isn’t too overdone or trite. You want to meant to be part of an album along with of familiar patterns, and allowed us to increase the spectacle, without devaluing “first” (which it has now become through moiré quickly develop a new direction the performance. a re-release on hyperrealist). We had to go with confidence. out and tour for about 6 months in order Sanctuary of Rock: You are a founder to get the money together to go record Sanctuary of Rock: How's the member of Baroness and a important part on the band's sound. When Baroness first started, we wrote all of the For that reason, I would like to get a “First” and “Second” at the same time, they were brief retrospective of the two EP and the two full length (writing, concept, meant to be of a single album.