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A NEW KIND OF AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAM

By Jordana Borensztajn thought why not make it more adventurous, inside the “safe” zone. “She’s gotten me away from their friends and families. Rickly a band that constantly challenges its purpose One of the worst things you could do to and faster, and louder, and see if we can to ‘not throw the plate,’ which she says is says his college credits have all expired, and its goals. “It’s always a question before Geoff Rickly is come between him and a put in more of a—not pop—but melodic like when you have an argument with your and his desire to be a teacher had to be put we start writing a record; do we have anything piece of cake. It sounds pretty lame, doesn’t bent on the songs. That’s what we went for family and you want to let them know that on the backburner. But on the flipside, the we want to say? Is it worth it? Or are we just it—that the badass frontman of the New on this record; to jam it together and make you’re pissed but you don’t want to take the drawbacks have been incredible. “I’ve met going through the motions because going Jersey outfit Thursday is a total sucker for it just more, more of everything. But when, family heirlooms and start throwing them almost every one of my heroes, I’ve through motions is not fun,” he says. “It’s a all things sweet. Just to prove how serious on moments like ‘Time’s Arrow’ or ‘Love because that’s going too far. You have to collaborated with my favorite artists and constant struggle. It’s like a marriage— he is, Rickly grins cheekily as he pulls up Has Led Us Astray,’ when it shouldn’t be control your emotions. And that’s the same I’ve seen parts of the world. I’ve gone to the there’s ups and downs and there are times the leg of his pants. “I’m a bit of an addict more, really strip it down, go into with screaming, and yelling, and singing Philippines. We were the first band that when I can’t stand somebody in the band, to the sweets. I don’t know if you know this minimalism—see how much you can take high notes. wasn’t from there to play one side of the or I just think, ‘This band is so stupid, why but I have a cupcake tattoo that says sweet out and still have the song,” he says. “Even when you’re really feeling a song, country, and Thursday is going to be in do we keep doing this? I’m too old to jump edge—like straight edge. See.” “We’re very lucky that when we play you have to have that one little thing in Philippines history books now—just wild off a frigging guitar cabinet tonight.’ But then Casually dressed and wearing a new together, naturally, there’s a certain chemistry the back of your head that says ‘don’t go things. Wild things that I never would have you see the reaction the people in the crowd pair of sneakers, Rickly has no traces of that makes us sound like us. We’ll always that extra bit, that’s going to wreck your guessed I would get to do with my life. Plus, have, and it inspires you all over again.” the aggression and intensity that fills his sound kind of the same so we can push it voice for the next few weeks.’ So I’ve gotten I’m sure on this Taste Of Chaos tour that The best thing about being in the music band’s music. Even after a full day of press to the limits. We can go one way, and the really good at—even when it’s the best show we’re doing it’s going to be a lot of the same game for as long as Thursday have, is that commitments, Rickly is polite and charming. other way, change tunings, change key, and I’m really into it—letting the rest of me kids I would be teaching—I’m just seeing they know how the industry operates, and And when it comes down to it, this softly- change tempo, change time signature, and be more into it than my voice, and just holding them after school now. I’m trying to be a they play by their rules. They make music spoken lead singer doesn’t have anywhere it will sound so much like Thursday that, if back that one tiny little piece that’s going to good influence so I’ve got my times tables they believe in, and put on shows they want near the amount of grunt that dominates anything, it’s just always a challenge to shred me. It really takes control,” he says. up as a backdrop behind us,” he jokes. to perform. “We’ve had our ups and downs Thursday, a band constantly pegged as go far enough away from the last song. So “And that’s what I love about making records. All humor aside, there are plenty of young but no matter what we do, some people will one of the pioneers in both the post-hardcore we’ll push it to the limits to make it sound To me, records are so important that if a kids who look up to Thursday, and draw on always hate us and other people will always and screamo genres. even more different.” song feels right and I just let go, then I’ll them as an influence. Rickly is humbled, love us. So given that, I always try to make “I kind of feel like I am living a double life. Rickly changed the narrative voice on let myself recover for the next two days. It’s but says he hopes they grab hold of the something that’s honest and inspiring and My friends always say, ‘Oh yeah, we’ll go this album to make it older and more subtle, not like a show where I’ll have to sing the right elements. Social responsibility is exciting to me. In the beginning we were see you turn into some other person again and he explains he’s really proud of the tone next night, so I’ll really let it go and I’ll something Rickly’s always believed in, and worried about pulling things off. We were for 45 minutes.’ In my day to day, I have of the record. “I really love records that sometimes shred myself—and some of currently Thursday works with the gay rights like, do we know how to do this? Are we no capacity to let out any feelings other than will find different ways to tell different stories, those moments sound so good when you lobby group, Human Rights Campaign, as actually competent enough to play this part? just, kind of like, I think I’m a terribly nice so I’m always looking for a different hear a voice breaking. It sounds like Led well as Washington D.C.’s outreach program, “So we would polish off the edges of guy, and that makes it so that I can’t actually perspective to tell the story from. I won’t Zeppelin because he always used to do Men Can Stop Rape. “Music has a power things, we would try and make them cleaned ever tell people when I’m pissed off at them. write a song about one specific thing and that. He always used to just cut right through to make life just a little better and I think any up, make them work, make them sound So at least I have music, where it all comes say that’s all it’s about because I don’t think his vocal chords.” way you can do that, you should be involved like a ‘real band’ playing them. Once you out—like every other side comes out—and anything lives in a vacuum. Since life isn’t With an album repertoire that includes in making the human condition better. I get over that, and you know you can do it then I can go back to being like, ‘No, I don’t black and white, neither should any piece Waiting, Full Collapse, War All The Time, sometimes wish bands would go a little and you’ve played 300 shows in a year, you mind that you ate my birthday cake, it’s of art be,” he says. Kill The House Lightsand a split album with deeper in their influence. A lot of the time stop worrying about playing and try to figure totally cool,’ to one of my roommates. That’s “There was a tendency when I was Japanese hardcore/screamo outfit Envy, I see a band will take something very out how to make it sound less polished and like a big offense, if somebody eats my cake. younger to let urgency turn into hysteria Thursday has a lot to show for a short superficial, like singing and screaming, and more unique. You lost the need to please Just warning you.” and I would go past what I actually meant decade. Being your own biggest critic is the take that, and not take sort of the ethic that and I think that’s a good thing.” With a history of almost 11 years together, to say in order to keep the tone upbeat or key to moving forward, Rickly explains. “The we always try and bring to it; the social Thursday is hitting crowds with Bring Me and four full-length studio albums under crazy and in-your-face. I would go past my only way you keep on being a band is not responsibility. That was, for me, a founding The Horizon, Four Year Strong, Pierce The their belt, Thursday is unleashing its newest true sentiment and into a hysterical realm. to be too proud. Once you feel like you’ve step in becoming a part of the music Veil and Cancer Bats. While Rickly might delivery this week, Common Existence. And this time it was really important for me accomplished everything, then why go on? community (and) it’s been kind of a have to exercise a heap of self-control to Produced by Dave Fridmann (The Flaming to try and actually restrain myself and say But if you’re critical of yourself and unforgiving, touchstone for us. They always go hand in not completely thrash his vocals at each Lips, MGMT) and packed with pace, passion what I wanted to say—not what started to and see all your flaws, then it’s exciting to hand.I would feel like I’m taking advantage gig, it doesn’t mean this veteran performer and ferocity, as well as plenty of depth and sound better.” go on because you always have things you of all the gifts that I’ve had, to be able to do won’t be giving it his all. “To me, if at the end seduction, Rickly’s eyes light up when he As well as controlling his songwriting, can fix. You always have new ways of looking what I love for a living. To me, you can’t really of the night I have enough energy to go out explains this time around, the goal was to Rickly is ultra cautious when it comes to his at the world. And to me that’s really exciting. have one without the other—it would feel to a bar, then it probably wasn’t a very good take everything up a notch. “I looked at A voice because screamo is not just a simple I try not to gauge too much because once very shallow to do it without a message.” show. I have to be dead tired at the end of City By The Light Divided, our last record, case of “letting go.” Would you believe that you start being proud it’s easy to get While Thursday’s journey has been long- the show. I have to leave it all on stage. That and I thought, ‘Wow, I love the adventurous it actually takes an enormous amount of disappointed later on.” lasting, it hasn’t always been easy. They to me is a real show; when everybody in of it, I love the tone, but man, I just wish self-restraint to inject the right amount of In order to achieve the success they have, have a well-documented history of moving the audience thinks ‘that was great, I’m glad there was more energy, I wish it felt urgent. scream into Thursday’s music? So, Rickly the sextet has made plenty of sacrifices from label to label, and came close to it’s over, I couldn’t have gone another song.’ I wish it jumped out at you a little more.’I trains with a vocal coach to ensure he stays over the years, including a lot of time spent breaking up in 2004. Rickly admits they’re That’s a success.”

Visit theaquarian.com for a video of Geoff talking about Common Existence as well as an archive of Thursday articles spanning the last eight years. Common Existence is out now. Thursday play March 4 at the Nokia Theatre in NYC, March 5 at Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, NJ, and on March 6 at the Electric Factory in Philly. For more info, visit thursday.net

8 ARTS WEEKLY FEBRUARY 18, 2009 www.theaquarian.com