musically. With so much talent at your disposal, are the band members competing for
the spotlight?
NM: I don't feel like we're really competing with each other, really. I think
we're all coming from the same place of
wanting to make the best record we can
make in that moment. I don't feel that
way anyway. I don't feel like there is
any real competition between us. I'm
grateful for that. It seems like everyone
is pulling for the same thing.
own separate following. It's really
great, in a way it's like Crosby, Stills,
and Nash; we're like that.
IE: You've just mentioned a word: supergroup. Transatlantic is often described as a
modern day super-group. Do you view
yourself that way?
NM: Well, no, not really. That's just a
term that people use for a group of
guys that have made names for themselves in other bands, and then got
FEBRUARY 4
Bombay Bicycle Club - So Long, See You Tomorrow
Augustines - Augustines
Big Head Todd & The Monsters – Black Beehive
Broken Bells – After The Disco
The Chain Gang of 1974 – Daydream Forever
Mary Lambert – Welcome To The Age Of My Body
Tomorrow We Sail – For Those Who Caught The Sun In Flight
Wild Moccasins – 88-92
FEBRUARY 11
Sometimes we do disagree on stuff, and
it can be a little bit difficult, but for the
most part it's a pretty agreeable bunch
of guys.
IE: When the project first came out back in
1999, it seemed like it would be a one album
deal, yet you're on your fourth studio
record, and it clearly looks like there will be
more to come. So this must be a very unique
musical environment, since everyone wants
to keep going, right?
NM: I guess Transatlantic has become
its own thing. Some groups when they
first start out, they're like super-groups
like Emerson, Lake & Palmer for example. They were the super-group when
they began, but now nobody really
remembers that, they just became the
ELP that everyone knows and likes. We
did start out as a side project, and we
still do other things, but this band
became its own separate entity with its
02•2014
together to form a new band. You
know what I mean? It's just one of
those labels. To us, it's really all about
creating music with a great bunch of
musicians.
IE: You're not shying away from covering
classic progressive rock songs. What does it
mean to you to record a song that probably
meant a lot in your formative years?
NM: We approach them differently.
Sometimes we just jam the song in the
room. First of all, usually at dinner
we'll start talking about it, and it's
always at the end of the session.
Nobody likes to talk about it before the
main bulk of material is done. It's a
way for us to blow off steam after having been embroiled in writing a prog
epic for a day. We kick it around, sometimes we change the songs a bit, and
throw a few of our own things in there,
and sometimes we jus play them the
Band Of Horses – Acoustic At the Ryman
Blondfire – Young Heart
The Casket Girls – True Love Kills The Fairy Tale
The Fleshtones – Wheel Of Talent
The Glitch Mob – Love Death Immortality
Nina Persson – Animal Heart
Plain White T’s – American Nights
Bombay Bicycle Club
FEBRUARY 28
Bayside – Cult
Bear Hands – Distraction
Embrace – Refugees (EP)
The Feeling – Boy Cried Wolf
Guided By Voices – Motivational Jumpsuit
Lake Street Drive – Bad Self Portraits
Skindred – Kill The Power
FEBRUARY 25
The Jezabels – The Brink
Beck – Morning Phase
Neneh Cherry – Blank Project
The Fray – Helios
House Of Lords – Precious Metal
I Killed The Prom Queen – Beloved
St. Vincent – St. Vincent
Presidents Of The United States Of America – Kudos To You
The Jezabels
Providing Quality
Guitars
for 215 Years
Combined.
CF Martin 180 Year