Recently, Brian Wurschum let me grill him about the upcoming Voyces album, “Let Me Die In Southern California.”
1.) Okay, I‘ve heard the upcoming album in its entirety. I have a lot of questions.
Shoot.
2.) First of all, let me tell you that Let Me Die In Southern California blows me away from the first song until the last song. It plays like one body of work, far more than any of your other records. It is almost a concept album. Was that planned?
Thank you. Ultimately, it was planned. I mean, I knew all along that this album was going to be basically an ode to Southern California. A lot of the things which wound up making it all flow so well, however, came to be during the actual making of the record. For example, we recorded some songs that did not feel right thematically once we could hear them in context, so they were left off. The album’s voice became clear to Bruce (Driscoll, the co-producer and engineer), Jude, and me as we were mixing the songs and playing around with the track order.
3.) It feels perfect. I think I have listened to it from start to finish about thirty times!
4.) Ha! Ha! Okay, seriously now. Is it true that you played all of the instruments?
It is true, for the most part. Bruce Driscoll is a brilliant musician. Brilliant. He did some things on the keyboards here and there. He had great ideas all the time. I can’t say enough about him. And our drummer, Eric Puente, who is a way better drummer than I am, was incredibly kind about letting me play most of the drums.
5.) You played all of the bass?
Yeah.
6.) I had no idea that you were such a great bass player, and such a great drummer.
Thanks.
7.) The acoustic instrumental, La Lomita is genius. Totally unexpected. Did you always plan on having that on the album?
Yeah, I did. I wrote it when I was a kid. It is part of my habitus, so I knew it needed to be on there. Same with And The Trickling Sun. Wrote it many, many years ago.
8.) And The Trickling Sun really puts me a trance.
Me too.
9.) Let me ask you about King Of Castle. You told me a while back that it is your favorite track on the album.
It is, yeah.
10.) Jude Kastle singing lead! It is really gorgeous.
I think so. I wrote that song years and years ago, as well. One day during rehearsal, we began playing it with her singing and we had no doubts about recording it. Felt right away like it was hers.
11.) If I Am Not Your Everything, Baby I’m Not Anything is just an amazing love song. The words, the melody, the strings. Can you tell that I am a fan? Am I making you uncomfortable yet?
No, it makes me feel good that you like our music so much.
12.) Want to tell me about that song?
What is there to say? It is about HUGE love. You either relate, or you don’t.
13.) There is a lot of electric guitar on this album. A lot of riffs and a lot of solos. That is all you, too?
Well, growing up my favorite band was Judas Priest. I try to “defend the faith.” (If you are not a Priest fan, you don’t know what I’m talking about.) Anyway, I still love and feel a deep loyalty to heavy metal. Real metal, anyway. Don’t get me started. Point is, that kind of music flows through me all the time, so it was bound to show up on this record.
14.) Why this record?
Because this record is closer to my heart than anything I’ve done in my life. Straight from the heart, actually.
15.) Feel like elaborating about what you deem to be “real metal”?
If someone in the band had a perm while touring for the first album, it’s usually a bad sign.
16.) Finest Hour and The Speed Of Fear? Do you consider them to be heavy metal?
I don’t know. I’d rather you answer that question.
17.) They sound close to being heavy metal. Your voices are too pretty though.
I see.
18.) The record starts off with a thirty second song called, Gold Wine (Intro). It is an interesting piece of music. There is this white noise, broken up by this gorgeous melody sung by you and Jude, and then there is what sounds like an alarm clock going off. Then it goes right into that great SoCal riff. It lends to the overall concept album feel of the disc. Can you tell me a little bit about this track?
I think you just did.
19.) What is that white noise meant to be?
The din of the city.
20.) New York City?
For me, right now, today, yes. But it is not meant to be that specific.
21.) Do you really want to die in Southern California?
I would like to move back there and then never leave. I would have made that the lyric to the chorus, but the words don’t fit as nicely.
22.) Ha! Ha! So it is not meant to be morbid.
Oh no! It is a celebration.
23.) Let’s talk about It Never Just Goes. The words are incredibly profound. I know you don’t like to talk about lyrics, but I would love it very much if you would say a little bit about these ones.
Well, I am basically saying that love is the most powerful force in the universe.
24.) That’s it?
Basically, yeah.
25.) Do you believe that?
Yes.
26.) It Whispers, which closes the album, is my current favorite. I have written about it on this blog already. Can you tell me a bit about this song?
It summarizes the whole record.
27.) I can see that. And what a great guitar solo.
Thanks.
28.) When will the album be released? And will the band be playing live again anytime soon?
We don’t know when it will be released yet because we are not quite sure who is releasing it. We are however working closely with Planting Seeds Records to devise a plan. Hopefully, the next time we play live it will be on television. But I have no idea when we will perform next.
29.) Well, thank you Brian. The album is fantastic and I can’t wait to get an actual copy in my hands.
Thank you.
