Anathema

Saturday June 21 (Hellfest 2008 2nd day)

First interview of this second day, we have the chance to chat with Danny Cavanagh, co-foundator nd guitarist of famous English band ANATHEMA. From their doom’s old days to their current atmospheric rock, the band has always had one of the deepest emotional sound ever heard. They’ll play, along with the doom band My Dying Bride, for the 20 years anniversary of Paradise Lost, four shows this autumn. After a period without label, Anathema is coming back with one release “Hindsight” an album of the band older titles reprise, while their new album “Horizons” shall be release in 2009.

Fab: Are you happy to be here at the Hell Fest ?
Danny Cavanagh: Very much, very much.

Fab: Your opinion about the various bands on the bill?
Danny: There’s a lot of friends here. There’s bands that we’ve known like, growing (with), MY DYING BRIDE I haven’t seen them yet, but they would be on the list. Also, CARCASS very good friends, PARADISE LOST and OPETH and PORCUPINE TREE, so there’s a lot a people here that we know, part of that group of, you know, kind of part of our circle of musical friends and stuff. So that’s nice, you know I’ve been outside, meeting a lot of nice people outside, there’s just so many positive people all around.

Fab: Have you planned something’s special for today’s show?
Danny: No, just to play the best we possibly can.

Fab: And it’s a short play time.
Danny: 50 minutes, it’s not bad (for a festival). I think today you will see something a little bit more intense, more rock, it’s gonna be fine. You want to do to something to make a little impact you know, you’re playing to people who don’t really know you very well so it’s nice…We always sound different in these (festivals), we always gonna be more of a “chill-out” band in this situation. But it’d be probably a bit more of a rock set tonight.

Fab: Could you tell us a little bit about the evolution and direction of the new album?
Danny: Yeah, the new album is, it kind of evolved in many directions. It’s multi-colorful, it’s multi-layer, multi-dimensions, it’s kind of deep and it’s bright. It’s kind of clear and beautiful, and sometimes dark but mostly it’s uplifting and intense. Deeply emotional and passionate, it just has, everything is very very “WOUAH”, you know, it’s not in any way quiet.

Fab: It’s intense.
Danny: It’s fuckin’ intense. Let’s put it that way, it’s the best way.

Fab: What’s your situation label wise?
Danny: Well, the acoustic record that we’ve just done “Hindsight”, semi-acoustic, it’s been released on K Scope, which is a division of Peaceville Records (ndlr : actually, K Scope is a division of Snapper Music, home of Peaceville Records). And they’re doing very well, with that record. We’re going to finish this new album which is called “Horizons”, we’re going to finish this record and then, get a record label based on cd. So the plan is to finish the album, having it mixed by Steven Wilson from PORCUPINE TREE, it will sound fantastic, and we will give it to manager and he will take it to the companies and we will take it from there…you know, that’s the plan.

Fab: Ok good. Why’s the choice of Steven Wilson?
Danny: He chose us, he offered his services and we said “yeah,”. Well I mean, he knows the music. He’s into something that we really like, and it’s cool and we’re very very pleased.

Fab: Concerning the song “Are you there”, which is my favourite and deeply emotional for me, is there a story behind it?
Danny: There is yes. The story is probably too personal to talk about in this situation. It’s really about two people that I loved very very much. Well, it’s actually my favourite ANATHEMA song at the moment some guy in the last interview asked me what’s my favourite song and it was that one because it changes… at the moment it’s “Are You there” because of, I play differently on acoustic album, in acoustic concert. For that we’ve just played recently acoustic guitar and I play differently, it’s like a more finger-picking thing. It’s a vey very great pleasure to play this.

Fab: You said, and I can’t agree more, that is was great that your music had a good effect on people, because it is deep, intelligent. What’s your opinion about those music for a lesser purpose?
Danny: I don’t really have an opinion about that. I just think that people are evolving, and if some people are still trying to be, you know, using music as a vehicle for them to feel bigger… for me it’s a translation of life, there’s an energy to life as a beauty, an unifying energy to life. All life comes from it, and I think music comes from this place too, and it comes through people., and it’s to share. It’s music and it’s kind of universal, you know, it’s something that even a tiny baby can respond to, it does not understand language but it does certainly understand the media, a baby will respond to it. And it’s something deep within human kind that responds to this, it’s something about the vibration and the beauty of it. It pulls you and that’s what it’s all about.

Fab: It’s a great state of mind, but some people don’t have it.
Danny: I know, they don’t. I know they will but not yet (laughter).

Fab : You’re three brothers now in the band so
Danny: (cutting) there’s also a brother and sister! The drummer and his sister, his sister sings for us. John and Lee (ndlr: Douglas).

Fab: Is it difficult to exist for the other members not belonging to the “family”?
Danny: no, no, no. It’s more difficult for the family!(laughter).

Fab: Some fighting?
Danny: (laughter) yeah, a bit. It’s fine, it’s good. Sometimes, I can be difficult, sometimes, he can be drunk or whatever, but ultimately when it comes down to it, there’s a lot of love there, a lot of it. Have it gone past egos or any of that shit, so it’s good. It’s why it’s still working. Ultimately we know we can count on each other and there’s a “down to earth” attitude, none of that “rock star” stuff. It’s just some “down to earth” people doing something together. It’s good and it’s a very healthy thing. Merci !(in French!) (smiling) I can see you’re quite moved.

Fab: yeah, I’m a musician myself also, in my modest way, I used to play violin and play keyboard, and you’re doing music because it’s a “soul mover”. In spite of your evolution since “Eternity” towards a softer music, ANATHEMA is greatly respected among the Metal world. How do you analyze this respect?
Danny: Well, wonder about this. For me, though I might be wrong, I think the reason that people cannot call us “Shit” is because the soul is so honest, people know…it’s good music, it has a great, lot of structure: all the melodies are good, the chords are good and the rhythms are good, the voices are good. To me ultimately it’s honest, maybe I’m leaning too much into that, but I think it’s why we’re strong, even because… You could never call us nothing or sell-out, you know, (it’s) people’s right, but they’re wrong. And most of our fans know they’re wrong because it’s real, the lyrics are real, the real thing is that it’s very very close, that’s fuckin’ happened, you know. We’re not trying to sell records, to tell stories. This is fuckin’ true.

Fab: Maybe also it’s because a lot of metal fans are listening to the music, even if it’s quite calmer.
Danny: Maybe they like how the song sounds, not everybody want to freak out and go heavy. And there’s some popular bands that were probably influenced by ANATHEMA. I think a band like NIGHTWISH could say that they were influenced by that, you know the keyboard… and going back you know THE GATHERING starts a lot of that stuff, and PARADISE LOST, ANATHEMA and MY DYING BRIDE.. so that’s been a sphere of influences there. And I think people respect that as well.

Fab: Anyway, you don’t have to prove yourself, you’re good.
Danny: Yes, I know we’re good (laughter).

Fab: You collaborated live with Anneke (ex the Gathering) during a show in Tillburg
Danny: (cutting) And then again last week in Scandinavia we played again together.

Fab: A discographic collaboration between Anathema & Anneke is possible?
Danny: We’ve talked about it but it’s too early to say, it’s just too early to say. We do actually have a female singer you know, who sings “A Natural Disaster” and those songs, and she’s very, very good. She’s the drummer sister so…And she’s good for us. But we’ve talked about stuff like that, guest vocals or maybe a record together one day. It remains to be seen. Who knows? With Anneke there’s a good energy between us when we play, something about the way I play and the way she sings. It works you know. She’s an amazing singer, it’s great when you’re start sitting next to somebody like that, I’ve never been next to somebody who sings that well (laughter), and there’s not even a microphone, it’s so effortless you know? Very very nice.

Fab: You’re going to play two shows with MDB and Paradise Lost for the twentieth anniversary of PL.
Danny: Actually four.

Fab: What are your relations with these two bands ?
Danny: Fine, no problems at all, everything’s good. We’ve been hanging on with PL all over yesterday. Our tour manager keyboard player Les talked with PL and we grew up together. We don’t see each other very often but they’re beautiful guys. I don’t know MDB so well as them but I’m looking forward to seeing them, looking forward to play the gig, I emailed Andrew and he told me they were really happy about it. He got back to me straight away. So I expected it to be a very nice positive experience for everydody.

Fab: ANATHEMA seems very fond of France, is there a special reason?
Danny: France seems to be fond of us I think, for “Alternative 4” & “Judgement” there was, things happening in France for ANATHEMA, so we were just taking there. My brother is like living now with a French girl, he’s very much in love, I was in love with a French girl for four years. It’s a neighbour, I mean France is our neighbour, it’s very close to us, it’s not very far.

Fab: On the upcoming album, which part Lee has, vocal wise?
Danny: Single at least, she’s at least on four or five songs, and backing vocals on some. She’s like, this voice is really beautiful, it’s like another brush to paint with another colour, in the tapestry. And it really lifts things in order of rightness. It works, I’m sure there will be plenty of space for her to do that.

Fab: What do you think about the great return of “Old School” bands, on headlining shows? like HELLOWEEN, TESTAMENT, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, WHITESNAKE is releasing a new album, as JUDAS PRIEST.
Danny: I think people just love to play. It’s in their blood. Those guys, all of those guys without exception, live music. And I don’t know any of them but I can tell that’s true.

Fab: There’s apparently an expectation from the audience for that.
Danny: I can’t comment on that. I’m not really fan of those bands, but I think they all live music, and music is a calling if you want to do it, you love to do it, you have to do it. And if people want you, give them what they want. If I was in fuckin’ JUDAS PRIEST, legendary metal band, I’ll do gigs. I’ll play if I was in that band. And they’re doing it the best they can, so it’s good. I don’t think that anybody gets ripped off. And maybe there’s no so much great metal bands anymore.

Fab: Maybe people want to go back to the roots?
Danny: Maybe there’s no so much great bands anymore, in metal. I think the greatest bands are outside of metal : MARS VOLTA, SIGUR ROSS, RADIOHEAD, and many others.

Fab: What is your best and worse memories on tour?
Danny: In the band there’s very very funny guys, they’re hilarious. So it’s always something new, always a new joke, a new laugh. And it’s very positive.So then you’re making new best memory all the time.

Fab: What would you make listen to someone who didn’t know ANATHEMA at all? Just one song.
Danny: It depends on what kind of music they liked. If they were like an older person who like classical music, I’ll probably play them something from the acoustic album. If they were a rock fan, I’ll play something from the new album. If this is somebody who loves metal, I’ll play some (song) called “summonite horizon” from the new album. If they like string quartet music, I will probably play “One last goodbye” from “Hindsight” the acoustic album.

Fab: A last word for the readers of BSPIX?
Danny: Merci! (laughter), c’est tout. Allez, c’est beau la vie! Santé !