Rockezine.com interview with Tourniquet on Mar 17, 2003

with Luke Easter on Mar 17, 2003

Tourniquet is back in the game with their new album called Where Moth And Rust Destroy. Another magnificent piece of work from this remarkable band. Vocalist Luke Easter answers our questions.
		For all the metal fans who are not familiar with Tourniquet, could you give us a short lesson in the history of the band? In the early 1990’s Tourniquet released Stop the Bleeding on Frontline/Intense Records. Over the next decade, we had a couple of line-up changes, but we continued to release albums and perform live. In 2000, we released Microscopic View Of A Telescopic Realm on Metal Blade Records. Currently the band is Ted Kirkpatrick on drums, Steve Andino on bass and I am the singer. We’re auditioning guitar players at the moment.
		Your new album Where Moth And Rust Destroy is set to be released on March 25th. What are your expectations? Hopefully we have raised the bar a little more. With every album, we try to challenge ourselves to do better than the one before. I know it’s a cliché to say this, but I really think this is our best album yet. Everything else we’ve done has led up to this. We also want to continue to challenge the listeners. We write about a lot of different things, and hopefully it will make people think. Our music is an artistic expression, but it is also rooted in our faith in and relationship with Jesus Christ. Ultimately, we hope that that comes through to anyone who listens to this album.
		What is the main reason metal fans should listen to Where Moth And Rust Destroy? If you’re looking for a metal album that is complex musically and lyrically, this is probably a good album to check out.
		Your lyrics are intelligent as well as challenging. Do you see it as a privilege or an obligation as a human being to address social issues and biblical references in you lyrics? I see it as both. We are in a position where we get to speak to a lot of people all over the world through our music. Why waste that opportunity writing music that’s not really saying anything? We are Christians, and that lifestyle, that way of thinking and living is going to be reflected in anything we do. If you’re an Atheist, your life and art will reflect that. If you’re a Satanist, your life and art will demonstrate that. Along with that opportunity, we have a responsibility to God to use our opportunities wisely.
		Can you explain the title of the album? It’s from the Bible, but it’s something anyone can relate to, Christian or not. It doesn’t matter if you’re the richest person in the world or the poorest, when you die it won’t matter what you have. It only matters who you are, and what you did with your life. We get so caught up in getting more stuff, but why? It all breaks down at some point. It all becomes worthless somewhere along the line. That’s not to say that having nice things is wrong, but if that’s the controlling factor in your life, there’s a problem. That’s the basic point of the song.
		Tourniquet’s sound is a huge mix of so many different styles. Who or what inspires you as a band, as musicians? Tourniquet’s sound is an amalgam of musical styles. Classical music is probably the most obvious influence, but there’s also pop, classic rock, different ethnic music…the list could go on for awhile. We all listen to different stuff on our own, and when we bring it all together it becomes Tourniquet.
		Any touring plans in support of the album and if so, is Europe planned in the tour? Right now we’re concentrating on finding a new guitar player. We don’t want to plan shows and have to cancel, and we don’t want to rush someone into performing before they’re ready, so we are taking things a step at a time. Once we have a guitarist in place, we’ll start booking. We love playing in Europe. We have always gotten a great response there, and the European fans make us feel very welcome. I have no doubt that you’ll see us in Europe soon.
		Guitarists Marty Friedman and Bruce Franklin (Trouble) play the leads on Where Moth And Rust Destroy. How did this cooperation come to live? Ted played in Trouble for a short time back in 1988 or so, and he and Bruce have remained friends since. He’s a great guitar player with a really distinct vibe, and he doesn’t live too far from where we recorded the album, so we asked him to come play with us. Marty and Ted have also been friends for awhile, and Marty is really familiar with our music. We asked him if he’d like to play on the album, and so he did. It’s great to hear both of them on this album. I like a lot of Trouble’s music, and I love Marty’s solo work as well as his Megadeth stuff, so hearing them play on our stuff was very cool. I think it’s taken us to a new level.
		You’re the first metal band that I know of who released an acoustic album. What’s the main reason for you to take this, for metal, unusual step? We started playing acoustic shows in the late 1990’s, and people really liked it. People were asking for awhile when we were going to do an acoustic record, so we decided to do it. Since a lot of people hadn’t seen us perform those songs acoustically, we did it “live” in the studio to try to capture the feel of a live performance.
		Do you think being able to release an acoustic album underlines the craftsmanship and quality of your songwriting? What I mean is; not every metal band is able to release an acoustic album and get away with it. I’ve heard people say before that if you want to know how good a song really is, strip it down to a voice and an acoustic guitar; if it doesn’t sound good like that, go back to the drawing board. Obviously, not all songs are meant to be played like that, but it’s a good rule of thumb. I think Ted writes some great songs, and I think the fact that we can do them acoustically really shows how much effort goes into crafting a Tourniquet song.
		Are you comfortable with your label (Metal Blade) and the other bands they have on their roster? Metal Blade is a great label for us. They give us creative control, and they let us be Tourniquet. I don’t agree with some of what the other bands stand for, but they have as much right to say what they want as we do. All the bands have worked hard to get where they are, and most of them are as serious about their music as we are. The only real difference is that we are Christians, and most of them are not. We are happy to call Metal Blade our home.
		Anything you would like to say to your fans? We appreciate everyone who cares about us, and takes time to listen to what we have to say. We hope to see all of you soon.
		(Marc Lochs)