In our fast-forward, get-it-done-yesterday world, everyone is looking for that next big thing before it hits the mainstream. Music is no different. Bands come and go faster than you have time to enjoy them. (What ever happened to Kevin Rudolf?)
Underoath is one of the few bands that live up to the hype and still act as a dominant force in the rock and metal communities.
After the success of their songs “Reinventing Your Exit” and “Writing On The Walls,” Underoath remains a force to be reckoned with, as proven by their latest album, “Disambiguation.”
Drummer Daniel Davison talked music, videos and Tempe Town Lake shenanigans with “The State Press” before the band rolls into town for their show on Jan. 25.
SP: I think a lot of people viewed Aaron Gillespie [Underoath’s former drummer] as a major force in Underoath. Were you nervous taking his old position?
DD: They didn’t want me to come in and be Aaron; they wanted me to do my stuff. The band could have gotten someone like Aaron, but we wanted to take the band in a new direction. They wanted me to do my own thing, which was perfect. We practiced together and everything went really smooth. It was an easy transition.
SP: Some bands write songs specifically for live performances or really focus more on the production of the songs. Where does Underoath fall in these categories?
DD: Somewhere in the middle. I wouldn’t do something that we couldn’t do live. We definitely wrote stuff that we were unsure of how we would perform it, but we decided to do it and figure out how to do it live. We have some really heavy, off-time stuff. It goes all over the place but has been really great playing live.
SP: What do you hope to bring to Underoath, either in their sound or live shows?
DD: Basically just working on a really good set and pulling songs from all of our albums. We care about how the set flows and how songs complement each other. I also put a lot of time into video stuff and the light show. We want the audience to get a sensory overload of sights and sounds. It’ll be a real treat for Underoath fans.
SP: You left Norma Jean and started your own film company, ISTHMUS, and directed a few videos such as Manchester Orchestra’s “Now That You’re Home.” Any plans on directing any Underoath videos in the future?
DD: Already happening. Last tour I took responsibility for the video projections for the show. I’ve been doing video and performance stuff since 2003 and when I joined Underoath I took over the vision they had already been using. We’re right now throwing ideas around for our next video, which we could do ourselves.
SP: You’ve toured the country numerous times and played a few shows in Arizona. Have you had any memorable moments here in Tempe or Phoenix?
DD: No crazy stories about me, but on a previous tour, a few of the band members and crew were walking from the Marquee [Theatre] to Mill Ave. and someone dared our drum tech to jump off a ledge into Tempe Town Lake. He didn’t know how cold it was and actually almost drowned. Fire trucks and ambulances came; it was pretty insane.
Reach the reporter at jgwynn@asu.edu
