Pedro the Lion was an indie rock band from Seattle, Washington, and, for over a decade, the main creative outlet of singer/songwriter David Bazan. The band combined a biting wit with first person narrative to cover both politics and faith.
how do you start do write down a song? do you start before with the story, the ambient or the music?
It depends, but I would say at least half of the time I start with just random words in a journal. And the other half of the time I start strumming chords on the acoustic guitar and singing over them, or the piano.
sometimes when you speak about “Achilles’ Hell”, you speak about the vulnerability-theme? do you think that is one of the greatest personal problem of our times?if yes how can we fight against or how can we live with?
No I don’t think it’s one of the greatest personal problems. I would think lack of vulnerability is a problem, but not one of our greatest, although a fundamental one is lack of human interaction; lack of transparency, lack of authenticity.
how do you choose the layout of your cd?
I had my friend Jesse Ledoux chose it for me. He designs albums for a living.
your album contains a lot of christian themes. Have you ever problem with the indie audience that usually aren’t so interested in that?
Yes, you get shit from everybody about everything. There’s that. And there are religious people who are concerned about other elements of the content and I get problems from them. So yeah. But then there are a bunch of cool people on either side who just like rock and roll.
in a world where george w bush called himself a christian, which is your definition of chrituanity in 2004?
I will answer by referencing Flannery O’Connor in Wise Blood who said, “If you’ve been redeemed, then I wouldn’t want to be.” I don’t know what the definition of Christianity is in 2004. I would tend not to call myself that word in particular. If George W. Bush and the millions of people who support him ARE Christians, then I certainly am not.
I think that Achilles Hell is less dark and more redemptile than the previous “control”. it’s exactly came out as your thoughts?
It is slightly truer to my own mood, which would tend to be more marbled than Control is. Control being very one sided. For me, whatever dark moods there are, are usually sort of sprinkled with humor and joy and other elements as well. So in that way Achilles Heel is maybe a bit truer to my mood in general.
in your songs we can breath honesty and simplicity. do you think that the simplest form of a song is usually the best or not?
I wouldn’t really say either thing. I think it’s subjective.
according to the previous questions don’t think that the nirvana was an unique band properly because they play simply and accessible song?
I would say these days uniqueness comes from how a band or artist combines familiar elements, because there is very little that is truly new. And I think it is difficult to combine simple elements in an exciting and fresh way. Nirvana did that. Although borrowing heavily from the Pixies, who were less accessible and perhaps more original because they weren’t borrowing quite so heavily.
you came from seattle. and as you know, you can’t answear to an interview without a question about your city. how is it changed from the early eighteen till now? I mean what is the musical climate?
I don’t know. I don’t catalogue that kind of information.
my favorite of the album is “Arizona” can you tell us something about that song and it’s inspirations?
That song came from a line written during a free writing session — the first line of the song — which I believe came from how Nevada and California are kind of spooning. But I guess I didn’t really want to write a song about Nevada because it didn’t come out that way.
I read that one of your prefered book is “the idiot” Dostoevsky. why do you love it? do you think that we can call you a romantic boy?
While, I have never finished that book, I am reading it and I do like it so far. People can call me whatever they want, and no objection of mine can change it.2005
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