411 Interviews: OneRepublic's Brent Kutzle

Posted by Fred Richani on 10.09.2009

OneRepublic's Brent Kutzle sits down with 411's Fred Richani to discuss the band, Timbaland, their new album, and much more!



Don't you dare call OneRepublic a one hit wonder. Sure, it may seem like the five man tandem of Ryan Tedder, Zach Filkins, Drew Brown, Eddie Fisher, and Brent Kutzle seemingly blew up overnight, but these guys have been cutting their teeth in the music industry individually and collectively for years, even prior to the success of their smash-hit "Apologize." After selling over 4 MILLION digital downloads of the Timbaland-remixed single and going Gold with their first album Dreaming Out Loud, OneRepublic is back to give fans new and old something to talk about. If your music tastes have been in hibernation, then perhaps you will check out the band's new album Waking Up. If you don't know what OneRepublic is all about, allow bassist/cello player Brent Kutzle to fill you in!

Fred: Brent, before we get to talking about the new album, I'll start you off with the basics. How did you guys get the name OneRepublic?

Brent: Well Ryan [Tedder] and the guys used to be known as just The Republic, but since there were already a lot of republics, so that's how the name came about to add "One."

Fred: (Laughs). Makes sense! Were you with the band when they were signed to Columbia Records?

Brent: No, I joined up in 2007, right before we signed with Timbaland's label Mosley Music Group, but I know what all the guys went through from being dropped by Columbia and everything. Luckily, things worked out.

Fred: How did you feel to have all your hard work as an individual and collectively as a band when Dreaming Out Loud was released, as well as the single "Apologize", which became huge?

Brent: It was incredible. The song had actually been written for years and for it to finally be released....

Fred: It must have been a relief!

Brent: Definitely. We couldn't have found a better guy than Timbaland to help us release "Apologize" and the album. He was really the perfect guy, especially with the remix on [his album]. Shock Value.

Fred: Tell me a little more about that. What was it like working with a producer like Timbaland, who is a great artist in his own right?

Brent: It was great. He really helped us out with everything from our sound to releasing the album.

Fred: So to put it lightly (laughs), he's a bit of a perfectionist?

Brent: Oh, totally! He knows exactly what he wants and how to get it done. It's great. You learn so much from working with a guy like him with everything he's done in the industry. You really do. We actually just finished some tracks with him on Shock Value 2. That's gonna be a great album.

Fred: I can imagine. What would you say is the biggest difference between your debut album Dreaming Out Loud and Waking Up?

Brent: This album was originally written as an urban album. It's really a mix of different sounds. We all passed around the writing for the songs. It's just a great blend of sounds.

Fred: So you want to sound different with each album? Like create a unique sound?

Brent: Yeah, we didn't intend to make each song different on Waking Up. It just came about that way. I mean with the success of "Apologize," that was great and all, but we don't want to be just known for that. Working with Timbaland is great, but we can stand on our own feet for awhile.

Fred: I totally get what you're saying. That being said, working with Timbaland opened up a lot of doors for the band. Anybody in particular you'd like to work with that you haven't collaborated with already?

Brent: Not really. Right now we want to do very little guest spots and just show people we can stand on our own.

Fred: What's your opinion of people that compare you to Coldplay? From what I've heard in the past, you guys didn't intend on sounding similar to them.

Brent: The only thing similar I see if is the use of the piano. When they first came out, they kind of dominated the whole rock-piano genre, so when we came out and did it, we were really the only major band besides Coldplay, that used that in our music. Being compared to them isn't really a huge issue though.

Fred: Besides bass, you also play the cello, right? That certainly adds an element to your sound.

Brent: Definitely. I love my strings and I love playing it.

Fred: What's the biggest adjustment you've had to make since achieving fame and worldwide success?

Brent: The biggest thing is the fans. Touring different countries and having kids wait for you at your hotel. I didn't think that stuff still happened today. I thought those kind of things were only for The Beatles. It's pretty surreal.

Fred: Alright, I'll get you out of here on this. For anyone that just dismisses OneRepublic and a one hit wonder or really doesn't know much about the band, what can they expect?

Brent: We're very musical. If you go to see us live, we give fans a fun atmosphere. We do covers, play our songs, fuse a bunch of instruments. We're not a mid-tempo ballad band anymore. We're really getting to have more fun on stage. Whether you listen to us or go to a concert, it'd just a overall fun, musical experience that's different from anything you'll hear or see.