411 Mania Music Interview: Billy Howerdel of Ashes Divide

Posted by Dan Marsicano on 04.29.2008

411's Dan Marsicano had the chance to interview A Perfect Circle guitarist Billy Howerdel, who has started up his own band, Ashes Divide, which recently released their first album, Keep Telling Myself It's Alright. Click ahead for information from Howerdel about the new album, A Perfect Circle's status, plans for the summer, and much more!

The Introduction

Billy Howerdel is no stranger to the music scene. He started out as a guitar technician for many rock bands during the early 90's, including Guns N' Roses, Faith No More, and The Smashing Pumpkins, before famously being a technician for Tool. From there, Howerdel and front man Maynard James Keenan would form A Perfect Circle. A Perfect Circle would become a highly successful band, producing three albums and selling millions of records, before going on hiatus in 2006.

Howerdel formed his own band, Ashes Divide, which just finished their first record, Keep Telling Myself It's Alright, with Howerdel playing the majority of the instruments. With Howerdel getting musicians together for the live show, the band will be heading out on a tour of the US this summer. Howerdel spoke to 411 Mania about the new album, the summer tour, and the status of A Perfect Circle.


(Credit: Total Assault)

The Interview


You have a new project out, Ashes Divide. Could you just explain briefly about how the project came together?

I guess it something I wanted to do for a long time. I was considering singing on songs back before Perfect Circle days and I guess what I was going to do before, but wouldn't sound the same…having experiences I did with Perfect Circle and everything, especially as a vocalist, helped me to grow a lot and have a lot more access to things that made me who I am today.

So were they any immediate difficulties in adjusting from a band experience where you all creatively work together to being a solo artist, and having all that creativity flow through yourself, both musically and lyrically?

Well, it's not that much different from A Perfect Circle (APC), except for that last stage…getting those vocals off was just such a big part of it. I wrote most of the music in A Perfect Circle. (On the new album) I kind of worked alone, with the exception of having Josh (Freese) come in on the drums. You know, I work a long time on songs. I'll work on a song for 50 days and track drums for 2 days. I'll mostly program the drums on the computer, but once the real drums get in, it's amazing. So, it's not a whole lot different than how I recorded and wrote for APC, except for the vocal part. That was such a huge difference that everything started to take new shape to me, at least how I perceived it. Everything was fresh because it's such a new addition.

Speaking of the lead vocals, how much of a challenge was it to find your voice, because you did backing vocals in APC, but never did lead vocals…

One of the biggest things was getting over that fear, that mindset, of being compared to Maynard…it's certainly is a true feeling I have, I felt like no matter what I do, its always going to be compared. It was one of those things that Maynard was trying to get rid of. Everyone was asking him about Tool in every interview, and you're trying to do something new, and everyone just wants to keep talking about what you've done. You're here working hard trying to promote this new thing…you know, I get why people ask, it's where you came from. It's a relevant question; it's just that you don't want to be outshined by it. I didn't want to be outshined…by people who think that this (Ashes Divide) is version 2.0 of A Perfect Circle. This is me singing, this is a new thing, this is truly who I am, that (APC) was truly what Maynard was.

Don't worry, I won't ask about A Perfect Circle…

I don't care if you do. I'm saying that you kind of get bummed about it because it keeps coming up, but it is a relevant question. I'm proud of everything that I've done with A Perfect Circle. Someday, down the road, we might do something again, but all I can see right now is Ashes Divide, and all Maynard can see is Puscifer, and then he will probably write a new Tool record. I knew going into this project that I will be sharing my time with Tool, you know getting Maynard's attention, and they are going to have more of his time than I would have with APC. Here I am, trying to be proliferate and keep writing. One of things I've always liked to do is give a shot at the vocals, which is a mixed feeling for me, since I never wanted to be a front man, so to speak…David Lee Roth seem to be born to be a front man…there are bands that I love that have the big egotistical front man, and there are some that I like that have the whole package. It's about the mood and the whole thing…I've always liked the Pink Floyd show. You know that David Gilmour sings and Roger Waters sings. When I see them live, its like I seeing the whole experience and that is what I am interested in...luckily, its not 1988, so you don't need to have big poodle hair and jump around and do scissor kicks to be a front man.

It would help to have the scissor kicks though…

Well, I'm not saying I'm not doing them. I'm not saying you don't have to do them. There may be surprises…

(Laughs)

I might do spread eagle. Or a lot of scissor kicks.

(Laughs). So how was it working with Danny Lohner again?

He's an asshole (Laughs). No, Danny is one of my best friends…it's almost like, if he wasn't working on the album, he would be doing the same things he's doing. I planned things over the phone and he would come over the house to hear stuff and he would give me "Hey dude that sucks" or "Oh this is great" or "You really should do this." Danny was an executive producer on this. I would play him things and he would give me great input on tracks and we come from the same place in a lot of ways, but he is a broader fan of music than I am. He's more into things I'm wouldn't be into and he would see things a little different. He likes things a little simpler, more traditional…it was really great having someone I trust with great taste to say "Oh man, why don't we try this?" So face time working with him in the studio…I didn't get a ton of time, but it was more important that I could call him up and go "Dude, I'm ready to stop. Talk me off the cliff," so Danny was an important part of the process.



(Credit: Total Assault)

Explain about some of the guest musicians you had on the album. I know you had Devo (Keenan's son) doing the cello work, but what about the other musicians?

Josh played drums; he played all the APC stuff. This is some of Josh's best work. He's really proud of it and I'm really proud of him. There is some difficult stuff to play. Coming on, I always thought that Josh wasn't going to be the drummer on this…back in 2004, thinking of doing this project, I was going to find new musician…people I've never met, do an audition process, find new people, and have it truly a fresh new thing. I was more nervous finding a new drummer and I found this guy, Jeff Friedl, he was the third guy up, and I told my friend, "I don't know if I'm being optimistic, but it sounds amazing." My friend said, "You would be crazy not to use that guy. He's great." While Josh played drums on the records, Jeff is now my new drummer.

Devo, Maynard's son, played cello on a track ("Sword"). It just a small thing, but it was nice to have him on it...My friend Dean Sainz played drums on "The Ritual." He's in a band called the Dead Ponies. He's a good friend of mine. (He) helped me make this record from day one. He was doing all the things I needed to do while I couldn't do them, whether it was cooking dinner to re-stringing strings to micing the drums. He was such a huge help, I don't think I could have done it without him…

Paz Lenchantin co-wrote a song, "Denial Waits," with me, which was a cool experience, nice to see her again. It was a two day experience, but that song was slated to go into the video game I scored a few years back (Jak X: Combat Racing on PS2) in 2005, and it became a contender for the record. I called her back and said, "Hey, let's look at this like a real song," and that was cool…

Johnette Napolitano from Concrete Blondes co-wrote "Too Late" and worked with me at a few songs at the 11th hour as Alan Moulder was mixing the record. I had three songs I was unsure of. (On) "The Stone," there was just three words I was trying to hone in on and sort and pray on. There were two other songs that were confusing lyrically, even to me, and I just needed to have someone who was good at that, take a look at it, and help me. She would go "yeah this is great, but hear this line, put this line here." There were too many pages of lyrics that she could go through and say "I like this better than this." It was really crucial to me to get this record down. I don't know how much longer it would have took me if Johnette wasn't helping me out on this record. She was an asset…Matt Skiba...too many lyrics on "The Prey" and I just wanted to get his input on that…he sat down for a night with me and sifted through six pages of lyrics to try to edit it down.

Ok, so looking back at the album, what songs are you proud of?

I think "Sword," live, is going to be one of the best songs. That's one of the songs I'm most proud of on the record… "Forever Can Be" and "Too Late" are other ones that stick out. It's hard because you pick songs that mean something or pick songs that sound overall the best, like I'm more into the sound. "Ritual" is another one, but if I picked four, it would be those, but if I picked one, it would be "Sword"…on Thirteenth Step off Perfect Circle, I would say I'm most proud of "The Noose" and "Sword" is similar in a kind of way.

What are the band's plans for the summer?

We're doing our first show here in Southern California this week. Not even announced; just want to play a local club and open up for a local band. Our first official show is May 9th in Florida, in front of ten of thousands of people for a radio show. That should be an interesting no soundtrack first show (laughs). First three shows are festivals, then we're doing our own club shows on the east coast and mid-west. From there, the Projekt Revolution tour starts in July and that puts us through August.

What are the musicians you got for the live show?

I got Jeff Friedl on drums, Matt McJunkins on bass, Andy Gerold on guitar, and Adam Monroe on keyboards.

Did you do auditions for all these members?

Yea, I did, except for Adam. I found Adam on the internet, weird enough. He was a kid in his bedroom playing the piano and had never been in a band. I met him last summer, he flew out here from New York, and he is an overqualified keyboard player and a great singer. Everyone else, I did an audition process with this guy in L.A who finds musicians. That's a weird process, sure enough.

In the future, do you see Ashes Divide as a solo project or as a full-pledged band or as a revolving door of members ala Soulfly or Queens of the Stone Age?

I don't know right now, it's kind of been nice in that it's my solo project, I guess. I really don't know; we're going to see how the chemistry of the band works out and what the future brings. It's sort of like APC…with Maynard going back with Tool, I was always writing the next APC record as he was back with Tool. Now, I have a different priority with this band and I want to have my focus on this band.



What do you think is the most important message, emotion, and/or feeling that you want people to react to on Keep Telling Myself It's Alright?

I would hope that somebody would feel like I have with the records that influenced me throughout my life…ones that can become a soundtrack to this moment and time in your life and still be relevant later on. You know, you put it on years from now and bring back that feeling from that time. I think, in the way greater albums were for me. I've put everything honestly I have into this record and I'm really proud of it no matter how it's received or what happens. It's one of those (records) you can always fine tune and tweak things, but I think with this one, I put everything I have the best way I could.



I want to thank Billy Howerdel for taking the time out to speak to 411 Mania. Ashes Divide's new album, Keep Telling Myself It's Alright, is out in stores now. You can find more information about Ashes Divide, including news, tour dates, audio samples, and more at their official site www.ashesdivide.com and at their myspace page.