An interview with James LaBrie

Volume 8 Issue #20

Jen: “Awake” is even more progressive than “Images & Words”. What was the group’s state of mind when you decided to go in this direction?

James: Well I would say that it’s not that one-dimensional. I mean I’m not putting down what you’re saying. It’s much more than just progressive. I think that the album has very many elements that differ. It’s very diverse and the complexities are there as well. There’s definitely always going to be elements of progressiveness in Dream Theater’s music, but at the same time I think that this time we tried to be -- well, didn’t try, it just actually happened -- and the diversity was there as well with all the different influences. So we went into it with the frame of mind we wanted to write some really hard songs, but at the same time keeping that Dream Theater kind of signature there as well.

I think another thing too is that when we started writing this I said to the guys that vocally I want to come in and I want to show the people more dimensions in my voice. I want them to see the versatility that I have with my voice. I think that one thing that was most important to most bands and most definitely with Dream Theater is that we wanted to evolve and we all grew individually, we grew as a band and we wanted our music to reflect that.

Jen: The musicianship in a group like Dream Theater, where everyone is a master of their own instrument, how does that work when you’re writing and performing?

James: It works great. You know I was classically for four-and-a-half years in opera with Patricia Burns from Toronto. These guys went to Berkeley for a couple of years, a big jazz school in Boston, and I think that what it does is that it really lets you respect the craft itself that you’re a part of. And at the same time it allows you to be a little bit more open minded and a little bit more mature and professional when it comes to collaborating with others. That was really advantageous. We’ve all been with our instruments since -- well, I know myself, since I was five years old. The other ones are the same you know, like eight years old and stuff like that. We’re all like constantly making sure that we’re going to carry our own weight when it comes to a live show and make sure that we put on the best possible show. I think that when we were younger, like 18, 19, 20 all you want to do is show yourself off and how people just how much you can do and what you’re capable of, but I think once you get older it becomes more of a team work, and it becomes more song oriented instead of individually oriented. I think that’s what Dream Theater focuses on more than anything right now - the songs themselves and to really keep them as close as possible to what the album was, but at the same having a little bit of fun to show the people that live we might just throw in a little something different here and there to make it a little interesting.

Jen: Your songs are very long and they’re almost like classical pieces of music. How would the writing process differ for Dream Theater as opposed to a band like say Poison?

James: Ouch! You went from end to the other. Well I don’t know what Poison writes, but I know that the way we write is.. ..there’s two methods: one, each guy individually, he’ll have ideas that he’s put down on tape that he’s been working by himself and brings to the band. He’ll say, listen guys some parts are some parts I’ve written and what do you think and we’ll take it from there and we’ll elaborate on it and expand on the idea an build it into a song. Another way that we write is just when we’re in the rehearsal studio. We just jam and we come up with ideas and we always constantly have a tape on from the time we come in to the time we leave. It doesn’t matter if it’s just us tuning up or just individually warming up. It’s just always running so that if anybody happens to get on a groove and then the spontaneity is there and then BANG we just start into something. So that’s another way we do it. And soon enough we come up with a strong groove or idea and then we expand on it and sooner or later you have a composition.

Jen: In your bio you say that you had a lot of feelings of pain and frustration when writing this album. Where was that coming from - personal conflict or musical frustration?

James: I don’t think it was that blunt. Maybe whoever wrote the bio took it for face value. I think I meant it in more of a metaphoric sense and that the pain and frustrations were more like growing. You’re constantly growing and becoming more aware of your own existence and I think that a lot of times it’s almost theraputic to put it down on paper. It has a lot to do with your environment and surroundings and the people that you constantly come in contact with, the communications that you have with others. There are a lot of communications done amongst people where you really don’t understand people or you prejudge somebody before you even know the person. Just where you come from, your environment, really affects the way you think and the way that you approach everything in life. When we were out on the road and coming in contact with all these different cultures around the world, I think that what really hit me was that, without sounding corny, is that people just want to be accepted and loved and it’s really quite evident when you’re anywhere else in the world is that there’s a lot of very insecure and lonely people.

Jen: It must be gratifying to tour and see it appreciated. How is the response to Dream Theater in countries like Japan?

James: It’s incredible. We found out that the first four or five days in Japan we sold 75,000 albums and it’s doing that worldwide, it’s just exploding. I don’t know what it’s doing in Canada. I hope that this time in Canada we’re going to get much more of a push and become a little bit more evident to the people in Canada. Last time it doesn’t seem that we got a lot of push and a lot of people weren’t aware of us and I’m hoping that (awareness) happens in Canada. It would be nice because I’m Canadian. Sure the other guys are American, but it would be nice to be known an appreciated for what I’ve done in my own home country.

Jen: Aside from the obvious financial element, how important is commercial success to Dream Theater?

James: The only way that I can look at commercial success is that I think as long as the success that we acheived allowed us to live and to be able to continue to write and do albums and to continue writing and creating music I think that would be incredible. But if we became huge, sure that’s everyone’s dream, if we became a huge band, that would be unbelievable and the benefits in other areas go with it. But I think that if we just kept the steady audience and we just kept growing gradually with every album to the point where maybe we would be like a Rush or Yes or a Metallica, where you’re getting to the point where it goes unsaid that you have such loyal fans that you’re guaranteed to sell a couple million copies of the album. But as long as we can go on and we’re selling enough albums that enable us to continue, that would be the first one I’ll take.

Jen: You seem to attract the metal audience and at the same time progressive “modern” dinosaurs type audience. Is progressive rock the alternative now that grunge is the mainstream?

James: The fact is there’s a lot of alternative music out there. I mean when you talk about Nine Inch Nails and Ministry, I look at those bands more like the alternative. It’s funny because people label Dream Theater progressive, and I think that’s such a misconception because I think that, like I was saying earlier in the interview, that’s one element of Dream Theater’s music. The diversity within our music proves that it’s just not all a Yes thing or a Rush thing; it’s much more than that. There are influences of Aerosmith, Van Halen, U2, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden and so on. There’s classical influences too. So when people say progressive, I think it’s a long title to give us. I like to consider ourselves a hard edged band, not necessarily a heavy metal band but hard rock. And that’s howI’d like to think people should label us, with all these other influences that give us that Dream Theater sound. Whether you agree or not.. I wish people would look at us and not compare us to Rush and Yes. I refer to us as a hard rock band.

Jen: As the token Canadian do you ever want to put the “R” before the “E” in theater?

James: The Germans love it. I think that’s how they spell theater. I think that when we were over there, they were like “Did you get your name from around here?” And we were like no, actually there’s a theater in California called The Dream Theater and Mike’s father Howard lives out there and they show old movies and thought it was cool. And he mentioned it to Mike and that’s how the whole name came about.