James LaBrie interview

Forrest Smithkors: New album A View From The Top Of The World – this is the first album cut in the new studio, right? But you didn’t make it there?

James LaBrie: I wasn’t there. So during the writing, I was pumped into the studio via Zoom. So I was up on a big monitor screen and then they were pumped into my studio in my house. The instruments, everything, were pumping through my studio speakers and then they were on screen and vice versa. So that’s how we went about the actual writing process. When I did my vocals, I actually flew down to the studio and sang my vocals there.

FS: Was that your first time in the new studio? How’s it working?

JL: Oh no, no. We got that place almost three years ago. Actually, when we were getting ready to go out for the Distance Over Time world tour, we actually rehearsed there; that’s where we did all rehearsing. At that point, it was still all being put together – all the renovations – because now we have the big warehouse at the back that holds all of our equipment, and then at the front is the state of the art studio, and we have a big living room, a boardroom, a kitchen, a maintenance room, and then the actual rehearsal room where we can all be in there. And it’s also the writing room where we can all be there when we’re writing anything or rehearsing for a tour or show. So I’ve been there a few times before I actually went down to do it. It was my first time going there to actually record vocals for an album though. I’d never done that at that studio.

FS: And how did you guys handle the lockdown? I know you guys are in different areas, but for me, I hated working from home. And then I loved it. And then when it was time to come back, now we’re back in the studios, I didn’t like it and now I love it. But I found like a lot of positives hanging out with my family a lot more. It felt like less stress. Did you guys go through anything similar like that?

JL: Yeah, I think we were all able to take a step back and really focus and get a clear perspective on things that are important in life. And I think you nailed it: reconnecting with your family and realizing how fortunate we are to be able to forge through such an unprecedented situation globally. I think too, as a band, it was a very spirited reunion to go back into the studio at the height of this pandemic – we got back together in October of ‘20. It just made you realize not take for granted what you do have in life and the fragility of life, and everything that we think is set and that’s the way it’s always going to remain. Well, we were remind that such is not the case. And I think going in with that spirited sense of saying, “Look who we are, look what we have,” I think really lent itself to a lot of the way that this album came out: the energy, the feel, the music itself, the lyrical content. Well, the lyrical content, I should back that up a bit. John Petrucci and I, before we went in to do any of the lyrics, and John Myung, is we all said, “We’re not writing about the pandemic. We’re gonna write about all the other things that make us who and what we are as human beings.” There’s a lot of subject matter to write about. So I think that was important to have that be our basis for the lyrics is that there’s going to be enough artists out there writing about our current state of affairs, we don’t need to do it as well. Let’s write about something else and make people feel a connection elsewhere, maybe distract them from the inundation of a pandemic.

FS: I’ve heard you talk a couple of times about some classic rock influences, which makes sense. I’ve heard you specifically mentioned Rush, Pink Floyd, and Led Zeppelin. Led Zeppelin IV turns 50 on Monday. And of course, we had the passing of Neil Peart from Rush. I don’t know if you had a stronger connection, if you saw him maybe more in Canada.

JL: Of Rush? My God, man. Absolutely! I remember us – like friends of mine – and we would be cranking A Farewell To Kings or 2112 before going to high school. So we get together at my buddy’s place, his parents had gone to work. We’d be cranking these songs and then go to school. And [Led Zeppelin IV] was the same for me. I mean, who can’t be freaking influenced by ‘Black Dog’ or ‘Rock And Roll’ or ‘Battle Of Evermore’ or whatever. It’s funny you’re mentioning that because I have a solo album coming out in May of ‘21 and one of the bonus tracks I did which is really going to be exciting for people is ‘Ramble On’.

FS: No way. I knew you had a solo [album coming]. I didn’t know you covered Zeppelin.

JL: Well, we did one song and we covered that and it came out fantastic. And, let’s face it: they were the metal gods of the ‘70s. Each and every body in that band was integral to who and what they were; it’s just unbelievable. But I loved growing up and listening to Deep Purple and seeing Ian Gillan and even Aerosmith, and Steven Tyler and all that stuff. There were so many bands back then that just had this ‘je ne sais quoi’, where you were just magnetized to their chemistry. But with Rush being Canadian like I am, I gravitated to them immediately. And Pink Floyd and Yes and Genesis and I had Metallica. I still remember hearing those guys and going, “What the hell’s going on here?” Obviously a lot of people were introduced to Master Of Puppets and all that, but you can go back and listen to ‘Damage, Inc.’, and you hear that song for everything that it’s worth, and you’re like, “Holy s***! No wonder these guys took the world by storm.” Such a cool tune.

FS: Hey, last question: how’s the relationship with Mike Portnoy?

JL: I haven’t spoke to Mike since he left the band. I think that pretty much says it all.

FS: I think that sums it up.