Threat Signal - Jon Howard And Pat Kavanagh
Posted on April 13, 2008 at 5:07 pm by admin
I caught up will the dudes from Threat Signal once again, this time to talk about Jon’s band with Christian Olde Wolders and Raymond Herrera, both of Fear Factory, as well as plans for a new Threat Signal album. Despite the fact that it started raining heavily under the lamp post we were under, Jon and Pat stuck it out until the end!
Way Too Loud: It looks as though you’re fill-in guitarist is permanent now [Adam Weber, not pictured]. Can you tell me how that story worked out?
Jon Howard: He filled in for us on the Protest The Hero, All That Remains tour last year, and he just kicked so much ass, we had to have him back!
Pat Kavanagh: You may have noticed that we did a small tour in October. We couldn’t get him for that because he got into a car accident. We originally wanted him then, so we had to get another fill-in, but now he’s back!
WTL: Wasn’t he in the band before the Protest The Hero/All That Remains tour as a permanent member at one point in time?
Pat: You could think of it that way. He had hurt his hand and couldn’t play. Think of it like that.
WTL: You just shot a new video for “A New Beginning”. What’s involved in doing a video?
Pat: Garbage!
Jon: We did it at a waste treatment plant. The shittiest building you’ll see in your whole life -
Pat: But it made for a really cool video because there was a lot of broken shit all over the place! A great place for metal!
Jon: Yes! Shit and broken stuff!
WTL: Is there a lot of lip synching involved?
Jon: Actually, I sang the whole time. We filmed for about 12 hours on and off, but you’ve got to push it and sing so your veins actually pop out. You can’t just fake it. RT directed it.
Pat: He usually does a lot of hip-hop videos, he’s big for that, but I think he wanted to jump on to this one because he hasn’t really done any hard rock, and he knew that he could get really creative with it. He did a fucking amazing job doing it! I think it’s going to do good for him, and it’s going to do awesome for us!
WTL: Does RT work with a production company? Do you know who else he’s shot videos for?
Pat: 235 Films is the production company he works with. I think he’s done work with just about any big hip-hop artist in Canada. He shot a video for Neverending White Lights. They’re a little more indie-rock I believe.
WTL: Do you think people are starting to view metal with more respect now, as something that’s a viable form of art and expression?
Jon: I’m seeing that a lot of people are appreciating metal more. We did this one headlining tour, and there was a lot of bands opening up, like a battle of the bands type of thing, and almost every band was playing heavy music, so it shows that all the kids are playing that kind of shit now.
Pat: As well, I’ve seen more and more on TV and the radio.
Jon: Anything with screams in it, more the power to them.
Pat: Look at Lamb Of Gods last album. It ranked really high on Billboard [Top 200]. That really shows that metal is a force to reckon with.
WTL: What are the plans right now for your new album?
Jon: We’re just writing right now, and doing a lot of these little Ontario dates, and writing in between. We’ve almost got a new album written, and we’re looking at recording in the next couple of months. We don’t have a producer in mind yet. Maybe bring back Christian [Olde Wolbers of Fear Factory]. He did a wicked job on the first one!
WTL: Now whenever a band has a new album out, everyone says it’s heavier than the last one, or more melodic -
Pat: I knew this question was coming! It’s heavy where you want it to be, it’s melodic where you want it to be, but we’re pretty much writing the songs we want to write, and that’s pretty much what almost any band does, so that’s what we’re doing. So take it for what you want.
Jon: And if you hate it, don’t bash us on MySpace or Blabbermouth!
Pat: If you don’t like it, that’s fucking great! Go eat a banana sandwich!
Jon: We’re writing it to make it suck! You’re all going to hate it!
WTL: Is there going to be a lot more touring after the new album? There didn’t seem too be too many after “Under Reprisal”.
Pat: We wanted to, but we ran into some snags, but yeah, we plan hopefully to tour, it looks like around fall right now. I guess it depends on when the album’s going to hit.
Jon: Yeah, once the album is out, which should be around fall, then we’ll do a lot of touring.
WTL: Have most of the snags be around the lineup changes? Jon, you’re the only original member since the last album!
Jon: Yeah, I know!
Pat: Originally, there were only 3 guys in the band.
Jon: Threat Signal’s never been a solid band. I tarted the band in my bedroom with my cousin, and we just recorded songs. We got a label, and we didn’t even have a drummer, or a bass player. We just recorded it all and put it on the internet, and then we got our label. After that, it was like “Oh shit! I guess we’re going to have to play shows now!” Then we got some half-assed players..
WTL: Can most of the lineup changes be attributed to real life issues?
Pat: Like a girlfriend maybe?
Jon: things happen. Touring is not meant for everyone. Bands aren’t meant for everyone. They want to go off and do their own things. That’s fine.
Pat: We’re still cool with the old members.
Jon: Yeah, we still talk to everyone.
Pat: They’re on board with us as much as we support them.
Jon: They’ve checked out our new material, we’ve hung out. It’s all good.
WTL: I remember before, when you talk about lineup changes, you always talk about new guys coming in without girlfriends, although you guys always seem to be having someone hanging off your arm at shows…
Jon: But they’re different girls! Don’t tell them! You know, different area code!
WTL: Jon, has your project with Christian and Raymond from Fear Factory been named yet?
Jon: Yeah, we’ve named it Arkaea, a lot of A’s, but yeah, it’s been going really well. We’re probably going to release an album later in the year. I think we’re going to work with Koch Records. They do a lot of R&B and Rap, but they’re branching off into metal, which is really good. It’s like a mix of Fear Factory and Threat signal.
WTL: What have you guys been listening too at home?
Pat: Me, I’ve been listening to a lot of Chimaira, and a lot of The Dillinger Escape Plan, even though no one else in the band likes them.
Jon: I’ve been rocking DevilDriver a lot.
WTL: Have you been reading anything for inspiration?
Jon: The Slash biography! Well, I have it, but I haven’t read it yet. I read the Marilyn Manson book, and that was pretty intense!
Pat: I do occasionally. I’ve read the DaVinchi Code. I read the first Lord of The Rings!
Jon: You’re not supposed to tell people that!
Pat: I also like Led Zeppelin, because they sing about Lord Of The Rings! Edit that out!
WTL: What else do you like to do on tour?
Jon: Well, Ontario is great, because we get to go home all the time. It depends on how far we tour. But when we travel across Canada…
Pat: Going out west, every show is at least 8 to 10 hours apart. But when we got to Vancouver on the last tour, we had never been there before, so the first time we hit BC, we didn’t know what to expect. It took us forever to get out there with mountains and shit. The show was fucking insane though. It really keeps you going, because you go “Oh my god! I went through so much shit to get here!”, then the show is fucking amazing. It’s worth it.
Jon: There was a lot of writing on the last road trip.
WTL: Have you been able to get hooked up with any US touring?
Jon: Not much. We’re looking to do a summer run with Bled The Sky hopefully. That’s in the works though.
WTL: So am I not supposed to mention that? Just start a rumour? So many bands tell me about tours that aren’t ready yet, and tell me they’re so excited about it.
Pat: Oh no! Go ahead, who cares! But we can’t guarantee it or anything, but don’t be like “you fucking said you were going to be there!” We just said it MIGHT happen.
WTL: Is there anyone you’d like to tour with who’s both feasible, but not obvious?
Pat: Chimaira, we haven’t done a tour with them yet.
Jon: I would tour with Alexisonfire. They’re Canadian, so it would work.
WTL: Have you ever lied about what your band name means?
Jon: I said one time that Threat Signal is an old wooden ship! But that’s all I said!
Pat: Most of the time, if someone says “Hey, you’re in that band!” I’ll just change my name to something like Tom! Then they’ll say “Tom, you’re fucking killer!” Or if people say we’re amazing players, and ask how long we’ve been playing for, I’ll tell them 3 weeks!
Threat Signal at MySpace
Nuclear Blast
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