DEVIN TOWNSEND Talks About 'Ziltoid' Solo Album

Mark Carras of RockMyMonkey.com conducted an interview with Devin Townsend on Saturday, June 16. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow:

Rock My Monkey: I've listened to "Ziltoid" more times than I can even remember so far. The first question I got to ask you is how much of an inspiration was the movie "Mars Attacks"?

Devin Townsend: I did an interview a couple of minutes ago, and somebody asked me the same question. I'll be the first to admit when I'm influenced by something. While I was recording "Ziltoid", the movie "Mars Attacks" came on TV, I think, six times in one week. So I don't know if there's any direct references or anything, but the aesthetics of that movie was definitely around while I was creating the music, so I'd be lying if I said it wasn't part of it.

Rock My Monkey: How long did the "Ziltoid" album take to put together as far as writing, as far as the creation of it, not necessarily the recording?

Devin Townsend: I started basically October or November of last year, and at that point I didn't have any songs. Not one. And I didn't have a concept, and I didn't have a puppet. And then four months later it was finished and mastered. So I just kind of started writing. You know, I think a lot of my hang ups with the whole touring environment and the fact that I've been in bands for so many years, is not any disrespect to the band members or the scene, or anything we've done. But I just, I find it really difficult to create in that environment. It seems like being in a band and all that requires you to sort of play this interpersonal game that is just necessary for being in a band. Somebody likes peanuts, somebody doesn't like peanuts, right? And I think at the end of the day you end up spending most of your time with the band dynamic. It's like a committee based on almost every decision. For me the ability to just sort of go into the basement on a really rudimentary student model ProTools machine and just start writing, you know, with the drum machine. As fast as I could write, I could record. And then with that kind of an environment it took me four months total to make the "Ziltoid" record. And I'm ready to do it again. Not "Ziltoid". I'm finished with that concept. But I've got a bunch of new thoughts and musical directions in my head. As soon as I get a moment I plan to just sort of sit down in front of my computer and start writing again. I really like that ability to just create freely without having to structure it around a live thing, or get other people's opinions on it.

Rock My Monkey: Now that you are cutting yourself off from all the insanity, you're actually more inspired as an artist, and we actually be hearing more from you as an artist?

Devin Townsend: Absolutely.

Rock My Monkey: Great.

Devin Townsend: I think my main problem with what I've been doing for the past ten years is I haven't been able to be creative enough. I haven't been able to just do my music. Because it's just, it's like you do a record and then automatically you're committed to videos and tours and promotion. And each record it's like, you have a good time recording, and it takes three, four months to make a musical vision. And then the next two years you're promoting it, right? Granted, there's probably greater financial rewards in that particular way of doing things. But I also figure that it's like, if I have the ability creatively and musically just to do project after project after record after record, and each record and each project is unique in terms of its vision, then maybe cumulatively over time you'll be able to make a decent enough living doing it that way, as well, right? But there's no time like the present to see if that's the case. And in the meantime I do produce bands and everything to make ends meet. But what I want to do, man, is just be creative and write music. I've got, I've just got so much music that I could do, and all I've been looking for is the excuse or the reason to go for it. "Ziltoid" was the first experiment. Actually the first one was a record called "The Hummer", which I did last year, which is an ambient record. I'm just really excited about being able to create music, right, without having to be that character for two years following the release.

Rock My Monkey: You mention that you make the ends meet by being a producer, and honestly I got to say you're one of my top five favorite producers, as well.

Devin Townsend: Oh, cool. Thank you.

Rock My Monkey: As a person, as an artist and as a human being, what do you find more fulfilling? The recording and writing of your own stuff, or producing a band like, for example, HIMSA?

Devin Townsend: My own stuff, definitely.

Rock My Monkey: Really? Okay. Cool.

Devin Townsend: Definitely. See, the thing is I don't have a big social life. I have a real hard time with inter-personal relationships. I find it really taxing. Especially like friendships and being in bands. I always find that my vision and my musical mind always tends to interfere, which is like being a bro, right? So that's always been a big of an issue for me. So with producing I find that because it's based around, and because it's for a short period of time, it's like my social outlet, right? Because there's all these cool bands that have a got a whole different scene that are willing to allow me into their world for a couple of months. And for that couple of months I get to kind of be part of their music, and their band, basically. And I find that really cool. So with that in mind, I really, sometimes it seems like some of the band choices that I've done has been a little odd, but the bands that I choose to work with are people that I really enjoy the company of. And it's not just like a random thing. I've known these people for a while, or I've toured with them, or I've met them somewhere, through other bands I've been introduced to them. With DARKEST HOUR, for example, they're just really great people. It's not a scene that I was involved with before, but it's still heavy so I can participate in that, and they're good dudes. I think at the end of the day that was really what the reward for production is for me, is being allowed to be a part of somebody else's musical vision for a while. Like GWAR. I got to do a GWAR record, right? That was great.

Check out the entire interview in text and MP3 format at RockMyMonkey.com.