Interview: Troy, 2001/08/12, La Route du Rock festival #11, Saint-Malo (France) – Simon B. & Florent

You're in the middle of recording a new album, do you already know what it will sound like?

We have one week of recording so far, we still have two more weeks to go. I don't really know how it's going to sound, we're just doing the drums, we have some pianos songs that we've never played before, some new songs that we've never played, so now it's still a mystery, but I think it's going to sound good because the drums sound really nice. Big drums, that's a good start!

On the last tour, you played approximately 10 new songs. Are they all going to be on the album?

Maybe not all of them. Probably most of them. But we wrote some new songs on the last months so there are some things that no one's heard.

Will the other songs come out as b-sides?

Yes maybe, it depends on how much time we have in the studio to record. We might try to record as much as we can, or we might just choose 11 or 12 and concentrate on these... We're not sure yet. We have a lot of songs, and we have to choose which ones are right.

Any idea as to when the album will be released?

Nothing is ever clear when it comes to the business side. I think that we're gonna have it out by November or December, but i'm not sure.

In both USA and Europe?

Right now it's just for Europe. Then we have to work on the United States.

It seems that there are less images in your lyrics lately...

Yes it's true, less symbolism. I try to write better lyrics, I try to write lyrics that make sense. I write about the things that I like, and I found out they were pretty simple. So I just say it. I like it. But there's still a lot images, more than we need. Person You Chose, that is pure symbolism. Do you like it when it's more easy to undertand?

You can understand the song faster, and it strikes you more directly...

I think the next album will be more like a mixture of the two.

What about the line they want all our energy..., in the B. Balthazar song Enemies... Is it about the fans?

No, because the fans give the energy, they don't take it. Enemies is about a party I went to with my friends. And you just have to talk to everybody, be nice to everybody, but I just wanted to go home.

Speaking of which, what are you up to with B. Balthazar [his solo project]?

I've been concentrating on Chokebore, but I'm still doing B. Balthazar stuff, I still have new songs, and I think it's going to be released in Italy, in Switzerland and in France. Probably five songs, just a start. I'm not sure how I should do it. I think I'll wait because Chokebore is the main priority right now. But it's good to have both. I don't have enough energy to make both at a good level, but it's been really cool to do the B. Balthazar thing, and I want to continue. I feel I have more control over it. Chokebore is four people so you have to ask "Do you like the way that sounds? Do you want to do drums like this?". I don't have to ask anybody about B. Balthazar, so it's easier. But Chokebore is cool because usually the drums will sound good, and I know I can rely on the others' opinion because I have respect for them.

How do you like recording in the US again, being with American people?

It's hard to tell. So far it's been pretty hard, because... LA sucks, man! But hopefully when we'll do guitar overdubs and vocals it will be a more natural flow. In the studio you have to forget everything about your life. You're in the studio, that's all. But I know that it will sound good, even if it's hard.

We have no more questions. Would you like to ask yourself a question?

- Who are you man? What are you gonna do with your life?
- I don't know, help me!