It’s been an interesting ride so far.  We’ve done a lot of things as a
band in the past few years and really appreciate the opportunities we’ve had. 
In some ways it has been a slow process building up to where we are now in 2011, but it has been a necessary path as well.  The past 2 years  have
been amazing.  We’ve done so much touring, met so many people and played some incredible  shows.  The overseas tours to the States and Japan were particular highlights as well as having the chance to record our new album in New Zealand. 
I definitely think the best is yet to come.  We’re just getting started.  I think the fact that we are all so proud of the music
we
are making is really our main point of focus.  Playing live and making
music together are the biggest highs.

2. How has Intenet helped the band?

I think the fact that you can be based anywhere in the world in 2011 and have a global audience is fantastic.  Of course, it is hard for people to find you in some ways because there is an overwhelming amount of music out here
in the ether, of varying quality.  We’ve had some great success on the net
off the back of some of the TV placements/syncing we’ve had and used hat to
bring people across to other things we have done.  I think with youtube and itunes, it is incredible to think of the resources people have at their fingertips and how much music can be accessed in the comfort of your home.  It’s also an awesome way for people to share more in the actual
creative process and the inner-workings of being in a band.

3. What was the inspiration for the new album?

The album is full of stories garnered from life experience and draws from a wide palette of inspiration.  Most of the songs are about the everyday things that we all experience.  There are moments that deal with loss and regret, relationships gone bad, mourning for relatives that have passed on, the ongoing search to find oneself and the list goes on.  I think it is
the most personal record we have released.  The song lyrics are always a mish mash of experience combined with story telling.  Most of the songs don’t just cover one particular story or topic and often merge several ideas.


4. What inspires you now when writing music as a band?

Inspiration is a gift that presents itself in many different ways.  Often with Grand Atlantic I will come up with the ideas on my own and then bring them into the rehearsal room, but we do often just play during band practice as
well and see what comes out.  I think it is important for us to try
different avenues to keep things fresh.  Usually, I come up with the best ideas for songs when waking up in the morning or falling asleep at night. For me, I think my brain is in an altered state during these times and it seems to stimulate creativity.  Having said that, inspiration comes when
you least expect it… When you’re driving in the car, strumming a few chords on a beat up acoustic guitar, walking down the street, buying groceries etc. 
I have somewhere to write down lyrics or record a little riff with me at all times just in case. There are the times when I have an idea as I’m falling asleep and succumb to my heavy eyelids.  Usually the idea is gone when you
wake up, so I try to avoid that.

5. What was the recording process like compared to last releases?

This time round, the recording process was quite different.  This is the first time we had an outside producer come in and work with the band.  The
first two album is were made in a similar fashion at the same studio.  The main difference was traveling to New Zealand and living together
while we made the record in a block of time.  It is an amazing thing to be able to cut yourself off from the world and distractions in order to concentrate on your music.  It puts you in a certain frame of mind which I think is very different to doing little bits over a long period.  This is also the first album we have made with Mat on drums, so that was another major difference. The
other thing was having Dale mix the album after we came back home.  We
were making comments on the mixes via email rather than being in the studio
while it was happening.

6. Why did you record the album in New Zealand?

We sent our demos out to a few producers that we wanted to work with when we
were getting ready to make the record.  There were a few that we were
talking to for a bit but we just really liked Dale’s comments about the songs
and it just felt like the right direction to go in.  He came out for a weekend to do some preproduction a few months earlier and we enjoyed working
with him and also the results we were getting.  It was his suggestion to
come over to Dunedin
and he found the old Asylum building where we made the record.  As you can
imagine, it was an amazing adventure.

7. What advice can you give to somebody wanting to make a career out of

music?

Make music because you love it.  Forget about it being a career and focus
on  being the best you can be.  There are many storms and
difficulties that you will face as an artist/human.  If you aren’t
creating out of a sense of passion, you probably won’t last the distance.  Perseverance is the key. You never know what’s round the next corner.


8. Any plans to go back overseas and tour?


We’re currently planning another US tour for October this
year.  We’ve been invited to perform at CMJ in New York
and will also do a run of West Coast shows as well.  We’re also hoping to get back to Japan sometime
soon.

9. If you could have any one in a music video clip who would it be?

There’s so many people for so many reasons.  Off the top of my head, I
think it would be fantastic to film an actual boxing match between two disliked
politicians/world leaders.  I think that would be a great use of film and
would also be something that a multitude of people could enjoy.  If you
want to take the concept further, you could come up with an amazing short list
of tyrants and scoundrels from throughout history to compete.  Rather than
showing just one match, it could be snippets of a whole lot of different
bouts?  Perhaps this concept might be wrong for the music of Grand
Atlantic though?  Back to the drawing board…

10. What is next for the band?

We’re going to release album number 3 and play as many shows as we can to as
many people as we can.  We’d like to get back to the US as much as
possible to tour.  We love it there and some doors are opening for the
band as well. We’ll also start writing for our next record very soon. We’re in talks with merchandise companies about a range of Grand Atlantic
action figures, a board game, Mat is designing his own line of underwear and
Morgan a range of hair-care products for the elderly.  Sean has started
constructing a new bass amp with match sticks and gaffa tape and I’m currently
doing my best to keep my name off the electoral roll.  Things are busy in
the Grand Atlantic camp.