Interview with Daniel Williams

While recording The Devil Wears Prada’s second Rise Records release, Daniel Williams, drummer, takes some time out to for this interview:

Currently, TDWP is writing their next release. How would this release relate to Dear Love: A Beautiful Discord?

I think a lot of the tracks could have been thrown on Dear Love and you wouldn’t have really noticed a difference. The songs still sound like us. I think some of the breakdowns are heavier, and some of the singing parts are a lot catchier and get stuck in your head a bit more. I definitely think the writing style blows our old stuff away though. The amount of time put into these songs compared to our last CD is a huge change.

Is there any estimated date of release?

August 21st is the date we keep hearing about. We’re finishing up art for the album. It will be titled Plagues.

The demo “HTML Rulez d00d” has been release via Myspace and already has been played on stage. How does the demo relate to tracks off Dear Love: A Beautiful Discord? Does it receive positive or negative feedback?

I think it gets pretty good feedback. The kids of course don’t go absolutely crazy for it, like the other songs, but that is to be expected, since they don’t know it as well yet. It’s definitely getting much more popular. With over a million plays on that track alone, kids have been singing the parts almost as loud as some of the other songs we play live.

Generally, bands mature from album to album. How would you say the band matured musically?

Definitely matured. The writing process of our old CD was more of just writing music to go play shows with some friends. This CD we’re making sure everything sounds the way it should. We took quite a while longer per song, compared to the last CD which we could finish songs in a day or two.

After numerous tours, encountering fans, and simply living life on the road, has your view on life, music, and religion changed?

Not really. I think that I still absolutely love life on the road. I still think you should live life to the fullest. Music rules. And we all have our beliefs. Hopefully you have yours as well.

After the release of Dear Love: A Beautiful Discord, TDWP has been greeted with much popularity. What would you personally think was the cause of such enthusiasm?

God. Bands usually don’t get such success and luck after a year of being a band. We believe we were helped a little bit on our journey.

Some may argue that many post-hardcore bands are uniform. How would you say TDWP differs from other bands in their genre?

I think a lot of bands in the genre write just what “sounds cool” to them. All of the members (minus Andy… *laughs*) have some sort of musical backing. We’ve taken our share of music theory, and musician related classes through school and college. I think this helps us in our ability to write songs. Also, I like how we mix catchy singing with heavy metal parts, without the use of many choruses and simplistic song structure. It’s a bit more progressive in my opinion. But, perhaps that’s just my own opinion.

As many are well aware, The Devil Wears Prada is a Christian band and every member is Christian. However, was it a unanimous decision from all members of the band to have TDWP be so largely influenced on Christianity?

We are a Christian band because that’s what we believe, and what we want to share. That was our goal from the time we solidified our lineup, so, I suppose it was unanimous.

Some may find irony in Christian hardcore bands. Despite Mike Hranica’s lyrics as being evidently spiritual, some interpret TDWP’s instrumentation and use of heavy sounds and screaming as morbid. When confronted with this statement, how would you respond to other’s belief that Christian hardcore is an oxymoron?

Well, first I’d try to understand why they think screaming and heavy guitars are morbid. I’d try to understand why they are thinking what they are thinking. I don’t think that a noise can automatically make something morbid, or evil. Listen to the sound of a lion. That’s a freakin’ scary sound. Are lions evil? No, they’re God’s creation. We put everything we can into our music, and if that’s screaming, and kicking, and rolling around on stage, than so be it. I would then of course, explain that we are going to the deepest, darkest places of the music scene, trying to share what we love; just as Jesus hung out with the sinners, and thieves, and such. If he didn’t, he would never have been able to convert anyone.

Mike Hranica has started a clothing line named Shipshape. The clothing line represents a more optimistic approach to clothing. Are there any other projects TDWP is involved in?

Chris has his own design company called Epileptic Lightning Strike. Haha. His girlfriend is involved in an Invisible Children type thing called Shed the Light, and the rest of the band is trying to save up money and such to one day go on a missions trip to Africa.

Though Shipshape utilized brighter colors in its shirts, why are a majority of TDWP shirts dark?

People currently like dark shirts. Plus they’re easy to design *laughs*

What kind of injuries have TDWP been subjected to on or off road?

Andy got staples one time cause he was laying on the ground at the end of our set, hitting his bass, while I was standing on my drum set knocking over cymbals and stuff. One cymbal stand fell over and the cymbal hit him in the back of the head. He had to get some staples for that. Chris has been hit in the face and got some pretty gnarly cuts from Andy’s bass. James has been hit in the head by Andy’s bass and had to get stitches. And James has also almost had to get more stitches from head banging himself to death. Heh. I’m a pansy, and hide behind my drums.

Would The Devil Wears Prada be considered “sXe”?

Not necessarily. Mike is the only member who claims to be straight edge. The rest of us choose not to drink, smoke, or whatever. We choose to live a clean lifestyle, just like Mike. No need to alter your ability to make decisions, in my opinion. This is why I choose to live a clean lifestyle.

To many TDWP fan’s surprise, the members of the band occasionally Myspace comment fans. Does every band member comment?

Actually I think I’m the only one that does that usually, but sometimes Jeremy as well. Due to being in the studio, writing music, practicing daily, and lack of time, we don’t get to do it as much as we’d like to.

When I say Scott Stapp (Creed), you think?

CAN YOU TAKE ME, HIIIIIGHAAAAAAAA? (do do do do dooooo). TO A PLACE WHERRREEEE BLINNNNDDD MENNNN SEEEEEEEEEE-YUHHHH.

When I say Dairy Queen, you think?

Mike works there, haha, what a noob.

Thank you for taking the time to finish this interview with me. Are there any final comments you would like to say?

MAGIC THE GATHERING RULES!!! If you have extra cards and don’t play anymore, send them to me! *laughs*

In interview with Daniel Williams by Fiona Lee

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