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Interview with Ben Kowalewicz lead singer - Billy Talent
| Q: How did the band come up with the name Billy Talent? Ben: Billy Talent was taken from a movie and a book called Hard Core Logo. It's a Canadian based movie about this fictional punk band that reunites to go across Canada for one last tour and all the trials and tribulations that happen. The guitar player's name in the movie was Billy Talent. So we took it as a homage of Canadiana. It's a really
Q: How difficult was it for Billy Talent to get inked to a record deal with Atlantic? Ben: It was really difficult for us to get notice by any labels, especially an american major record label. Which was funny to us. For our whole lives every record or EP we put out was all independent. Then all of a sudden we had some record labels knocking. Atlantlic facilitated the best of what we wanted to do and the best of what they wanted to do. We came up with a happy medium. So far so good. We'll see what happens. You can never predict how fragile and frail the music industry is now. You just have to take it day by day and hope for the best, ya know? Q: Did you have to showcase for Atlantic? Ben: We didn't showcase. We got them to come down to our rehearsal station in Toronto. (We said), you want to come see us, come see us and they come across. the rest is kind of history. Q: Where do you see Billy Talent five years from now? Ben: I think with anyone that's in a band the only thing you can hope for is to be culturally relevant. People still like your music and believe in what your doing and come to your shows. That's all you can ask for. Hopefully, we'll be in that situation. Ben: I'm kind of schizophrenic in a lot of ways. I'm very obsessive compulsive so certain songs stick to me in certain times, you know what I mean? I flip through the songs like a revolving door. A song like 'Line & Singer' right now that's the song from the album that best reflects my mentality and mood, I'd say. Q: How does the band decide what will be the first and last songs played at tonight's show? Ben: By time line actually. We're use to headlining our own shows. Tonight we're going on first. I think we only play for a half an hour. We're use to playing for an hour and fifteen minutes. I don't know. Good question, (laughs) We'll kind of look at each other and hopefully figure out something before we actually hit the stage. Q: Can fans buy your album at your shows? If not where can they buy them? Q: Actually there was a fuck up. We didn't get our CD's sent to us until tomorrow. But there is a Virgin MegaStore across the way and our record is only $9.99. It's cheaper than we sell it. We're going to tell kids to go there if they want it. Normally, we sell our records (at our shows). (Ed. Note: To purchase music by Billy Talent click on the link to the left of this page.) Q: How can a fan become a member of your street team? Ben: Just go online to our website billytalent.com . We try our best to get an open dialog with these people. It works really well in Canada and Europe. We've got a lot of cool people in the states on our street team. So just go online to billytalent.com. Q: Who are some of the bands you admire? Ben: Now or in general? Q: In general. Ben: I think there is always the exempt few like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones and things like that. But, I think my favorite bands are The Clash, Jane's Addiction and The Pixies. Jane's Addiction is my favorite band of all time. Q: I don't mean to interupt you but did you hear The Pixies are getting back together for a tour? Ben: Your Goddamn right and I'm going to be there. Q: Back to our original question. Ben: I think bands right now I'd admire are Mars Volta. The Blood Brothers from Seattle, they're pretty cool. I like the new Distillers album a lot. The Strokes album is really good. I listen to a lot of old SKA and Reggae stuff from the 60's. I listen to a lot of Nina Simone. She's the probably the best female singer of all time in my opinion. Q: If you weren't a musician what would you be? Ben: Try to be a musician. (Laughs). Ben: That's a good question. I think we benefited a lot of ways because we got to meet a lot of bands that we really respected and some bands we weren't familiar with before. We got to hang out. The shows were really good. Lots of people were there. Us growing up Lollapalooza was always such a mecca of everything. Especially, being 17 (back) in '92 and going to see Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, the (Red Hot) Chili Peppers, Ministry and Ice Cube. It was just crazy. So for us to be part something that has so much history and is so rich in culture and has effected so many people in the way music has been presented especially in North America. It was an honor. I think we all benefited just by being fortunate enough to be able to play at and appreciate it. Q: Do you have any memorable moments from that tour? Ben: I had a couple. Tom Morello (of Audioslave) sitting down and having a piece of cake with us. That was pretty cool. There was a jam tent set up in the back of the main stage. All the bands on the main stage would jam and rehearse with each other. On our last day on the tour John Gallant our bass play and I walked into the tent. Stephen Perkins of Jane's Addiction is playing drums and their guitar tech was playing guitar. So John was like "hey man you need a bass player?" and they were like "sure." So they started jamming with Stephen Perkins and they started playing "Mountain Song" by Jane's Addiction, so I got up and sang it. That was the highlight of my existence as a human being on this planet. I can die a happy man. Q: Will there by any tours this summer of that nature for Billy Talent? Ben: I know we're doing Warped Tour for a month and we're doing the European circuit again like we did last year. The Reading festival. The Leeds festival things like that. We'll be back in Germany again. As for Lollapalooza, I'm not sure what's going on with that. I haven't heard any rumblings as of yet. Ben: You know what? Were kind of Ghetto and poor. We're in a van and trailer still. We don't get to play video games. When I'm at home I play EA Sports NHL Hockey. Aaron plays Tony Hawk and things like that. We're not a big video game band. I am when I'm at home and bored. On the road it's hard to set up a home theater system in the back of a Uhaul Trailer. Q: Do you have anything to say to the fans of Billy Talent? Ben: Check us out. If you enjoy it great. if you don't that's okay too. Treat each other well and respect each other. Q: Ben thank you for your time. I wish you much success. Ben:
Thank you for the support.
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