Reykjavík Grapevine - 11.03.2011, Qupperneq 18
Steve Austin is an infamous character
in the heavy music world; a man who
lends huge doses of brutal honesty and
a terrifying, angst-ridden aura to the
music he disseminates through Today
is the Day (who are often referred to as
‘the most influential metal band of the
last 15 years’). Since Today is the Day
are playing a couple shows in Iceland
this month, we thought we’d use the
opportunity to e-mail him some ques-
tions. What follows is an edited copy of
our exchange.
Many long time fans yearn for a
return to the landmark albums
‘Temple of the Morning Star’ and ‘In
the Eyes of God’, but you refuse to
stagnate and continue taking the
listener in new directions. That in
mind, what should we expect from
the upcoming ‘Pain Is A Warning’?
‘Pain Is A Warning’ is a hard rockin' an-
them for the workin' people around the
world. The music is direct and intense
fused with our noisy metal style. We
made an effort to keep our minds wide
open and create something we had
never done before. A lot of times these
days, bands are caught up in technical
and complexity so much that the heart
of the rock is never touched upon. So
we made sure to let the music be what
we really felt and the end result is the
truest and most rockin' record I think
we have ever made.
Today is the Day has long had a
loyal cult following, but a wider fan
base continues to elude the band.
To what would you ascribe this?
We have never had everything right
label-wise since we started. When we
got signed AMREP [Amphetamine
Reptile] was awesome to be on, but
the label was at its end when we got
on it and Tom Hazelmyer (AMREP
owner and dear friend), had started
the process of discontinuing releas-
ing new records. Relapse was great
throughout ‘Temple Of The Morning
Star’, but when Bill Yurkeiwics (Relapse
owner and Guy Who Signed Us) left,
the label could have cared less about
our band. I invested everything I had
into SuperNova (over 250.000 dollars),
and that still wasn't really enough to
be able to compete with other major
labels that promote bands here in the
USA. Now, with everything at the right
time and right place, I really feel that
the band has the business side dialled
in perfectly. I also feel that our music
has always been way ahead of the
current times and like Black Flag or The
Dead Kennedys, things that are usually
groundbreaking or ahead of the times,
don't always necessarily catch the ear
of the mainstream. We aren't the Bee
Gees or Justin Bieber.
10 drummers down, some of them
among the best in metal, and a slew
of departed bassist and keyboard
players, it begs the question; do you
think you’ll ever arrive at a stable
line-up? What is the cause of the
high member churn?
The 1990s and the 2000s are not the
1960s, when bands like the Rolling
Stones or the Beatles started and
stayed together. It takes a HUGE
commitment these days for a group
of people in any format: A band, a
business, or even being married to
stay together forever. We have always
had great guys in the band and their
contributions were always the best.
But, I seem to have been the only one
from the beginning that has been able
to handle the pressures of touring for
over 1.500 shows, label changes, and
all of the hard things you have to go
through being in a band. I really love
being in the band with Curran and Ryan
right now. I think the edge they have
in making it to the end with this band
is that they are the MOST TOGETHER
individuals that we have ever had on
bass or drums. They have their own
lives and both are highly educated and
have been successful at what they do.
They have something for themselves
besides just the band. That well-
rounded lifestyle equals that they are
extremely stable and devoted to what
we do as a group.
Finally, which of your eight studio
albums (prior to the forthcom-
ing one) would you choose to be
remembered for?
‘Willpower’. Thanks and I can't wait to
play for the people of Iceland. Iceland
looks to be a lot like Maine.
Music| Bogi Bjarnason
“We aren't the Bee Gees or Justin
Bieber”
Today is the Day are coming for Reykjavík!
Das Experiment, But Without All The
Violence And Grown Men Pissing On
Each Other
Músiktilraunir 2011
Semi-Finals @ Tjarnarbíó, Tjarnargata 12, 101 Reykjavík
Semi-Finals @ 19:00 each night, March 25-28 - 1000 ISK
Finals @ Íslenska Óperan, Ingólfstræti 2a, 101 Reykjavík
Finals @ 16:00, April 2 - 1500 ISK
If you’re reading this and have any interest in Icelandic music, do everything in your power to see this. Between March 25 and April 2, the young-
est generation of Icelandic musicians are going to strut their stuff at the annual Icelandic Music Experiments 2011. Essentially, a teen battle of the
bands, it started as a simple ‘keep-kids-away-from-drugs’ sort of thing in 1982, but has since evolved into a breeding ground for future great-
ness, as victors and finalists (all of which have to be under 25, according to the contest rules) very often become respected bands and musicians
later, if not immediately following participation; Músíktilraunir has produced acts such as Maus, Botnleðja, Stjörnukisi, Mínus, XXX Rottweiler,
Mammút, Jakobínarína and Agent Fresco, and that’s just counting actual contest winners. The applications are pretty much first-come-first-serve,
so viewers can expect a totally random and absolutely fascinating sample of a whole generation of musicians in the first stages of their develop-
ment. It’s a must-see, and has been for years. SE
25
Mar
28
Mar