INTERVIEW: AUSTIN DICKINSON of AS LIONS

Wrapping up your tour with Five Finger Death Punch, Shinedown and SIXX:A.M. how did the tour go?

Fucking awesome, tour has been so much fun. Every band is smashing it.  Shinedown are actually smashing it right now.  It’s been a lot of fun.

You released an EP, Aftermath with a full-length album coming out in Jan.  Tell us about the new record, writing process and how everyone in the band contributes.

We did some of the album with David Bendeth in NJ and we completed it in Las Vegas with Kane Churko. The EP is directly taking from the album, everything from the EP will be on the album.  The writing process took about six months, it was one big consolidated thing.  It’s called Selfish Age and we are absolutely over the fucking moon with it.

Those are some pretty big names you worked with on the album with Dave and Kane, how did that come about?

Dave actually sort of found us, kind of out of nowhere. I was on Twitter and I think I posted something about his production on a Breaking Benjamin record, I didn’t tag him or send it to him, I didn’t even know that he had Twitter.  Obviously he must have been looking up his own name and he found a tweet with David Bendeth in it and he contacted me.  That just blew my socks off and completely bowled me over.  I had no idea that would happen.  We just got talking and he was like when are we doing some songs, and I was like fuck! I went to management and was like oh my god David Bendeth wants to do some songs.  And they were like oh well you know we’ll see how that goes, sounds a bit too good to be true, we’ll contact his people.  Couple months later there are flights booked, he’s ready to go, management made it work.  We’ve got a label we’ve been signed to, Eleven Seven, and it just kind of worked out.  I think a lot of people jumped on to the demos we had.  We did a couple songs with David, went back did some more writing and then did the rest of it with Kane at the Hide Out in Vegas.  It was so cool.  Hide Out is not in Las Vegas, its way out sort of in the desert.  It was just like ultimate focus.

No debauchery of Vegas, partying every night?

No. Well we did go down for sure and partied but vast majority was really hard work but it was so much fucking fun.  Kane is a really fun guy and all about capturing the performance.  I think that when you have everything ready to go there’s a danger to have too many cooks and I think that with him he wanted to get it the best.

Also with Kane he’s younger and really took on your vibe.

Yeah, I think that was one of the huge plus points for us. Working with someone who really wanted to make an impact and work with a young band.  He’s done Papa Roach, Five Finger, Disturbed and so many awesome established acts.  But he told us he hadn’t been working with as much up and coming artist so for the both of us it was an opportunity we seized.  Really went for it.

Lyrically you touch on some pretty heavy subjects such as disasters, the internet culture and very mature subject matter like that, what influenced you to go in that direction?

Well I think that songs like “World on Fire: are very reactive songs. They’re not necessarily about being in a personal space or negativity but I think it’s more of a reflective and reactive observation of how the world is and how it’s going.  With everything, some would say that Trump is the end of the world, others would say Brexit is the end of the western world.  I have my personal views but I think that regardless of what your opinion is there is certainly a prevailing sense that things haven’t quite worked out at all how anyone could have planned or anyone would have wanted.  The message of that song, quite a lot of the negative vibe and trying to find a way out of that and to unite moving forward.  “White Flags” is another song that is completely about positivity and finding faith even in the darkest spaces.  Yeah I think it was a pretty heavy EP but we wanted to hit hard and lead with our strong foot forward.  Just put it out there.  The reaction has been really good, we’ve been really stoked about it.  We haven’t had any bad reviews which is bad (laughing).  It’s been really fantastic, it’s been really cool to see people listening and giving out opinions and sharing it.  That’s the biggest thing for us is seeing people share it.

For those not familiar with As Lions how would you describe your music? I felt it was almost symphonic, reminded me a bit of Nightwish or Kamelot. Were any of the bands of influence or am I way off?

We didn’t really listen to any of those guys but for me it’s more of kind of having the core of hard rock but adding a sort of epic or cinematic sense to it. I definitely think there are some symphonic qualities to it.  Certainly for us as writers we want to take a lot of the parts that could stereotypically get muddled, you have three different lead lines and they’re all really really great, there is a tendency to want to put that all in guitar.  But sonically you can play with everything, you could have one be a piano line, one be a bass line.  You can sort of move the sonic soundscape around, have the best of everything and make sure the actual work is moving and is living and really fleshed out in its emotion.  I think that’s really cool and that’s probably where the symphonic quality comes from.

Describe your live show.

It’s quite fun. We have a shit ton of fun.  On this tour we’ve just been bringing the party and everyone is having a great time.  It’s been a lot of fun as we are brand new and a lot of this is establishing the band and we get to provide everyone with a representation of what we are.  To be able to do it in front of this many people on this tour, on this scale, in these places is just fantastic.

Oh, hmmm, the language maybe (laughing). I think it’s a different culture, in Europe there’s definitely more circle pits and walls of death, crazier and high octane.  Whereas the states, even with the design of a lot of the arenas, there is a lot of seating.  You’re playing to a different audience there is a lot more seating, dry venues, more focus on having a show I suppose, just deliver the songs.  Whereas in Europe there are shows that I just want to get in the pit.

Have you?

Oh yeah absolutely. It’s cool but I think both of them, it’s very important for a band to be dynamic and be able to play to those crowds.  We’ve enjoyed this (tour with Five Finger Death Punch, Shinedown and SIXX:A.M.) immensely.  And it’s great watching Five Finger Death Punch, I’m used to seeing them in Europe where there’s an 80 foot circle pit, people can’t hear the music because there’s a fucking stampede of humans.  Then out here there is not that, people are listening along, their ears are wide open, they’re taking it in.  They are responding still.  Neither is better or worse and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

What are two bands you would love to tour with that exist today?

Oh around today, fuck! (Laughing). Sorry Bowie.  Would love to tour with Linkin Park, absolutely love to tour with them.

You’d be a perfect fit with them.

I really love that band. I would love to do another tour with Ghost.  My old band toured with Ghost.  They are one of my favorite bands on the planet.  I’m not sure if we’d be the best combination but I really don’t give a fuck I just want to listen to them every night.

Well to goal is to get in front of different crowds when touring, right? That would do it right there.

Yeah, absolutely. And just in case Ghost isn’t available I would say Metallica, which would be amazing! Especially with that new album, which is awesome.  Really good, really strong material.

Do you recall you first concert, excluding Iron Maiden?

Probably wasn’t even Maiden, probably some Mary Poppins musical. Sorry I did not mean to call Twisted Sister Mary Poppins (laughing).  They are not Mary Poppins.  I’m not actually sure what my technical first show was.  But I do remember saving up for a Sum 41 show.  That was the first ticket I bought and I was like hell yeah!

Where was it?

Wembley Arena. It was the Does This Look Infected Tour.  It was just awesome.  No sorry it was the Sum on Your Face Tour.  I still have the ticket.

How old were you?

Maybe 10. I remember absolutely slaying my neck muscles because I was headbanging so hard.  And I had one of those big ass metal-studded wrist forearm bands.  Walking around, people are like who the fuck is this kid, what a weirdo.  I had the time of my life, I absolutely loved it.  It was fantastic, they were really good.

Do you recall the moment that you realized your dad (Iron Maiden’s Bruce Dickinson) was famous and such in influence in the music world? Was there a time you thought shit my dad is a star?

Well I didn’t really think, well I suppose when someone holds you for the first time it doesn’t matter what the fuck they do, the first human that’s imprinting on you. So at that point he was probably effectively god because I hadn’t seen any other human at that point.  But the fame thing has never happened he’s always just my dad to me.

He seems very down to earth.

Yeah I think everyone in my family, we just kind of do our thing. We try to do it well and not fuck up and have a great time.  I think that’s what all of us kind of want to do.

Is there any pressure to being Bruce Dickinson’s son?

No, apart from having to have weekly fights with James Hetfield’s son but I kick his ass so that’s ok. But seriously there’s no pressure what so ever.  Quite frankly anyone who thought they were entitled to such a name would be a bit of a cunt.  You’ve got to work for it and do your own thing, live or die on your own terms.  That’s pretty much it, believe in what you’re doing and fucking go for it.  It doesn’t matter who your dad is.

When you’re off tour what are you doing? Hobbies, sports, Rugby?

I use to play Rugby actually. I write a lot.  I write tons, there’s actually a cool thing I have going on at home.  I just shot the pilot for it.  I don’t know if it’s going to become a thing.  It’s a little television show they’ve got going on which is in conjunction with our management and Sony.  It’s sort of like a metal, rock n’ roll kind of variety show sort of thing in the U.K.  Other than that just writing a ton, I’ve got a ton of songs and working out if someone would like them or use it for us or whatever.  It’s all coffee, 3 gallons of water and creating stuff constantly.  That’s pretty much it for me.

You’ve got that creative gene. Austin we appreciate you taking the time to speak with RockRevolt Magazine, thank you.

Cheers!

Connect with As Lions(click icons):