French Metal giants – Gojira, are on their first tour of India to perform in the Indian Metal Festival on 15th December, 2012, alongside Bloodshot Dawn, Xerath and Flayed Disciple. Sweet Leaves had organised a press conference on 14th December, 2012, exclusively for the press and media. What was proposed to be a 20 minute blitz question-answer round turned out to be a fun round of questions and answers and a lot of joking around throughout the session for close to an hour. Here is the text account of what happened during the conference :
Q: How has India been so far? Gone out experience and things? Had any street food?
Joe: We just arrived, our first time in India. Although, Christian came to India couple of years ago.
Christian: Yeah
Joe: It was a big shock for him
Christian: Yes
Joe: This huge gap in the culture of France and India, in small details and big details also(laughs). So for us all it’s very very exciting being here. The only experience we had till now is going from the airport to the Hotel(everyone laughs). But it’s already something, this big mess on the road, all the cars coming from somewhere and all. That blew my mind away
Q: What do you think has been your impact on the music in this country?
Joe: it’s really hard to say perhaps we can only see what’s happening in shows or record sales you know, You don’t see the records make an impact, not to me. So really it’s never really too impressive, the music industry is drowning in the toilet, more and more. Years after years it’s going down, so it’s hard to tell, but I think compared to other bands, our impact is more precisely on the metal scene. Only to people who go to spend on music, because you know you don’t have any radio or songs on the T.V. So it’s really for music bands. I would say our impact is a little deeper to a blend of live audience. It’s musical but also spiritual
Q: How was it to work with Devin Townsend, Randy on Sea Shepherd? Could it be coming out anytime soon?
Joe: Yes(laughs). We’re not quite finished yet. We think and put so much sometimes and so many different stuff at the same time that it’s really really hard to finish this. A lot of people are involved, so, it’s definitely feels good to work with them. We have some things in common and that’s why we can work with them. We are in talks with Devin Townsend and We gotta go on a tour maybe in a couple of weeks in the States. And, Meshuggah in talks also. Before that we used to know each other, but since this EP, we started to connect in a different way and have an excellent time.
Q: Have you brought your surfboard with you?
Mario: (laughs) Surfboard? No not this time because we did a tour last month.
Journalist: Yes everytime we used to see you on the crowd with the surfboard.
Mario: Yes at the end of the show the crowd was very warm, so I took my surfboard and surfed on the crowd. This time we came by plane, it’s difficult to bring the board by plane.
Q: During tours you normally paint or do sketches. Have you found any inspiration till now?
Mario: Yeah I’m sure I will be inspired by India of-course, I’m already inspired. But I didn’t bring anything to paint(smiles). After we’ll go home I’m sure I’ll do something. I don’t know if it will be a good one, but yeah I’ll surely do something.
Q: Death Metal bands usually emphasise their lyrics on Gore or any horror related subjects. You guys being Progressive Death actually are inclined towards life and philosophy. Gives you an identity of your own. What do you say about that?
Joe: I say you’re fucking right man (laughs). It’s true that Metal and specially Death Metal, because that’s where we come from, is all about death and suffering, I think it’s good you know, someone needs to talk about that. Human suffering and questions that are not answered, like what’s after death. We put something on the table, but then it’s just what we are, we put it in the lyrics. So it’s typically organic. We don’t try to be different, we try to be ourselves. And that’s the result, it’s like a different perspective of life and death in general.
Q: Why Sea Shepherd? What inspired you?
Joe: I don’t know, it was just like that. It came from me in the first place and then I talked to Michel and he said yes, of-course, it would be something else right? We actually started by supporting Greenpeace. And Sea Shepherd is a more hard-core version of Greenpeace. The way they do things, they do it with passion, without too much talking. There isn’t a lot of promotion, but they are getting better at this. They have existed since the early 70’s, and very few people have heard about them, till today. That’s because all their energy is into action, they are not sponsored by any political group or industry or any brand you know. They are a little bit like a rock band actually. It’s not a bus, it’s a boat and they are not playing gigs for any people. They are saving earth, saving life. That is important. The attitude and the energy that comes from them is pretty similar to that of a rock band. So for some reason, we felt a connection with these guys and at some point I wanted to meet them, and we met them very easily. It’s a pretty unique organisation. Not a lot of talking but a lot of action. We need people to talk about them and put the limelight on them. Of-course we didn’t release this EP yet, we’ve been talking about it for 2 years now. We feel bad about it and we feel like “Fuck we really need to put it out”. But there is this one song that we are talking about and we put some ideas in them, a little bit. But the pirate vibe that comes from them is a little similar to that of a rock band.
Q: When Gojira started, who have been the major influences? Which bands?
Joe: (points to Michel) That’s his question(laughs)
Michel: In the beginning for the four of us, it was Metallica. After that we got into some Pantera, Sepultura. That was the beginning, now it’s something different. Not only Metal music
Q: What is the writing process of the band? Do you guys work only in the studios or do you work on it while touring?
Joe: First of all we make sure that it feels right with all the four of us. Then we gather in a room. I think that’s the secret behind us, we respect each other and first of all we talk, we meet up. We put away the tensions in life and then we discuss the problems. That is the process we do for the studio. We don’t spend six months in the studio, we just spend the right amount of time that is required.
Q: Things happening in your everyday life, does that get integrated into your music?
Joe: Yes of-course. But what I wanted to say is first of all we need to connect between the four of us. So if someone is not into it, it’s not on the paper. For example, Mario and me compose most of the riffs, we need Michel to feel good in his tunes you know. And Christian also. If someone is not connected with us and present and concentrated, it just doesn’t work, we have to stop. We don’t want to force this you know.
Q: If Gojira wasn’t Death Metal, what would you guys be?
Joe: We didn’t choose Metal, just happened like that(laughs). Sometimes we try to put something else, just for fun. Sometimes we try making something with a lot of singing and single kicks and keep it simple to see how it feels. Because sometimes we see bands and we’re like “This is kickass!! Fuck, we could do something like this”. But it just doesn’t work, you always go back to Metal, to Death Metal. Even though our music is evolving and growing slowly, it’s natural, it’s a natural process. Nothing can be done to change it.
Q. When you were in the studios recording L’efant Sauvage, there was a video of you hitting a metal door. I tried to listen to the album closely over and over again but didn’t find any use of that. Is that for the next album?
Mario: Yes we had decided to record an experimental song, just for fun and finally it’s not on the album. Because at the end of the recording process we didn’t have enough time to finish the song. It’s in our hard drive. We could release that as a bonus.
Joe: But in the song The Axe, there is a part of this metal door, the last bit. It’s really low on the track, but it’s there.
Q: L’Efant Sauvage translates to “The Wild Child” in English. What’s the concept behind the album?
Joe: The English translation doesn’t really translate the magic that’s in the French word, that’s why we decided not to translate it. Because for us it really means something else. It doesn’t mean like a wild child, who goes crazy, with an attitude and all. It’s more like the kid that is found in the forest. Like Mowgli. It’s what we are trying to be. To be wild and pure as much as possible, and that’s something really hard to do in life. When you grow up, you have responsibilities and then you’re trying to become something, sometimes you forget that you don’t need to become anything because you already are something. That’s what it means really.
Q: Would you share with us, your apprehensions that you had before coming to India, about India. If any.
Joe: The gear(laughs)
Mario: For me, the traffic(everyone laughs). Because in France you cannot do like that. If you do like this you go to jail (everyone laughs). If you do anything, you’ll be given a contravention.
Joe: A ticket(laughs)
Mario: Yes(laughs)
Joe: Yes the gear is also important, because usually we travel with our own amplifiers and cables. When you go to a festival, only one show, you cannot bring everything along. Too much time, too much money spent in all that.
Q: More it would be more of the technical skills that would be your concern?
Joe: Yes. We didn’t see it yet, we’ll be seeing it tonight. So I don’t know what to expect.
Mario: And it was more of an excitement to come here. It was not any sort of a stress, we are pretty open minded people and we were very curious about coming to this country.
Q: Let me take this opportunity to thank you all for coming down here
Joe: Thank you for having us
Q. How much busy does the band keep you guys? And what do you do when you’re not being Gojira?
Joe: When we are not on tour or in the studio, we are lying on a bed, we call that comfort(laughs). Sometimes we have some time off, and we have hobbies, each one very different. But it’s life you know, we need rest to give our 100%.
Mario: Yes and we are lucky you know just doing what we are right now. We are very busy right now, always on the tour, it’s tiring but at the same time live life, it’s our life.
Joe: We could do more, we have a lot of offers and stuff but sometimes we have to say no. We have a life on the sides, otherwise we’ll become like walnuts. Sometimes out two months straight, you wonder “What the fuck am I doing here?”. But we try to not let that happen, otherwise it would be not good for the band.
Q: When you were signed to Roadrunner records, most of the fan base expected a change in the style of your music. In the next albums will you experiment with your style or will you stick to the basics?
Joe: First of all, it has nothing to do with the record company if something changes our music. We are not a baby band. Of-course a band who has just produced two demos maybe asked by them to change the tuning or the singer needs a hair-cut. For us? no way man. We have been here for 16 years, we know exactly what we want. If something changes, it’s because we change, not because someone tells us to do so. Roadrunner is a fantastic label. Very, very passionate and very dedicated. It has been a blast so far to work with them.
Q: You guys have achieved so much. What else is there for you to conquer? Musically and success wise.
(The band discusses among them for a while)
Joe: Come back to India(laughs).
Christian: We have yet to play in South America and Japan. And to come back to India(laughs)
Q: What’s your favourite song to play live?
Mario: Depends. It changes all the time. For me right now is L’Efant Sauvage. But one month ago it was The Axe. It changes all the time
Christian: I love to play Toxic Garbage Island
Q: In a previous interview you said that your sound was influenced by India and you have made songs like Indian Mantras. How much has the Indian music influenced you?
Joe: Yes it is true that it did influence our sound really. Just because it’s very beautiful. It is our first time to India, but we are somehow connected to India through culture, through music, through art, spirituality. All these things are like a bridge from India to the rest of the world. I can’t explain why really, but there is something similar.
Mario: When I was younger, before sleeping I would be listening to some Ravi Shankar. It put me on a certain state of trance you know, very very strange and very powerful for me. My emotion, my way to be, it was perfect.
Joe: Being a singer, what I understand of a Mantra is the repetition of words over and over again will have a certain impact on the intention that is behind, having an actual impact on the world. So even the mechanism of Indian trance, Indian mantras is something we are really interested in.
Mario: Anything can replace the sound of the Sitar?(pronounces it Sita, everyone laughs). Sorry for my pronunciation, Sitar.
Joe and Mario: – Nothing
Mario: Sometimes when you play a guitar riff, I can feel the emotion of a sitar. Nothing can match the emotion of a Sitar
Joe: The fact that Ravi Shankar just passed away, we were not home, we were travelling to India. I don’t know it feels something, you know.
Q: Did something happen in your life that inspires you to write the lyrics of your songs?
Joe: Did something happen? Yes, birth(everyone laughs).
Journalist – That happens to everyone
Joe: Yes, but it’s trauma. First thing you need to do is to cry, you need to breathe and it hurts a lot(laughs)
Q: The most memorable concert you’ve played till date
Joe: Uhmmmm…Bangalore…oh sit(everyone laughs).
Mario: For me it was playing with Metallica in France. It was a stadium in France, where the World Cup match took place. It is a big stadium with around 80,000 people and we played with Metallica. For us as French people, it was a great memory.
Q: What do you recon will qualify as a milestone in your bands career?
Joe: It is almost impossible to say that. Because at every step of the way there is something happening and most of the times something that we don’t feel the right way.(two brothers talk) Well yeah, Mario said that it was the moment when we found ourselves to be successful outside the borders of France, U.K. for example. That’s a two or three year period of time. 2005-2006 is the time when a lot happened, we started to tour the U.S. with Lamb of God and then Metallica recently in 2009. They handpicked us. Like they told us – “Guys we like you, want you to open for us”. We didn’t pay to open for them. So that was an achievement for us in a lot of different ways.
Q: Tomorrow there is another concert, where Testament is playing. Testament is an older band, so what do you think about it, playing on the same day as Testament?
Joe: I think it sucks man (everyone laughs). It’s totally fucked up. How the fuck did that happen?(everyone laughs)
Q: Randy being arrested in Czech Republic, what do you think about it?
Joe: It’s a painful topic now. It is a very very unfortunate accident that happened. I pushed so many kids off the stage, I kicked them on their ass. And then they fall on the people and look at me and say – “Yes you kicked me. Yes!!”
Q: Are you scared to do it now?
Joe: Yeah of-course. If you think about it you know now I just step back. No contact, because it is too dangerous. What happened to Randy can happen to anyone. But saying that, a kid died that day. His family is going through a lot of pain. I see this as very unfortunate accident. Something that happened in a Metal show.
Q: Not many bands last as long as you have without any changes in the line-up. How have you dealt with it?
Christian: Because we love each other. Maybe(laughs)
Mario: The fact is me and Joe are brothers and sometimes we fight each other. But we cannot separate because we love to play together. And the rest two guys are really nice guys(all laugh).
Christian: We do have some problems sometimes but it’s very important to overcome the tensions and talk with each other. And we a have a common goal to play music. I think it’s our goal, our destiny.
Q: You have anything special for India tomorrow? Any song you haven’t played live before?
Joe: Oh shit!(all laugh). We thought about it, let’s play something special, something we have never played before. It’s a new idea.
Mario: It’s our first time here, so it will be new
Joe: Yeah, but because of Youtube it isn’t new anymore (all laugh)
Q: As you guys love travelling and Mario loves culture and architecture. Would you guys be taking a tour of the city after the show?
Joe: We actually are going to take a couple of days off after the show to visit a few places.
Q: How does it feel to be the torch bearers of the French Metal scene and to become an influence for similar sounding bands?
Joe: Feels good. Nothing too special about it. We don’t think about it in the morning when we wake up. But it’s true that it is pretty new for France to have an international band. But we are more focused on how to be an international band than “Wow! We are French” you know.
Q: Any words for upcoming musicians? Different times different genres. What will be Gojira’s message to upcoming musicians?
Joe: First of all, we play music, that’s what we do. Music is a platform for you to step on and let your imagination do the job. It is really hard to express our music, we go through this in press a lot, like – “Tell me what is this all about, what is that all about”. It’s like sometimes you write a poem and the poem is there. You just read it, it’s still there. But if you start to explain the poem, it loses its magic or something. That being said, if you want the essence to communicate through your music. Maybe that will be to yourself.
