In the latest of our January interviews, Rocksins has been fortunate enough to catch up with As I Lay Dying’s bassist and clean vocalist Josh Gilbert. As I Lay Dying have just completed a tour for their tenth anniversary across the United States and we discussed the band’s anniversary, the music industry and various other topics, so please read on to find out more.
Rocksins: As someone who’s not been in the band quite as long as the others it must still be a thrill to be there for the bands 10th anniversary?
Josh: It is! The band’s 10 year anniversary coincides with my 5th anniversary as a band member, so it still feels like a special occasion for me.
Rocksins: Do you think things in the industry have changed dramatically in the four years you’ve been with the band?
Josh: Things have changed a lot. I think the most obvious change would be the way bands interact with fans. Our band, for example, connects directly with fans constantly via Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, meet and greets, etc. In the past, I think bands may have benefitted by being somewhat mysterious and staying out of the public eye, but with the barrage of online distraction we all experience daily and the sheer number of new bands coming out every day, having a steady flow of information to feed fans keeps us fresh on their mind.
Rocksins: Was there always the plan (as you were approaching the 10 year anniversary) to celebrate it with a record of some kind?
Josh: We came up with the idea at the end of 2010. We wanted to be a “gift” of sorts for the old school die hard fans, and a way to bridge the two year gap between our full-length releases.
Rocksins: What influenced the choices of the cover songs for the new CD?
Josh: Our personal influences, I guess. We had a few other ideas, but these songs seemed the most suited for the vibe of a 10 year anniversary compilation.
Rocksins: How was the US tour for the 10 year anniversary been going? You put together a great package of bands to tour with.
Josh: The tour was amazing. It was really encouraging to see the diversity of the fanbase we’ve acquired over the years….we have the veteran fans that have been there since the beginning, but we also see some pretty young faces out there singing along.
Rocksins: How was the European tour with Amon Amarth?
Josh: That tour was intense! Definitely one of the most “metal” tours we’ve done. The shows were huge. It was cool to play for a new audience. I’m not sure what the audience expected from us. The shows would usually start out pretty average, but end with a lot of energy. It’s cool to be this far into our career and still have to “work” to get a new audience excited.
Rocksins: Does As I Lay Dying have any confirmed plans for 2012 yet? Are you likely to hit the European summer festival circuit next year?
Josh: We only have one show *officially* announced, but we have some exciting tour/festival news coming very soon. Stay tuned!
Rocksins: One last question, any wishes for the band for 2012 or things you’d like to achieve in the next twelve months?
Josh: Record and release our 6th record!!
As I Lay Dying released their most recent album Decas as a celebration of the band’s tenth anniversary back in November 2011 through Metal Blade Records. For further rock & metal interviews including the rest of our weekly January 2012 interviews please stay tuned to Rocksins.com.
