DEFTONES Interviewd bt igetconnected
January 2005
The music of the Deftones appeals to many tribes: metalheads, rock fans, and
indie geeks alike. We hired a spy to follow them in the studio to film them
recording their new album, but the clever group spotted our operative’s hidden
camera. Luckily, they agreed to embrace technology and give us a peek into their
world with video footage taken with their trusty Nokia 6230 phones. We also had
a brief chat with Deftones bassist Chi Cheng and turntablist Frank Delgado on the
experiences of making their new record — look for it later this summer — and
learned that not only are they great at rocking and screaming, but they can be
grade-A smart-alecks too!
Get Connected: What can a listener expect to hear on the new record? Is there
anything on the new record that you think will surprise long-time listeners?
Frank: Good ol’ Deftones mixed bag of tricks.
Chi: The Hall & Oates guest appearance.
GC: You’re working with Bob Ezrin, who produced amazing classic albums with Kiss,
Pink Floyd, Alice Cooper and Lou Reed. What is it like working with such an esteemed
producer?
Frank: Working with Bob has been a great experience. We feel honored and are happy
to have him involved with this record.
Chi: It’s nice to push around such an esteemed producer. Don’t forget [that] he did
Air Supply, too.
GC: He is definitely of the old guard. Is it different working with such a venerable
personality?
Frank: It’s always different when working with someone else, whether it’s other
musicians, producers etc. The beauty of it is seeing how others work and learning
from it.
GC: You’ve recorded all your albums so far with Terry Date. What made you decide to
go with Ezrin this time?
Frank: We had all decided to work with someone new for this record. After meeting
with a list of producers, we chose Bob. We just clicked and all had the same vision
of what we wanted to accomplish.
Chi: Age.
GC: I’ve read that a lot of the new record was written in Malibu, which seems an odd
setting as it contrasts so much with your music. How did this setting affect your writing?
Frank: I think living together and being able to write when we wanted was more or
less the setting we were going for.
Chi: It’s now surf rock.
GC: Has the conception of this album been difficult or relatively easy? Please
describe its gestation.
Frank: Making records has never really been an easy process for us. We’ve never been
one of those bands that write 30 songs and pick the best 10,11 tracks to use. We
tend to edit ourselves along the way [and] usually only end up with a little over
an album’s worth of material. In turn making things longer and harder on ourselves.
Chi: Typical Deftones pain-in-the-ass album.
GC: How was the band’s headspace going into this record as opposed to the last?
Frank: Living together during the writing of this record created the perfect headspace.
Chi: A lot more sober. Glimpses of sobriety.
GC: You have just finished a mini-tour. Did you test out some of the new songs on
the road?
Frank: We actually never played any new songs. Shucking and jiving the bootleggers
is hard work. Ha!
Chi: We played no new songs ‘cause we suck.
GC: I’ve read that your musical tastes don’t necessarily reflect the music you play.
Can you name some artists that you love, that you think your fans should know about?
Frank: PRINCE
Chi: Bryan Adams and Mark Curry.
GC: You just went to Mexico City to play a show. What inclined you to put recording
on hold for the moment to go down and play?
Frank: We haven’t played in Mexico as much as we would like to, so any opportunity
is a good one.
Chi: We Love Mexico City.
GC: Judging by the footage shot, it looks like you played to a huge amount of kids
in Mexico. Do you prefer playing a huge show like that, or smaller club shows like
on your most recent tour?
Frank: We like being able to mix it up. Big, small doesn’t matter. As long as it
rocks.
Chi: We like them both.
www.deftonesworld.com
