SOURCE – Imperial is the band’s latest album – how do you believe the song-writing and recording sessions went for this effort? Where would you assess this record compared to the output of Soen over the history of the band?
Martin Lopez (Drums) – The song-writing happened at the end of the Lotus tours in 2019, and then the recording sessions were quite different this time around. Because of the pandemic, some of us recorded remotely, and because the tours were cancelled it gave us a lot of time to get everything right. I think every record we’ve put out continues to get stronger in terms of quality songs. We were really happy with how Imperial turned out.
SOURCE – What came first when developing this album – the musical themes or the storyline? Do you find it’s easy or challenging to keep both elements in sync for the duration of the record?
Martin Lopez (Drums) – The musical themes naturally come first. I think because the record is a bit thematic the storyline sort of writes itself. We’re not necessarily thinking about maintaining a storyline throughout the album, but the album’s cohesiveness comes from the themes involved.
SOURCE – How much longer do you see Soen progressing – do you just take things on a moment by moment, day by day basis or are you someone who likes to plan things out months to years in advance?
Martin Lopez (Drums) – We’re always planning months/years in advance. You have to in this industry. Between touring, writing, finding time to record and the numerous other steps involved in making a record you need to be organized or else things take far too long. We feel we’re in a good moment right now, so we’re just going to keep working hard to be the best band we can possibly be.
SOURCE – What keeps you motivated in a music industry that can be very turbulent and ever-changing?
Martin Lopez (Drums) – Every tour has those special moments that not many people get to live. You keep those moments near and dear to you. You stay excited for more. Playing music for fans and seeing the world with some of your best friends is a dream that doesn’t fade.
SOURCE – How does the band balance all of the business/management activities that come about and still remain inspired and fresh from album to album? Do you believe you’ve been able to handle stress, and frustration better now in your thirties than you did say ten or twenty years ago?
Martin Lopez (Drums) – It’s a mix of things. First, you learn as you go, so you begin to work smarter instead of exhausting yourself. You build contacts, sign to a record label that cares about you and does great work, and have a manager that can handle the brunt of the work that musicians don’t like to do. At the end of the day there will always be business/management decisions the band handles themselves, but the key is to find the right balance.
SOURCE – How have you been personally handling the extended downtime away from touring due to the global pandemic – and do you believe the impact on the music industry will be long-lasting because of its impact?
Martin Lopez (Drums) – We were happy to have an album to record at the beginning of the pandemic because it gave us something to stay busy with. Being productive during that time was a nice thing. We still remain productive now; writing, and coming up with new plans. It’s hard to say how long this will have an impact on the music industry. It might be for a long time, or perhaps with vaccinations things get back to normal and the music industry booms because people missed it so much and realize they need it for their personal well-being. Time will tell!
SOURCE – Anything you’ve learned or appreciated in being out on the road so much, particularly during the Lotus cycle?
Martin Lopez (Drums) – So much. Touring with great bands is always nice. You’re constantly around these people so if their great guys/girls it makes touring a treat. We’ve got a great crew as well. We appreciate seeing some of the Soen die-hard fans every time we go to certain cities. We try to make an effort to invite them backstage and hang out, they become friends and it’s always nice to see them. We love exploring cities and culture, it’s important to “live” on tour. And mostly we just appreciate the fans, their passion amazes us every show and really affirms us that this is what we should be doing.
SOURCE – Is there anything you have been keeping busy with lately, and do you have any plans for 2021 outside of the album release?
Martin Lopez (Drums) – We’ve been keeping busy with writing and planning something interesting for the fans! Stay tuned.
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