Anyone who wants to start a band with the word "Mute" in the name has obviously got a lot of guts. Also, Mute Math gets extra props for spending a year trying to prove to the world that it's actually not a Christian rock band, as its previous label invented. Lead vocalist Paul Meany explains.
W: When you type Mute Math into Google, you see a lot of Christian stuff. What does that mean?
M: We never set out to be a Christian version of a real band, and that's kind of the underlining gist of what happens in the Christian music industry and how they pick up their artists. So the Google thing has been a bit disheartening, but we try to stay optimistic with it and we're just trying to make great music and put on great shows.
W: Is there any underlying theme or message in your music?
M: Probably across the board, our music has a very optimistic feel to it. You know I write a lot about, just lyrically speaking, I write a lot about hope and loss. Mainly, I am a pessimistic control freak. That's the kind of person I am, and I have always depended on music to create the world that I wish I lived in. So a lot of the music has a lot to do with trying to inspire myself.
W: What does your name mean?
M: It was our drummer's e-mail address. He was like Mutemath at Hotmail or something, and we decided that was a good name. It sounded nice and we just went with it.
W: What do you like most about being a musician?
M: When you start your first band, all the fantasies and dreams of getting to play music that you create every night for some sort of audience. I used to just lose countless hours, just imagining that and what it would be. So, it's surreal when you finally get a chance to hop on a bus and play your show every night to an enthusiastic group of people who want to sing along and actually seem like they care enough to come and share this music with you. That's the thrill right there.
W: If you weren't a musician, what would you be doing instead?
M: I'm going to say, I'll have to go with my second greatest skill, which is probably driving trucks, which I've actually acquired from being in a band. I actually pride myself on being able to back up a trailer into anything like none other. I'm pretty proud of that, so I think I could actually have a successful career as a truck driver.
W: What do you think about cop-out bands today, like electronic dance-rock bands that are all copying Interpol?
M: I'm hesitant to extend too great of a criticism of any band that is considered a copy band because I'm probably just as guilty of it. I believe any great artist starts out copying something. And it's all a journey of trying to find your own voice. I think the great artists are just the ones that don't give up so soon and are willing to just be a carbon copy, but actually keep pushing and forcing themselves to grow and get better. And that's the type of artist we hope to be.
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