Shannon Leto greets me with his usual warmth and takes off with the enthusiastic stride of a man on a mission, urging me to keep up. We end up in one of the backrooms at The Scene in San Diego. We were originally supposed to meet up for the interview in Anaheim two nights before but the Leto brothers had run out of gas on their way to the venue and as a result, had to reschedule. You can't help but laugh when you have to set a new date all because two boys thought they would try their luck. I could just imagine the scenario. Should we stop for gas? Naw, we'll make it. Clunk, clunk.
Shannon: [Makes a face] Nice couch.
Kind of like my second hand one when I first moved out.
[It's a disgusting yellow couch, dilapidated and stained with every color under the sun]
Shannon: I know this thing is like... I wonder what has happened on this couch.
[Laughs] I don't want to put my bare skin on it.
Well you could but...
Shannon:
[Cringes as if he's deeply offended] 'Cause it's really discolored man and it's funky!
Well you could put down a towel or a blanket or something?
Shannon:
[Looks around] I know man, I got to do that!
The Roxy Show was last night. How was it for you?
Shannon: It was amazing. Last night was amazing!
It was very energetic.
Shannon: We had a nice little connection going with everybody!
Everyone definitely had a great time. How's the tour going for you so far?
Shannon: It's going great. This will be our third show with Chevelle. They are really great guys and their fans have been really great as well. Actually, it's funny because I'm still stuck in the 'just starting out' mindset but half the people are there to see us, so it's really kind of exciting in a way. I was gonna say, well their fans are really accepting of us but wait a minute, they actually are!
Well it certainly seems to be working for you.
Shannon: It does seem like it's working. It's a great combination and all of our fans are intermingling.
Is it a fairly complicated ordeal to hook up with a band that fits the niche?
Shannon:
[Nods] Yeah it is.
It must be frustrating when you don't get that proper connection with people.
Shannon: Absolutely. We played a couple of shows with this band once and they were totally different in style. Their fans were really heavy and hardcore so it was a really...intense experience for us. I mean they were like [puts on low demonic voice] fucking get off the stage! and they had death metal shirts on.
I know very well that he is referring to the tour dates that the band had embarked on with certain "heavy rockers" but I don't dare bring it up because I figure there is a reason he doesn't. (Perhaps the wounds are still too fresh?) I remember reading some of the war-wound stories which 30STM fans reported to the rest of us from the frontlines of those seemingly brutal nights where two musical styles did not by any means, blend seamlessly.
Noooo!
Shannon: So thaaaat's kinda difficult!
Yeah but you guys are really good at working the crowd
Shannon: Yeah
So I'm sure you won them over.
Shannon: Yeah we did but at first it was kinda gnarly.
Most drummers can't stand still for long and Shannon is no exception, he is nervously fidgeting with his pass.
Do you still get nervous before a show?
Shannon: No. I get more... excited than anything. I get excited, amped!
You know something? You've really changed your playing style.
Shannon:
[Sits straight up] really?
Yeah, you seem to be a lot more confident and definitely more animated. It was really fitting last night when Jared introduced you as 'animal.'
Shannon:
[Doesn't quite know what to say] Right.
Do you notice your style changing?
Shannon: Umm, I just do what I do and it's a natural progression. I guess over time, I start getting a little more comfortable with the live aspect of it all. So yeah, there's probably...definitely some changes taking place.
Yeah you seem to be 'into it' a lot more. I caught you singing along.
Shannon: oh yeah? Ha ha ha!
[Fidgets nervously with his truckers' cap and blushes]
I got caught! [Laughs]
So you're finally learning the lyrics huh?
Shannon:
[More embarrassed laughter] Finally!
Wow.
Shannon: I don't even know the lyrics on the album. Isn't that funny?
Come on, really?
Shannon: Yeah!
But you do know the first couple of songs you play!
Shannon: Yeah
[We both erupt in laughter] that's probably all I know! What you see is probably all I know!
Well you really look like your enjoying yourself every time you're up there.
Shannon: I have a greeeeat time up there! I looove, I love doing what I do! Love it!
What is one thing that would really surprise 30STM fans?
Shannon: What would be a surprise? Hmm I don't know what would surprise them. That Matthew's really a girl! [Laughs] He's a female!
I already heard that one!
Shannon: Yeah? [Feigns disappointment] Oh!
That's no surprise, try again.
Shannon: and that Tomo is...you know...really a...Tomo's cool! You like Tomo?
Hell Yeah! (What's not to like?)
Shannon: He's cool right?
Well, everyone was very apprehensive at first.
Shannon: Of course, I would be. I was! 'Cause you never know what's gonna happen. But he's cool. He's mellow but he's very pleasant.
It's so funny cause he's so mellow off stage but on stage he's a whole different human being. The performer comes out and he just does his thing. He's very entertaining.
Shannon: yeah! He's a great guy.
Is he going to be involved in the next album?
Shannon: We'll see, 'cause you never know. Things happen obviously right? So we'll see.
Has he blended in or is he still trying to find his place in the band?
Shannon: We'll see.
Some people think that you've only been working with him for two weeks. You've obviously been working with him a lot longer than that.
Shannon: Tomo's a huge fan of the music and he learned the whole album and then he approached us because he.....heard. We auditioned him and it worked.
The album is so technical and focused and it has such a big sound. How do you make sure you don't overdo it when you translate it to your live show?
Shannon: Well, we have rehearsals before we go on tour and we see what works and what doesn't and we do everything that feels natural. It's a work in progress you know what I mean? You have the record and then you have the live performance and I mean everything on the record comes from...we created everything, every sound, everything and we play all of it live. We don't play to a tape or anything like that. We like more of the organic feel and I think that transcends itself live.
Yes it really does.
Shannon: Sometimes with a lot of music, they have a lot of technical aspects to it and that's basically all it is. It's technical and electronicky or they try to incorporate the acoustic with the technical and it sounds all girly but I think we did a good job of doing both and of balancing everything out so that we don't go too far with it.
Just do what feels natural?
Shannon: Yeah we just do what's natural like you said, what's comfortable.
There are very few bands that really do that well and people don't want to hear the album verbatim.
Shannon: I couldn't imagine myself playing exactly what's on the album every night. I'm not that guy; I'm not that drummer. I will not...can't see myself doing that, so I take the foundation of the album and then I play over that. You know what I mean? I fiddle with that live. When I'm playing, I'm a pretty emotional drummer so...it's like whatever comes out through the way that I'm feeling at that moment is just really spontaneous.
So you just go out there and go with the basics?
Shannon: Right and then I add some colors in there and dance around it.
Is there some place where you want to play that you haven't yet? Your dream venue?
Shannon: Hmm...where would we want to play? We're doing it right now! Right here, we're doing it! But I want to play in front of, I don't know, like 100,000 people.
Do you really?
Shannon: I think it would be great to have that collective conscious
Did you enjoy playing the arena shows?
Shannon: Yeah it was great!
Larger or smaller venues, which do you prefer?
Shannon: Our music works really well, it's different, I mean...we reach a lot of people in an arena and our music is big enough to be in an arena. Then you have the small clubs and that's intimate and more personable. They're both great though. Great. Love 'em both! I want to play everywhere.
Now that you're getting bigger and bigger is it going to be possible to keep that intimacy level?
Shannon: Yeah, why not? I want to keep that connection. I want to keep that. I want to keep that intimacy with our fans and the people that understand us. The day I stop talking to people that listen to the music, my music, that'll be a weird day. You know what I mean? 'Cause it just goes hand in hand and it just makes sense. Unless it gets too crazy and there's like, people that get a little bit too psychotic because that's a reality too, especially in the business that we're in. People get like... until that day, I don't see any reason why.
Click for Part 2
