John Myung

Getting into the venue, the Musikcentrum, Vrendenberg to do the interview, is an achievement in itself. The hall is concealed within and under a shopping mall! And having gained entry, sat and listened to the band rehearse/soundcheck in this strangely shaped hall, (which I’m told was originally designed for classical music), John and I retire to the tuning room to get down to business. Firstly, I have to say that John Myung is a very softly spoken, somewhat reserved guy, compared to the others in the band. His whole outlook towards the interview and things in general was extremely positive and refreshing, and he went to great lengths to make sure that I was catered for, rather than what it should have been, the other way around! You will see from the following that John was very open with his answers on several subjects, even down to a personal level, of which we really have no right to know about. It was one of the most comfortable and enjoyable interviews that I have ever conducted, and I’m sure you’ll enjoy what John has to say.

How long have you been playing bass guitar?

Since I was sixteen or seventeen. I’m twenty-eight now, so for eleven to twelve years.

I know you used to play the violin when you were very young.

Yeah. I did it for about ten years. I started at five. It started because my mom wanted me to play, and it was like a parental thing. So I did that for a while. I was just so involved with my friends as I got older, they became such a big part of my life, and a lot of my friends played and they needed a bass player – so that was my in to the bass guitar right there; from then it was just an obsession, it was something that I was so preoccupied with. Then one thing led to another, and me and John went to Berklee College of Music, and we met up with Mike and it went from there.

You no longer play the violin at all? Do you ever pick it up now?

No. It’s just one of those things that, from the onset, it really wasn’t my decision to play. I was like living my mother’s idea for a while.

It must have given you a good grounding though?

Yeah, it did. I mean I still love the instrument, but, it’s not part of my personality anymore.

Do you play any other instruments?

I play a little piano and guitar.

Onto touring. Are you enjoying the tour?

The tour has its moments, there’s time when I just want to go back home, but it’s a challenge, it’s important to find out what works for you and what doesn’t. After a while you sort of get into the groove, but I haven’t got into the groove yet!

At last night’s show, it seemed that everybody was firing on all cylinders.

Really! That’s good. It must be the Cheerios.

Do you practice much?

I really haven’t been practising much lately. When we were first starting out touring, I was very fired up to practice all the time, but now it’s difficult, you really have to make time now. It’s not as leisurely as it used to be. I don’t find myself practising as much as I should because, band stuff sort of takes up all of your time.

Do you have a routine, or how do you prepare before you go on?

I like to warm-up for an hour or two.

What made you turn to the Tung 6-string? And what do you feel it brings to you?

Well, I was really unhappy with the Spector, which I did ‘Images And Words’ with, and personality wise it really didn’t fit me. The music sounds great but the bass wasn’t everything I was looking for, and I started eyeing 6-strings, because there seemed to be a lot more that I could do with it. So I got into 6-strings with Tobias, and wasn’t happy with that after a while, and I got this opportunity to play Tung, and I liked it because it was really different – I didn’t see anyone else with that type of guitar, and it sounded pretty good.

It’s got a very deep growling sound to it in places.

Yeah. The parts that we wrote and the stuff that I’ve played, came across really well on the bass, more so than the Tobias did.

When recording, will you use the Tung exclusively, or will you have a range of guitars to use?

Recording – there might be a few different things that I’ll be trying out, but mostly Tung Basses.

Do you enjoy the recording process?

I do. I like it because it’s very challenging, and it’s a good time because usually when we’re recording we’re away, and I just find myself getting really focused then. More than being on tour because you get to lock yourself in and concentrate on one thing. Usually that’s when my chops and playing are in peak form when I’m going in to record.

So it compares quite a bit to playing live and writing does it?

It’s different. It’s almost like, when we go into the studio I know what I have to do, and it’s sort of like a sport, be able to go in and make good time, and be happy with the performance.

Tell me a bit about the lyrics you’ve written – ‘Lifting Shadows Off A Dream’ – which has that wonderful line: “She can turn a drop of water, into an ocean.” Where do your ideas come from?

Okay. Well Lifting Shadows was just something that I had to get off my chest. I was feeling certain ways about my relationship, and not really understanding what was happening between us. It’s a song about coming to terms with difficulties in a positive manner. But it’s based on what a woman can show a man: bringing the compassion part of your personality out, knowing how that’s so key, I think, in a person’s personality, in order to cut your chains and to not to have any limitations. I think that everything is based on your personality. You feel like you’ve reached a certain point and why you can’t break out from the shell, it’s probably something you have to be shown, or something that you’ll eventually come across on your own.

Which songs, old and new, are your personal favourites and why?

From everything? I think off of “Images And Words” I love every song on that album, just really attached to it. I love every side of that record. With “Awake,” every song just had a different experience, I value them all, so I can’t really pick a favourite.

What about the first album? Do you ever think about the first album?

The first album? No I don’t, not really.

There is some good stuff on that first album, the thing that may have let it down was the production.

Definitely. The production was horrendous. We were really young when we did that record and everything on it was really sincere, and it was a cool point in time, and now we’re at a different point.

I know the other guys have played and recorded material with other bands before Dream Theater. Is there any John Myung skeletons in the closet that may appear and cash in on his success?

No. This is it, Dream Theater only.

I gather you’re getting into Mike’s theory towards bootleg’s. Is that so? How do you feel about that stuff?

There’s nothing I can do about it, or we can do about it for that matter.

One of the arguments for them is that people who buy them have already got the official stuff anyway, so they are just adding to their already acquired Dream Theater material.

I know of a guy that got into the band because we had bootlegs. He saw so many of them that it really got his wheels spinning, so that was kind of cool.

Are you a collector yourself? DT and/or others?

I like to collect them, but there is so many of them, I get them in passing.

Any other bands?

I was really into Jane’s Addiction at one point, I have a couple of their bootlegs, that’s about it.

Is there anyone you would like to play with?

I’d like to play with Tony Levin. His attitude is so groove oriented which is something I really admire.

Did you enjoy the covers show in London?

Yeah, I enjoyed it, it was fun. Gimme a break, I got to play with Steve Howe – as a kid I would go see Yes, and so it was fun.

What about the live BBC session you did with Bruce Dickinson, how was that?

That came out really good. That was another amazing thing. We recorded ‘Perfect Strangers’ (Deep Purple) with Bruce and afterwards we met up with Steve Howe. It was like “what’s next?”

You also recorded an acoustic session here in Holland. What songs did you do?

We did ‘Wait For Sleep,’ ~The Silent Man,’ ‘Lifting Shadows’ and Rush’s ‘Tears.’

When the European tour is over, you’ll take time out. Will you be going back out in the states again later?

Everything is up in the air right now. I think the plan was to tour for a year on this album, we’re five months into it now.

I heard a ‘rumour’ and I stress ‘rumour’, that there’s a possibility of a support slot with Queensrÿche back in the states! Now I wouldn’t have thought that would have been what you were looking for. Other than a chance to play large venues.

That would be great. But I don’t think it’s going to happen.

Going back to ‘The Silent Man.’ You shot the video while you were in Germany? What form did it take?

We shot it in Munich. It took on a conceptual form tying in the album artwork with the story of the song.

After the tour, what is your outlook towards the future of the band?

To the future? To just keep growing and to keep challenging ourselves.

And to keep challenging the listener, that’s important as well?

Yeah.

Have you anything prepared for the next album? Like the stuff you were doing in rehearsal just now?

Nothing finished, just ideas kicking round.

Thanks once again John for your time.