Exclusive Dream Theater Interview

Posted 16 Nov 2013

We had a chat to Jordan from Dream Theater ahead of the release of the latest issue of our Maniacs zine. I’m sure you’ve read the edited version, but here it is in full for your reading pleasure.

How are you traveling, everything alright keeping well?

Everything’s good, I’m just home right now everything’s pretty busy between Dream Theater and this other album that I just finished a little while ago so things are cool

And where’s home for you these days Jordan?

I’m in New York.

Oh very good. Congratulations on the new album! It’s a welcome surprise from 12 albums in and a lot of bands by that stage would have had the creative juices stop flowing, and it doesn’t seem to be the case for you guys. Certainly since Mike Portnoy’s departure a few years ago the fans were probably scratching their heads wondering what that meant for the band given he’s a founding member and his creative input into the band, how has the songwriting process changed for you guys in that time especially on this record but also in the previous record as well?

Well let’s see when Mark Portnoy left it was certainly kind of an upsetting time especially emotionally. Once we kind of determined that we were ok in the drummer department we weren’t really too worried about writing the music because its mostly kind of been John Petrucci and myself since I joined the group that write the music so doing it so that part was OK. The difference between the first album we did between Port and Mangini and then this one was that Mike Mangini was not part of the composition process for the first one. He came into play after the music was written and this one he was there and his energy and his vitality was felt for the whole thing so we were able to really take advantage of that. Especially because of his extreme rhythmic sensibilities – that really added a lot to what we do. As a matter of fact, that was something very new and so that part really changed because he was able to offer this kind of perspective about rhythm and some of these ideas that he has that we’ve never had before. So that was really cool.

He is a very passionate man. Reading his online input on his Facebook and blogs and stuff he’s a very passionate guy and I think he absolutely adores being in Dream Theater and playing with you guys. I’m very much looking forward to seeing you guys play live together if you do get the chance to come out here – hopefully on this record. He seems to have been a breath of fresh air that maybe in hindsight you guys needed perhaps.

You know what; it’s pretty cool what happened. I mean we’ve spent the year touring with him and really the reaction we’ve had from almost everyone that I talked to – after a show or any point – they were saying you guys are so unified; now it’s like this collective force of five guys. It just feels so like a band. Certainly from my perspective the days that I shared with Mike Portnoy were great. I mean we had a great band and it was all good and I really don’t have anything negative to say about it, it was all good. But what I would say in my experience with Dream Theater is that it just really does feel very balanced now between the members. Everybody’s kind of got the same attitude; were all in it for the same reasons. We’re making music, were all very focused on our instruments, we all love to practice and be very focused and everybody’s coming from the same place. It makes a difference. And the group dynamic, and were all very happy and I think it really works for Dream Theater. I think it works so well that it led to us being comfortable enough personally and musically that that’s why we basically created this self-titled album.

So does that mean you’re allowed to choose some songs for set lists now? He did have a stranglehold on that part didn’t he?

Yeah he definitely did (laughs). I mean Mike Portnoy, he’s such a capable guy and he loves keeping so busy that he really took on a lot of stuff and held it. Honestly it wasn’t so much that the other guys would not be capable to do stuff, it was that we had this one member who really was so gung ho and so all over this stuff that it’s kind of easy to sit back and say oh great, you got that that’s cool you’re good at that no problem. When he left we had to really think about and be like ok so here we are, lets figure out exactly what he did and make sure that were covered. That wasn’t that easy because he did a lot of things. But on the other side of that, the reality was that you know were certainly very capable people and the things were not that good at there are a lot of professionals that are really good at some of that stuff. So I think we managed to survive just fine.

I think you have too. 

And it seems to me that he’s managed to do well as well and I’m very pleased he’s having a good time in his endeavors, it seems like it’s going well.

I have trouble keeping up with his projects, there seems to be something new to listen to every few weeks – good luck to him

He sends me CDs and stuff to keep up with it so I’m trying

Ok, oh good, that’s pleasing to hear. I’m sure a lot of people would like to know that you’re on good terms. Now the new album its self-titled – I’ve always said that all great bands have a self-titled album – who’s idea was it to sort of just come up with the basic Dream Theater name for the new record?

I think it really came from John. I think he came in one day and was kind of like guys what do you think of this and everybody was like yeah that feels really right, yeah cool.

It’s a statement really isn’t it, when a band releases a record that’s self-titled whether it’s the debut album or their twelfth album it doesn’t matter. It’s a return for my listening. It’s a return like you’ve got an instrumental on there for the first time in a while, it’s got a bit of an old school feel to it at times too, Jordan. It’s more of a focus on melody would you say?

I would say that. You know I was talking to somebody earlier, I was saying that there’s elements to me about this album that just feels kind of like a musical hug you know. Like there’s this feeling you know sections that you go oh ok, even in the first time which is unusual for a prog/metal album if you will. We like things that just feel good and we like melody and even for Dream Theater It’s not just all about chops and the academics of the composition, it’s really about how it feels and you know walking away with a positive kind of like vibe from the thing.

That’s very evident on this record. Just going back two albums to Black Clouds and Silver Linings, I’ve always been a fan of your light and dark, as a band you do your light and dark moments so stark and yet they complement each other so beautifully and that has never been more evident than on this album as well. When you do your heavy you do it brilliantly but when you do your light and your melody is great as well. Does Mr. LaBrie have a big input onto this record? 

What we tried to do as composers was to try and write melodies that really will work for him as a person and for his range. And then when James comes into it he is so very helpful – he’s the singer so he knows what phrases and what things he can pull off. Then he takes what we basically give him and he totally makes sure that it’s all flowing and well reshape and work with John Petrucci – who as we know produced it – and make sure that melodies are really right and they’re really strong. It kind of goes through a process where we write this music. Basically, we don’t write the melodies first, well write the music and then we start thinking about melodies and then after they’re kind of basically written then James will take them and work with John and kind of refine them and make them right. The end result is that, especially on this album, it sounds so perfect for his voice.

The 30th anniversary of Dream Theater is looming – it’s only a couple of years away. You guys did such a magnificent job of celebrating the 20th anniversary with Score at Radio City Music Hall which I have played to within an inch of its life. It was a magnificent show, congratulations on that. It’s a little while away, but are there any plans or do you have any plans for a thirtieth anniversary?

I’m thinking well have a massive global party or something like that I don’t know (laughs). You know we really haven’t discussed it much. I mean it definitely is a big anniversary if you will so well have to do something special but I don’t know what.

Do you have any plans to tour Australia, Jordan? 

In my own head I certainly do I would love to come and I think we certainly need to come there. I think we skipped it the last time around so I would say it’s pretty much time, especially with an album like this. I can’t guarantee it but I can say it’s a really, really strong possibility.

It was so good to see you guys the first time you got here in 2007 after such a long wait and then we didn’t have to wait that long for the rebound in 2009.

We would love to come; we had a really good time both times I’ve come. The last time James and I had a couple of days off in Perth or something, we had a wonderful time. We took the train over to the beach and we hung around. We had some good meals and the weather was good. It was a very happy time, and altogether even the other cities that we went to I had a great time personally. I’m someone who gets out and I walk and I meet people and I stay in touch with them so next time I come I have some friends in Australia. I even have some business people that I work with there. One of the guys Robert Medina who’s in Sydney is one of our main graphics 3D animators. He’s brings all our album covers to life for our tours. There’s another guy actually who I’m working with now who’s working on one of the apps for me for my app company Wisdom music and he’s in Sydney as well. He’s doing a really cool app called Harmony Ways which we’ve been working on for a little while. So I’m always on the line with you guys over there.

I have one last question for you, what makes you a MANIAC? Are you a MANIAC for something in particular that’s very pertinent to yourself? 

A maniac is this crazy music that won’t stop going through my head I think. Even when I want to turn it off it keeps on going. So I get a little bit crazy trying to get it out there and you know, that can definitely drive someone insane. I try to stay mellow while its happening but occasionally when I’m in front of my keyboard I think I probably turn into a little bit of a maniac.

Thanks for the opportunity Jordan it’s been great chatting with you!