John Myung interview

Pedro Almeida: The album now has been out roughly a week. How's been the feedback so far? Is it what you guys expected? Better than expected?

John Myung: Well, the numbers that are coming in from initial sales around the world, we're charting within the top 10 of most countries. I think we're even breaking the top 40 in Billboard. So it's kind of incredible that this is happening. It's a really great indication of future things to further develop as we continue the story that we just started in North America.

PA: When you guys were working on this record, if you can go back to that point in time when you guys started looking at how this album was gonna develop from a theme standpoint and even the title of the record, where did you see the origin story of this album being?

JM: Well, that was John Petrucci's idea to have a concept based on the dream state and I thought it was a cool idea. It was like a play on the name Dream Theater. A story about dreams is something that we haven't done before. So that's where that lyrical direction came from; that's what embodies most of the theme. That is the common theme from song to song. It's all taken from that dream state perspective. So it's not reality. It's just this altered state, where the imagination just runs wild. And you know how dreams are like: just strangest things happen. So lyrically, I thought it was thought-provoking. I think it made for a really good album.

PA: Is it an intriguing topic to you, the dream state and everything that comes with it, and also with that fine line between what is a dream and what turns out to be a nightmare?

JM: Well, it does interest me. I think I was in a different headspace, lyrically, so I didn't write any lyrics for this album, but I appreciate the lyrical direction that it took. As for dreams, to me they always kind of carry significance. There's this weird kind of, I don't know, synchronicity or something that goes on, which is really thought-provoking because it does kind of open your mind a bit and start questioning things a lot. When I was doing some research to try to wrap my head around the concept, I came across a few interesting things. And one being that as people, as human beings, what we see is only based on what we're programmed to see in terms of colors, but there's far more that exists in reality, but we're only coded a certain way to see things a certain way. So that really open things up for me to realize that what I see is just my reality; it's not the reality. It interests me on that level.

PA: Is it a dream for you to play in a band like Dream Theater?

JM: It is! We can do anything. We can do anything we want. Our fans are very with us and on board. If we want to write a long song, we'll write a long song; a short song, a short song. And it all makes for a really good album – at least what I think people expect from us. It's great. It's growing. Things are always improving on a certain level. I'm really happy with the instruments I'm playing and the gear I'm using. The importance of using really good quality tools has really struck home with me, because it's really opened things up and keeps you inspired. You know the saying ‘you're only as good as your tools’; it's a great thing to have. So, it does get better. Technologies get better, instruments get better, and gear gets better. We're just on this journey and I'm enjoying it.

PA: I'm not going to put you on the spot because there's that saying that you're only as strong as your weakest link, and I don't think there's a weak link in this chain that it is Dream Theater. You guys are all so good at what you do. Do you get inspired as much by the themes and the ideas that you're working on the record as you do by the work done by those around you?

JM: Well, I don't know if I'm really a fan of that quote, really. Because I don't see limitation as being a weak link. I see it as sort of a challenge. It's where creative things happen. It's during the most challenging of times when we really think deep and find solutions that we otherwise wouldn't have had. I think it's just really based on where your heart is and what you want to do. I think that's the most important.

PA: I have to address the elephant in the room. How was it to have Mike back on the squad and have him behind the drum kit?

JM: It was amazing. It was just like the old days. It was like, ‘well, let's go back and write an album like we used to, back in the day. In order to do that, we needed Mike back.’ And Mike was ready to come back. He had a conversation with a few of us in the band; we had a meeting. And it just made sense. As a band, we want to go back to where we were when we felt that we were the strongest, and that was when Mike Portnoy was in the band. That's when we were at our best. So having come back and to revisit that chemistry and to write the album that we did, it all came together really nicely.

PA: You mentioned your gear. Do you tweak or change gear from record to record in order to maybe push yourself to try new things and to create some personal growth as well?

JM: I do. I have a signature Ernie Ball/Music Band Bongo six-string. And I've made some improvements upon it. One of the things that I've noticed over the years is how important of an EQ that the fretboard has. So I did some experimentation with blending different woods with the fretboard. So right now I have a maple and a rosewood combination. I did some interesting things with the electronics; on a stereo system, there's a bass and treble boost and all that – I don't have that. What I have is just a very transparent preamp sound that emanates the true sound of the bass. And then I delegate the preamp and EQ to upward effects, which I'm using Ruben Neve Designs, my previous EQs and compression and that. And the reason why I find that to be the most effective way is that it really resonates and nothing gets in the way. The problem with trying to get a preamp into a bass guitar is there's a power issue. You need a lot of power to properly run a preamp in order for it to be effective. So I said, well, rather than trying to force this thing to do something that I'm not gonna be happy with, I delegated that after the bass. So I'm really happy with the way my new wiring and signal chain is, as well as my instrument.

PA: How is your road gear when you guys go on tour? How much does that differ from what are you using in the studio to record an album like Parasomnia?

JM: At least for me, I bring it on the road – everything. We have people that work the recording gear; Jimmy T., who engineers our records – he's also our monitor mixer up on stage so that's a blessing because every night I go up on stage, it sounds like the record because he engineered the record. [He] and Maddi, John's guitar tech, really play a big role in getting us the gear we need, wiring it together and getting it so that it's all musical. But basically, my setup is what I have in the studio. That's one of the things with technology. I'm able to simulate things and model them and create tones and take them on the road. So basically, it is my studio rig that I have out on tour with me right now.

PA: When you were mentioning earlier that you guys wanted to kind of go back to the roots of the band and having Mike was an important element, when I was listening to this record, from a sound perspective, it felt like perhaps a little bit of a darker and heavier album than I was expecting. And even when I go back to the roots of the band, I still think this is a heavier and darker album than anything you guys have ever released. Do you see it from that perspective as well?

JM: Yeah, I see it. When John was coming up with some of the riffs, I couldn't believe some of the riffs because it was so different from the past couple of records that we've done. So John definitely steered it towards more of a heavier vibe. And I love heavy music, so I was all for it.

PA: You were on board. You were like, yes.

JM: Yeah, what could be better?

PA: I couldn't agree with you more. When it comes down to creating the track listing on the album, for me, the track listing, the overall feel of the record is really important. I thought you guys created such a great journey on this album from the first song all the way to the last song. You had me captivated almost like if it was a movie in terms of you always want to see what the next scene is going to bring. How important is that part of the record process for you guys?

JM: Well, it was just like stream of consciousness. We were taking notes of how it was taking shape. We didn't question it, but when the album was done, we didn't feel like we had to write another one. We're fortunate enough where, ‘you know what? This is really good, and we're all really happy with it.’ And you're right. It does touch upon different areas of writing. But we kind of visit a certain area and then we go back to another point. So it was conceptually tied in a subconscious way, if that makes sense.

PA: For me, it does. I always find it interesting that fans always have a certain level of expectations for a record. And then obviously, when you guys announced that Mike was back, the level of expectations grew even more for this record. Is that something that weighs on the back of your mind, considering how long you guys been around – the fan base, the discography, the legacy of the band? Does any of that weight on your shoulders when the time comes to put a new record together?

JM: Well, it does in terms of responsibility, because you don't want to let your fans down. Just from talking with fans and hearing stories, people have been with us for a long time. Our fans have never gone away. They've been with us on this journey. It's a responsibility factor more than anything. We definitely don't want to let them down. So we do our best. That's all we can do.

PA: As long as you guys are happy with it. At the end of the day, if you're not happy with it, nobody else is going to really be happy with it.

JM: Right. Well, that's a starting point, for sure.

PA: What do you feel is the most important attribute that you guys have as individuals that makes Dream Theater, Dream Theater?

JM: The most important attribute? Well, we never gave up. We never stopped. I think that's the most important thing. We just stuck to what we do, and that's what it takes to have longevity.

PA: This record obviously now is going to open the opportunity for you guys to go out on tour and play some of these songs. Do you have any song that you're looking forward to playing from this record that for you specifically in terms of bass and what you can bring, you're excited about?

JM: Well, the first track, ‘Night Terror’, I think is a great track. It also is the first real track on the album. So it has that characteristic that opening tracks tend to have. They tend to lend themselves well as great live songs as well. So we're playing ‘Night Terror’, which is great. We're also including another track, ‘Midnight Messiah’, which is really powerful; it feels great to play live, it's really heavy and kind of driving. So those two tracks right now are part of the live set, without giving too much of the set away. But I think ultimately, as everyone becomes more familiar with the record, I think the plan is to eventually play the whole album, the new album, at some point live.

PA: From a live musician standpoint, do you prefer to play like the favorite songs that everybody's looking forward or is there something special to be said about playing a whole record from start to finish live?

JM: I think you have to do both. I mean, I appreciate the challenge of playing like the epic songs. But I also like playing more popular songs – the ones that tend to have like the higher streams and more reaction from the fan base. Those are great to play too, because the audience enjoys them so much when we play these songs that we get a real reaction, which is great. Just that energy that you feel from the audience is part of the whole live experience. So you definitely need a balance of both, which is what we try to do.

PA: I have one more question for you, and that is every band has that one song that they have to play live, or otherwise the fans will riot. Which one is the Dream Theater one?

JM: Oh, that's a good one. I don't know. I mean, I'd say ‘Pull Me Under’, because that song put us on the map. So I think at some point, to not revisit that would probably not be a good idea. I'm sure there'd be somebody in the audience that was waiting to hear that. Apart from that, we have so much material, which is why our show is three hours. So I’ll just leave it at that. ‘Pull Me Under’ because that song put us on the map and it's the most popular.

PA: That song definitely had an impact, at least on me as a listener and as a fan of the band. It has a special sentimental value – it's not as much about the song itself as about what it means to me, because it takes me back to that time period when I discover the band listening to that song.

JM: I agree with you. When I would go see concerts and see Rush play, it was the same thing. I really loved it when they would play the older songs. So I understand.

PA: I'm glad you also threw Rush into the conversation because me being Canadian, obviously Rush, they’re icons here, I'm from Toronto, I'm in Toronto.

JM: Oh, absolutely. I mean, I love Rush. I bought Geddy Lee's biography, which I've yet to read, but that's on my to-read list. I can't say enough about that band. I probably think about that band every day on some level.