Matt Brooks, the lead guitarist of the hard rock band Like a Storm, chatted with Digital Journal about their new album, and their summer tour with Godsmack and Shinedown.
Matt Brooks, the lead guitarist of the hard rock band Like a Storm, chatted with Digital Journal about their new album, and their summer tour with Godsmack and Shinedown.
On the song selection for their new CD, Brooks said, “We wanted to dig deep and really explore our sound on Catacombs. My brothers and I all write, so with three songwriters we ended up creating a lot of material. At one point, we were swimming in so many new songs that we were really wondering how we were going to get it down to a single album. But through the process of writing and recording, the final track listing actually came together pretty organically. We had a real vision for the kind of album we wanted to make thematically, and we also wanted to make an energetic record that would kick ass live. So those two factors really helped in choosing the songs for the final track listing.”
He listed “Pure Evil” as his favorite track on the album. “Lyrically and musically, it is a really deep track, and it absolutely slays live,” he exclaimed.
Their future plans are to finish their new album. “We are really excited to get back on the road and play all this new music for our fans. We are so fortunate to get to make the music we love and then tour the world playing it, so our future plans involve continuing down this incredible path. There is nothing we would rather do in the entire world,” he said.
The band will be touring with Godsmack this summer. “You couldn’t ask for a more insane tour to kick off a new album than to share the stage with Godsmack and Shinedown. As well as being rock giants, both bands are incredible live, so we will definitely be bringing our A game this summer,” Brooks said.
Digital transformation of music business
On the impact of technology on the music business, Brooks said, “Technology and music seem to share a very complex relationship. It is easy to romanticize the ‘good old days’ back when real music was being made by real musicians, without any modern trickery. But, of course, those iconic musicians of the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s were all using the most cutting edge technology available at the time. Led Zeppelin were playing electric guitars, not classical violins, and The Beatles were literally having new recording technologies invented to aid in their creative process. Artists have always used whatever technological tools were at their disposal to help with their art.”
Brooks continued, “On the industry side, new technologies have also completely changed the way that people consume music. Streaming is now such a massive medium – and as an artist, that’s been a great development. It’s exciting to see the role of music on the Internet grow from the anarchy of Napster into something that is more sustainable for both fans and musicians.”
The lead guitarist acknowledged that for the band “technology is an invaluable creative tool.” “The way that we write and record our music is only possible because of how portable recording setups are these days,” he said.
Brooks added, “I have a studio backpack that I take on tour with me, which contains everything needed to record and work on a song at album quality. During the writing of Catacombs, I even slept with that backpack in my bunk, in case I got a great idea in the middle of the night. To think that you can now make an album on equipment that fits into a backpack is a pretty crazy example of how technological advancements can help creativity. We also do all of our own keys and programming, so having thousands of soft synths at our disposal really helps with building the soundscapes in our music. So many of the layers in our music were written and recorded while we were touring the world, supporting Awaken The Fire.”
“I would like to thank our fans for supporting us, and for growing with us,” he said. “You guys have given us the opportunity to make this record, to dig deeper than we ever have before, and we can’t wait for you to hear it. We love you guys and can’t wait to see you all out on the road.”
For aspiring bands and musicians, he said, “Follow your heart and believe in yourself. Don’t be afraid to take risks and try new things. That’s how we ended up with didgeridoo in our music. And above all, have fun doing it. Music is a gift.”
To learn more about Like a Storm, check out their official website .
