Back in May 2008 Altsounds.com had a chat with Julien from Rev Theory with regards to their up and coming album. Since then they have released "Light it Up" on Interscope Records and have toured A LOT with it. We were lucky enough to be given a chance to talk with Rev Theory again so we decided to follow on from where we had left off and ask the guys the questions we didn't last time!
Altounds: When we spoke to you last, you were just finishing up a tour with Seether and Flyleaf and had just released your second album Light It Up. Now you're heading out with Hinder and Trapt for the Jägermeister Music Tour. Do you ever stop?!
Ha! No man we are focused. We love being on tour, it's really one of the only things you can control in your career [your live show], so we are going to stay out as long as we can.
Altsounds: Is it more important for you to impress at a concert or on a record?
Well I think they are two very different animals. The album is forever, the show is for the night, however, the show could make a fan for life. Ultimately we want to impress at both lengths. It's so important to have a dynamic, kick ass sounding album that can emulate your sound live. In the past we have always hit harder live then on on previous recordings, so its a constant battle. Now that the album is done and out there, its important to all of us to impress on the road and recreate the album to its fullest.
What brought about the decision to produce a more ''upbeat, positive record'' for Light It Up? Is it more so in the lyrics or the music?
I think that when we wrote 'truth is currency' it was mainly myself that was writing, and it drew from a lot of personal issues I was having. We were all struggling and the album was very reflective of my life and the struggle of the band at that time. We were still finding our sound at the time and we were very focused on 'fitting in' with our contemporaries -bands in our genre that we looked up to and respected. We were influenced more by what was going on, especially musically, it came from a darker and more hard hitting place. As far as 'light it up', we had 3 years of experience on the road, we had all quit our day jobs and toured North America and Europe with bands like Evanescence, Staind, Buckcherry and Hinder, etc and really lived the life for a bit. We got a taste of the party, but also through the 3 years we sacrificed everything... family, friends, relationships, we were all broke and living in Hermossa Beach writing the second album. At the time we drew from all those experiences, the parties and the craziness but also the hardship and sadness. Musically we also wanted to reach deeper and we all drew from our core influences [Stone Temple Pilots, Alice in Chains, AC/DC, Guns 'N Roses, Metallica, Motley Crue], the stuff that we all grew up on. We wanted to dig deeper to set ourselves apart from all the bands in our genre. Ultimately the album is more dynamic. It is more positive and upbeat but also has some songs reminiscent of the first album. Overall it is very reflective of our lives over the past 3 years.
I'm always impressed when a band strips back for an acoustic gig. How comfortable are you playing the live acoustic sets rather than the full production?
We love playing acoustically, its great cause Rich can really sing [laughs], and so can Matty. They are both incredible. It's one of the things that sets us apart is their dynamic. We also like to experiment with different arrangements and tempos when we play acoustically. In our song "Wanted Man" we totally chill it out and it becomes a whole new animal. We play an acoustic gig almost once a day (if we can) for our fans, either on radio or on our bus for a VIP promotion thing that we do.
You guys portray a band without a worry in the world, although it's proven you've been working very hard to get where you are, do you think a time will come to relax?
No worries! [laughs] I guess we have you fooled! The truth is we all love doing this so much, it's really in our blood. No matter how hard things get we all feel so fortunate to actually be able to pursue our dreams, even with all the daily bull shit of the music business. It's so satisfying to see this thing grow and to play our music in front of people every night. As far as relaxing goes, we love a little time off here and there, but overall we understand how crucial this stage is in our career. There is no time for breaks, we need to chase every opportunity we can so that we establish a really long lasting career, then maybe in the future we will have some time to 'relax'!
What was the meaning behind your debut album name, Truth is Currency? Is it hard these days to stay honest in this industry?
The album name basically spawned from an idea that everyone is selling something, and it's all about the story. How good is the story? How much passion and honesty are you selling it with? And, technically speaking, our album was ultimately a "product" so we wanted to "come clean" and just be honest with what was going on in our lives. We felt like in a world full of bullshit the only thing you have is your word. In our case our music and lyrics, and we wanted our album to stand as an honest voice of what was going on in our lives in the hope of having it spread around the world like a currency.
It doesn't get much bigger than Interscope Records. Was that the moment you knew you had 'made it big'?
Well signing with Interscope was definitely a major achievement. However, we knew that signing with Interscope was just the start. With all the hard work it took us to get there, we knew we were going to have to work twice as hard to really breakthrough. The good thing is that Interscope are a great label. They are a power-house and our A&R guy has been so artist friendly. It's really been a co venture. We just continue doing what got us here, and they exercise their muscle. So.... 'making it big'. Ask me in a year!
If you had to give up the money, or the fame, which would you chose?
Personally I'd give up the fame. The fame part is not real. It is all perception. It feels nice, but it really is fleeting. I would rather have money to sustain the lifestyle that I enjoy.
You're all such laid back, approachable guys, as witnessed via Rev TV on your MySpace. Do you think that music is used as an excuse for too much ego-indulgence these days?
It has always been an excuse, since The Beatles and Elvis. There has always been a right of passage. A certain deity attached to superstar artists. We are all pretty humble guys. I mean everyone has an ego, but we are very driven as a whole unit. We have never gotten a silver spoon or anything handed to us. We truly are the hardest working band in America. I believe that our work ethic has made our success so much more gratifying. It is sad when you see that some artists just take it all for granted and expect everything just because they have a god given ability to sing a beautiful melody and write a song. I recognize this as a gift but don't see it as a right to passage to over-indulge or be an asshole. Unfortunately, others aren't always like minded.
You've mentioned that there has been a lot of personal sacrifice so far, has it all been worth it?
Absolutely its been worth it. We really feel fortunate to be making music for a living. To actually take a shot at your dream is one thing, but to be as far in the mix as we are is an amazing feeling of accomplishment. We know how hard it is to get here, and we see how many bands have fallen by the wayside so we don't take a moment of this for granted. It truly is a special experience.
What's one thing that will make Rev Theory stand out from the rest at a live concert?
The intensity and the passion. We really care about what we are playing, and there is a fire inside every member to win over the crowd every single night whether it is in front of five people or five thousand.
To read our last interview go here:
http://hangout.altsounds.com/intervi...th-julien.html 
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