[altsounds] Who are you and what do you do in the band?

[Brad] I'm Brad Clifford and I play guitar.

[altsounds] You've been around for many years. How have you guys changed as a band over that time?

[Brad] It's definitely changed a lot and gone through many different sonic evolutions. Just like personalities and preferences change over time, music evolves with that. Everyone in this band is a different person than they were a decade ago, and is drawn to different styles or techniques of music along with that, so it's just a natural
progression of what we want to play. If someone is really into a
particular artist or genre at the time, some of that influence seeps
into Poison The Well. It's all very organic, and nothing is forced. Whatever works goes.

[altsounds] PTW have had a lot of lineup changes over the years but has kept the three key members. How does this affect the writing? Do the new guys get as much input as Jeffrey, Ryan, and Chris, have they added anything new to the sound?

[Brad] Every addition to the band definitely adds a bit of a different
dynamic to the writing and creative process, it's just another persons
influences and style coming into play. Everyone has the same
opportunity for input. It's just 5 guys in a room writing music that
inspires them and music that they want to hear, feeding off of each
other for ideas to make this thing that we're all really excited about
at the end of the day.

[altsounds] The Tropic Rot is due out next month. What can fans expect from the new album?

[Brad] Listening to it will make them pregnant.

[altsounds] How does it compare to previous PTW releases?

[Brad] I think this record has a lot of things that were definitely goals for us when we started writing. The drumming is a lot more intense on this record I think, the bass playing is a lot more involved, the overall dynamics and energy are very pronounced, and having memorable parts that stick with you was another definite thing we had in mind. It doesn't really sound like any other Poison the Well record, and that's what we wanted. We're always trying to push the limits of ourselves as songwriters and musicians, and combine the best of everything we know.

[altsounds] Have you experimented with any different sounds or instrumentation on the Tropic Rot?

[Brad] Recording was really different for this record than any other. We recorded with Steve Evetts, which the band hadn't done before, and his approach was new for us but totally good for us. It's a pretty intense record, and a lot more straightforward than "Versions." More stripped down and raw as a whole, but still definitely a lot of subtle nuances, just nothing that obscures any other part. There were some effects and synth things we played with that were fun and added a lot of color to the record.

[altsounds] Some bands seem to create the perfect album first time and then fail to create it again, whilst others take many years to create the perfect album and others do it time after time. Where do you think PTW fits in that spectrum?

[Brad] I don't think Poison the Well has made the perfect album yet. We're getting closer, and we all seem to be more excited about this record than any other one in the past, but there's always more that could be done. I guess I don't know if anyone in the band will ever see any record as "perfect," but we're certainly trying.

[altsounds] With a new album out soon you guys are going to be touring quite a bit, I assume. Where can fans expect to see you this year?

[Brad] We're out on tour with the 10 For 10 tour, which hits pretty much every major US city. After that it's looking like we'll be going to
Japan in October, Australia after that, and then the UK and Europe
later this fall with Rise Against and Thursday.

[altsounds] Where do you guys enjoy touring the most? Any country where the fans go particularly crazy for you?

[Brad] I don't know... Greece was incredible, London is always amazing, we're really stoked to go to Japan this October... lots of places I guess. We're generally pretty stoked to be on tour regardless of where it is. We just want to go play shows and have fun.

[altsounds] Who are your favorite bands to tour with and who will you be heading out with this summer?

[Brad] We seem to tour with Dillinger Escape Plan and Every Time I Die a good bit, and those dudes are awesome. Epic bros. There are a ton of bands we want to tour with that we haven't gotten to yet, but hopefully on this record cycle we will. This summer is the 10/10 thing, with Madball, Bane, Terror, Polar Bear Club, This is Hell, Trapped Under Ice, a ton more. It's going to be super intense and awesome and I can't believe so many rad bands are on one bill. Stoked.


Check the band out for yourself:
Poison The Well on MySpace Music - Free Streaming MP3s, Pictures & Music Downloads
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