Off-Beat Interview with Paul Ryan of Origin
June 2009 – Summer Slaughter Tour
By: Marisa Connelly
SDM: Do you think this lineup of Origin will stay put, finally?
Paul: This line up has been together now for three years, and we’re all getting along. We’re touring as a four piece, for all of you who don’t know.
SDM: Well what happened yesterday?
Paul: Well, that’s just the road. Each one of us has a “get out of jail free” card per tour, and I burned mine early. So, yes, we get along fine and we’ve had some problems with some gear because we bought some new stuff and it didn’t work out appropriately. But as far as the line up, I love jamming with [drummer] Johnny [Longstreth], I love jamming with [bassist] Mikey [Flores], and I love jamming with [vocalist] James [Lee]. I think I’m jamming with the guys that are the best for the band musically. Through thick and thin we’ve learned to deal with each other’s… um… beings. It’s part of being in a band. That’s how you make it work, it’s not just about the musicianship, it’s about being friends. I’m all good, unless something catastrophic happens!
SDM: Any word on doing a DVD?
Paul: We’ve approached Relapse [Records] with this over the years, we’ve tried to assimilate a DVD from the mass of footage we have from thousands of videos, and it never came together. And we’re currently talking about re-signing with Relapse, or contract negotiation. We looking forward to doing something, because as much touring as we do, we still have not put out a DVD and I think that fans would appreciate it and they deserve it. So, hopefully, but no official word.
SDM: You said in an email that you are the “Undisputed Heavy Death Metal Lip Champion of the world!!!”
Paul: Absolutely!
And you also said, “Well I have LOMD… Lips of Mass Destruction… Able to thwart any ninja move.” Could you explains what this means and how if effects your role in the band?
Paul: I was given that title by Burning Skies, they’re a Bristol UK band. We started touring with them in 2007 in Europe. It started out as the “Sexiest Lips in Death Metal” and then it became the “Largest Lips in Death Metal” and then it just went off from there, and it has many stigmatas and tags to it. It’s still growing, as are the lips.
SDM: OK, so how does that effect your role in the band?
Paul: Actually there’s only about three girls per show, so it doesn’t really effect the band that much. There’s more girls on The Summer Slaughter Tour, but…
SDM: What are girls’ reactions?
Paul: To Lips McGee? Generally shock. [laughs] I find it more mesmerizing and funny than most people. But I think it’s generally shock. I’m thinking of trimming down the beard to get the full effect of the massiveness of the lips. And hopefully we don’t have barricades at every show, so I can get hit in the mouth. Like, in Europe I got hit in the mouth a couple times on the last tour, and they got even bigger. So, it’s going to be difficult on this tour with that, so hopefully it gets a little crazy and there will be some sort of stage diving and microphones hitting me in the face. Which I’m usually accustomed to because it’s smaller shows. [laughs] That’s all I’m going to state about that one!
SDM: Paul, you have a blog that simply states, “One usually meets their fate on their journey to avoid it…” That’s from Kung Fu Panda, isn’t it?
Paul: I don’t know where that’s from, actually. It was me going through a very trying time in my life, and it seemed like, it was a very personal thing for me, and I don’t know what Kung Fu Panda is. I never saw it.
SDM: It’s probably from an old Chinese proverb.
Paul: Right, it sounds like something you’d get in a fortune cookie. I think it was phrased a little differently when I originally wrote it down, then it changed. I rough draft something then re-write, just like my music. It wasn’t the initial first thing I wrote, but after many hours of drinking it transformed into what it is on my blog. And what was weird was a couple of my buddies knew something was wrong, because I’m usually in the upper most spirits of having fun. So it was just a personal statement, but it was cool because a couple old friends called me and were like, “Hey man, you’re usually the happiest guy I know, something’s wrong.” So, basically, I’m usually on Myspace flirting or talking guitar or being a dork. But I talked to some people from a long time ago that know me pretty well, and they knew something was wrong and it was cool. It’s a communication tool, and its the way the world works now. There you go.
[Note from me: this is the actual quote from the movie,“One often meets his destiny on the road he takes to avoid it” ~Master Oogway, Kung Fu Panda]
SDM: You said in a previous interview you said, “I love working with kids, you know? Showing them how to sweep (pick) and other things I learned from music store guys when I was younger.” Have you given any thought to doing an instructional DVD, or lessons or clinics?
Paul: Well, death metal is not for everyone. For me, I was a very angry kid and I didn’t have a way to express it besides getting in trouble and breaking stuff, a lot of fighting, typical guy stuff.
SDM: What do you mean typical guy stuff? I did the same thing when I was that age!
Paul: Well, ya know, bad girl stuff then. OK, so it was just like, I needed something for myself to help me get through it. There was guys that I knew that didn’t have the music and they’re in a lot worse place than I am. It’s a positive release of negative energy that is true to me. Music is a great thing, I have the music gene fortunately enough, and I feel sorry for people that don’t. I don’t understand when I talk to people that don’t listen to music, that just terrifies me. Anyways, I work at Guitar Center six months out of the year, and it’s pretty much free roam for me. They treat me really good. And basically I get to be the kid on the other side of the counter- because I was that kid that went into the music store and was just blown away, and I probably annoyed the shit out of the guys that worked there. But I always treated it with respect, I remember being that kid. I don’t like really giving lessons, I do it occasionally, but I’m usually at work giving free tips anyways. It’s a great thing, I know you can make money off of it, but it’s not something I initially want to do. That’s why we don’t tour all the time, I don’t want it to become like a job. I enjoy touring, and sometimes not. When it comes to teaching kids music, there’s this kid Austin Brenner that’s like, 12, and an amazing guitar player, and he reminds me of me. Like, “How do you do this?” and I show him something, and the next time I see him, he’s been working on it. And I was that kid. When someone showed me something musically, I went home and practiced it. So I remember being on that side of it, and that’s half the fun for me. I don’t know, there’s a lot more resources. And as a kid, I don’t think I could just pop in Origin and be like, “This is it! This is what I want to do!” When I was growing up, metal was getting heavier and heavier, and I just clamped on to the death metal element. I play other kinds of music, especially at work. I’m around all different kinds of instruments, so it’s a lot of fun for me to just play music. Primarily death metal on guitar, but I have some other things.
SDM: Like?
Paul: It will never show up on an Origin album.
SDM: Like?
Paul: I play a little classical or flamenco guitar every once in a while. It’s kind of hidden, I don’t really show that at all. I don’t think my band even knew that until 2006. And that was just this rare, after a show, my friend had this classical guitar and I jammed with him a couple times. And [my band] were just like, “Why? I had no idea.” But I’ve always been around music, I grew up around it playing bass guitar, guitar, drums, just playing in bands. I suck at the piano, I only play cheesy 80’s songs.
SDM: Nice!
Paul: Yeah! “Final Countdown” watch out! Europe, if you ever need a keyboard player, hook me up! I’m working on my Journey, I’m not that good yet.
SDM: Cool. So, the #1 rule around here is to be on time and don’t go over your 30 minute set time. How has that worked out for you so far?
Paul: Um, we’re told the time and all the bands are sticking to it. All the bands, no matter the different style, are all working together to make it the best show possible. There’s kids here to see bands that are not death metal, but deathcore and vice versa. It’s out of respect to all the bands on the tour. You respect the time allotted, and there’s a lot of camaraderie to make this package happen. This is the largest amount of bands on a touring circuit that I’ve ever been on. The biggest package that I had ever been on was six, so for me, this is a lot of work for all the bands to work together. And like I said, all the bands are working together to make it. Follow the time limit, follow the changeover. All the drummers, like, Beneath the Massacre plays before us and Born of Osiris plays after us, are working. And Dying Fetus plays after Born of Osiris, and they’re all helping to pull heads and pull cabs. Trey [Williams, Dying Fetus] is over helping John [Longstreth, Origin] pull his cymbals, and it’s making the show go good. I’m just going by my section of the tour. I see the other bands playing later, helping each other out, and no one has been late yet. I’m sure it will happen, someone’s going to break down somewhere. But everyone’s working together to make it the best show. Not only for ourselves, but for the kids who are paying to see the show. To my knowledge, everyone’s been on time, I haven’t heard any complaints. And we have a good stage crew calling it out like, “Five minutes, three minutes, one minute until you play.” And then you’re cutting into your set after that. We get thirty minutes, I think some of the bands before us get 25, but we’re the first band to get 30, until Darkest Hour- they play 45. I think Suffocation might get 50 and then Necrophagist gets 60, I’m not sure. I just know we have a 15 minute changeover, then 30 minutes to play, then 15 minutes after that.
SDM: Do you think you’ll have the same answer when I see you again in Albany at the end of the tour?
Paul: Um, probably not. [laughs] But I’d like to hope so. There will be some new bands on there. They’re coming on in the middle of it, and I’ve done tours back to back, where we’re already in that mode and the new band isn’t. It’s going to be tough for the new bands. But there’s going to be a bond, too. I already know Decrepit Birth, I’ve played a couple shows with them, been good friends with them for a long time.
SDM: Are you excited to meet Ensiferum?
Paul: Um, Pete [Lindroos] used to play in Norther, and he’s a super nice guy. I’m ready, I’ll buy a viking hat and viking sword and do battles. I heard about Paganfest. It’ll be cool, I’m looking forward to it. I’ve been to some shows with that type of music, and it’s not something I would listen to on CD, but live it’s a lot of fun. So it’s going to give a new added bonus to the kids coming to the show, it’s going to be fun.
SDM: So what band are you most impressed with on this tour?
Paul: Well, that’s tough man. I’m going to say, but there’s a lot of good bands. The band that I never saw before that I’m really enjoying is After the Burial from Minnesota. It’s metalcore, or, I don’t know what the correct term, it could be some other term next week. Beneath the Massacre is cool. It’s hard because I like Dying Fetus, and Suffocation has been my favorite band of all time.
SDM: Out of the newer bands, the ones that play before you.
Paul: Out of the bands that I’ve never seen before, I would have to say that I like After the Burial. The guitar players are great, they’re tuned to A. They’re playing eight strings and they’re spot on. I mean, everybody’s bringing it, it’s a good show to see. I’ve never seen them before, and they’re killer and I think they’re young kids bringing it. It’s a little different, maybe then what the death metal guys would be into, but I like it.
SDM: So, tell me about what “Change Wars” are?
Paul: Change wars? Well, last count was… actually I was up 27 cents to 11 cents, but then Mikey found a $20 bill last night. So he’s up $20.11 to my -let’s see I found 8 cents today- 35 cents. The point is to find the most change on tour. So I’m totally losing so far.[laughs] So, it’s just something out of boredom from being on tour for years, so we just call each other out like, “Solid quarter!” We played Baltimore one time and this crackhead was outside the club asking me for change all night. Thirty minutes after he left, we got done with our set and there was 50 cents where he had been standing. So, it’s just something out of boredom on tour. Especially during the daytime because I have nothing to do but be bored.
[At this point Guy Marchais from Suffocation walked up and pretended that he was going to moon us. Good times!]
SDM: So, what happened with the police the last time you were here?
Paul: Um, well, um, I’m not condoning the use of drugs, but it wasn’t the best experience of my life and I don’t want to elaborate about that again, but I had some trouble with carrying a plant-like substance and um, I almost went to jail for it. And I almost pretty much cost the band. There was some problems after that and the band was dismantled for about 9 months because touring was not fun for the band anymore and there was a lot of problems. But I almost went to jail in Connecticut, so we haven’t played here in seven years.
SDM: Because of that?
Paul: Yeah. And now we’re back, no handcuffs, but it’s still early. I’m taking it easy tonight, looking over my shoulder. There’s a lot of cops in this area, they know I’m here. [laughs]
SDM: And you got a little drunk last night, so…
Paul: Ah, no. Me? I would not do such a thing. [laughs] Maybe. Lived through it, no cops were involved, barely. Well, everyone apologized and hugged it out. It was a rough one!
SDM: Yeah it was! OK, so anything else without saying, “Come to the show”?
Paul: Um, I don’t know. That’s a tough one. Well, I’m going to have to go back to Lips McGee, check it out! Lips of Mass Destruction!
Leave a Reply