Audiotopsy is the band that former Grammy-nominated Mudvayne members, Greg Tribbett and Matt McDonough began just a few years ago. Forming with other established musicians from Skrape, this band came together as a new, refreshing project. The band seemed to fall into place and the stars aligned just right for them as their experiences blend together for a great sound. Their sophomore album, The Real Now, releases November 2 of this year. Gregg Tribbett spoke with me for a few minutes to talk about how their band came together, and what to expect from their album. Read below to find out more, and makes sure you get your copy of their upcoming album.
Side Stage Magazine: How are you doing?
Greg Tribbett: Good!
I’m calling today to talk about your new band, Audiotopsy. How did you guys form? What made you want to pursue this new band instead of the ones you were established with?
It was just a thing that me and Matt wanted to get a band together, back in 2015. And I happened to know Billy, the singer, so I put a call in to see what he was doing, and it kind of went from there.
So kind of sounds like it was just “meant to be.”
I hope it’s meant to be, otherwise I shouldn’t be doing it!
So you guys are releasing your new album, your second one. What are you guys excited about with releasing it?
It’s just a more mature album for the band, since we didn’t really know each other when we first got together, but now that we’ve done a few tours and know each other better, there’s just more maturity in the record, and we’re just excited to put it out. The last record we released was in 2015 and we’re excited for the opportunity to do another record.
I heard the little teaser of “What am I?” and it sounded so good! I’m excited for this new album!
So you dig it?
Yeah, I definitely do! So do you guys write everything together?
Kinda. I pretty much come up with all the riffs and stuff, and then me and Matt get together and put the songs together. Then Billy concentrates on his lyric melodies and some lyrics, but I do help with some of the lyrics and so does Matt. So, everybody pitches in for sure.
That’s good. I like it when it’s more collaborative, instead of just one person deciding the sound of the band.
Yeah, exactly. It’s great to get other input.
Are you kind of taking a step back to focus on this album before you tour?
Yeah, we’re going to focus on the promotion and stuff and see where it takes us until the end of the year, and then we’ll plan out what the next step will be.
What are you guys hoping to do with this band? Are there any specific areas you want to tour together, or are you still feeling it out and seeing what happens?
We’re definitely feeling it out to see what happens, but we’d love to tour the states a few more times, and head to Europe, or Japan, or Australia. Worldwide would be the best opportunity for this band.
Absolutely! I hope I get to see that for you guys soon! Are you all still collaborating with your old bands, or is this a fresh start?
No. nothing’s going on with the old bands.
Do you have a favorite track off of this album.
All of them. No, I like one of mine that’s a favorite, there’s a song called “War,” there’s a song called “Panic on the Airwaves” that’s pretty cool. There’s a lot of cool stuff going on, it’s a rollercoaster ride!
Does it have a theme that goes throughout the whole album?
It’s not really a theme, just a play off the title of the record, The Real Now. Which, basically we’re saying to live in the real now, not the past or the future, cause now’s the time you’re here. Tomorrow’s not promised. Just trying to get closer to that place in your life and being stress free.
Yeah, definitely! I think that’s an important message. There’s a lot of people who get caught up in the past, or even the complete opposite and get too worried about what the future’s going to hold for them that they forget to just exist and enjoy what’s around them.
Yeah, and I think everybody’s got caught up in that. I’m definitely out of that now, I live day-by-day and what comes at me comes at me. I’ve had a great career and today, I’m on a train ride and I don’t know when it’s going to end.
Hopefully, not anytime soon!
So how long did this album take to produce?
With everything, about a year and a half.
Is that typical for an album?
It’s typical for us, cause we live in 4 different states. A lot of the writing was done via file sharing, with demos and stuff. Even all the recording in the studios was done separately, except me and Billy went down and did vocals in Louisiana.
That’s pretty cool that you can be anywhere in the world and collaborate like that. That’s one think I love about technology!
I was just gonna say “Welcome to modern technology. It’s here!”
Yeah! There’s that one downside, where people kind of forget how to communicate, but it’s amazing how it really just makes the world smaller and nothings out of reach.
Yeah, absolutely!
So did that year and a half include writing too, or is this after it was written and you started working on the album?
It was after writing. It basically took a year to get the songs recorded, so it was definitely a time process. And working with everybody’s busy schedules.
Yeah, that’s definitely a big one! Is there anything else you wanted to say to fans about the album and what they can expect?
The record comes out November 2nd, it’s called The Real Now. Look us up on all the social media sites, and pick up the record and support the band!
I’m excited for the record, and hopefully, we’ll be seeing more from you guys!
Yeah, absolutely!
Thank you for your time today.
Yeah, no problem.
