Do Make Say Think
Do Make Say Think talk side projects, 'Other Truths,' and favorite movies.
Do Make Say Think is an “instrumental” post rock outfit out of Canada. I say “instrumental” because their latest releases have seen the band add some lyrics to their usually complex, sweeping, movie-score like sound. Recently Do Make Say Think released Other Truths, a four-song opus that is over forty minutes long. HEAVE got a chance to catch up with members Justin Small and Ohad Benchetrit via email while they were driving through Hamburg on their current European tour.
HEAVE: Do Make Say Think has been in existence since 1995. How do you, or any band for that matter, keep things “going” for such a long time?
DMST: Space is important. Taking the right amount of time away to pursue other things - other musical/artistic projects. “Hunger makes the beast sauce” and “absence makes the heart grow fonder”. We try not to start work on a record until we’re inspired enough to enjoy it.
HEAVE: Do Make Say Think has quite a few members, and it seems each member has different side projects and other things going on. How do you streamline all the creativity?
DMST: Our creativity is as much streamlined as it is spontaneous. We all agree to meet up and go through some ideas and melodies and do some basic recordings of those. We call that the “bed track.” And then we spend quite an amount of time putting it all together. The side projects are a more focused affair. Charles and his happiness project is a little science experiment on the voice and it’s hidden melody, Ohad has “Years,” in which he molded a record from past ideas and new techniques he’s been working on with guitar. Justin has “Lullabye Arkestra” - his sludge metal throw down with his wife.
HEAVE: Other Truths was just released – what are the range of emotions you, or the band as a whole, go through during the process of recording and finally releasing an album?
DMST: You go through all kinds of emotions when making a record. Love, anger, joy, frustration, relief, closure. And when it’s done you feel satisfied you did the best work you could.
HEAVE: Other Truths is different in that it only has four pretty sizable tracks – how did this format come up, and why the departure from the more “traditional” album?
DMST: Our albums have never really been that traditional, but I see what your saying. There were some concept discussions earlier on and it just kind of started to form out into four big tracks. So we followed that inspiration and ended up with, Do. Make. Say. Think.
HEAVE: You slowly implemented lyrics into your songs. How did that process/decision come about?
DMST: The songs themselves reveal the want to have words. We don’t approach singing or lyrics naturally, so when a song asks for them we take it to heart. It always happens we have our good friends Akron/Family around - so it’s nice.
HEAVE: You guys just hit the road for a 26 date European tour. How are the European crowds different than us North American kids?
DMST: Not very different at all. Our shows tend to bring out like-minded individuals. The language maybe differs but the mindset is similar. Touring has shown us is how similar we all our despite our cultural differences.
HEAVE: You guys have had music in a couple of different movies – what movie do you wish your music was in? In other words – what’s your favorite movies?
DMST: Movies that have feeling and a great storyline. And if not that, then movies where everything is exploding all the time.
Posted by Wes Soltis on Nov 11, 2009 @ 9:00 am
