Interview: Look What I Did

Look What I Did are an American post hardcore/info-punk band. I caught up with vocalist, and co-founder of upcoming music service Gazzmic, Barry Donegan. He touches on hot topics such as Mr. Bungle, the CIA, Atlas Shrugged, and changing the history of music. Here's what he had to say:

Beez: Can you give a brief background of when and how you guys got together to form the band?

Barry: The band formed in 2001 in Nashville, Tennessee. The original lineup included Colby Shea and Miles McPherson (who now plays drums for Kelly Clarkson). Jake and Ty joined us at different intervals during the heavy touring cycle after Minuteman for the Moment, and they both have been involved in the writing process fully from that point on including on Atlas Drugged and Zanzibar III which is being written right now.

Beez: When I first heard Atlas Drugged, it was the music itself with its lack of traditional song structure which I found quite unique and interesting. What influences do have (either musically or otherwise) which help create this and separate you from other bands which likely grew up listening to the same artists as you?

Barry: Mr. Bungle was influential on us in the sense that they paved the way for bands who enjoy the counterculture and the heavier and punkier side of music to actually experiment as a true musician rather than just ramming power chords down and calling it a day. While there is always room for simpler and more traditional musical styles, someone has to break new ground. I think what differentiates us from a lot of our peers in other bands is that we intentionally resist trends and try our hardest to deviate from our influences rather than trying harder and harder to sound like a preexisting thing and thus becoming a somewhat simpler version of an existing band. I'm not in the business of hating on other bands, but originality is just a serious focus for Look What I Did, and I'm not sure it is for most bands right now.

We could have played rap metal in 1999. We could have played youth crew in 2001.We could have played breakdowns in 2003. We could have played arpeggio sweeps in 2008. It's not that we didn't know how or didn't realize that it would have made us more popular, it's that it is not our job to do that. It is Look What I Did's job to innovate and experiment and break ground for other bands to use in the future.

Beez: Upon listening further, I found the lyrics on Atlas Drugged make it a truly great album. You question topics such as religion, the Federal Reserve, CIA conspiracies, and have a dig at Leo Strauss. Was it always the intention of the band to raise issues such as these or were you just particularly irked by certain aspects of society at the time?

Barry: Lyrics for me flow with inspiration. I have always been somewhat interested in those subjects, but they are especially pertinent in modern times. We are living through a paradigm shift, and I don't pull punches on the message. At the same time, I take caution to pick very specific and less obvious subjects so as to not force people to accept the views in the songs in order to enjoy them. 

On the other hand, some issues transcend even ideology and politics. The Federal Reserve, the CIA, the impact of Leo Strauss, those are intellectual subjects forever tied to the modern era that should be expected to appear in art, in my view. However, I write about nearly any subject in lyrics, and no subject matter remains on the table or would ever be off the table. It is important to flow with what inspires you at the time. In my mind, that's the most efficient way to make good stuff consistently.

Beez: Can you describe the process you go through in coming up with songs. Are the lyrics totally Barry’s ideas or does the band sit down and work out what messages they want to convey?

Barry: The lyrics are more my idea in most cases, though Chris wrote a few lines on Atlas Drugged. Sometimes the core idea comes from another band member, and I've had some lyrics vetoed by everyone else as well. Everyone has their own contribution to the writing process. Ty and Chris are the most concerned with the overall sound once the song begins taking a bit of shape. Skeet and Ty often come up with the basis of riffs. Chris is usually the most involved on the back end. I feel like Jake might have written some guitar riffs as well, and he is charged with keeping the chaos together.

During the Minuteman for the Moment phase, Colby and Miles were the most dominant during the writing process, so that was an entirely different procedure. Overall, we have a very democratic process when we write music, and that makes it take a little bit longer than a band who uses the Nirvana formula where a single member pretty much writes the song and everyone else just adds flair. We write by debating the parts out until they become something completely else than what they were in the beginning.

Beez: Are you looking forward to the release of the Atlas Shrugged film/s?

Barry: Absolutely! What strange timing! I believe in individual freedom and detest subjugation by institutions. I resist institutions, institutionally. So, Atlas Shrugged is right up my ally in that sense. Ayn Rand is a controversial figure, but her influence on society is undeniable, and she has introduced a very cohesive philosophy for those of us that don't like submitting to arbitrary and unchecked authority in life.

Beez: You recently wrote a blog entry on the Gazzmic website about the selection of band names. Would you go back and change the name Look What I Did (Liquid Eyelid) if you had the opportunity?

Barry: Actually, I'm pretty satisfied with the name personally. It's probably possible to pick names in different ways now, but it is a good phrase, and we've managed to continue to keep the front page of Google full despite the fact that the phrase is used by millions of people online every day, and we're competing head-on with a corporate television show by the same name and generally winning according to the algorithms of notability online. We've been using the name substantially longer, so that helps quite a lot I'm sure. 

Beez: Staying on the topic of Gazzmic; can you give a relatively simple description of how it will help both bands and fans to easily connect with each other and find (new) music?

Barry: Regarding Gazzmic, I can only talk about certain things at this phase due to the non-disclosure agreements involved in starting a new online music service that is still in development. The first thing we have on the menu is a band iPhone app platform that will also be portable to the Android Market. Bands need a presence they can control on a mobile app since so many people are using smartphones now. There is a much bigger picture to this, though, that I can't go into great detail on just yet. We're taking Gazzmic one phase at a time, and our first objective is creating the platform and all the technology involved in that. From there, it will expand into something that changes everything. 

Beez: What stage are you at with Gazzmic, and when could we likely see a launch of the iPhone/Android app? Can you give any details on what it will provide for users?

Barry: Gazzmic is in the development stage, and we are close to the start of closed beta. A launch date isn't set yet, but will be in time. I can't discuss too many specific features of the service yet, simply because too many of them are unique and innovative, and we don't want to begin explaining them until we can demonstrate them in action. 

It will also have all the traditional stuff that people expect from a content delivery system for a band. Obviously, musicians will be able to offer the typical material like MP3 downloads, tour dates, biographical information, and streaming content, but there will be a lot of unique and new features that will be true game-changers. Each of them will be announced in great detail when they are about ready to be implemented. 

Beez: How have “mainstream” artists and labels reacted to Gazzmic? Have any become involved in the project?

Barry: Mainstream artists are very receptive to what we are doing with Gazzmic. Some major artists and noteworthy labels have already requested beta keys so that they can be involved in the beta testing process. I won't spill the beans on who just yet, though, but I'm sure everyone will know when their profiles launch. We have a mind-blowing number of bands signed up to beta test Gazzmic already, and we haven't even started closed beta yet. We get a growing number of requests every day. The hype has definitely taken on a life of its own.

Beez: I think everyone (except the major labels themselves) can agree that the current business model of selling records/cd’s is dead/dying. Where do you see the future of music headed?

Barry: The current model is dead, and there will be a new way to monetize music. I am certain that we have it figured out, and I have typed up this new system into a manuscript which we will allow everyone to read just as soon as we finish building the technology to make it possible. Ordinarily I would be more transparent with my thinking, but the Gazzmic team is investing serious financial and sweat-equity resources into making this happen, so I must conduct myself in a manner befitting of a founder of an online service that is about to change the world and the history of music.

Beez: What are the upcoming plans for Look What I Did? I’ve seen rumours of a possible tour with Polkadot Cadaver and Creature Feature, plus also a trip to Europe.

Barry: There will be a specific announcement regarding this general subject very soon which I can't specifically comment on right now. :) I can say though that we would love to tour Europe some day, and if any of our European fans can assist us in reaching new fans, getting press, developing booking contacts, and anything else, we'd appreciate your support. The more grass roots support we receive in Europe, the easier it will be to tour there.

Beez: Do you know if you have any sort of fan base in Australia or here in New Zealand? If so, any chance of a tour?

Barry: I know that we do, and those would be great places to tour. Once again, the more support we get from our fans on other continents, the easier it is for us to tour in those specific places. Generally, Look What I Did is more popular in other countries than we are in the United States. I'm not sure why that is, because we've toured the US 12 or so times, and we've never toured in any other country. But online, our stats are very favorable in other countries around the world. 

Beez: Any other comments/opinions you would like to add?

Barry: I'd encourage your readers to check out the Look What I Did blog http://ihatelookwhatidid.blogspot.com and, if they are musicians, to visit http://www.gazzmic.com and apply for the closed beta program which will allow them to use the band iPhone and Android app platform for free before it launches to the general public.

Once again, thanks Barry for your time and effort. It is greatly appreciated, you rule!