Hardcorekids seem to end up in the most diverse musical genres. If it's not hiphop (the Beastie Boys), it could be melancholic singer-songwriter-stuff (Elliott Smith), or nerdy electronic music (Moby). But 80's classic rock? That might be stretching it a bit. Not for the guys and girl in All I Know though. Starting out as a regular poppunk band and releasing two more than decent demo's over the course of the last two years, they now show themselves ready for the big world with the release of their debutalbum 'Vanity Kills'.
Released by themselves out of impatience, the album is a treat to anyone with an ear for catchy hooks and poppy melodies, in short, for anyone who likes his music 'big' and instant-stadiumtour-ready. The band at this point consists of Amely Mondy (bass), Michaël Neyt (guitar and vocals), Ward Dufraimont (guitar and vocals) and latest member Dries Van Dyck (drum). Michaël, Ward and Dries are all ex-member of more or less famous Belgian hardcorebands, such as Liar, Firestone, Convict and Bloodshed.
During the recording of the album, while the band was locked up in a notorious studio in the centre of Brussels for several months, they managed to ensnare the cream of the crop of Belgian popmusicians to play along on some songs, thus showing a band more confident than ever of its own work. The time was right to ask main songwriter and founding member Ward Dufraimont (26) some questions about Bon Jovi, pissing people off and veganism.
First off, what inspired you to start All I Know at the time, when you were still playing with Liar?
Dufraimont: "I had been playing in metalcore bands for yeas. I needed a way to get some other musical influences off my chest. It kinda started as a thing on the side, we probably rehearsed for close to two years without ever thinking about playing shows or whatnot. It was just something I enjoyed doing with friens, it didn't get 'serious' until the Liar thing had run its course."
AIK used to be more of a poppunkband a couple of years ago, but with 'Vanity Kills' you seem to have changed styles pretty drastically. Is this the kind of music you wanted to make with the band all along, or is it something that just came naturally?
"None of us follow the whole poppunk thing anymore. We wanted our first full length album to be something that represented what we ourselves would enjoy listening to. Everyone in AIK is very much into classic melodic rock, with big choruses, big hooks, big everything. The first few songs we wrote for the album were pretty much in the vein of our previous work. Early on though, we noticed we weren't enjoying it as much as we used to. The only solution was to just go with what came naturally, instead of desperately trying to write what people expected from us. It's not like we look down on the poppunk thing now though. It's just that there's so many bands out there doing that, and some of them are doing a way better job than we ever did. AIK as a band decided that we were going to do whatever we wanted, which in itself is a very 'punk' thing to do." (smiles)
You used to play in Liar and Firestone, both bands are rather uncomparable to AIK. Back then, did you enjoy the music you were playing? How was it different from how you're experiencing things now?
"The biggest difference is that Firestone and Liar were two bands that had been going on for years before I joined them. I had the privilige to twice join a band that I had been looking up to and drooling over for years. The other side of the coin was that I was playing someone else's music. At first you're happy playing in an established band. After a while though I started losing interest in that type of music, and I was also craving for more control over music and the decision-making. I wanted my own thing I guess.
Another difference is that with AIK i had to start from scratch, and I had to do everything myself, which meant a rough start and a lot of hard work, but I've learned it's more gratifying in the end."
Tell me about your vegan-straightedge lifestyle.
"First off, I'd like to make it clear that AIK is not a band with a 'message'. It's not an issue for us, we are 4 individuals with different opinions on just about anything. I obviously have a lot of respect for bands that stand for something, and convey that message in their lyrics. In AIK we just focus on the music though, we'd like to think that people can have a good time with our music. An escape from the pressures of everyday-life.
For me personally, it doesn't really matter how you label your, or my, personaly lifestyle. We all have our opinions and ideals, and we try our best to live up to them day in day out. I believe that every living being has a right to live its life without any other stepping on its rights. That's why I choose not to consume any animal products, and I stay away from everything that's even remotely connected to animal testing or suffering. I also stay away from any intoxicants that may cloud my mind or my judgement, be it alcohol, nicotine, drugs,.. Aside from the above, I also try to live as healthy as possible, so in my diet I stay away from sugar, artificial colorings, cafeine, ... I could go on all day. It's about doing what you can, I might not always succeed. I don't claim to be perfect, but at least I try."
Back to the music then. AIK's sound is obviously influenced by artists such as Bon Jovi, Bryan Adams and Roxette, to name a few. What's up with your passion for them? How did they influence you?
"I grew up on classic late 80's melodic rock bands like GNR, Bon Jovi, Bryan Adams, ... It's still my favourite kind of music. My record collection is very broad, I can enjoy any good song regardless of the genre. There's rock records, there's also metal, punk, hiphop, pop, ... One thing sticks out though: I'm a sucker for melody and hooks. 'Vanity Kills' is obviously influenced by classic 80's rock. It can go from production ideas, to song-structure, vocal arrangements, anything. Music that sonically sounds great, that you can rock out to, that makes you feel good. Basically, escapism from real life."
Isn't there any danger that people will regard the music as an anachronism, as being outdated?
"I know what you're getting at. We're toying with a style of music that has been largely extinct or out of the public eye for the past 20 years. People make fun of the 'hair-metal' bands I grew up on all the time. The 'poodle' haircuts and the style of clothing don't work in this day and age. You don't hear these bands on the radio anymore, they don't have hitsingles, even though most of them have continued to make albums. Face it though, good music will speak for itself. Bands like Def Leppard and Bon Jovi still sell out arenas all over the world. If you remain true to what you believe in, and you do it well, you have a shot at getting somewhere. And even if you don't, at least you had the guts to go out there and go against the trend of the day. In my opinion, that alone deserves respect."
How does the band exist as a song-producing entity?
"From the very start I've been writing most of our music and lyrics. At the time the other people in the band had little to no experience being in a band. Over time though, Michaël (Neyt) has been writing more and more. He has 4 out of 12 songs on the new album. It's a challenge to try and top eachother's work. It keeps me on my toes."
What's your main goal with the band at this point?
"AIK basically has a policy of 'the sky is the limit', whatever that means. One thing that always bugged me about the hardcore scene is that you're basically playing for the same people over and over again. With AIK, we can pretty much play to every possible crowd. It's radio-friendly music that even your mother might enjoy, yet it's not contrived like a lot of popbands these days. It still has an edge to it. We have big plans for this new record, we're going to do everything in our power to get it out there to as much people as possible. If we fail, at least we tried!"
Shows have always been some sort of hit or miss, at least back in the days where I would attend a lot of them. I remember people shouting things at the stage and even throwing stuff. Did it ever get really out of hand?
"If you're in a band, there's always gonna be people that don't like what you're doing. My advice is: if you can't take it, don't do it. It'll drive you crazy. I've learned to deal with it. I laugh about it now. The way I look at it now is 'what have YOU done?'.
We've had our share of shit thrown our way, believe me. AIK has done some downright silly things in the past, and we got ridiculed a lot. We've never been comfortable with the stuck-up over-serious atmosphere at a lot of shows, and I guess it was our way of dealing with that. A common thread among the criticism on AIK is the 'you are gay' and 'you sing like a girl' stuff. Then we'd play a Britney song or a Clouseau song to piss people off. We've had stuff thrown our way and people have threatened to kick our skinny asses, but so far we're still alive.
At the end of the day, it all comes down to whether you can deliver the goods musically or not, and I think a lot of the nay-sayers would have to eat their words if they took the time to check out the new album."
Lets end this with a personal question: what kind of person would you consider yourself to be, and how does your music reflect that?
"I don't think my personality shines through much in my music. Maybe if someone would be crazy enough to study my lyrics, you might get a slight idea. I'd like to think that to my friends I'm a fun guy to be around. I can be a pain in the ass though. I'm very opinionated, I don't make friends easily and I treasure my time alone. On the other hand I'm always in for a laugh. Life's too short anyway."
Bandpicture by Stijn Willekens. B/w picture Ward by Dieter De Volder @ De Kreun, Kortrijk.
