September 27, 2004

Interview with Rod Chappel of Lightspeed

Many of us have had the dream of putting together a band, with heavy hitting guitar and drum songs, heart breaking ballads and the best name for a band ever! While “the best” is completely subjective the dream is universal. Rod Chappel and crew share that same dream, and through hard work and long lasting determination they have turned that dream to reality, and yes, they do have a great name … Lightspeed.

Through the process of interviewing Rod I got a glimpse into what it takes to create and maintain a working band these days, and I am convinced it’s not easy. These guys all work day jobs like the rest of us and when the work day is done they don’t kick back with a cold one and watch the game, instead, they pick up their instruments and work all over again to make their dreams a reality.

As I thought about what I saw and then considered their name I began to wonder if the name didn’t say more than I had once thought, life moves very slow, with long days and long weeks … but for these guys every chance they get they pick up their guitars and for a brief moment while on stage or in the studio or just jamming life does break into Lightspeed!!

1. To begin, I would like to ask you to introduce yourself, Rod Chappell of Lightspeed, the man behind the music.

Well, I can't remember a time that I wasn't in a band. When my brother and I were very young we used to make 'music' using household items...pots and pans, spoons etc. Anything that we could get our hands on. As far as being "serious" about music, it really began one day in 1967 when I heard "ARE YOU EXPERIENCED?" by Jimi Hendrix. My older sister had a friend from the UK who used to get albums sent to him before they were released in Canada and the US. I came home from school and heard this incredible sound blasting from my parents' hi-fi. It was like nothing I (or anyone else for that matter) had ever heard before. I remember turning to her, pointing at the speakers and announcing "That is what I want to do!" Of course, before that time I was into the Beatles, but this was beyond that.

2. Now, for the most important question, what has the band been up to lately and when can we expect to hear more?

A few years back I moved from Canada to here in the US. That has slowed things down somewhat as far as Lightspeed is concerned. That problem has recently been fixed now that we're all connected with high-speed internet. We've managed to put the finishing touches on our latest (3rd) CD. All that is remaining is decide which direction we will take regarding the cover art. We hope to have that finalized by the end of this month. Once that is decided the CD will be ready for release. I've been in conversation with Mark Wilkinson who has done artwork for Marillion, Fish, Peter Gabriel and several others. We'll know shortly if we're going to go that route. Right now we have some samples of possible covers on-line on a voting page: http://www.prazen.com/lightspeed/voting.html Fans have been visiting the site and voting for the cover he/she likes best. One lucky voter will win a copy of each of our 3 CDs.

We are in the early stages of work on our next recording. I'll be showcasing some of the tunes I've written for it next week when I return to Canada to get together with the boys. We intend to do something a bit different next time. In the past, our music has been more 'live' oriented with the emphasis on being able to copy it exactly as recorded when we play live. For this next venture I want to forget about that and 'play the studio'. Lightspeed is very fortunate to have our own studio located in our drummer Terry's house. Besides being a great drummer, Terry works as an engineer/producer. So, we can spend as much time as we wish experimenting in the studio. We'll sort out how to reproduce the tunes live when the time comes.

In the meantime, I'm in the middle of working on a solo CD called THE NEXT STEP which tells the story of an artist's life. Several players from all over the world have contributed parts for the songs. I hope to have this project completed by the spring if all goes according to plan. (how often does THAT happen?)

3. What can you us about the new album, the feel, the production and how it compares in style with the prior Lightspeed releases?

I think the new CD shows we've matured as songwriters. We didn't have the luxury of unlimited time to work the songs on our previous recordings like we did on this one. Also, we were fortunate this time around to have the services of John Bianchini as co-producer. He managed to get great tracks to tape and helped us to explore the songs in ways we couldn't before. Another big difference is the return of my brother Gary on keyboards. He is one of the original members from the 70's version of the band and his style fits Lightspeed perfectly. He had left to pursue other musical avenues, but is back now...and we're excited about having his playing back into our sound. Also, he's a great writer...

4. Is there one song on the new album that has special meaning to you, one that you could share some of the history of where it comes from and why it is special to you?

It's hard for me to pick one song out of the pack. Having said that, I get somewhat choked up when I listen to ONE LAST TIME. John (Percy) did an incredible job on this one. I dare anyone to listen to him on that one and not have to wipe away the tears. I've always been blown away by his vocals (we've worked together off and on for over 25 years) but he found a place on this one that just absolutely moves me.

Lyrically, it's actually a summary of 3 different experiences. The first verse is about an experience I had in Toronto years ago when I chatted with an elderly man sitting in a park downtown. He was somewhat intoxicated. I happened to ask him about what had led him to be in the state he was in and he proceeded to tell me his life story. It was incredibly sad I must tell you. The second verse is about a young boy I saw who was obviously mentally challenged. He was watching the other kids playing in the park and the look on his face showed that he wished he could join them. The final verse is about someone who was close to the band who is now lost to us. Each event talks about having one more chance.

Funny enough, I was not going to present this one to the band. I didn't think the boys would be interested in doing it as it's not exactly the style we generally play, but my brother heard me playing it on a piano in my house and commanded me to play it for the band. I was sure it wouldn't be included in the list of tunes we were going to record. I was dead wrong on that one. I played a demo of it in our practice studio, expecting to hear "Yeah, nice tune, but not right for us." Instead, after hearing it, Gene and John looked at me. Gene immediately turned to me and said "This one HAS to be on the new CD!" John immediately and enthusiastically agreed. I really was surprised. Now, I'm glad I took my bro's advice!

5. In the past we have interviewed artists from all over the world, including some from Canada, would you tell us a bit about how the local music scene is and have you been playing any local shows?

North America in general has changed tremendously over the past years. Back in the 70's and early 80's Lightspeed toured constantly. Sadly, those days are gone. There are very few venues left to play unless you're a rapper. The good news is that Europe is still in the market for our type of music. Once the new CD is finished, we plan to put together a couple of mini-tours to support it. We've talked about returning to the UK as well as possibly Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden. It's really a matter of getting a good label behind us. We'll be rehearsing a new live show later this month while we're working on the songs for our next recording. Nothing is concrete yet, but I'm confident we'll play in at least one of the countries I've mentioned.

6. It is always interesting to read about the history of a band and start to feel the personality of not only the musicians but also of the band itself, to me Lightspeed has a feel of self expression, freedom and a sincere love of the music; would you agree with this and if so what would you add?

You pegged that one. The great thing about the band the way it is now is that we don't need it for our livelihood. Back in the days it was our main (if not only) source of income and there was a lot of pressure on us to make it commercially viable. Now, we can basically do it the way we want...no restrictions. If our CD doesn't sell a pile of copies we can still make our mortgage and car payments. So in that way the music is much more sincere as you put it. We didn't have to think in terms of 'demographics' or compromise the songs in any way. And now that we've experienced how it feels to write and record this way, I can see we're going to go even further in that direction. I love the way the Beatles recorded St. Pepper. Forget about having to play the songs live...forget everything, just have some fun in the studio and do it the way you feel. And with the amount of creative energy within Lightspeed, I can hardly wait to hear what we come up with.

7. Lightspeed has been around since the late seventies, if not in practice at least in thought and the music has lived on through all the years; how would you say this go around after the temporary break up in the 80s, how has the industry changed?

Well, from my experience the music industry was different for a very short time during the late 60's early 70's. Record companies were mostly run by musicians and/or music enthusiasts. Being experimental was the norm. But eventually big money again moved in to pasteurize, stamp, label and market popular music into a nice safe easily marketed product. (N'Sync anyone?) I'm speaking of course of what I see here in North America. Fortunately, other parts of the world haven't followed this trend entirely...There's still hope :-)

8. One of the major changes has been the invent and spread of the internet with the opportunity to bring your music into thousands of homes with the click of the button; what is your thought on the benefits and draw backs of the internet?

Actually, I was heading for this subject in the last question, but saved it for here when I saw this one. We are very fortunate that my wife Cori is our webmaster...and a VERY talented one at that :-) The internet (in my opinion) will be the saving grace for our type of bands. I believe it has and will continue to help create a market for music that steps outside of the boundaries set up by the Music Industry overlords. Your e-zine is an excellent example. A few years ago, this type of thing would not have been possible. But, here we are. You and I have never met...and in all likelihood would never have known each other exists if not for the cyber-world. And because of our meeting, several others will now know of our band who wouldn't have. I see no limitations. In a few years, as more and more people are able to get high-speed access, you'll start to see live concerts available on-line. Right now I'm able to hook up my home-studio directly to Lightspeed's studio back in Canada and record my tracks 1700 miles away. And with our webcam set-up, we and seeing each other live as I'm doing it. How amazing is THAT? And really, compared to what will be available in just a few short years, we're still in the infant stages. I'm EXTREMELY excited about what the 'net will have to offer.

9. The progressive movement has had many changes over the years, some up times and some down, what do you predict will happen over the next few years, and where would you like to see it go?

The progressive movement has never really been huge in comparison to the other styles that surrounded it. Certainly Yes, Crimson and a few others managed to fill the halls back in prog's day, but most of the bands like Nektar, Gentle Giant etc were playing to relatively small crowds. I don't think that 'progressive' music is ever going to dominate the rock world, but I think it will always be a part of it. There will always be a percentage of people who are just not moved by mainstream music and thus there will be bands to fill that need. Of the modern bands who today are creating this type of music, I'm a fan of Spock's Beard, The Flower Kings, Glass Hammer, RPWL,Mostly Autumn, Anglagard, Flamborough Head, Nektar, Senses and especially Porcupine Tree.

10. The life of a musician can be a beautiful and rewarding thing but can also be very hectic and take a toll, what have you done to maintain a balance between the music and life?

I make sure that I set aside a part of each day to dedicate to music. At least an hour is spent doing scales to help keep up my chops. There's a guitar in practically every room in my house so no matter where I am (bathroom included) I can pick up an axe. I have a small deck attached to my house which overlooks the entire valley. This is where I like to do much of my writing. It's VERY peaceful there. I'd say probably 90% of songs I've written for the next Lightspeed project have been written while sitting out there, guitar in hand. Things will be somewhat different by the spring of next year in that I'll be teaching guitar full-time then and will have a great deal more free time to spend in my studio as well as travelling back to Canada. That will certainly help to get things finished much sooner.

11. Many of our visitors are young musicians looking to learn something from these interviews to help them on their way to catch the golden ring in the music world; do you have any words of advice for them?

The best advice I can give is to pass on the best advice I've received. WRITE, PLAY AND RECORD WHAT IS IN YOUR HEART. Don't try to analyze what might sell better or what people might want to hear. Do it the way YOU feel it. A kind of mantra that seems to follow us these days is "Have fun doing it as that may be the only reward we see." But isn't that a great reward in and of itself? It was certainly a wonderful feeling when we found out our CD SO...EXACTLY WHERE ARE WE?" Was number 24 on the Japanese music charts, but the greatest joy we got from that CD was the fun we had writing the songs and jamming them in the studio and listening to the final product when we finally completed it. That reward will stay with me all of my life.
And one other thing.....WEAR EAR PROTECTION!!!!!! If I could go back and change anything, it would be that!!! Don't put it off, don't even think about it. Go out today and buy some kind of ear plugs........today....today....NOW!

12. And, last but never least do you have a closing message for your loyal fans?

Some of you have been waiting a long time for us to finish this our 3rd CD. Well, let me assure you that you'll find it was well worth the wait. We are so very appreciative of the love and support we receive from our fans. You guys and gals make it all worthwhile. Your loyalty does not go unnoticed! If all goes well, we may be playing in your hometown next summer...See y'all then....

Posted by Kathy at September 27, 2004 06:26 AM