Emerson Drive - Brad Mates Interview
By Janelle Landauer
CMO: Why did you decide to record and release your new single, "Last One Standing?"
Brad Mates: Basically, what happened was we were finished with the whole album "Last One Standing" came across the desk at the last second. And we felt that it was a strong song, and basically showcased the band in the every way and we felt it was the icing on the cake for the album. That's why we picked "Last One Standing."
CMO: What kind of songs can we expect to hear on the new album, and how many tracks will be on there?
Brad Mates: There should be about 12 tracks on the album. We have to cut a few songs on it right now because I think we have about 14 that are on there so we have to cut a couple and go from there. Basically, what's going to happen on this new album is you are going to hear a more mature sound from the band than the first album. I think we were a little more comfortable going into the studio this time recording the second cd. Musically through, the band has stepped up another notch and we feel that if we can keep progressing musically in the studio, then we are making steps forward in our career. That's pretty exciting. Then also, to do some of the different songs that we got from different songwriters. We wrote about half the album ourselves. This time around, I think it was just the whole chemistry a little more grounded, and we felt a little more comfortable.
CMO: How would you describe the whole process of recording albums, and what is a typical day in the studio like?
Brad Mates: For us recording, it is a pretty exciting thing. We are one of the few groups that actually get to play everything on our album. Sing every note, play every instrument. That's exciting for us. Every two years, it seems like we get to go in and record a cd. Back when we started this in March, for a couple months, it was amazing to get back into the studio and create music. Basically what happens, you do the drums, the bass, and the keyboards first. We did all that stuff in Nashville. All of us go in the studio. We play the songs. Mike (our drummer), Patrick (our bass player) and Dale (our keyboard player) would go over their parts, and make sure they are happy with them. And then, basically we did the over parts. All the guitars, the vocals, the fiddle. All the stuff that is the last that goes on the album we did in Chicago at our producers house. Basically, spend about a month, I guess at Richard's house. Going into the studio every day and doing your parts. A great thing about having a house studio is that if you don't feel up to the part (your voice feels a little tired) you can always take a few hours to let someone else do their thing and come back and do it again. It comes back to not having that pressure to have to finish something up in a certain amount of time.
CMO: What made you decide to work with Richard Marx on all of this album?
Brad Mates: Richard worked with us on the last album for two songs: "Fall Into Me" and "How Lucky I am." Our biggest success so far has been with "Fall Into Me." When we met Richard, he was a big fan of the band already, and we had a great connection when we first met him. Everyone enjoyed how Richard was approaching the music, his background is so vast when it comes to music, and it only helped us to learn from him. This whole next cd is produced by him. It's amazing. It's one thing to go into the studio and play music but when you have a conductor looking over the whole project like Richard, it only benefits us.
CMO: Many fans want to know if you plan to do a radio promo tour in Canada when the new cd comes out?
Brad Mates: I think that when spring and summer hits. The cd is going to be coming out hopefully in April. We already have some dates that are booked up in Canada for the summer at bigger festivals. I think we are going to be up there as much as we can. It's one thing to be busy all the time down here. I guess it makes things a little extra special when you are able to go back home and play for crowds that haven't seen you for awhile.
CMO: How does it feel to be opening up for Shania on her huge tour? Are you doing anything different in your performances than you would at a concert where you were headlining?
Brad Mates: Our set is cut down about three quarters of what it was. We only do about 25 minutes with her. The thing is that we are hitting 17,000 to 19,000 people every night when we are with her. A lot of those people haven't heard of Emerson Drive before. So for us to be able to get up on stage with her every night and play our 7 songs, we are basically winning over new fans every night. We think it is the perfect set up for us and the new cd.
CMO: What is your favorite song to perform live, and why?
Brad Mates: Favorite song to perform live is a song on the new album "Waitin' On Me." We've opened it up with it every night on her tour, and it's just one of those songs if you listen to it once, you know the words to it already and people seem to really catch on to it and sing along by the time the second chorus comes around.
CMO: What do you like about touring? What do you dislike?
Brad Mates: I guess the thing about touring with us is that there is something new every single day. We're all in our mid 20's now and being able to travel through North America, and travel for free, basically and do a job that you love. You can't ask for more than that. The only tough thing is being away from family. We see our parents, brothers, and sisters about two times a year. Once at Christmas time, and once if we are lucky if we get up there in the summer. Family, and friends. Leaving them behind is a tough thing to deal with sometimes.
CMO: What goals have you accomplished already, and what do you still want to accomplish with your music career?
Brad Mates: The sky is the limit for accomplishing goals, that's for sure. I guess we have obtained some things in our career so far that have been really good when it comes to industry standards. Winning a few awards. Being on one of the biggest tours in the country right now. It's been a whirlwind. I hope we can have longevity in this career. That's the number one thing. If we can be around for 20, 25 or 30 years, that would just be amazing.
All interviews are copyright © and may not be used without the written consent of Country Music Online
