Airtime - Rik Emmett
 

Darrin: Rik, it seems like The Liberty Manifesto has been in the works/talked about/anticipated for about 5 years now…. How long in actuality was the project from conception to delivery?

Rik: Mike & I started writing in mid ’04, I think. We delivered masters in the fall of ’07. We were both doing a lot of multi-tasking, and had many family things crop up throughout the time period.

Darrin: How was this project born? Who initiated it? You or Mike Shotton?

Rik: I’d say Mike was the one who was keen to do some writing together, and then who suggested we collaborate on rock stuff. Mike had originally had me out to his studio to play on some other projects he was producing. That was maybe late in 2003, and in 2004, we spent some time jamming on a few things that we had mutually found intriguing from traded ‘idea’ tapes.

Darrin: Bottom line, what are your personal feelings on the outcome of the project? Did you achieve what you set out to do?

Rik: I try not to think like that too much anymore. I set out to have an adventure and see what happens. I set out to try and get along with the person I’m collaborating with, and let the music lead me, and give it my best shot. I don’t think there’s any such thing as ‘perfect’ – and the challenge of music, of the art & craft of it, is infinite. So I try to remain humble, in the process, and also in the final analysis - that’s my bottom line. Did I have fun? Yep. Am I proud of the work? Yep. Would I do it again? If enough people remain interested in it, I might … for I was always constantly facing the question – “Rik – when will you rock again, if ever?” So now that curiosity angle has been satisfied. Will those people now decide to support that kind of work? Or will they just file-share it? I’d probably take another kick at it with Mike, sure, if we can get a decent paycheck for our time & energy.

Darrin: The entire product is very slick in the visual realm also. A very cool Airtime logo, and CD cover. Who took care of the graphic/branding part of the project for you?

Rik: The logo was something I sketched out, and Jeanine Leech from DoublePlay Designs realized it for me. Then Jim Bullotta, from Smash Designs, who does my website, and who’s done lots of stuff, from Van Halen packaging to websites to you-name-it, did the CD package.

Darrin: If you had to pick a track that you would consider the heart and soul of the project, what would that track be? Why?

Rik: There are a few things. The ‘epic’ track is Liberty, which lent its title to the CD package title as well, as the song deals with the complicated responsibilities that we all have towards freedom, and democracy – and Mike and I were functioning as indies, with our heads full of lots of baggage, setting out new & fresh once again. The instrumental “Transmutation” was musically very satisfying & fun – close to one of the first things that we worked up together, writing and playing off the studio floor … The two ‘single’ type songs that define the mainstream-ish accessibility of the band would probably be “Midnight” as the hard rock side, and “Find Your Way” as the melodic side [although early reaction was strong to “River”, so that raises an interesting point … ] Y’see – you’re asking me, as if my opinion matters. But we live in an age where the customer rules, and the consumer defines ‘results’ … What will stand the test of time? What emerges in collective consciousness? Maybe nothin’ … or maybe nothing that I would ever have picked. I don’t like to have to play games of prediction anymore. One should only be so lucky as to have market forces formulate a direction, and I wouldn’t have indulged in the different directions, and the different aspects of heart & soul, that exist in Airtime, if I hadn’t felt genuine about any of them. We are now in the phase where reviewers and critics will have opinions, and maybe champion some things, and maybe downgrade other things. I don’t get to pick much of anything now. My picking and choosing, my considerations, are done with. The music has become public ‘property’ now, and – in this modern digital world – the equation is even more out of my hands than it has ever been. The odds of the music becoming lost in the digital maelstrom are stacked against all but the super-duper heavyweight priority acts that have heavily funded machines behind ‘em.

Darrin: What was it like working/writing with Mike Shotton? What did Mike bring to the table that you had previously not experienced in writing and recording an album?

Rik: Tons of energy – an unbounded appetite for experimentation. It’s hard to get Mike to focus, sometimes – he loves tangents maybe even more than I do. But he’s talented, too – great singer, larger-than-life personality, multi-instrumentalist in terms of demoing up ideas. One of his great strengths is in the area of engineer / producer. He sure knows his way around ProTools.

Darrin: Aside from recording to PC, what different technologies and methods were used in this recording, vs your earlier rock recordings? Did you play with any new effects, techniques etc?

Rik: It was all new. But I’m fairly old school. To me, it’s about capturing performances – not necessarily making technology be the guiding force. I used my Yamaha Pacifica, and a Nathan East 5 string bass [playing bass on every track was a new one on me] … I borrowed some guitar amps, but it’s essentially the Vox Tonelab board, using mostly Marshall Plexi sounds.

Darrin: Your guitar chops are still so fresh and unique, after all of this time away from writing in the rock n roll frame of mind. Has the smooth jazz, blues, classical, folk and other styles you have concentrated on during your solo career, maintained that amazing rock technique that you are so admired for?

Rik: I don’t know. I don’t really set out trying to be “amazing” – it’s not a pursuit of gymnastic or pyrotechnical technique. I just write, and play, and do what I do, and try to be the best me that I can. It’s not easy – I was very happy to have Michael as an editing surgeon on many things we were doing. But I think the range of my approach in different styles has helped me with perspectives, yeah. Good music is good music, no matter what style it is. It has to do with dynamics and expression – feel – and I think I have a better sense of what I like and don’t like [what’s good and what needs to be done again] now that I’m older.

Darrin: On that note, how have you kept your voice in such great shape over the years? Did you find it a challenge in the recording process to get those songs down vocally?

Rik: Yes – it was a challenge. And Shotton is someone who can sing higher than me – and he’s a younger man. But it’s also good to have a producer that understands that physical process, too – and he knew when he could push me, and when he had to back off ,and when he had a good take, and when he knew we’d have to try it another day. As the sessions evolved, thankfully, it got a bit easier to take advantage of good days.

I don’t smoke, and don’t drink alcohol too much. Maybe my voice stayed strong because it got so much abuse over the years from me coaching on baseball diamonds and soccer pitches. It’s probably more just good genetics and dumb luck.

Darrin: How was the experience, having the disc mastered over at Metalworks? Was there any nostalgia in working on a rock project over there?

Rik: It had a bit of a surreal air when it first started, but the people there were nice, and I know the manager from way back [cuz he used to work at Phase One, where Triumph made a studio production deal long before we even thought of building Metalworks]. Nick Blagona did a great job, so it was a great experience. I’d also like to think that we brought him final mixes that were very good. I didn’t think of it as nostalgic – it was a new experience. Totally new gear, new room [for me], new personnel. There were some moments, but it was also a great relief, in some ways, to re-establish an acquaintance with Gil Moore, and to reconcile with him. There had been too much negative baggage for too long, and it was good to have a mutual agreement to get rid of the baggage and move forward. Having Mike Shotton and I in as guests, to master at the Metalworks as guests of Gil, was a classy gesture that I really appreciated.

Darrin: Are you looking at opportunities to perform this material live?

Rik: If & when the opportunities present themselves, I’ll look at them. It’s premature to think about that at this point.

Darrin: Was it difficult to find the distribution partners that you were comfortable with in Europe and Japan? In turn, are you happy in the decision to not fully market this project on your own as your previous releases have been?

Rik: We did go through some weird shopping stuff, and of course the music business is in complete disarray – perhaps even annihilation, as I’ve known it. I’m grateful to have Marquee and Escape doing their respective things in their respective territories – let’s hope that they can provide some market muscle, and gain some traction, that would be impossible for an indie act, trying to market globally. But we’ve kept our own North American rights, and that’s because we couldn’t find any offer that made any sense to us. Which doesn’t make me bitter or anything – the state of the biz is … well … it’s destroyed, and what will rise from the ashes? It’s a sub-theme of the album, actually … There is so little interest, in the music business, in rock music that comes from the classic, melodic, hard, slightly progressive territory. But there are actually plenty of people out there who seem interested in it. So maybe our partners will know how to get us some profile in that community, and we can use that to find that audience in North America too.

Darrin: Now that Airtime is officially out the door as to speak, what is next on your plate? Is Marco finally going to get completed, or are you going to focus on performing in 2008?

Rik: I’m going to try and finish Marco, and do another Troubadours CD with Dave in the smooth jazz territory. I have a new relationship with Gibson guitars and Traynor amps and I hope to build on that, and Shotton and I will probably start writing some new rock stuff soon too. But first up is – Mike is going to help produce & engineer to get the Marco thing finished

Darrin: I wish you, Mike, Spud Wharton, Dave Dunlop and the rest of your supporting cast the very best of luck with Airtime, and all other projects and ventures in 2008. Thanks for again, taking your time to answer my questions!