Rock My Monkey: Hello, you are listening to the Rock My Monkey netcast on RockMyMonkey.com. Today we are speaking with Gabriel Scott of the band The Bleeder Project. How are you doing today, Gabriel?
Gabriel Scott: I’m doing great. Thanks for having me.
Rock My Monkey: Since most of my readers and listeners will be new to The Bleeder Project, if you don’t mind, let’s start out by having you tell me how all this got started?
Gabriel Scott: Well, I’ve been doing a lot of songwriting and recording for years. I was in a band called Burning Orange a number of years ago, with people like Mike Smith who went on to be in with (Limp) Bizkit, and Henrik Ostergaard who was in several bands popular in the 90’s. I was groomed in those projects, and started working on some of my own stuff, and I realized I wanted to do a heavy, electro metal type of project. I figured-putting a band together in the San Francisco Bay area is almost impossible I find, so I realized I was going to be doing this pretty much alone. So I decided I was thinking like ‘the bleeder’ is kind of the outcast kid, the misfit that doesn’t fit in anywhere, and nobody wants to play with that kid, or they can’t for that matter. So I decided The Bleeder Project kind of fit me, so I started writing some songs, and working on the material, and suddenly people started to seem kind of interested in it. So I just ran with it, and that’s led to the cd coming out. We’re on tour now for it. That’s kind of how it got to this point, in a brief nutshell.
Rock My Monkey: The band’s MySpace says that half the band comes from San Francisco, and half the band comes from Tokyo, Japan. How did that come about?
Gabriel Scott: There’s been a number of different members who’ve come through the band. I do all the writing, programming, and sort of mastermind the project. There’s sort of a revolving door of different people who perform with me. Several of those people have all come from Tokyo, Japan. And I spent a little bit of time in Japan, myself. There’s a similarity-a lot of people here in The States aren’t familiar with a lot of the Japanese visual K and shock rock bands over there. But there’s sort of a common thread between all of those acts and some of the people who perform with the live version of show.
Rock My Monkey: What is the inspiration behind the title, The “Systematic Subversion Of Fear And Insecurity”?
Gabriel Scott: When I started working on the album, I noticed that a lot of things were-I was really inspired by a lot of political and social things that are going on, obviously. A lot of people are aware that San Francisco is a highly politicized area. I’m very influenced by what goes on in the city, and what I’m exposed to there. I really, I was working on all these songs that kind of were, sort of dealing with anger and fear, and just the way fear is used to sort of manipulate people. So I was working with those types of concepts, and the album was originally called just Fear And Insecurity. Well, right before I finished the album, I started looking at the overall as it finally started to take shape, and realized that that was a really negative, a really negative connotation to the whole idea. I didn’t want the first thing you hear about The Bleeder Project is something negative. It’s all upsetting, and it’s forlorn. I wanted there to be a sense of positivity and hopefulness to this, because that’s exactly what I’m trying to do with this project, is bring some kind of hope, bring some kind of information and inspiration to the heavy music. I looked around and saw that so many bands and so many people are all as gloomy as they can be and as unhappy and as miserable and-don’t get me wrong. There’s a definite dark side to my personality and to the record, but I didn’t want that to be the title that encapsulated the whole thing, because I want it to be about a celebration, and people-what am I thinking?-I want it to be, I want people to think about the positive of all of those types of things. There’s the political side of things and you can get caught up in fighting against it, or you can get motivated to work towards something positive that undermines that. So that was sort of my thinking, to keep it positive and the Systematic Subversion Of Fear And Insecurity is kind of just what it means. The political system and the power structure uses fear and insecurity that keep us all separated from each other, and keep us afraid to speak up or stand up for ourselves, or try something new, embrace the freak that’s sitting in the corner. I wanted to try to start working towards something that’s a little bit different.
Rock My Monkey: So would you say that this album is a declaration of war against the stereotypical negatives that usually are associated with this style of music?
Gabriel Scott: Well, I have to say, I really like the way you just put that, but I’d say not necessarily a declaration of war against it, but maybe a somewhat frustrated declaration of love for the people that are abused because of it, if that makes sense?
Rock My Monkey: Okay. What song on this cd do you think has the chance of being your Ace Of Spades, the song that fans are going to demand for decades to come?
Gabriel Scott: That is a very tricky question. I juggled that one the whole time I’ve worked on this album. When we were in the final stages, I brought in some people to do the mixing and mastering, and really spent a great deal of time on three songs in particular. I think “Ascension” is probably the most powerful of all the songs on the record. And for me, the most personal. I think it has the most to say and the most possibility of affecting people. The song, T Girls, or “Dead Girls And Pretty Boys” is a slam against the advertising system, and people seem to really be eating that up. Or “Dacryphillia” is a just a great, heavy dance number. So I honestly don’t know if I could even answer that. I’d say, I guess if I had to choose one, I think “Ascension” is probably the most powerful of them all, in my heart.
Rock My Monkey: What makes The Bleeder Project unique in the industrial scene, and what do you offer fans that no other industrial band does today?
Gabriel Scott: Well, I first of all don’t necessarily think that we’re industrial. I mean, I agree that there are vast similarities because of the use of the drum machines and the heavy beats and the D-Tuned tuned guitars and screaming and whatnot. But I really enjoy that type of music, but I don’t necessarily feel like that’s exactly where I’m at. I think we’ve endeavored to make it more or less a party. It’s colorful, it’s fun, it’s kind of silly, it’s playful, and it’s heavy and it’s aggressive and there’s angry moments in there. It’s really the kind of thing, as difficult as this is on a first tour for a band, it’s really the kind of thing, you don’t quite get it until you see it live. I think the music, I think some of the music is, if I can pat myself on the back at all, is pretty strong. But I think it’s when you see it live and in the show with the energy that it’s presented with that you really can get the true picture of what we’re doing. So I guess the live show and the aspect of having some fun and dancing and partying with it.
Rock My Monkey: What is Toy Star Records, and how did you hook up with them?
Gabriel Scott: Well, actually Toy Star is my own imprint. I started that when I made my previous solo record. I had shopped around for labels for a little while, and I really wasn’t getting any bites. The couple of people who did express an interest, I just felt like it was totally off in the wrong direction for me. So I decided that in this day and age there’s so many tools available to independent artists that you can put out a cd, you can promote it and publicize it through numerous avenues that don’t necessarily require an established record label. So I began just putting things out through Toy Star as my own entity.
Rock My Monkey: Currently I notice that the cd is not available on some major outlets, like for example, Amazon.com. Is bigger distribution in the works, and when can people expect to be able to have the cd for order in their local store, or online?
Gabriel Scott: That’s actually part of what this tour is about is we’re showcasing. A number of the dates are actually showcases for different, larger labels and possible distributors. Because we, meaning I, definitely want to get this out to a broader audience. As this process has unfolded, I’ve been kind of shocked at each new step at how much interest there has been in this. So I guess I sort of intended to start smaller, and wasn’t really thinking of things at the level that it’s starting to approach. So it’s been more or less a one man operation. Like I said, I wrote, recorded, produced, engineered the record, and have run the business side of it, and have done everything virtually by myself. So anything of it not being available at Amazon or places like that have just been because I’m spread so thin, and as I say, there’s been some interest. So we’re trying to get out and really fine tune the show, and show people who can take this to that next level and make that distribution happen, what The Bleeder Project really is all about.
Rock My Monkey: One hint that I’d like to mention to you, and of course also to any independent band that’s reading this, is Amazon actually has their own program for independent releases like this, called Amazon Advantage. All you have to do is go to Amazon.com/Advantage, and there’s actually a program you can sign up for. That’s actually how a lot of independent bands that don’t have any major label at all will get on, they’ll be on Amazon, but they’ll be on pretty much nothing else, just because of the Amazon Advantage program.
Gabriel Scott: Wow, that’s interesting. I appreciate you mentioning that, because this is sort of how it’s unfolding for me, is every, in talking to the other bands on tour and meeting other musicians and saying ‘Well, how are you guys doing it? What’s going on? What’s happening with you?’ And finding out what everybody is doing that’s got their own ball rolling.
Rock My Monkey: I sit there and I try, when I go to clubs and I go to shows of local bands. You’ll notice like some local bands will be a little bigger than the others. I usually try and corner those bands, and say ‘Okay, how are you doing this?’, ‘I saw that you signed up for this program. What do they offer?’, ‘I’ve heard this about this program. What is the truth behind it? What have you found out?’ Hopefully I can gather information and spread it out to other people. Obviously you buy a lot of loyalty if somebody finds good information from you that helps them out.
Gabriel Scott: Good. Yeah.
Rock My Monkey: Have you also heard about a program called CDBaby.com?
Gabriel Scott: Yeah. I’m actually affiliated with CDBaby.com.
Rock My Monkey: Okay. Cool.
Gabriel Scott: I was profoundly impressed with my interaction with them. When I first heard of them I was kind of like, oh, this is just another, somebody is going to sell it and take a piece of the pie. I was trying to find the best way for me to approach it. But once I really started looking into it and wanting to get into the digital distribution of the cd, I got affiliated with CDBaby and was blown away by how awesome they really are. I think they’re doing a really great job.
Rock My Monkey: Honestly I think that’s the only way I’ve found that an independent artist can get on iTunes immediately is through CDBaby.
Gabriel Scott: Yeah, that was one of the things that drew me to them, in fact.
Rock My Monkey: Yeah, yeah, yeah. It actually draws a lot of people to them. Is there any plans for a video single for this release?
Gabriel Scott: I have to say not really. Not at the moment. I would love to. I’ve got a lot of ideas bouncing around in my head. But again since everything at this point is self-financed and self-produced and published, I’m just trying to hold on and get through this tour in one piece, and see where the next step leads me from there. I would love to do a video, and I’ve got some really interesting ideas and some notes. But as I’m finding out, the going from the drawing board phase to the actuality is always a bigger process than I realize at the inception.
Rock My Monkey: When people see you guys live, what can people expect from your live shows? Is it more of a stripped down kind of thing, or what kind of theatrics do you add to make it more of a show?
Gabriel Scott: Well, at this stage it’s a pretty stripped down affair in comparison to what a larger band, a major label band with a lot of backing and a crew that can really support an act like that. But I’ve got numerous effect lighting, and lot of things that are triggered through midi to sync up with the music in the live show. As odd as it may sound without seeing it happen, there are certain choreographed parts of the show, some dance moves, some playfulness and some silly things that come up in the different songs. Like I say, a lighting show that goes along with it. As of right now the tour consists of myself and my current DJ who runs all the drum machines and lighting and samples and whatnot. It’s a pretty stripped down affair at this point.
Rock My Monkey: So right now you guys are doing a two man show, pretty much?
Gabriel Scott: That’s right.
Rock My Monkey: Wow.
Gabriel Scott: Technically a one-man show because the DJ is a young female named Azi right now. Anybody that goes to MySpace can see her and see who she is. As I said, there’s sort of been a revolving door of different people who work in numerous projects, and if they have the time and availability to do some shows, we work them in. Otherwise it’s usually myself and a DJ at the core of the whole thing, because like I said I wrote and programmed all of the music and the lighting cues and everything. I need somebody, like a human octopus back there to keep it all running and triggered at the right time.
Rock My Monkey: What song on here is the most personal song on the cd for you, and why?
Gabriel Scott: That is a good question. That kind of catches me out of left field. I’d say pretty much all of it is very personal. That’s one of those things I really strive for in my writing is to create something that people can relate to, but really comes from the heart with it. I think that at times I may be too personal with some of the songs. And I think, I’d have to say that probably again “Ascension” would be the one song that is probably the most personal. That really, really comes from the heart, and that song really means a lot to me. And I really feel like that is sort of a call to the universe for help, and an inspiration for myself to become something more, something that I wish everybody could strive to be. When I look at myself and see my own failures, I wish I could be more, and I wish I could grow to that, so it’s kind of a call to help to the universe to help me be that better person. So I would say that “Ascension” is probably the most personal of all that record.
Rock My Monkey: Now is the time of the interview that I like to call the Lightening Round. I’m going to name something in popular news or popular culture, and you sum up your thoughts in one short sentence.
Gabriel Scott: Alright. Let’s try it.
Rock My Monkey: Republican Presidential candidate Ron Paul.
Gabriel Scott: Best of luck.
Rock My Monkey: The NBC show Heroes.
Gabriel Scott: Never heard it. Don’t watch television.
Rock My Monkey: The iPhone.
Gabriel Scott: It looks very cool, but I heard it’s got some glitches.
Rock My Monkey: President Bush.
Gabriel Scott: (laughs) Okay. Simply just the figurehead for a much deeper, and broader problem, not the problem itself.
Rock My Monkey: Fox News.
Gabriel Scott: Propaganda at its purest and most intense form.
Rock My Monkey: Recording Industry Association Of America.
Gabriel Scott: I don’t know if I can even respond to that. I have nothing of value to say.
Rock My Monkey: I do have one final question. Every year we do choose one final question that we ask every single band from classic rock legends to the most extreme death metal bands at the end of every interview, partially to stump people, but also to see who wusses out and won’t answer. This year I’m asking people to look into their crystal ball and predict what political figure, world leader, musician, celebrity, anybody world wide famous, who do you think might die before the end of the year?
Gabriel Scott: Whoa. Well, I guess, I guess I’d have to say you’re stumping me. I can’t see anyone in particular. I’d say if it were anybody, one person who speaks out the most against the system, but who that might be, I don’t know. I avoid pop culture pretty heavily.
Rock My Monkey: I thank you very much for doing the interview, and anybody that’s listening to the audio version can go to RockMyMonkey.com for the full featured version with clickable links, readable text, and many more wonderful features. I guess people can go to your website to pick up the Systematic Subversion Of Fear And Insecurity by The Bleeder Project. I do hope to see you guys up on tour in the Northwest sometime soon. I notice that I did miss you guys when you came by a couple of weeks ago, so maybe if you come back I’ll hopefully get up there. And I thank you very much for your time.
Gabriel Scott: Thank you for giving me this chance. I really appreciate it, Mark. It means the world to me.
Rock My Monkey: Alright. Thank you. Talk to you later.
