Glass Eden Interview

INTERVIEW WITH GLASS EDEN FROM TheCelebrityCafe.com ARCHIVES

DM) What is your songwriting process?

PB) Most of the songs on "Glass Eden" started as a music idea/riff. Over time I built up the songs by splicing together like and sometimes unlike ideas that I thought would complement each other. At the core, the songs and lyric ideas are very simple and specific, and that's what I was going for. As the songs were being recorded, I would add the loops and samples to add to what was already there. The sample and loops are mostly made from screams and existing tracks that are pitched up or down and processed until they no longer sound human at all. I feel this is a more "organic" approach to the process.

DM) What do you mean by "organic"?

PB) I mean that the samples and loops, instead of being computer-generated, or a tone from a sound module, are real human sounds from the Glass Eden tracks. I sample them and process them to make cymbals, kick drums, effect loops, etc. To me, it's much more "organic" to use real sounds to generate loops and samples so that when the song is finished, it takes on a very specific sound that is unique to it alone.

DM) Is that difficult to do?

PB) No, not at all. It's actually far simpler than the other way...

DM) Do you prefer touring or recording?

PB) I've spent the majority of my life touring, since I was 18, in fact, so I have to say that the recording process is a lot more fulfilling for me as an artist. However, touring to back up a successful recording, one that the people know and enjoy, can be an incredible experience.

DM) How did it feel the first time a fan knew all your lyrics by heart?

PB) Recently, an actress friend of mine was on a final call back for the part of Cher in the new Sonny & Cher movie. She is not a singer, but the producers and director asked her to sing. She sang the first verse and chorus from "Goodbye" for them. I had given her a CD but didn't even know she had listened to it, much less knew a song well enough to sing it by memory. Not to get all sappy here, but something like that always makes me feel good, like I've done something that matters.

DM) Did she get the part?

PB) Yes

DM) What is a "Glass Eden"?

PB) "Glass Eden" is the situation into which we are all born. The preconceived rules/regulations/society/religion/ideology etc. that is shoved down our throat before we even take our first breath. The reason I call it "glass" is because we can see outside to something more, but we have to break through. The "Glass Eden" CD has a lot of my perspectives from this "caged-in-glass" point of view. We have a video out now for the song "Human", which is a great visual of the whole idea. The lead character tries to fit in, but the more he does, the less human he becomes, until at the end of the video he's been totally used up and discarded. Kind of like what society does to 90% of us...

DM) Where have you gotten airplay of the video?

PB) The video was "pick of the week" on the Austin Music Network (9-15-

98), and has been the most requested video up to the present. AMN has a national syndication; they also do Austin City Limits. Video Request (Detroit MI and surrounding regi

on) medium rotation; Teletunes (Denver, CO, 4-state regi

on) added 9/25; Power Play Music Video TV (national syndicati

on); Robots & Electronic Brains (based in Cambridge, Engla

nd); Music Video 8-(San Francisco,

CA) added 8/15.

DM) How much artistic influence do you have in directing a video, as opposed to songwriting?

PB) To be honest...I took no influence in the concept and editing of the video...Not because I didn't have the capability of exerting that influence, but mainly because the director, Peter Mervis, had a far better concept of presenting my ideas than I could have come up with. When people have that kind of talent, you have to swallow your ego and let things go for the best...and I believe 100% that is what happened with "Human."

DM) Doesn't it become difficult, swallowing your ego?

PB) Yeah...I've got a pretty big ego and sometimes you choke on it...

DM) Do you pursue other artistic avenues besides music?

PB) I'm an actor as well, but I won't bore you with a resume at this time...