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G&C: You have released several studio albums and a live DVD on your label NoisePlus Music. That is an impressive feat. How does it feel to have accomplished so much in a DIY manner? kaRIN: I began in music as an outlet for my turmoiled emotions and had absolutely no aspirations of it going anywhere. I am already more than impressed that it has gone as far as it has. Absolutely everything about it doing it ourselves is challenging and satisfying.
Statik: We both love control, and we like knowing exactly what's happening with our music. We put so much work into everything we do, it would just be very hard to let someone else have all of the control over what happens with it.
G&C: The show at the El Rey Theatre was amazing and well-thought out. How do you feel the show went and could you tell us what sort of things we might see in the live DVD?
Statik: Well, the DVD is finished now, and I think it turned out great. We wanted to make it a bit more intimate than some live DVDs that we had seen. Of course there are always things you wish had gone better, in terms of playing and cameras being at certain places at certain times, but I think overall, the DVD really gives you a sense of being there.
kaRIN: It's interesting...for so long we never really considered playinglive, because we are such an electronic studio oriented band. So... to me playing live and making a DVD out of it feels very triumphant and like something that almost didn't happen. It was something that was very challenging and totally out of our element. The DVD represents a lifetime of us making music. As well as the live show, it also includes all of our studio videos, an interview and some Collide unplugged.
G&C: Do you have any plans for any future live engagements?
kaRIN: Currently no...although we enjoy playing live, we are still most interested in creating new music and unfortunately there is only so much time in a day. When we do anything, it takes all of our energy to do it the way that we want to do it. We are anxious to get back to work on some new material.
G&C: How do you feel about working as independent musicians as opposed to working with a major label?
kaRIN: LOVE IT. I have always been a creative person and an artist trying to survive in a business world. When it came to the music industry, there just seemed to be everything wrong with the working relationship of artist to label. It's not enough to talk about what was wrong, we are determined to change things. The Internet has become such a viable source of communication and exposure that it makes it possible for independent artists like ourselves to survive.
Statik: We just couldn't imagine anything more frustrating to have someone at a label deciding some other act on the label was more worthy of their time and advertising money...saying we'll push this act, but not this one. Of course we've never been on a major label, so it's not like we've been there first hand, but I've worked with A LOT of different people and I've seen it happen time and time again. It just really opened my eyes to how the music business can work.
G&C: How do you feel you have grown as a band since you first started working on music together?
kaRIN: Ohhhhhhhhh... I am not sure how I have grown. I know my writing has matured. Before I was in Collide, I used to write angry songs to outlet my feelings...but then I couldn't stand to listen to them. Now I still outlet my feelings, but I think I do it in a more evolved way.
Statik: That is a tough question. I guess it still doesn't seem easy for us, in any aspect, which is probably good...it doesn't let us feel too comfortable. When we're making a song or anything else, we really work on it and re-do it until we're as happy as we can be with it. It's what we've always done.
kaRIN: Every detail of every aspect is very important to us.
G&C: What is the most important thing that goes through your mind when you are working on a song?
kaRIN: To reach deep inside of myself and bring up something that reaches from my core. It may take a long time. I usually just keep working on a song until it finally falls into place.
Statik: Make it interesting....make it fresh...good melody...cool sounds. I just try to push myself into making things sound new. I don't like listening to something and thinking how it sounds like 20 other CDs I've heard...what would be the point?
G&C: kaRIN, besides Collide I have noticed that you do other forms of art. This was apparent to me at your show at the El Rey Theatre. Could you elaborate on this?
kaRIN: I have always made things and still when I am not working on music...I make things. I have a talent for taking nothing and making something out of it. For years I was able to live off of making jewelry from found objects like street glass, guitar strings, or nuts and bolts. Now I make things using artwork...belts, cases, purses and t-shirts, jewelry and other stuff. Some examples of what I do can be found at: www.SaintsandSinners.tv
G&C: Statik, you have worked together with some notable artists such as Skinny Puppy and Tool. Are you currently working on any projects aside from Collide at the moment? If so, could you tell us more about that?
Statik: We are working on a handful of songs with Dean Garcia of Curve. It started with one song, and I think we were all happy with how it went, and we currently have 5 that we are working on. It's still up in the air how many we'll do together, or where it will get released, but I think we all just like creating and seeing where we can take it. Now we just need more time in the day to get everything done.
kaRIN: Yes, we definitely need more time in a day.
G&C: When you aren't working on art or music, what sort of things to do you like to engage in?
kaRIN: Is there something else? I am pretty obsessed with creating... when I am not creating, I am working on my computer doing the work that is entailed in running our record label. Other than that, we are playing with our dogs.
Statik: It's nice to just be outside when I get a chance. Anything without a computer from time to time. I like to go bowling, or biking...work on my pond.
G&C: What sort of advice would you offer to up-and-coming artists?
kaRIN: FOLLOW YOUR PASSION and then the rest will fall into place.
Statik: Don't follow anyone else, but be aware of what everyone else is doing.
G&C: Can you tell us what the future holds for Collide?
kaRIN: All I ever want to do is create more...it's pretty much what I live for.
Statik: I wish I knew...we just keep going, and going. We love creating, and we're hoping to have a new album done before too long next year.
G&C: We can't wait to hear it! But then again, we're corpses.
Rot on, Collide!
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