Maynard James Keenan Reveals How He Rejects Bandmate’s Ideas And It Leads To ‘Misery’

1
165

Tool and A Perfect Circle frontman Maynard James Keenan revealed how he communicated with APC bandmate Billy Howerdel creatively while making their new album Eat the Elephant in a new Kerrang interview.

“We haven’t done an album in 14 years.”

“He was probably thinking things were going to go the way they used to, and I was going to respond to sounds the way I used to. We really had to come up with a new language for each other.”

The interviewer said, “It’s always fascinating to hear how bands communicate with each other.”

“Or don’t communicate,” Maynard laughs. “Wheeee.”

The interviewer asked, “How do you tell Billy if a song’s not working for you?”

Maynard responded, “There’s no other way to do it other than to be straight and honest and deal with that week of misery. There’s no other way to go about it. Like, ‘I’m not hearing what you’re hearing, sorry.’ But the good news is that we wouldn’t be standing here if I didn’t hear it in other things, so that part you just have to figure out how to let it go.”

Billy Howerdel also discussed the stress of making the record.

“I’ll say this. The stress that’s associated with making a record – having an extreme deadline where you’re putting your stamp on it – it’s a fine line you draw, caring so much that it is bad for your health. For me, I wanted it to be everything it could be. It’s hard not to get physically worn down from it. When you get to that place where you’re not sleeping, and you can barely think straight, that’s when you go, ‘God, did I need to push it that hard? Or was it necessary?’”