Q - Firstly, what is your name
and age, and which talents do you contribute to the band?
A - Mason Frenzel - age 27 - vocals, piano, guitar
Q - When you pronounce the
band name, does it sound like "airline" or "airileen" or "airiline"?
A - The E is silent...It's just pronounced "airline."
Q - How long have you guys been working on music together?
A - We've been working on music together in various forms for the last 9 years.
Matt, our bass player, and I were in two previous bands together. We started
playing together in high school in a band called plunge and then we were in a
band called Caesar's Glass Box together which signed to a label out of New York
called The Enclave (Belle And Sebastion, World Party, Sloan). While playing in
Caesar's Glass Box we became friends with another local band called Harmonium.
It just so happened that Chris, Aireline's guitarist, and James, Aireline's
drummer, were bandmates in this band. We became big fans of each others bands
and when both broke up, Matt, Chris, James, and I decided to get together and
play for fun. That was about 3-4 years ago. We had no intentions of being a
band, but the chemistry and creativity just started to flow and we knew we had a
special relationship.
Q - How do you feel your music or lyrics have changed since you guys started
out?
A - Well....I hope they've gotten better, but that's a matter of opinion I
suppose. I think the main difference in the lyrics has been that i've taken them
much more seriously since we first started. I don't know exactly how that has
changed them, but it has changed my approach to writing them. I think our music
has become a little bit more digestible since we first started. The songs have
gotten a lot cleaner. By cleaner, I mean that there is not as much "filler."
Every note and every part has a purpose and a reason for being there. As a
result our songs have gotten a little shorter, but i thing much more interesting
and creative.
Q - What is your purpose in being in this band? Is there a certain message
you are trying to give to fans?
A - Our purpose for being in this band is to share this music with people. We do
not believe that this is our music. We feel that this music is a gift and it is
our purpose to share it and to spread it. We hope that this music touches people
and influences people in some way no matter how big or small. Music has played a
huge role in our lives and development as people and as artists and musicians.
We hope that our music can be a part of that in someone else's life (cue tears).
Q - Is there any history or specific reason behind the song "Legionnaire"?
A - 'Legionnaire' was written shortly after 9/11. It was kind of a reaction to
some of the things I saw and thoughts I had. I was in college at Middle
Tennessee State University at the time and I was walking home from class on
9/11. I passed the ROTC building and saw the students in their army attire
marching in line in the courtyard, practicing their drills. As I watched this in
light of the recent catastrophe that was still unfolding as I was walking home,
I couldn't help but wonder if I would someday be one of those guys. That's where
the line of the chorus came from: "I hear the boots marching in line, through
the trenches, through my mind."
Q - How would you describe your live shows?
A - I would say our live shows are what people enjoy the most about us. They are
energetic, and from what I've been told, much more intense than our recordings.
Q - Which bands would you love to tour with one day?
A - There are too many to name, but I'd have to include Radiohead, Death Cab For
Cutie, The Flaming Lips, Sigur Ros, Colplay, Supergrass, PJ Harvey, Daniel
Lenois....etc.
Q - Which artists/bands contribute to the way the band writes music?
A - There are once again too many to list...Just to name a few: Jeff Buckley,
Radiohead, Sunny Day Real Estate, Beatles, Beach Boys, Bach, Beethoven, Philip
Glass.
Q - Which artists are holding your attention right now?
A - I've really been enjoying PJ Harvey's and Bjork's new albums. I also really
like The Mars Volta and Sigur Ros.
Q - Which obscured bands would you like people to listen to, that you
obviously feel deserve it?
A - Everybody needs to hear Imaginary Baseball League, Anathallo, and Ethan
Durelle.
Q - What do you guys see yourselves doing 5 years from now?
A - Making an impact on the music world.
Q - How do you feel about the entire MP3s issue?
A - I don't really have a strong opinion on it. As far as independent bands like
us go, it's great. Anything to get our music to people who otherwise would never
hear of us is fantastic. Sorry, Metallica.
Q - What do you guys do when not playing in Aireline?
A - We all have day jobs unfortunately...Aireline is not paying the bills yet.
Q - Any side projects or collaborations involving you guys that we need to
know of?
A - Chris has played on some friends' albums (Cool Hand Luke, Ups And Downs Of
Industry).
Q - Would you agree that Chris Farley is the funniest man who ever lived?
A - I'm afraid not. I think he might be the funniest man who ever died of a drug
overdose though. I think one of the funniest men alive right now has to be Mitch
Hedberg.
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