"When we were small, my brother and me used to mess around for hours on this electric music box," he said. "We actually used a lot of vintage instruments on this album. Jared even brought in this old synthesizer he's had since he was 13."
Music was a part of the Leto siblings' lives, long before Jared became an actor known for his movies like "Fight Club," "Requiem for a Dream" or his critically praised role as a transgender person afflicted with AIDS in the current film "Dallas Buyers Club."
"We always had instruments around the house when we were growing up," Shannon Leto, 43, said. "We love to express ourselves through music."
Four years ago, the creative process was not so pleasant.
During the recording of its third studio disc, "This Is War," the band was hit with a $30 million lawsuit by its label, Virgin Records, which claimed breach of contract when the trio attempted to sign with another label.
"Trying to create and express yourself with that gorilla on your back was really challenging," Leto said of the yearlong legal battle. "But I think if we didn't go through that experience we wouldn't have had that album, and we're really proud of it."
"This Is War" proved to be a breakout album for Thirty Seconds to Mars, which performs Thursday at The NorVa. (The show is sold out.) The disc earned numerous music awards, and its first two singles hit the No. 1 spot on Billboard's alternative music chart.
The lawsuit was eventually settled, and in September 2012, "Artifact," a documentary chronicling the legal dispute and the making of "This Is War," won the People's Choice Documentary Award at the Toronto International Film Festival.
The environment in creating "Love Lust Faith + Dreams" was everything its predecessor was not.
"We didn't have anyone setting boundaries on us this time," Leto said. "The atmosphere was much lighter and more optimistic."
Anchored by arena-ready anthems, Thirty Seconds to Mars has fine-tuned its earnest, emotionally charged rock songs with a flourish of positivity.
Even the album's title is a nod to the band's growing holistic posture.
"When the name came up I remember thinking, yes, those are the words that describe the core of life and how we should experience it," Leto said. "You can't have one without the other if you want your life to be in balance. They are all integrated."
The Leto brothers, along with lead guitarist Tomo Milicevic, have clearly grown up since forming the band 15 years ago, but one constant remains, and that's the bond they've formed with their fan base, known as "the echelon."
"We have always said that this band is a shared experience," Leto said. "It's been that way ever since we played our first gig to maybe five or six people at this club called the Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto, Canada. I still remember talking to those people after the show, and there was this amazing feeling of camaraderie.
"We're not one of these bands that play music just for ourselves; we want to play for people, and when they respond, it's really hard to put into words, but there is a spiritual thing that is formed between us."
No comments:
Post a Comment