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Thirty years into their profession, and P.O.D. nonetheless have loads of methods up their sleeves. Placing positivity on the forefront of the whole lot that they do, San Diego’s favorite sons of nu-metal have continued to seek out their place throughout the ever-changing heavy music sphere.
And that has by no means been extra true than on their 11th full-length album ‘Veritas’. Standing on the heavier finish of the band’s sonic palette, it finds them expressing their frustrations on the state of issues while nonetheless discovering lots to smile about. Combining pit-swelling intent with loads of chest-pounding inspiration, it’s a document made for motivation. A tough-hitting assortment of tracks that may get the blood pumping and the thoughts transferring.
To search out out extra about the way it got here collectively and the way they’re reflecting on three a long time within the sport, Rock Sound sat down with vocalist Sonny Sandoval…
ROCK SOUND: The place would you say the seeds of this document have been first sewn? Within the six years since your final album, loads has modified in the way in which that music is made and consumed, so how did you go about discovering your ft?
SONNY: “After we completed ‘Circles’ in 2018, we have been pleased with the way it turned out. We have been capable of tour Europe in 2019 with a great deal of sold-out exhibits, which then allowed us to return on the finish of the yr as effectively. Even on the peak of ‘Satellite tv for pc’, we by no means went to Europe twice in a yr. It was an ideal feeling that folks have been receiving ‘Circles’ and us in the way in which they have been. Then, rapidly, it modified with the hit of COVID. That was what it was. Then, in 2021, you see all people beginning to write. On the time, we have been going by means of our drama throughout the band. Traa [Daniels, bassist] had simply moved out of state, for one. Our band has all the time existed within the observe house, the place we will have a look at one another and speak and fiddle while making music. We’re old-fashioned like that. So with Traa transferring, we have been by no means actually collectively, and with COVID, you weren’t even allowed to be collectively.
“At one level when it began to clear up, me and Marcos [Curiel, guitarist] determined to move on as much as L.A. We knew we wished to work with The Heavy once more, as they did manufacturing on ‘Circles’ as a result of they understood our emotions on making music and simply hovered round us doing our factor. That document was much more on the choice aspect to the heaviness that P.O.D. is about. However this time, as a result of we didn’t have our drummer there, we might sit the The Heavy and simply use the know-how there may be now. We didn’t even want the studio, you recognize? Marcos would plug in his guitar and lay down some riffs. We’d clear it up, after which the drums could be constructed to carry the spine. It was nuts. We did that over a yr, and we acquired to a degree the place our label was like, ‘Come on, guys, all people is ending data up now’. However extra so, as a result of we have been going by means of our personal private stuff, we didn’t really feel too able to commit.
“We have been studying learn how to work on this new means we had by no means carried out earlier than. We allowed The Heavy to be part of the band inside this, and plenty of bands would have left the looped drums in there. However as a result of we’re old-fashioned, we knew we would have liked to do issues the way in which we all the time have.”
RS: It’s a credit score to you as a band that you’ve got tailored to this new means of doing issues with out dropping the essence of who you might be within the course of. There’s the simple means of doing issues, however there may be additionally the P.O.D. means of doing issues…
SONNY: “I’ll tune into whoever is new or scorching for the time being, and I can hear all of that manufacturing that’s not the band members. There may be a lot happening, however being us, we couldn’t do it that means. And this document was unfold out a lot as a result of we have been going track by track. By the point we reached the top, we realised we didn’t have the reggae or punk songs we normally do. However as a result of we have been working this manner, we realised it was simply going to be an album that was extra rocking. It was extra in that heavy mode, and we have been okay with that. It’s extra driving and again to the rock roots.”
RS: While you work the way in which you probably did, you solely comply with your intuition at that second. Your intuition was to dip again into this heavier realm, and maybe that displays on the whole lot taking place exterior of the band as effectively…
SONNY: “It’s a part of our recipe, to be sincere. We’ve been round 30 years, and that anger has all the time been there. We’ve been by means of all of those genres the place the music went from being unhappy and sombre to so pissed off and anti-everything. We’ve been by means of all of it, however once we began, we knew we wished to make use of all of these energies for one thing extra optimistic. We wish our data to encourage and encourage folks. Despite the fact that we could be feeling all these items, we nonetheless must squeeze all of it collectively and make one thing hopeful.
“This was COVID, and people years of being residence modified our lives. We’ve been a band throughout the world for therefore lengthy, however till issues like that occur, you don’t realise simply how a lot of part of you it’s. You may be on the street for therefore lengthy that you would be able to’t wait to get residence. However then, if you find yourself lastly residence, you don’t know learn how to act. I’m so used to being with my guys. There was a complete yr the place we went with out seeing Traa nose to nose. It was unusual, man. We’re recognized for enjoying over 200 exhibits, after which we couldn’t even jam collectively. It took a variety of work to adapt to that. However it additionally made us need it to be a optimistic expertise once we acquired the prospect once more.”
RS: One other means you may have proven how you might be transferring with the instances is thru the company on this album. From Randy Blythe to Tatiana Shmayluk and Cove Reber, you’re at present working with a number of the greatest in heavy music. How essential was it to have names like that concerned on this mission?
SONNY: “Vocal collaboration has all the time been essential to us. We’re hip-hop heads, too. We come from that college of working carefully with folks, and you may see that once you have a look at our early data. We highlighted legends that we regarded as much as and advised our followers, ‘Take a look at these guys; they’re why P.O.D. exists.’ As we’ve gone by means of, we’ve all the time tried to get folks we love and respect on each document. We wished to do the identical with this one.
“It was stunning that we had by no means correctly met Randy all through the years, however we turned associates once we have been on Shiprocked. He’s the sweetest man ever. Then we came upon his style is eclectic and extends past steel. After we have been ending up the document, we considered texting him. We thought he could be excellent as a result of ‘DROP’ has that bounce. We didn’t know if he would flip it away, however he was on it. Then he did what he did.
“So far as Tatiana goes, we have been within the studio engaged on ‘AFRAID TO DIE’. We have been saying we’re not afraid to die, and we wished a gang vocal in there, with a feminine vocal included. It’s all about this unity. Then we considered how we love Jinjer and her scream. She got here in and did what she does, and he or she’s a beast.
“Then with Cove, ‘This Is My Life’ is extra on the punk-rock tip. We wished a brand new man, and with Cove being in Scary Youngsters Scaring Youngsters and Saosin, he felt extra new faculty to us. He was in and did what he does as effectively. He recorded it at his home, despatched it again, and it was excellent.
“Each voice is totally totally different and gives one thing particular. It continues that P.O.D. legacy of collaborating with folks that we love.”
RS: You’ve got seen so many bands, fashions, and traits come and go through the years. But the factor that all the time stays the identical is the neighborhood facet that comes with music, particularly different music. It retains you going and thriving, and so that you can nonetheless be on the centre of that and entice individuals who adore it as a lot as you could really feel superb…
SONNY: “We are going to all the time be thankful for that. We don’t take without any consideration that we nonetheless get to do what we do. We don’t all the time need to play it secure, both. We’ve taken on excursions which may not be our crowd, however we don’t know trigger we’ve tried the whole lot. We need to contact on as many issues as attainable. We love the problem and the try to win folks over. From going out with Jinjer to having juggalos staring you down once we went out with Insane Clown Posse, we’re all the time going to try to win. We all the time need to maintain that the identical. It’s the very best feeling ever.”
RS: You additionally understand how P.O.D. continues to be part of the dialog, even once you aren’t instigating it. The cogs within the machine maintain turning, whether or not by means of one thing you may have impressed or a track you may have launched. That’s what affect is all about, and when you think about what you may have carried out with this album, a heavy launch, that piques curiosity much more…
SONNY: “It’s a catch-22, you recognize? It’s onerous to sit down as an artist or entertainer and say, ‘I need to do what I would like. In case you don’t prefer it, you don’t prefer it’. However that’s been so true to P.O.D., as we’ve needed to make music that we cherished. However the second you may have success, another person will probably be round to let you know learn how to make them a greenback as effectively. That’s not what it’s about. We’re not doing it for you; it’s for my peace of thoughts. It’s a blessing when folks get it, however there’s a price to that. If we’re not doing the whole lot the way in which the labels do, social media or the business dictates, we might fall again. We’ve to be okay with that. You must be keen to know that once you’re carried out with this, it was by no means about having all the cash on this planet. It was not all concerning the fame and recognition. I’d quite P.O.D. construct a reputation and a legacy in order that once we are carried out, folks say, ‘Man, your music modified my life’. We’ve all the time stated it was all price it if one individual says that. And now, we’re 30 years later, and that’s the one factor that offers us the excessive anymore. We love making music. We love enjoying exhibits. However when that one individual pulls you apart and says, ‘Your music modified my world’, all you may be is grateful.”
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