Are the Internet and social media a curse or a blessing? On "Dissolution", The Pineapple Thief deal with this burning question. Although they themselves clearly benefit from the possibilities of online communication and without them the new album could not have been created this way, they take a critical view of the development that platforms like Facebook have taken in recent years. Bruce Soord (45), as a non-digital native, gives information about his experiences with the beautiful new world. And about the new band member Gavin Harrison.
eclipsed: How did the work on the new album go?
Bruce Soord: This time it was more of a collaboration, a group thing, although we all, including bassist Jon Sykes and keyboard player Steve Kitch, worked in our own studios. It was an extremely creative process. We exchanged ideas every day and sent ideas back and forth. This way of working made us independent, we could take the time we needed. We hadn't planned it that way, it just turned out that way. We could work on a song until everyone thought it couldn't get any better, that was great. But this approach also meant six months of hard work, day after day, almost twenty-four hours were all about the music. When things didn't go on, of course we had the idea to just get together. We'll probably do that for the next album and work together in Gavin's studio.
eclipsed: What about the tour preparations, do you meet there in advance?
Soord: (laughs) I suppose so. It won't work without rehearsals. Maybe with other bands, but not with us. I'm preparing the rehearsal sessions, by the way. We'll be at Gavin's in a few weeks, rehearse, have a few beers. In the long run I would also miss this classical band history - meeting people with whom you get along well, working on songs together, lifting one.
eclipsed: Is there another theme that holds music and lyrics together?
Soord: Absolutely. All my lyrics are about the human psyche and the changing society. Over the past five years, a lot has changed, I think. And this is mainly due to the way we are connected via the Internet and the social media. I remember how enthusiastic I was when I could write to my favourite bands via fan mail, addressed to the fan club of the respective band. A lot has happened since then. When it started with Facebook and Twitter, we all thought it was good. You stay in contact with each other, exchange photos, see how the other one is doing. In the meantime, however, all this has developed into something completely different.
