Interview: Taking Back Sunday Rediscovers What Happiness Is

By: Daniel Gerichter (@ZenDonut) – 

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ot every band has the luxury of rediscovering themselves after 16 years. But for Taking Back Sunday, Happiness Is (their 2014 return to form) gave them a rebirth of sorts. Now tighter and more connected with their fans than ever before, drummer Mark O’Connell and Taking Back Sunday have found the wisdom, honesty and conviction that comes along with rock star veteran status and as far as they’re concerned, it’s given them the direction they need to keep doing it like this was their first album. With an upcoming re-release of Happiness Is, Taking Back Sunday share more of the songs that reflect a revitalized, realigned band – a well-oiled machine that runs like new, despite the mileage. 

Your upcoming re-release of “Happiness Is” includes several unheard b-sides. Why did you choose to keep those particular tracks off the record at release time?

The truth is, we liked all the songs we recorded for the album, but the initial release was a product of a voting process. We’d go around and say “who wants this song on the record?” and everyone would vote. I remember Eddie (Reyes) wanting a couple of songs on there and us all having to tell him “sorry dude, but you lost the vote.” Everything we do is democratic.

What kind of feedback did you receive about the album from your fans?

You know, we kind of record in a bubble. It’s us, our techs and our production guys until the album drops, so it’s only after we start playing these songs live that we really see what people think. If the crowd’s singing along, going off and bouncing around that means we did a good job. But if they’re just standing around going “meh” it means we didn’t. And that was the vibe we were getting on the two albums before this one.

That’s got to affect your creative process in a harsh way. 

It really does. On the tour for Happiness Is, the kids were singing along again – especially to favourites of ours like “Flicker Fade” – and that’s the best feeling in the world. To not have had that makes you think that maybe you’ve lost it. We’d been around for a long time at that point and to have a lukewarm crowd makes you think you’re getting too old for this or that our passion was gone and might never come back. I think this album proved to us that we could still do it.

16 years in, what about your role in the band has become a second nature compared to when you started?

The one thing that I think I deal with better today than I did in the beginning was interacting with fans. Even at the shows, if someone wanted an autograph or something, I thought: ”Nobody actually knows who I am, so why are they chastising me? Are they being an asshole or something?” I figure I’m just some guy. Now I’m a lot better about engaging with them.

What parts about your role in the band has become more difficult?

Touring was always tough, but as you get older it gets that much tougher. Having to up and leave the wife and kids just gets harder every time. It’s especially tough when we’re out of the country and we’re trying to keep the phone bills low. We can only call when we have WiFi. But we keep telling ourselves that you gotta do what you gotta do.

Taking Back Sunday’s new release, The Complete Recordings: Happiness Is, will include the band’s original 2014 record Happiness Is, along with rare and unreleased tracks, all spread out on eight 7-inch vinyl records with a collectible signed art card.

At this stage in your career, what parts of rock stardom would you rather avoid?

I think I have the best of both worlds, to be honest. I know there are stereotypes about being a rock star (ie: the partying), but being a drummer I could always just play the shows and make my way back to the bus or hotel unnoticed. Or I could to go to Wallgreens without anyone knowing who I am. Adam (Lazzara) and John (Nolan) have it a bit differently because they’re the face of Taking Back Sunday. But I think maybe they actually like that (laughs).

With the lineup changes and other drama over the years, how do you channel your frustrations and anger into your music? 

There definitely has been a lot of drama over the years, but being a drummer, I have an outlet built into my role (laughs). I’ve been playing drums since I was eight and that’s the thing that I used to get any of my anger out, and I think my whole family is thankful for that. They’ll say “just go downstairs and play for an hour. You’ll feel better.”

As you guys create new ideas for future material, what themes and ideas are driving your lyrics and creative process?

Adam and John are the ones who really pick out the themes and lyrical content. Eddie will come in with a guitar riff, or I’ll help out with a riff of my own and we’ll all just go from there. It’s every bit a democratic process creatively as it is once it’s all in the can. It leads to arguments some times, but I don’t think we’d have it any other way. Anyone in a healthy relationship argues. Like, you know those couples who say they don’t fight? That’s bullshit because their fights are just more fucked up. It’s better to just get in a room and get it all out on the table.

You guys are releasing Happiness Is on vinyl. How do you think the vinyl resurgence has changed the music industry?

It’s crazy.  You see that vinyl sales are outselling CDs at this point – the figures are actually showing that kids like having something tangible. In an age where everything is digital, the artwork, the inserts, all that stuff actually gives people something to read and experience along with the music. We did a signing before a show and this kid came up with a vinyl of Happiness Isand told me that was the first vinyl they owned.  It’s amazing that a whole generation is rediscovering the medium.

Did you know that Taylor Swift’s new album actually had incredibly strong sales on vinyl?

You know what? That’s awesome. I really dig Taylor Swift. I can’t even lie.

What kind of pressure have you felt to change stylistically?

Hopeless Records has been really awesome and they just let us do what we do. People seem to like us for the sound we have, and I think the studio knows that if we changed our sound we’d lose our fan base over night.

So we shouldn’t expect a Taking Back Sunday dubstep album any time soon?

I tend to never say never most of the time, but no. You’ll never see anything like that, no. (laughs).

Happiness Is: The Complete Recordings will be released on Feb. 24th via Hopeless Records. Click here to pre-order.