Loading Data Interview

Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days?

Well, we just got back yesterday from the Stoner Rise Tour with Seven Weeks & Mudweiser. 2 great bands from France and great friends as well. An amazing tour. And we just released our new album Double Disco Animal Style produced by Alain Johannes from Eleven, Queens of the stone age, them crooked vultures etc etc....  So alot is going on.

How would you describe the musical sound of the new album and how it differs from previous releases?

For starters I'd say that the songs sound very different from the former 2 albums. Either much darker or much lighter depending on the tunes. I took the option of singing with my deeper voice which is my natural voice instead of pushing it to the limit all the time. It's a more intimate album, maybe more mature as well even if that sounds very cliché. But 6 years went by since Rodeo Ghettoblaster and I surely didn't get any younger and a lot of things happened in my life and in the band since then. Working with Alain Johannes was a delight. Something I'd never eperienced before in a studio. As if he was in my head and completely understood what I was aiming for. As if I'd lent him my brain and my ears. He's a pure genius and I love the way he works. It's all based on instinct, nothing academic in his way of producing. He likes to take risks and try new techniques and the result is there to prove he was right.  

What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer music?
Love, sex, deceit, drugs, depression, resurrection, and everyday life basically. No politics!!!!

There was a 6 year gap between the last 2 albums, what was going on during those years?

Well time to tour with Rodeo Ghattoblaster, then time to write a new album and then many changes in the band. I moved to L.A for a year to write the new album and that's where we ended up recording Double Disco Animal Style. Alain became a friend and we decided to do this together. I then asked my former bandmates if they wanted to come record with me. A year had gone. Some came others didn't. Then it took a few months to get the new band together. I tried out several drummers but it didn't work out and finally Robin Vieville, our fomer sound enginner became our drummer. Then Louise became our sexy groovy bass player and Julien “Casanova” Ribeill started mastering the lead guitar. It's a great new lineup.

The new album has some well known quests on it, how did you get in contact with these musicians?

Well Nick (Oliveri) is an old friend. I've know him for 10 years now. Met him in 2002 thanks to my buddy Adam Keller who plays on the album as well. Adam was our drummer when I moved to Florida in 2002. Loading Data opened for Mondo Generator several times as well as for Nick's solo tour. So being in L.A it seemed obvious Nick had to be on the album. He even wrote a song for the band, Loading Generator. Unfortunately we didn't have time to finish it. It's a shame though because Mondo's drummer, Hoss  “Angeles” Wright,  played drums on there. We'll release it as a bonus track someday.  

What is the meaning and inspiration behind the bands name?
At first the band was called four-track junction. But it was bitch to pronounce mostly for foreigners. So I thought of something everyone would know and that would be easy to pronounce. It goes back to when internet was still really slow and you'd have Loading Data written on every website you'd try to open. It could take up to half an hour to open a flash website. And there it was...  loading data...

What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and how would you describe your stage performance?
We've done some amazing shows with awesome crowds. Some of my best memories are in the USA, in Argentina, and this last tour was grand as well. It's hard to chose one show in particular. It's always so good to be up there on stage.

8, Do you have any touring plans for the new release?
Well as I said we just got back from a tour with Seven Weeks and Mudweiser. We're planning a big tour for September throughout Europe and we hope to hit the USA soon. .

The new album came out on Deadlight Entertainment, how did you get in contact with this label and how would you describe the support they have given you so far?

Deadlight had already taken care of the French release of Rodeo Ghettoblaster. They asked us if we were interested in them releasing the new one. We said go for it. Then A Quick One Records offered to release the LP. of  Double Disco and we went for it. All good.

On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to the new album by fans of stoner rock?
For the moment the feedback is extremely positive. It's always a bit scary when you release a new album and mostly when it doesn't really sound exactly like the previous one. You hope people aren't going to let you down because your sound has changed a bit, your songwriting as well. But it turns out it's been very positive for the moment.

Are there any other musical projects besides this band or is this a full time line up?

I'm working on a solo project. But I've been working on it for years now. Maybe one day it'll see the light of day. For the moment I'm concentrated on this new album. It's our priority.


What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?
West!

What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your newer music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
I listen to all sorts of music. From jazz to rockabilly. From stoner to soul. I think everything I listen to has an influence on what I write and how I write it. At the moment I'm really into rap for example. Not that I'm going to start rapping, don't worry but just to say I'm not hermetic to any style. There are too many bands and artists that inspire me. Not only music, but also books, paintings, photography.


Outside of music what are some of your interests?
Everything. Starting by the news and what happens all around the world. I hate feeling isolated. I can listen to the news all day long. I never get sick of it. My father was a journalist maybe that has something to do with it. Apart from that, I love art in general.

Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?
Thanks for taking the time to read this interview. Hope you enjoy the new album. See you somewhere on the road.